An engaging and rewarding kickoff to a promising new series.
Two young men come of age in a world on the brink of interspecies war in this fantasy-series starter.
The people of Elysium live in terror of the Draco Sang, ferocious, monstrous half-human, half-beast hybrids from the neighboring country of Skotar, who in turn despise and enslave humans. Armed conflict between the two is all but inevitable. In Elysium, Cal is a 16-year-old gold miner who suffers from constant hunger and a violent temper. His young, devoted mother expects nothing but good things from him, but his grandfather eyes him with suspicion, which reaffirms Cal’s feeling that they’re keeping secrets from him. Then he’s finally told the truth: He’s one of the dreaded Draco Sang, and he must find a way to control his “emerging desire for power and dominance” or else change into a beast forever. In Skotar, Ferth is a 16-year-old Draco Sang whose inner beast hasn’t come forth yet, and his human face is a sign of dishonor to his powerful warrior father. If Ferth can’t call forth his beast soon, his dad will enslave him, like other humans. As Cal and Ferth struggle with their inner demons and discover the connection between them—“fathered by hate, but mothered by love”—the war builds up to devastating consequences. This engaging fantasy novel takes on the relationship between nature and nurture in a slow-paced, character-driven story about belonging, found families, and what makes one a human, a beast, and/or an enemy. The chapters mostly alternate between the perspectives of Cal and Ferth, effectively showcasing both sides of the conflict as well as skillfully developing both characters’ arcs as they struggle to reconcile their beliefs with their inner beings. Additional odd chapters from Shale, an enslaved human, highlight a different perspective, and her relationship to both Cal and Ferth will likely prove essential to the promising sequel; this entry, however, ends on a fantastic cliffhanger.
An engaging and rewarding kickoff to a promising new series.Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-94-809569-3
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Monster Ivy Publishing
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Several yards short of a touchdown.
A transgender boy starting over at a new school falls hard for a popular cheerleader with a reputation to protect in this debut.
On the first day of senior year, transgender boy Pony locks eyes with cisgender cheerleader Georgia. They both have pasts they want to leave behind. No one at Hillcrest High knows that Pony is transgender, and he intends to keep it that way. Georgia’s last boyfriend shook her trust in boys, and now she’s determined to forget him. As mutual attraction draws them together, Pony and Georgia must decide what they are willing to risk for a relationship. Pony’s best friend, Max, who is also transgender, disapproves of Pony’s choice to live stealth; this disagreement leads to serious conflict in their relationship. Meanwhile, Georgia and Pony behave as if Pony’s trans identity was a secret he was lying to her about rather than private information for him to share of his own volition. The characters only arrive at a hopeful resolution after Pony pays high physical and emotional prices. McSmith places repeated emphasis on the born-in-the-wrong-body narrative when the characters discuss trans identities. Whiteness is situated as the norm, and all main characters are white.
Several yards short of a touchdown. (Fiction. 14-17)Pub Date: May 26, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-294317-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
A fresh and compelling voice.
A second chance prompts a deadly game of wits.
Lu Mingshin is about to be executed. Her fiance, Prince Ren, has ordered her death after using her family’s wealth to vie for the position of crown prince from his half brothers, each of them born to one of the widower king’s Royal Ladies. If that wasn’t enough, Mingshin learns that her Uncle Yi arranged her mother’s murder, and Aylin, her two-faced noblewoman cousin, will be marrying Ren instead. On the verge of death, Mingshin desperately wishes for another chance—only to see flashes of light and wake up two years in the past. With her memories of the future intact, Mingshin intends to not become a victim again, training in combat and vowing to endear herself to King Reifeng to secure her family’s safety. Strange dreams reveal the source of the magic that allowed her to jump back in time. A powerful mage is also on Mingshin’s tail, along with the ruthless enemies she’s already aware of. As Mingshin starts to rewrite her life’s story, new individuals come into play: a visiting Elder with questionable motives; Princess Yunle, who becomes a new best friend; and Prince Jieh, one of Ren’s rivals for the throne. Set in a fantasy world reminiscent of imperial China, this debut novel’s structure has a few oddities, but the clever premise and intriguing and suspenseful plot will keep readers engaged.
A fresh and compelling voice. (Fantasy. 14-17)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023
ISBN: 9781454949923
Page Count: 344
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
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