A thoroughly satisfying tale for fantasy fans to sink their teeth into.
An epic fantasy with echoes of Tolkien and Norse myth.
Young Solveig is a weirdling, and a rare one born with enough elemental magic to work with all of the elements and even summon flame from nothing. On the night of the Long Dark festival, the only worry on her mind is whether she’ll succeed in relighting the bonfire, since it’s her first year doing it alone as a fully trained volva. But even before her long night’s vigil is over, Solveig gets the grim news that her brother has killed a visitor from a great House in the north. Worse, the price the Northerners demand is a child for a child—and they want her to travel north with them as weregild for a year and a day. Accompanied only by her trusted shieldmaid, Arneoir, Solveig rides north. But they seem to travel faster than they should; one of their party has an uncanniness about him; and her companions speak as if the Great Enemy still lived and plotted in the north. Slowly, Solveig will learn the true purpose of her journey, and she and Arn will both be tested as they are drawn deeper and deeper into the Northerners' great war against evil. This is a compelling world of quasi-Vikings, near-immortal Elders, and misshapen, evil orukhar. Tolkien fans will enjoy the many echoes of his work, including the orc-like orukhar and the great spiders of Mistwood. But this is more than just a remix of familiar epic fantasy tropes—it’s a fresh and compelling quest story in its own right, suffused with the bitter cold of a winter journey and the fear and wonder of stepping into a legend and doubting you can hold your own.
A thoroughly satisfying tale for fantasy fans to sink their teeth into.Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780316440332
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Orbit
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Maniscalco fans will enjoy, but it will be hard for new readers to find their footing.
An artist with a secret and a Lord of Hell must work together to solve a puzzle in this romantic fantasy adventure.
Miss Camilla Antonius has a lot on her plate. She’s a talented artist, but is barely keeping her late father’s gallery afloat while being blackmailed by a local lord who knows a potentially ruinous secret about her. Envy, one of the seven princes of hell, is also trying to keep up appearances while a terrible malady slowly decimates his court. When he’s invited to play a dangerous magical game with a prize that could save his people, he goes all in. When one of his clues involves Camilla, the two must work together, becoming partners as they cross realms, dealing with human, demons, and Fae in order for both to win what they most covet—all while doing their best not to fall in love. Though this is a standalone novel, it’s set in the same universe as Maniscalco’s Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy, and certain elements, character dynamics, and plot points will be harder to follow for readers unfamiliar with the earlier books. This is also Maniscalco’s adult debut, and it shows: Steamy scene follows steamy scene as characters use extremely coarse language, like a teenager at last gleefully free of parental supervision. The story itself, an adventure filled with riddles to be solved and problems to be overcome, is fun and interesting but overshadowed by the need to push every boundary. Despite its length, the book reads quickly, switching back and forth between the two leads’ points of view, though the voices aren’t distinct enough to be clear. It’s all quite jumbled.
Maniscalco fans will enjoy, but it will be hard for new readers to find their footing.Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2023
ISBN: 9780316557290
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Warm and wonderful.
A prequel to the popular cozy fantasy Legends & Lattes (2022).
Viv is a fighter. It’s not just what she does, it’s who she is. So when she gets wounded during a battle with a necromancer’s skeletal wights, and her crew dumps her in a small seaside town to recover while they continue on after the necromancer, she is not happy about it. But soon enough, against her will, she’s drawn into the life of the town. There’s Fern, the unsuccessful bookseller, who has a knack for recommending exactly the right book. And there’s Maylee, the baker, who not only makes the world’s best baked goods, she actually winks at Viv. Before Viv knows what’s happening, she’s helping Fern out here and there, she’s reading—she’s involved. Meanwhile, there’s a pesky young gnome asking for an introduction to her mercenary crew, and a mysterious man in gray who looks like trouble. But Viv is leaving when her crew comes back through town. No matter what. This prequel gives readers a glimpse of Viv as a young orc, still committed to the fighter’s life, just taking an enforced break in a charming town populated by compelling, richly drawn characters, and the slightest hint of danger in the wind. Despite the lurking necromancer, the vibes are decidedly warm and cozy, and the plot is just as much about saving the bookstore and building relationships as it is about protecting the town from the man in gray. As a prequel, it can stand alone, but will certainly satisfy fans as well.
Warm and wonderful.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781250886101
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
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