A fantasy that offers compelling worldbuilding and rich character arcs.
In this YA novel, four teenage witches flee their families’ expectations.
Theodora “Thrash” Blumfeld-Wright didn’t expect her “knack” to show up in the library’s bathroom in full view of Cresca King, one of the three popular girls known as the Lunes. As the “plus-size” 16-year-old daughter of two witches, Thrash wasn’t guaranteed to get a knack and be a witch in her own right, but she had a better chance than most. The Lunes may be potential witches (“There was something that just screamed ‘coven’ about them, even though none of them had gotten their knacks yet”). Soon, Cresca confesses to Thrash that the Lunes are indeed witches, “but we haven’t told anyone.” She offers Thrash a deal—go on a road trip with her and the other Lunes, Saki Anderson and Emerald Atlandotir. Then the four of them can work together to decide their own destinies rather than letting their parents choose their futures. Thrash is unsure about the scheme until she discovers that her mom plans to give her the one power she definitely doesn’t want—the Gift of Glamour. Thrash runs away from home before her mom can officially bestow the power on her and grabs the Lunes. Now, they’re on a road trip to escape their parents’ expectations and maybe decide their own fates. But when the Lunes discover Thrash escaped with a mysterious “Gift,” a hollowed-out book filled with witchy artifacts like amulets and her baby teeth, the girls may be in for a worse fate than just parental disapproval. In this rousing fantasy, Ives turns the coming-of-age road-trip trope on its magical head. As the four teens open up to one another, YA readers will find that even witches have very relatable problems. Cresca tells Thrash: “Why should parents choose our Gifts for us? Just because some old crones decided it should work that way a hundred years ago?” Thrash’s tempestuous relationship with her mom, who frames her biting comments as just “wanting what’s best for you,” will sound familiar to many readers. With an imaginative magical system and world and intriguing characters, this novel will entertain teens and adults alike.
A fantasy that offers compelling worldbuilding and rich character arcs.Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9780996232456
Page Count: 312
Publisher: Sword & Rose Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
PERSPECTIVES
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
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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