A gorgeous fantasy novel perfect for readers seeking dark romance, mystery, and magic.
In Foley’s fantasy novel, a troubled young woman unexpectedly travels to ancient Ireland, where her destiny is determined by her prodigious magical abilities.
Clíona Murphy has been crippled with guilt since the death of her brother Fionn, which she accidentally caused with magical abilities she calls her “curse.” When her curse claims another victim (this time, the mayor), Clíona flees and is on the verge of being arrested when she is suddenly transported to ancient Ireland—a world once known to her only through stories and folklore is suddenly real and filled with ever-present danger. Two warrior brothers, Rían and Caolann, begrudgingly take Clíona under their protection, and she and Caolann grow attracted to each other despite mutual suspicion. From him, Clíona learns that magic is quite common in their world (called Saoirse), and that her abilities could carry great power if she learns how to control them. Saoirse is haunted by a mysterious creature stealing young children by night. When a child Clíona has befriended is the next taken, Clíona decides to enter the Tuatha Dé Danann’s trials. If she claims victory, the gods will grant her one wish, and she intends to ask for their aid in finding the missing children. But is she prepared for the toil and bloodshed necessary to achieve her goal? This is a dark epic fantasy, rich with folklore and fascinating characters. Clíona’s combative demeanor and traumatic past are distinctive—she is no ingenue, but her deep (unacknowledged) compassion and courage make her journey a powerful one to follow. The trials are not introduced until the second half of the story, shifting the tone from brooding and character-driven to action-packed, but Foley handles the transition well. The world she creates is so well developed that it seems to live and breathe with the characters, highlighting Clíona’s growth: “Strange things were happening in this world. And yet something louder than a whisper or inkling told me I was only standing on the precipice of more than I dared to find out.”
A gorgeous fantasy novel perfect for readers seeking dark romance, mystery, and magic.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9781963029086
Page Count: 480
Publisher: Alex Parker Publishing
Review Posted Online: March 25, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
Devoted series fans will appreciate the added pieces to this expansive narrative puzzle.
After 500 years, the Grief of Ages is a distant memory—until dragons hellbent on destruction begin to wake again.
In this relatively brief prequel to the epic The Priory of the Orange Tree (2019), the kingdoms of Virtudom have experienced centuries of relative peace. Marosa Vetalda, the Princess of Yscalin, spends her days behind castle walls under the gaze of her overprotective father, awaiting the date when she’ll be wed to Aubrecht of Mentendon, her ticket to freedom. While the book’s main focus is initially on the political threads weaving the Western kingdoms together, the frailty of best-laid plans is exposed when evidence of the reemergence of draconic beings reaches castle ears. These tales often come from the cullers who make their living slaying these creatures, and who are often blamed for intentionally waking them for profit. No one alive remembers the Grief of Ages, so no one’s prepared when Fýredel, the great High Western dragon, surfaces from the volcanic mountain that towers ominously over Yscalin’s capital city of Cárscaro. What follows is the backstory of how the devoted Yscali kingdom comes to shift allegiance to Fýredel and his master, the Nameless One, a main catalyst to events in The Priory. Overall, this book reads more like history lesson than fantasy adventure, but the sheer terror that befalls the Yscali people as they face Fýredel’s pure evil is both powerful and relevant. Marosa’s plight further solidifies her as a hero worth remembering; her strength and defiance shine through as hope for the future she’s dreamed of slowly flickers out.
Devoted series fans will appreciate the added pieces to this expansive narrative puzzle.Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9781639736010
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
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