An action-packed dystopian story teeming with celestial warriors and diabolical machines.
Humans and angels band together against a common mechanical enemy in Harland’s YA fantasy novel, the conclusion of a trilogy.
In a distant-future Australia, Ferren has led the human Residuals in resisting the Humen, powerful artificial beings that have been taking unwitting Residuals into their military service. Now the Humen prepare to face off against the hosts of Heaven, a fight that Ferren and others anticipate will end in the Humen’s defeat. It seems the Humen have a new leader: an “evil angel” who zips across the sky in a flying ship. Hoping to align themselves with God’s messengers, the Residuals turn to Miriael, a warrior angel “shot down” from Heaven who’s now essentially a hybrid, part-spiritual and part-physical. If she can convince Heaven’s forces to join with humans (“What’s stopping Heaven saying yes to an alliance? Why are they taking so long about it?”), then maybe they can take down the Humen once and for all. Harland focuses this final installment of his fantasy series on action. The set pieces are memorable—Miriael, along with Ferren’s sister Shanna, witness angels and Humen clash; myriad Residuals flee their enemy in the midst of an intense hailstorm; and the lengthy, riveting climax is searing. While the text includes occasional recaps covering prior volumes, the appreciation of some character dynamics relies heavily on readers’ knowledge of the earlier books. Plenty of story unfolds in this novel, however, as one character’s demand to oversee the Residuals’ assembly sparks contempt and another’s subdued romantic feelings beget petty jealousy. Tension steadily builds as the Humen work on an “unimaginably huge construction” for a purpose not immediately apparent. The author rounds out this brisk finale with appearances from archangels, Miriael’s “visionary dreams,” and a wholly satisfying wrap-up.
An action-packed dystopian story teeming with celestial warriors and diabolical machines.Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2025
ISBN: 9781925956900
Page Count: 310
Publisher: IFWG Publishing International
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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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