An entertaining if sometimes overly convoluted venture that will please series fans.
Internal and external forces vie for power even as Lu Mingshin attempts to protect the powerful Divine Stone from evil sorcerer Xiangyu in this Chinese mythology–inspired sequel.
Thanks to the time-traveling powers of the Divine Stone, Mingshin was able to prevent her own murder by her uncle, yet she’s still not in the clear. Uncle Yi escaped and is still plotting to gain influence over the throne, while Xiangyu, the Night Dragon, lies in wait, reinforcing his powers. The action-packed plot quickly reveals that Mingshin, her family, and her allies are focused on helping her love, Prince Jieh, succeed in his bid against his brother, Kai, to become ruler of the kingdom. But things are complicated—magic is illegal in Dazhou, and Mingshin finds that her own powers, as the guardian of the powerful Divine Stone, have quickly been expanding to encompass other types of magic. She fears Jieh’s love will not survive the revelation of this secret. Xiangyu has grown in power within the spiritual realm as well, and he’s plotting to use the Divine Stone to take over the world. Familiarity with the events of A Bright Heart (2023) is essential to fully appreciating the complexities of this installment. The characterizations are strong, and the twists are abundant, but the large supporting cast and number of subplots can make the story hard to track. The ending strongly hints at a sequel to come.
An entertaining if sometimes overly convoluted venture that will please series fans. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 17, 2025
ISBN: 9781454949954
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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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