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 thrilling, beautifully written page-turner.
A young woman pursues a dangerous quest in late-1800s Egypt in this sequel to What the River Knows (2023).
After Inez Olivera was nearly murdered while assisting with her uncle’s archaeological expedition in Egypt, Tío Ricardo is eager to ship her home to safety in Argentina. But Inez burns with the need to stay and make sure that those who committed crimes against her family are held responsible. Unfortunately, the law precludes Inez, as a young unmarried woman, from accessing her inheritance (needed to fund her quest for justice) without her guardian uncle’s permission. Whitford Hayes, a former British soldier and her tío’s aide-de-camp, proposes marriage, which could solve her problems. But can Inez trust the secretive Whit? More danger and intrigue lurk at every turn in this exciting duology closer, which fully addresses the first entry’s jaw-dropping cliffhanger. The well-paced plot encompasses many fresh, new adventures and betrayals in this reimagined historical setting in which ancient magic abounds and not everyone or everything is what it seems. Even more captivating, however, is the complicated, nuanced love story between Whit and Inez. Their chemistry sizzles, but their relationship is achingly layered with both profound loyalty and deep deception. As their journey unearths new enemies and priceless archaeological finds, the duo must try to trust each other enough to survive.
A thrilling, beautifully written page-turner. (cast of characters, map, timeline) (Historical fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781250822994
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
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
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