A fresh voice dancing between wicked humor and crepuscular sumptuousness invigorates this urban fantasy. Askew of everyday England there lies a darker world, where power-hungry magicians sacrifice innocents to demons and their victims peddle protection with like ruthlessness. Nick Ryves has spent all of his 16 years therein, perpetually on the run, his father murdered, his mother driven mad, his crippled older brother the only person he can trust. When two desperate teens seek out their aid, he will find the last few certainties of his life stripped away. Nick is an astonishing protagonist: vicious, deadly, callous, nearly feral, all but consumed with rage, yet rendered irresistibly attractive by his mordant wit, his clear-eyed recognition of his flaws and his terrified bafflement at his own fleeting moments of tenderness. Every character hides secrets, every conversation hints at double and triple meanings. From the pitch-perfect opening paragraph to the heartbreaking final pages, the narrative peels back layers of revelation, deftly ratcheting up the tension and horror to a series of shattering climaxes. The conclusion, while utterly satisfying, also leaves room for the story to continue. Delicious. (Fantasy. YA)
Chances are that last month your Facebook feed exploded with photos of your friends posing with their brothers and/or sisters. Why? It was National Sibling Day, and hey, you’re on social media. So wedged in between everyone’s TimeHop photos and Instagrammed lunches were old snapshots galore, shouting out beloved siblings. Hopefully you and your lil’ (or older!) bro […]
What’s that wailing sound? The souls of the damned trying to escape hell? No, just millions of Supernatural fans crying out in anguish, because this is the hardest time of year for us: the dreaded end of the season. Gulp. Terrified emoji face. We’re staring down MONTHS without the show. Let’s somehow try to survive this […]