An atmospheric tale of the magic of wishes and dances—and the darkness of betrayal and pain.
A vindictive brother, a cursed kingdom, a Rat King, and a nutcracker…
With one of their mothers dead and the other in Kolzechnia, the Rat King’s country of beastfolk, Drakne Zolkedna and her two brothers, Fydir and Nabik, are left to fend for themselves in Malirmatvi. As Fydir rises through the military ranks, Drakne, at the prompting of the Rat King, who knows about her dancing magic and sends her letters, finds new purpose dancing on factory floors to free the people trapped within the soul-engines of Fydir’s patron’s creation. This act of magical rebellion pits Drakne first against Fydir, who seeks to use her, and, soon enough, against Nabik, who hasn’t been able to keep her safe. As Drakne draws closer to the Rat King, Nabik, at the side of a nutcracker with claims to the throne, wrestles with loyalty to his family and the pull of his burgeoning wizardly powers. The siblings struggle with their darker impulses and deepest desires amid peppermint and gingerbread, swirling snowflakes and blazing guns. This queer retelling of The Nutcracker maintains the ballet’s ambience while expanding on and changing elements of the tale to include a land of beastfolk and snowfae standing on the precipice of technological advancement that in the wrong hands brings only suffering. Characters are cued white. Drakne is pansexual, and Nabik is gay.
An atmospheric tale of the magic of wishes and dances—and the darkness of betrayal and pain. (content warning, map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781250866998
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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
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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