A lightly developed cozy fantasy.
Two former best friends-turned-crushes in Northern California must push through an awkward reunion to solve a crime and save a classmate.
Sage Bishop, 17, has two major problems: Bishop Brews, her family’s beloved magical apothecary, is struggling financially thanks to the big-box store competitor that opened in the next town, and her grandmother just hired Ximena Reyes, the ex-bestie who broke Sage’s heart by ghosting her after they kissed in middle school. Sage knows the “emotional recovery tonic” she’s developing can cure heartbreak and solve her problems. But when a batch she brewed is stolen during a break-in and administered to a local teen, erasing all her memories, Sage (who’s “prone to accidentally misbrewed tonics”) realizes she must have made another mistake. The town council threatens to close Bishop Brews, and without a counter brew, the tonic’s effects on the victim could be permanent. Desperate, Sage reluctantly teams up with Ximena to catch the culprit, and they must confront their own unresolved issues in the process. This story shines brightest in its worldbuilding, which uses plants’ aromatherapy properties to explain brewing magic, creating a believable low-fantasy setting. The romance and characters feel fairly one-note, however, and the mystery is straightforward. But those seeking will-they, won’t-they drama followed by a happy ending may enjoy this light story. Sage is cued Black, Ximena presents Latine, and the supporting cast is diverse in race and sexuality.
A lightly developed cozy fantasy. (coven character list, love tonic recipe) (Fantasy romance. 12-16)Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9780593897621
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart.
After praying to a Fate for help, Evangeline discovers the dangerous world of magic.
When her father passes away, Evangeline is left with her cold stepmother and kind but distant stepsister, Marisol. Despite inheriting a steady trust in magic, belief in her late mother’s homeland of the mystical North (where fantastical creatures live), and philosophy of hope for the future, her dreams are dashed when Luc, her love, pledges to marry Marisol instead. Evangeline desperately prays to the Prince of Hearts, a dangerous and fickle Fate famed for his heart that is waiting to be revived by his one true love—and his potentially lethal kisses. The bargain they strike sends her on a dark and magical journey throughout the land. The writing style fluctuates from clever and original to overly verbose and often confusing in its jumble of senses. While the pervasive magic and concept of the Fates as a religious system add interest, other fantasy elements are haphazardly incorporated without enough time devoted to building a cohesive world. However, the themes of love, the power of story, family influence, and holding onto belief are well rounded and add depth. The plot contains welcome surprises, and the large cast piques curiosity; readers will wish more time was spent getting to know them. Evangeline has rose-gold hair and, like other main characters, reads as White; there is diversity among the fantasy races in this world.
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart. (map) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-26839-6
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play.
Garber returns to the world of bestseller Caraval (2017), this time with the focus on younger, more daring sister Donatella.
Valenda, capital of the empire, is host to the second of Legend’s magical games in a single year, and while Scarlett doesn’t want to play again, blonde Tella is eager for a chance to prove herself. She is haunted by the memory of her death in the last game and by the cursed Deck of Destiny she used as a child which foretold her loveless future. Garber has changed many of the rules of her expanding world, which now appears to be infused with magic and evil Fates. Despite a weak plot and ultraviolet prose (“He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels, and bottles of fresh moonlight.”), this is a tour de force of imagination. Themes of love, betrayal, and the price of magic (and desire) swirl like Caraval’s enchantments, and Dante’s sensuous kisses will thrill readers as much as they do Tella. The convoluted machinations of the Prince of Hearts (one of the Fates), Legend, and even the empress serve as the impetus for Tella’s story and set up future volumes which promise to go bigger. With descriptions focusing primarily on clothing, characters’ ethnicities are often indeterminate.
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play. (glossary) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: May 29, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-09531-2
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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