A promising retelling that misses the magical mark.
A fantasy that reimagines the fate of Anastasia Romanov and her family.
It's 1918, and Nastya and her family are in exile in Tobolsk, Russia. With no clue as to what the family’s fate will be, her Papa, the deposed Tsar Nikolai, gives Nastya the mission of finding the magical matryoshka doll created by Vasily Dochkin, “Russia’s most respected and skilled spell master,” which could save the family. The family is relocated to Ekaterinburg, and, throughout their confinement, Nastya’s Papa stresses the importance of kindness and forgiving their captors. She commits to following his example by befriending one of the Bolshevik guards watching the family, Zash, a young man from an unspecified semi-nomadic Siberian ethnic group who has his own reasons for hating the Romanovs. As the Romanov family adjusts to their new life, Nastya and Zash grow closer even though they know only pain can come of their relationship. Then the unimaginable happens—and Nastya must find a way to save her family. Brandes’ (Fawkes, 2018, etc.) accuracy in this retelling—the majority of the characters and events are true—and the bits of Russian sprinkled throughout are highlights. However, the second half of Nastya’s story is a noticeable departure from the well-paced beginning; it feels almost like a separate story with a forced romance and a focus on Nastya’s internal turmoil.
A promising retelling that misses the magical mark. (author’s notes, discussion questions) (Historical fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-7852-1724-4
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Perhaps a more genuinely enlightened protagonist would have made this debut more engaging
Audrey Rose Wadsworth, 17, would rather perform autopsies in her uncle’s dark laboratory than find a suitable husband, as is the socially acceptable rite of passage for a young, white British lady in the late 1800s.
The story immediately brings Audrey into a fractious pairing with her uncle’s young assistant, Thomas Cresswell. The two engage in predictable rounds of “I’m smarter than you are” banter, while Audrey’s older brother, Nathaniel, taunts her for being a girl out of her place. Horrific murders of prostitutes whose identities point to associations with the Wadsworth estate prompt Audrey to start her own investigation, with Thomas as her sidekick. Audrey’s narration is both ponderous and polemical, as she sees her pursuit of her goals and this investigation as part of a crusade for women. She declares that the slain aren’t merely prostitutes but “daughters and wives and mothers,” but she’s also made it a point to deny any alignment with the profiled victims: “I am not going as a prostitute. I am simply blending in.” Audrey also expresses a narrow view of her desired gender role, asserting that “I was determined to be both pretty and fierce,” as if to say that physical beauty and liking “girly” things are integral to feminism. The graphic descriptions of mutilated women don’t do much to speed the pace.
Perhaps a more genuinely enlightened protagonist would have made this debut more engaging . (Historical thriller. 15-18)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-316-27349-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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