Refreshingly original: a heartfelt story of self-discovery, sacrifice, and the meaning of home.
One hundred and fifty-seven years after his resurrection, Emrys Swift is still treated like a child.
Cursed to be 17 forever, his opportunities are limited—he’s a “child revenant” in NeverEnd, one of 10 British libraries of magic, which he and other undead call home. Emrys is finally given the chance to prove himself as a tutor to Sosa, a recently resurrected 16-year-old aspiring tennis star from Syria, who drowned while seeking asylum. She’s grappling with the shocking reality of her new circumstances. Emrys, who has a “dead-Victorian white-boy vibe,” is dismayed to discover that he must share this responsibility with the insufferable 19-year-old, olive-skinned Aubrey Vale. The “entitled posh boy from London” is a shape-shifter and respected necromancy researcher. But there are more important things at stake than their rivalry. Emrys needs Aubrey’s help to secure NeverEnd’s future even as the all-powerful Merlin Foundation questions whether “running a foster home for ‘dead teenagers’” is an appropriate use of its resources. Aubrey agrees, on one condition: Emrys must help him find the missing books he needs for his research. Their search propels the pair on a journey full of unexpected dangers, supernatural entities, and powerful ancient magic. The worldbuilding is creative and compelling, enriched by well-developed supporting characters. Electric romantic tension, strong prose that’s both sophisticated and accessible, and intriguing, interconnected mysteries distinguish this work.
Refreshingly original: a heartfelt story of self-discovery, sacrifice, and the meaning of home. (family tree) (Fantasy. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781250369550
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
Both entertaining and well-written; demands and holds readers’ attention.
A duology opener that revisits the world of Divergent (2011).
Beatrice “Tris” Prior is Divergent. But before she can select Dauntless, her Choosing Ceremony is interrupted by a group of factionless rebels, and her good friend is killed. Amid the chaos, Tris sees Evelyn, the wife of Abnegation leader Marcus Eaton—but Evelyn supposedly died years ago. And, shockingly, she’s an Amity woman who’s holding a gun. Tris doesn’t tell anyone, even her father, when he later questions her. Her brother, Caleb, chooses Erudite—the faction that’s most critical toward the Abnegation and their practices—and Tris feels pressured to stay in Abnegation. But when her father tries to erase her memories, she knows she’s unsafe. Tris’ mother helps her escape to the factionless, where Tris meets Four, a Dauntless boy. Their relationship shows her that she was right to leave Abnegation—and that maybe the rebels are correct to want the death of the faction system. As Tris becomes friends with the other “faction failures,” she realizes that no faction is as it seems, and that power is a corrupting influence they can’t escape. This exciting work revisits beloved characters, offering a new understanding of them and of what happens when we stand up and ask questions. Returning fans and those new to this world will appreciate the witty banter, slow-burn romance, and heartache stemming from betrayal and complicated familial love. The leads are cued white.
Both entertaining and well-written; demands and holds readers’ attention. (Dystopian. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9780063462595
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.
Black is back with another dark tale of Faerie, this one set in Faerie and launching a new trilogy.
Jude—broken, rebuilt, fueled by anger and a sense of powerlessness—has never recovered from watching her adoptive Faerie father murder her parents. Human Jude (whose brown hair curls and whose skin color is never described) both hates and loves Madoc, whose murderous nature is true to his Faerie self and who in his way loves her. Brought up among the Gentry, Jude has never felt at ease, but after a decade, Faerie has become her home despite the constant peril. Black’s latest looks at nature and nurture and spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship that might be the saving of Jude and the titular prince, who, like Jude, has been shaped by the cruelties of others. Fierce and observant Jude is utterly unaware of the currents that swirl around her. She fights, plots, even murders enemies, but she must also navigate her relationship with her complex family (human, Faerie, and mixed). This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life.
Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-31027-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
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