Fantasy readers who enjoy Celtic mythology will revel in the detailed backstories, while romance fans will find plenty of Harlequinesque physical description…It’s certainly fun, and the abrupt ending nicely teases the sequel.” —Booklist
“…A complex supernatural world based on Irish cosmology…The Irish-pantheon premise injects originality…” —Kirkus Reviews
“A solid debut for older teens who love high fantasy. Recommend to fans of Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen series.” —School Library Journal
“Marks, author of the Dark Cycle YA fantasy trilogy, launches a new series perfect for those who enjoy coming-of-age novels with paranormal elements. This should be catnip for readers of Cassandra Clare and Sarah Fine.” —Amazon Book Review
“This novel takes us through a world of Celtic mythology and a beautifully created universe. This introduction to Celtic mythology is one I have never seen in a young adult literature and Marks brings to life a world different from anything I’ve ever read.” —Teenreads
“Marks mashes together Irish mythology and Southern California in the brilliant start to her new series. Fire and Bone hooked me from page one, and the last page left me desperate for more.” —Beth Cato, author of The Clockwork Dagger and Breath of Earth
“Clever, addictive, and paced to steal your breath. You’ll come for the Celtic demigoddess and you’ll stay for the complex, unpredictable world. The romance is sizzling, the powers are intriguing. I look forward to the next book!” —Emily R. King, author of The Hundredth Queen
02/01/2018
Gr 10 Up—Sage reluctantly agrees to attend a house party where not all is as it seems. Living on the streets, dirty and disheveled, Sage is determined to make good use of the invitation, until she realizes this promising request is a trap. Kidnapped from the party and taken by a man with the strength of an ox, Sage is told of her reality: she is a demigoddess, daughter of the Goddess Brighid. Her true powers will be awakened by her 18th birthday, which is when she will declare her allegiance to one of the powerful houses of the Otherborn. Given training by Faelan, a hunter now tasked as her protector, Sage must soon declare her allegiance to one of the houses: Brighid, Lyr, Cernunnos, Morrigan, and Arwen. There is a darkness surrounding her and danger targeting those she now considers family. Poisonous trinkets disguised as gifts, Otherborns who are not what they seem, and strange dreams that plague Sage all point to a larger conspiracy, one that is left for Sage and Faelan to uncover before destruction reigns down on them all. The author creates a world full of pixies, witches, and wraiths that lingers in plain sight yet is still glamoured in shadow from humans. Although Sage seems to readily accept her newfound parentage quickly, the character's conflicts with Faelan create the tensions necessary to propel the story forward to its surprising end, setting up the next book in the series. VERDICT A solid debut for older teens who love high fantasy. Recommend to fans of Victoria Aveyard's "Red Queen" series.—Michelle Foster, North Caroline High School, Ridgely, MD
2017-12-03
A homeless, white 18-year-old learns she's a demigoddess and must choose allegiances.When Sage is drugged at a party, she starts seeing odd features on fellow revelers: wings and fangs. In her altered state, she starts manifesting strange, fiery powers before a new arrival—a handsome, bronze-skinned Irishman named Faelan—helps her through this experience and informs her that her true mother was the goddess Brighid, making Sage a demigoddess. She's swept off the streets and into a complex supernatural world based on Irish cosmology, where she's offered protection and help controlling her abilities. Unless readers are taken in by the premise or connect early with Sage, the book risks losing them due to a sluggish pace, as worldbuilding exposition repeats itself, adding just a little new information each time, and Sage dreams repeatedly of her long-cast-out, infamous older sister. The pace and intrigue pick up after Sage's formal Introduction to the supernatural world, the period of time in which the houses of the five main gods and goddesses must vie with one another for her loyalty—and power. This contest takes the form of a love triangle among Sage, Faelan, and the dark prince from House Morrígan. Aside from Sage, female characters tend to be vapid, treacherous, or both. Eventually, all the exposition pays off and the heroes set up for their next moves—in the next book.The Irish-pantheon premise injects originality into otherwise-familiar tropes. (Paranormal romance. 14-adult)
This Celtic mythological tale will have listeners engrossed in Sage's adventure and search for identity. She lives on the streets—that is, until she finds out she’s a daughter of a Celtic goddess. Kate Rudd narrates Sage's perspective as she learns about a magical world and the secrets it hides. In the story, another character named Faelan also narrates, read by Will Damron. Faelan, the person assigned to teach Sage of the mythological world, is as mysterious to her as her identity is. Both narrators perfectly reflect the main characters’ personalities. This urban fantasy will pull listeners in with its heart and mystery. C.G. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
