An exciting chase that will satisfy fans.
A Jedi Padawan and two young prospectors embark on a stolen vessel in search of a mysterious planet and guidance from the Force.
Twelve-year-old White boy Dass Leffbruk jumps at the chance to join the Hyperspace Chase, a high-stakes prospecting race into the frontier. More than anything, he needs to return to Planet X, and his friend Sky Graf, a White pilot who uses they/them pronouns, who has not only a state-of-the-art ship, but a plan for how to find the uncharted planet. Like Dass, Sky intends to prove themself, no matter the cost—even if it means stealing their brother’s ship. When Rooper Nitani, a Jedi Padawan with brown skin and black hair, hears the rumors about conflict on Jedha, she wrestles with her impatience for news from her master. Despite her dislike of privatized space travel, she feels the Force guiding her when Dass begs her to join his prospecting mission for Planet X. As the race begins, their path intertwines with that of Fel Ix, a Kessarine on a mission for the Path of the Open Hand. This High Republic–era adventure follows the perspectives of four characters who are grappling with responsibility, independence, and their sense of purpose in the world. Full of suspenseful action, the story picks up momentum quickly and the pace never lags. Previous High Republic books provide helpful context for understanding significant characters and events.
An exciting chase that will satisfy fans. (Science fiction. 9-13)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 9781368082877
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
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A pleasing premise for book lovers.
A fantasy-loving bookworm makes a wonderful, terrible bargain.
When sixth grader Poppy Woodlock’s historic preservationist parents move the family to the Oregon coast to work on the titular stately home, Poppy’s sure she’ll find magic. Indeed, the exiled water nymph in the manor’s ruined swimming pool grants a wish, but: “Magic isn’t free. It cosssts.” The price? Poppy’s favorite book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In return she receives Sampson, a winged lion cub who is everything Poppy could have hoped for. But she soon learns that the nymph didn’t take just her own physical book—she erased Narnia from Poppy’s world. And it’s just the first loss: Soon, Poppy’s grandmother’s journal’s gone, then The Odyssey, and more. The loss is heartbreaking, but Sampson’s a wonderful companion, particularly as Poppy’s finding middle school a tough adjustment. Hartman’s premise is beguiling—plenty of readers will identify with Poppy, both as a fellow bibliophile and as a kid struggling to adapt. Poppy’s repeatedly expressed faith that unveiling Sampson will bring some sort of vindication wears thin, but that does not detract from the central drama. It’s a pity that the named real-world books Poppy reads are notably lacking in diversity; a story about the power of literature so limited in imagination lets both itself and readers down. Main characters are cued White; there is racial diversity in the supporting cast. Chapters open with atmospheric spot art. (This review has been updated to reflect the final illustrations.)
A pleasing premise for book lovers. (Fantasy. 9-12)Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780316448222
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.
Chainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied.
Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. Those who survive to graduate become major or minor characters in fairy tales. When it happens to sweet, Disney princess–like Sophie and her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they’ve been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. Gradually—too gradually, as the author strings out hundreds of pages of Hogwarts-style pranks, classroom mishaps and competitions both academic and romantic—it becomes clear that the placement wasn’t a mistake at all. Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school. This leads up to a vicious climactic fight that sees Good and Evil repeatedly switching sides. At this point, readers are likely to feel suddenly left behind, as, thanks to summary deus ex machina resolutions, everything turns out swell(ish).
Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic. (Fantasy. 11-13)Pub Date: May 14, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-06-210489-2
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013
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