A fantastical journey worth taking.
The Witch of Haresden is dead.
Orla O’Reilly, a practicing teen witch herself, is cleaning up the mess: The woman in question is Mamo, the grandmother who treated her cruelly. Her bones are buried around the perimeter of town, leaving Orla stuck with the responsibility for it. Strange natural events are wreaking havoc, and if she doesn’t give Mamo a proper burial, her worst nightmare could come true: being cursed to stay in Haresden forever. But when prickly Orla meets bold, determined Jo Manalo, who needs help to free her mother from a sleeping spell, things begin to change. Jo adores her family as much as Orla resents hers, and she insists on joining the friendless Orla as part of her own quest to save the town she loves and never wants to leave. While the characters are a bit thinly fleshed out, they’re charming to follow as they make their way through a gorgeously illustrated world. Intoxicating art, combining natural and fantastical elements and rich, glowing, perfectly chosen colors sweep readers up in magic that feels just this side of possible. Milledge’s attention to detail is especially present in her character designs that are expressively human and stylish. The lessons Orla learns about trauma, love, and legacy resonate and build to a satisfying ending. Jo and her family are cued as Filipino; Orla and Mamo read White. Both girls are queer.
A fantastical journey worth taking. (cover gallery, sketches) (Graphic fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: April 19, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-68415-817-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: BOOM! Box
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2022
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
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
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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