by Marc Opsal ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 2, 2022
A clever and cutting fantasy that takes modern society to task for its corruption.
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Teen lovers battle against the economic caste system that separates them in this debut dystopian YA novel.
In The City, Noble Valet Bear is 19 years old and works for the Telladyne family. Bertram Telladyne’s pharmaceutical company provides drugs to citizens who have been neurologically enhanced with cerebral “Neurogems” and wrist “docks” for the injections. People in The City’s wealthy Highland are virtually connected and perpetually distracted. Their primary thrill in life is following the Idol, a young woman who is, according to announcer Dahlia Delachort, “our mirror, our voice, and our emissary to the future.” When Idol Vox Aslanian dies tragically, a new emissary must be chosen. The competition is held among Young Ladies from the Noble families. Among them is Lady Aleks Yukita, whom Bear has known since he was a Valet-in-training as a boy with her family. Bear adores Aleks because she is curious, passionate, and empathetic—traits the Idols tend not to possess. Aleks secretly spends time with Bear, originally a lowlander, as friends, and one night they sneak into the Monarch Estate’s archives, a trove of objects from the past. After the daring escapade, the two share their first kiss. They’ve also stolen film reels, which they’ll need help from citizens of the dangerous lowland to play. As the Idol competition heats up, Bear makes a new ally in Young Lady Marena Vexhall, who isn’t what she seems. She says that “Aleks doesn’t deserve to be the Idol. None of us do.” The sinister nature of the Idol slowly unfolds, and Bear wonders if escape from The City is possible.
Opsal’s series opener skewers today’s shallow, capitalist society by pointing to the dystopia on the horizon. While smaller in scale than the Panem of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series, The City features superb worldbuilding that will rattle modern audiences. The LifeCast technology, for example, puts users in the Idol’s viewpoint, which the vapid may find entertaining, at least until “you plummet straight down” after jumping from a building ledge, as Vox did. Another captivating element is the NApp personal downloads, augmented reality tutorials that take individuals through activities such as walking, cooking, and dancing. This is a fun yet terrifying exploration of technology catering to people’s desire to split their attention into ever smaller pieces. The casual deadliness of the class divide is revealed when Bear must drive Bertram through the advertisement-saturated lowlands. The car is armored against fire from “radicals,” and cinematic prose has Bear “pop the BT-27 into reverse and drive backward down the highway while thin, pink slices of meat cascade down the tunnel walls.” Fans of reality TV will recognize characters like Chef Casper Fiori—a play on Guy Fieri—who has “bright orange hair” and an “aggressive handshake.” Even more biting is Young Lady Kallista Telladyne’s idea for a LifeCast in which 10 lowlanders receive makeovers and go “from garbage to glam.” Immersed in such a cringe-inducing backdrop, readers will root for outcasts like Bear and Aleks to tear it all down. Frequent twists complicate the heroes’ journey and will leave readers enthralled and eager for the sequel.
A clever and cutting fantasy that takes modern society to task for its corruption.Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-73554-951-4
Page Count: 392
Publisher: Goldshif Publishing
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Lauren Roberts ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2023
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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by Holly Black ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 2, 2018
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
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New York Times Bestseller
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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