Both mystical and mundane, a typical tale via unusual transportation.
A motley crew takes a dangerous road trip.
Winter—a sentient and sometimes spiteful force first used by the Kerce refugees against the native half-rock, half-flesh Shiv and their god, Begynd, three centuries ago—rules Layce. White-haired, sylver-eyed 17-year-old Sylvi Quine considers Winter a friend, not a foe, talking to the sentient season and relying on the frozen roads to haul goods with her big ice rig, the Sylver Dragon. When her friend Lenore runs away, Sylvi pursues her with a mysterious cargo in tow and three unwanted guests riding along: the smuggler and magician Mars; noble Paradyian warrior-woman Hyla; and friendly Shiv mechanic Kyndel. En route to the rebel camp, Sylvi faces hostile Shiv, reanimated monsters, wrathful Winter, and the omnipresent but dangerous magical kol that taints the air and waters. Dittemore succeeds more at the cinematic science-fiction dystopian elements than the intermittent and somewhat trite fantasy subplot. At times, the Kerce’s oppression of the Shiv reads as an extended rumination on colonialism, though without a conclusive critique or remedy. With Sylvi at the wheel, more concerned with mechanics and money than revolution, this reads as Ice Road Truckers meets generic chosen one coming-of-age. Relentless action sequences propel the tale through plot-heavy patches, but an abrupt cliffhanger ending necessitates a sequel. Some characters read as White; the cast's various skin tones are less of a factor than their magical abilities or mythical origins.
Both mystical and mundane, a typical tale via unusual transportation. (map) (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4023-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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
A dark and gripping feminist tale.
A young woman faces her past to discover the truth about one of her nation’s heroes.
When Effy Sayre, the only female architecture student at her university in Llyr, wins the competition to design Hiraeth Manor for the estate of the late Emrys Myrddin, national literary figure and her favorite author, it is the perfect opportunity to leave behind a recent trauma. She arrives to find the cliffside estate is literally crumbling into the ocean, and she quickly realizes things may not be as they seem. Preston, an arrogant literature student, is also working at the estate, gathering materials for the university’s archives and questioning everything Effy knows about Myrddin. When Preston offers to include her name on his thesis—which may allow her to pursue the dream of studying literature that was frustrated by the university’s refusal to admit women literature students—Effy agrees to help him. He’s on a quest for answers about the source of Myrddin’s most famous work, Angharad, a romance about a cruel Fairy King who marries a mortal woman. Meanwhile, Myrddin’s son has secrets of his own. Preston and Effy start to suspect that Myrddin’s fairy tales may hold more truth than they realize. The Welsh-inspired setting is impressively atmospheric, and while some of the mythology ends up feeling extraneous, the worldbuilding is immersive and thoughtfully addresses misogyny and its effects on how history is written. Main characters are cued white.
A dark and gripping feminist tale. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9780063211506
Page Count: 384
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
