A zesty treat for YA and new-adult fantasists.
A young medieval woman embarks on a grim mission in this first installment of a fantasy romance series.
Nineteen-year-old Zera Y’shennria is a Heartless. Quite literally: A witch named Nightsinger has taken her heart and keeps it in a jar, making Zera her soldier. This was a kindness at first. (Bandits butchered Zera’s parents and left her to die; she’s only “alive” now thanks to witch magic.) But Zera has killed as a Heartless and suffers from the memories of those deaths and from an insistent hunger for raw flesh. Zera might hide behind sassy humor, yet she feels the emptiness in her chest. Even if her heart was returned to her, could she ever be truly human again? This question resounds when Zera is sent to take the heart of Prince Lucien d’Malvane, heir to the same kingdom that fought the Sunless War against the witches. If she succeeds—if she survives the courtly intrigue and turns Lucien into a Heartless—Zera will be restored. But Lucien is not like the other nobles. He does not crave death or power, and his imperious disdain cloaks a good man—someone for whom, despite herself, Zera finds she has feelings. Wolf (Burn Before Reading, 2017, etc.) depicts Heartlessness not merely as a sliver of dark fantasy, but also as a metaphor for love and life, thus encouraging the sort of late teen romance reminiscent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Zera is an exemplar of confident, capable, relentlessly witty young womanhood. She is assertive, proactive, and, above all, a fun character to follow, yet she’s sufficiently well-rounded that, if anything, her inner Heartless voice becomes too intrusive a reminder of the struggle she faces. The author brings this conflict out in any case through spirited use of the first-person, present tense and by way of a plot that flirts playfully with expectations. Having pulled readers in and enamored both them and Zera with its secondary characters, the droll story simmers, then bubbles toward a denouement—or as close as can be expected from the first book of a trilogy.
A zesty treat for YA and new-adult fantasists.Pub Date: June 5, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-64063-146-5
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A familiar but heartfelt romance for easygoing readers.
In O’Gorman’s YA debut, two best friends try to fool people into thinking that they’re in love—and then discover a new facet of their relationship.
Sally Spitz is a frizzy-haired 17-year-old girl with a charming zeal for three things: Harry Potter (she’s a Gryffindor), Star Wars, and getting into Duke University. During her senior year of high school, she goes on a slew of miserable dates, set up by her mother and her own second-best–friend–turned-matchmaker, Lillian Hooker. Sally refuses to admit to anyone that she’s actually head over Converses in love with her longtime best friend, a boy named Baldwin Eugene Charles Kent, aka “Becks.” After a particularly awkward date, Sally devises a plan to end Lillian’s matchmaking attempts; specifically, she plans to hire someone to act as her fake boyfriend, or “F.B.F.” But before Sally can put her plan into action, a rumor circulates that Sally and Becks are already dating. Becks agrees to act as Sally’s F.B.F. in exchange for a box of Goobers and Sally’s doing his calculus homework for a month. Later, as they hold hands in the hall and “practice” make-out sessions in Becks’ bedroom, their friendship heads into unfamiliar territory. Over the course of this novel, O’Gorman presents an inviting and enjoyable account of lifelong friendship transforming into young love. Though the author’s reliance on familiar tropes may be comforting to a casual reader, it may frustrate those who may be looking for a more substantial and less predictable plot. A number of ancillary characters lack very much complexity, and the story, overall, would have benefited from an added twist or two. Even so, however, this remains a largely engaging and often endearing debut.
A familiar but heartfelt romance for easygoing readers.Pub Date: Dec. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64063-759-7
Page Count: 340
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: Jan. 7, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Well-drawn characters and playful twists keep this thriller fully charged.
This YA SF novel features a teen who must halt a virus that will kill two-thirds of humanity.
In Silver Oak, Maryland, Alice Sherman is a high school junior enjoying lunch near her campus basketball court. With her is Archie, her brother, a senior and science prodigy who likes equations more than his fellow students. Alice has been Archie’s one true friend since their mother left six years ago. Alice is about to catch up with Lalana Bunyasarn, her best friend, when a sudden “streak of electricity zaps through” her head. The agony intensifies until a Voice enters Alice’s mind, asking her, “Do you want this pain to stop?” The Voice then instructs her to go up to Bandit Sakda, a classmate playing basketball, and say that she loves him. Bandit is a beautiful Thai boy who’s talented and arrogant. Strangely, the Voice calls her Malice and says not to fall for him because “it’ll only make what you have to do later harder.” Eventually, Alice learns that the Voice belongs to someone from 10 years in the future who needs help saving humanity. A virus will be created by a person Alice knows that will wipe out two-thirds of the world population. Following the Voice’s directions can save everyone—except the person Alice is ordered to kill. Dunn’s (Star-Crossed, 2018, etc.) latest YA adventure offers increasingly tantalizing twists that gleam in succession like nested matryoshka dolls. Alice will charm readers with her quirks, especially her devotion to Chris Hemsworth of Marvel’s Avengers films. Tension builds as characters in the large cast, including crushworthy Zeke Cain and the brilliant Cristela Ruiz, become potential targets for Alice’s mission. Details about Thai culture add a splendid dimension to the narrative; for example, Bandit is pronounced “bun-dit” and means “one who is wise.” While the notion of a high school killer may not sit well with some, the author doesn’t use the device lightly. Her book takes a strong anti-bullying stance, doing so through an entertaining narrative that doesn’t resort to preaching. The author’s heart and craftiness make a sequel welcome.
Well-drawn characters and playful twists keep this thriller fully charged.Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64063-412-1
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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