This exhilarating adventure will hook readers with its explosive combination of action, danger, and heart.
A sheltered teenager discovers his demon-fighting abilities in this YA fantasy.
This series opener finds Garet, a mild-mannered sheepherder who tolerates his father’s and brothers’ abuse for the sake of his beloved mother and younger sister, detecting an astonishing skill. In the face of a demon attack, he seems to be immune to its special power that “makes men and women fear it more than is necessary.” After Garet bravely kills the demon, he and his mother are visited by the mysterious Master Mandarack and a teenage girl, Salick, who have heard of the sheepherder’s immunity. Mandarack promises to train Garet as a “demonbane,” an honored role that would have him protecting the city of Shirath from otherworldly attacks. Convinced this is a better life for her son than the one on the farm, Garet’s mother insists that he accompany Mandarack and Salick. But training in the city doesn’t go as wonderfully as Garet imagined. Besides missing his quiet home life, he finds himself in increasing danger as he’s thrust in the middle of sneaky politics and a brewing war that attempts to pit the “banehall” (the people the banes are supposed to protect) and the demons against one another. Smoothly written with a brisk pace and engaging characters, Harkness’ novel builds a believable world that readers will find easy to slip into. The demons are delightfully unique, with different-sized jewels in the skulls of each species that directly correlate to the amount of fear they give off to nearby humans and animals. Meanwhile, the intense battle scenes deliver plenty of action and bloodshed: “The old bane leaned into the shield with all his weight until, with a horrid screech from the demon, the point tore through the leathery skin of its back and dark blood flowed out over the stones of the square.”
This exhilarating adventure will hook readers with its explosive combination of action, danger, and heart.Pub Date: July 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781778226250
Page Count: 438
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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