A propulsive read for fans of a galaxy far, far away.
To navigate a precarious life in Crimson Dawn, Qi’ra must rebuild herself into the cunning, ruthless survivor she perhaps once was—before Solo.
Though Han did manage to escape the Corellian spaceport, Qi’ra did not, so back she plunges into the Coronet City tunnels with the thieving gang of scrumrats known as the White Worms. Punishment for her disobedience soon follows as crime boss Lady Proxima sells Qi’ra to a cruel trafficker. Still, she uncovers a path forward: “There would be no more reckless plans, no more trust.” Qi’ra’s remaining days on Corellia and harrowing time with the trafficker prove short when Crimson Dawn recruits her. The powerful crime syndicate represents another means of survival in a harsh galaxy, but her keen ingenuity swiftly attracts the attention of Dryden Vos, the gang’s cruel, enigmatic leader. At first resistant to Vos’ influence, as well as the comparative comfort the notorious syndicate affords her, Qi’ra nonetheless steps further into Crimson Dawn’s twisted games of power and survival, with visions of the boy “who’d always had stars in his eyes” in the recesses of her memories. An exquisite portrait of an intrepid character in the Star Wars universe, Johnston’s latest richly plots Qi’ra’s ascent through Crimson Dawn with verve. Though certain characters’ motivations sometimes get muddled amid the action, the overall arc of the novel’s reluctant antihero as well as some delightfully baddie villains prove to be major draws.
A propulsive read for fans of a galaxy far, far away. (Science fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9781368093750
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
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
Truly fantastic.
This dark fantasy duology opener has a magic school, a death, and five students who find themselves stranded in the wilderness.
Ren Monroe is a promising student wizard at Balmerick, a private school in the city of Kathor. Along with her best friend, Timmons, Ren is one of the few welfare students attending on a scholarship, and despite being one of the most accomplished people at the school, finding a placement in one of the top houses is proving difficult and is a hurdle in the way of the secret mission Ren has set out to accomplish. When a portal spell goes awry and Ren, Timmons, and four other students from different walks of life are thrown together into the Dires, an uncharted land where the last dragons lived, one of them ends up dead and the rest need to learn to work together to make their way back home before they succumb to the harsh environment or the terrifying revenant following them. This may well be the chance Ren was looking for to prove her worth. Placing elements of a locked-room mystery and an original magic system within the familiar trappings of a school for magic, this is a no-holds-barred tale of revenge, atonement, and the pursuit of justice set in a world diverse in skin color and social classes. Ren is a protagonist for the ages: equal parts smart, calculating, and ruthless, forming a lethal package as an avenging angel.
Truly fantastic. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66591-868-8
Page Count: 368
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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