A fizzy mix of cool tech and hot action.
A brilliant young inventor gets more than just technical support from a set of fellow geniuses when an army of killer robots threatens their near-future world.
Konstant’s submission of a flying motorcycle prototype to a national science contest launches a breathless storm of massive disasters and scary escapes involving rival megacorporations, construction robots gone rogue, and a veritable cascade of futuristic gadgetry, including an experimental matter replicator with a subtle but ominous flaw. Readers fond of geeky tech talk and driving action that’s high in body count but low on explicit violence will be well pleased. Still, the story’s strongest elements are its personal ones. Konstant makes steady progress from being an angry, isolated loner to being willing to work with others and accept friendship and help; he’s a struggling immigrant from the fictional nation of Duprevnia whose scientist mother was killed by a mutated norovirus. In his debut novel, Aresty offers chilling visions of what the next pandemic might do to the New York metro area’s economy and infrastructure. Assistance from Rose, the high-wattage daughter of a billionaire technocrat, and from the ethnically diverse supporting cast surrounding the white-presenting teen lead characters helps Konstant take his journey in a more hopeful direction that leaves him with new friends, new ambitions, and future prospects (not least with Rose) that look bright.
A fizzy mix of cool tech and hot action. (Science fiction. 12-17)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781636985114
Page Count: 250
Publisher: Morgan James YA Fiction
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart.
After praying to a Fate for help, Evangeline discovers the dangerous world of magic.
When her father passes away, Evangeline is left with her cold stepmother and kind but distant stepsister, Marisol. Despite inheriting a steady trust in magic, belief in her late mother’s homeland of the mystical North (where fantastical creatures live), and philosophy of hope for the future, her dreams are dashed when Luc, her love, pledges to marry Marisol instead. Evangeline desperately prays to the Prince of Hearts, a dangerous and fickle Fate famed for his heart that is waiting to be revived by his one true love—and his potentially lethal kisses. The bargain they strike sends her on a dark and magical journey throughout the land. The writing style fluctuates from clever and original to overly verbose and often confusing in its jumble of senses. While the pervasive magic and concept of the Fates as a religious system add interest, other fantasy elements are haphazardly incorporated without enough time devoted to building a cohesive world. However, the themes of love, the power of story, family influence, and holding onto belief are well rounded and add depth. The plot contains welcome surprises, and the large cast piques curiosity; readers will wish more time was spent getting to know them. Evangeline has rose-gold hair and, like other main characters, reads as White; there is diversity among the fantasy races in this world.
A lushly written story with an intriguing heart. (map) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-26839-6
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play.
Garber returns to the world of bestseller Caraval (2017), this time with the focus on younger, more daring sister Donatella.
Valenda, capital of the empire, is host to the second of Legend’s magical games in a single year, and while Scarlett doesn’t want to play again, blonde Tella is eager for a chance to prove herself. She is haunted by the memory of her death in the last game and by the cursed Deck of Destiny she used as a child which foretold her loveless future. Garber has changed many of the rules of her expanding world, which now appears to be infused with magic and evil Fates. Despite a weak plot and ultraviolet prose (“He tasted like exquisite nightmares and stolen dreams, like the wings of fallen angels, and bottles of fresh moonlight.”), this is a tour de force of imagination. Themes of love, betrayal, and the price of magic (and desire) swirl like Caraval’s enchantments, and Dante’s sensuous kisses will thrill readers as much as they do Tella. The convoluted machinations of the Prince of Hearts (one of the Fates), Legend, and even the empress serve as the impetus for Tella’s story and set up future volumes which promise to go bigger. With descriptions focusing primarily on clothing, characters’ ethnicities are often indeterminate.
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play. (glossary) (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: May 29, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-09531-2
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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