Vast in scope, intricately plotted, and utterly original.
After risking her life—and heart—to free Grif in Iron Wolf (2023), Juva turns her attention to wolf-sickness, which continues to spread in this translated title from Norway.
Grif was an extraordinary being whose addictive blood sustained the lives of the vardari for centuries and incidentally fueled Náklav’s wolf-sickness epidemic. Now he’s gone, Juva distracts herself from the pain of his betrayal by dispatching the wolf-sick and nurturing her cadre of abandoned girls, fellow blood readers who can sense nearby vardari. Anxious to quell the spreading crisis, Náklav’s rulers order Juva to join forces with Silver Throat, a strange, charismatic priest from far-off Undst whose followers believe he can end the plague. Increasingly suspicious of Silver Throat’s real intentions and his association with Eydala, a vicious rogue vardari, Juva reluctantly allies herself with—and protects—the weakened vardari whom they’ve targeted. As Silver Throat’s plans take shape, Juva discovers Grif left her something—wolf-sickness?—along with three tiny vials of his blood. Fed to the giant stones in Nákla Henge, wolf and human blood fuels world travel and commerce. The vardari stole Grif’s blood to enrich Náklev and achieve immortality—and the price has yet to be paid. This middle volume builds suspense for the climax to come. Pettersen’s richly textured, Norse-infused saga features comprehensive worldbuilding studded with well-developed architectural, cultural, linguistic, and historical details and compelling characters. Flawed and conflicted, generous and passionately ethical, Juva is a deeply engaging protagonist for our time.
Vast in scope, intricately plotted, and utterly original. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9781646900169
Page Count: 415
Publisher: Arctis Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2025
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
A magical story with a classic Disney feel exploring love, friendship, and leading amid hardship.
Shortly before the new queen’s coronation, a monster wreaks havoc, forcing a young fairy princess to intervene at her own risk.
In Pixie Hollow, the Never Fairies of Spring, Summer, and Autumn work to create seasons for the humans on the Mainland, while the fairies of Winter remain apart in the Winter Woods. Clarion, a governing-talent fairy who’s soon to take over as queen of Pixie Hollow, often looks wonderingly at the Winter Woods. But crossing the border is against the rules set forth by her mentor, Queen Elvina. When a monster from Winter breaks free and enters Spring, Clarion bristles at Elvina’s dismissal. Determined to be involved, she secretly travels to Winter, meets with Milori, the Warden of the Winter Woods, and learns that the land is nothing like what she’s heard, making her wonder what else the queen has been untruthful about. Together Milori and Clarion work to discover the secrets of Pixie Hollow, which may save them—or lead to death. Set in a magical place of flowers and pixie dust, this story considers the control we have over the roles we’re assigned. Clarion is a beautifully complex character—strong yet insecure, lovable due to her willingness to prioritize relationships over rules. Themes of fear, forbidden love, and good vs. evil are present in this fast-paced, engaging tale. Main characters are cued white.
A magical story with a classic Disney feel exploring love, friendship, and leading amid hardship. (Fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781368098458
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Disney Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
