Intrigue, romance, and revolution, with enough unanswered questions that fans will cross fingers for a sequel.
Victorian rebellion among the Magyar and the magical creatures of Hungary and Eastern Europe: the táltos, lidérc, and rusalka.
In a 19th-century Europe where the nobility's political power is reinforced by their magic, Anna is a failure among the highborn Luminate of London: she's Barren of magic. Though her supernatural sterility leaves her unsuitable for marriage, Anna has dreams. All her hopes crumble into dust, however, when her mysterious, uncontrollable ability to shatter magic destroys her sister's debut. Packed off to stay with poor cousins in Hungary, Anna's promptly drawn into the anti-imperial, democratic fervor spreading across Europe. Against the backdrop of the real-life Hungarian rebellion to bring down the Hapsburgs, Anna comes to love Hungary, befriends passionate student rebels, and learns that her Barrenness is (of course) a unique, potentially earth-shattering power. Narrator Anna, a white British woman of rank, questions her feelings for the handsome Romani, Gábor, who helps Anna negotiate the pros and cons of saving the world: freedom for the Magyar will also free Hungary's dangerous mythological creatures. Confident of her righteousness, Anna alternately scolds her family for saying "Gypsy" instead of "Romani," feels annoyance at Gábor for accusing her of slumming it with an exotic lover, and exoticizes the Romani herself.
Intrigue, romance, and revolution, with enough unanswered questions that fans will cross fingers for a sequel. (author’s note, bibliography, character list, glossary) (Fantasy. 13-15)Pub Date: March 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-101-93599-6
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 20, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Taking up where Libyrinth (2009) left off, the spotlight of this sequel falls on Po and his difficulty adapting to the new culture rising from the life-changing Redemption. Po comes from a female-dominant culture: He’s hostile to men, protective of women and naïve about the motives and manipulations of others. After one transgression too many, he joins a quest searching for an artifact that will restore ecological balance to the deteriorating environment. While its predecessor examined religious/political belief systems, this volume explores differences among the various groups’ gender and sexual mores. Po becomes sexually active and makes dangerous mistakes before changing (quite realistically) his point of view and behavior. Sympathy for Po will carry readers until the excitement and suspense of the quest take over. Themes of abuse of authority, the nature of prejudice and the power of the written word remain from the first book—but with tricky and interesting twists. Background information is skillfully integrated into the plot in this clever, thought-provoking book that has appeal for fans of serious science fiction and fantasy. (Science fiction. 13-15)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7653-2097-1
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
The Salt trilogy closes with a third generation of children fighting petty but dangerous evils. Hana, a girl from the city's wretched Bawdhouse Burrow, is orphaned when her mother is burned as a witch. Ben grows up far from the city, raised by his grandparents Pearl and Hari in the idyllic village from Gool (2010). When Hana flees the city, she brings with her a terrifying message for those outside its darkness: The Limping Man is coming. He has the terrible power to make people love him even as he torments them, and he plans to wipe out all who stand against him. Since most of the outsiders—Ben's family, the forest Dwellers and "the people without a name"—have mental powers, the Limping Man intends to massacre them. Ben and Hana, along with their allies, must find the Limping Man's secret in order to save their own lives and homes. Ben and Hana’s victories, like those of their parents and grandparents, are local. Even if they do defeat the Limping Man, they cannot vanquish evil from the world; life in the burrows will likely continue to be nasty, brutish and short. The heroes' personalities are defined by their harsh environments, but they reach beyond those limitations. Fantasy heroes who can save only themselves and their loved ones are a welcome change from the usual. (Fantasy. 13-15)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-55469-216-3
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2011
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