New York Times: “Like an endearing fantasy version of “Knives Out,” “The Tainted Cup” follows an eccentric detective named Ana Dolabra and her new assistant, Dinios Kol — a disaster bisexual if there ever was one…. A great murder mystery is hard to pull off but Bennett structures his perfectly, and the fact that it’s in a fantasy setting only makes it better.”
Bookpage: The grimdark wave of fantasy fiction went mainstream when Game of Thrones hit big on HBO, and now even casual readers of the subgenre can get bogged down in its conventions. Yes, morally gray characters, graphic violence and the cruelty of medieval Europe-style worlds are all rich storytelling veins, but they only get you so far, which means when an author comes along and seeks to reshape that darkness into something unique, it’s worth paying attention.
With her latest novel, The Starving Saints, Caitlin Starling does not seek to subvert the conventions of grimdark fantasy, nor does she aim to overturn or look past them. What the novel delivers is something more transformative, a melding of fantasy and horror so smooth that it defies both easy categorization and easy dismissal as another traveler of a well-worn path. Like the characters at its core, it’s a hard novel to pin down.
Set in a castle now in its sixth month under siege, The Starving Saints follows three desperate women all trying to save themselves. Phosyne, a former nun turned sorceress, labors in her tower laboratory to magically create food for the starving populace. Ser Voyne, a war hero and the king’s closest guardian, is tasked with protecting the castle while also making sure Phosyne isn’t just wasting everyone’s time. And in the bowels of the keep, serving girl-turned-ratcatcher Treila is biding her time until she can escape, even as she plots revenge against Voyne for a long-ago atrocity.
All three of their already challenging lives are upset by the sudden and mysterious arrival of the Constant Lady, the deity worshiped by the people of the castle, and her three attendant Saints. Beautifully dressed, hypnotic and incomprehensible, these Saints supply the castle with a sudden influx of much-needed food, but at a tremendous cost, sending all three protagonists into a spiral of shifting loyalties, desires and desperation.
Starling quickly and vividly lays the foundation of a classic fantasy setting, her prose rich with descriptions that’ll make you feel grit under your fingernails and sense magic around the darkest, dampest corners of the castle, but what makes The Starving Saints so remarkable is what Starling does next. There’s a sense that “weird fiction” is invading the fantasy setting, unnameable and unknowable things slithering (often literally) through the stone and wood of the keep. Through prose that’s as rich in mystery and desperation as the lives of her characters, Starling weaves in elements that keep the reader constantly off balance, yet she never leaves us feeling lost. There’s always the sense of something darker and more uncanny looming over the castle, closing in as its entire state of being shifts. This is a novel that doesn’t just creep into your mind, it chills you to your core and dares you to keep reading.
The Starving Saints is that rare book that gives fantasy and horror readers what they want in equal measure—a remarkable, strange, unsettling ride that will bewitch you on every page.
Booklist: Hawley is a soldier with terrible secrets in his past and a sense of honor despite a tarnished reputation. He has been sent with a company of men to try and find a missing child, but when that company attempts to kill Hawley and are instead killed by an unknown creature of the forest, Hawley seeks the help of Enelda, a wise, no-nonsense old woman whom he soon realizes is a person of legend—one of the famed Vigilants, who can commune with the immortal realm and use magic. Enelda is out of practice and disturbed at finding herself on a journey, but despite a rocky start, she and Hawley work together to survive. Latham (The Red Tower, 2018) uses his incredible world-building skills and all-consuming storytelling style to bring the reader deep into the village of Scarfell, where politics, magic, and corruption collide in a world-shaking explosion, and where Enelda is not the only legend to emerge from the shadows. In a genre where tropes can be overused, Latham is an adept at creating sympathetic characters and reinventing fantasy in a way that will have influence on many books after The Last Vigilant.
School Library Journal: Hubbard’s second novel finds 17-year-old Zeke stuck in a territory all too familiar with teenagers. Part of him hangs on to his past as the star pitcher on his high school baseball team, a straight-A student on his way to the University of Alabama, and destined to join the family law firm. Another part of him is him is struggling to accept his own identity as a gay man who wants to do everything he can to rebel against his father and the life he envisioned. This convergence comes to a head when his Alabama small town’s first Pride event is cancelled, and Zeke’s father is involved. To save Pride, Zeke and his friends start hosting secret events to subvert a new ordinance banning LGBTQIA+ events disguised as legislation meant to protect children. This novel explores topics ripped straight out of today’s headlines from the perspective of a newly out gay teen struggling with his own understanding of what it means to be gay. Zeke’s ongoing grapple with his identity and the one that was forced on him is universal. Additionally, Hubbard adeptly demonstrates why Pride is important to the LGBTQIA+ community, while at the same time reaffirming that there is no right or wrong way to be your authentic self. VERDICT Fans of Becky Albertalli’s Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda and Trung Le Nguyen’s The Magic Fish will fall in love with Zeke and his story.
Booklist: Aiden Wright, a Black and autistic teenager, wants nothing more than to play football like his older brother Brandon, a quarterback, and to be on a team with Brandon before he leaves for college. Despite some challenges with the sensory experience and ableist discrimination, Aiden makes it onto the team. Unfortunately, one of Aiden’s bullies starts a fight, and the police are called. When Brandon tries to shield his brother from police violence, he gets arrested and wrongly accused of assaulting a police officer. As Brandon’s resulting trial edges closer, Aiden must figure out a way to uncover what exactly happened that day—and help clear Brandon’s name in time. Aptly named after the feeling an autistic person might experience during sensory overload, thisis a stunning debut that empathetically captures the nuances of being both Black and autistic with care and love. Aiden and Brandon’s relationship as brothers is complex and layered, and readers will root for both of them and hope they reconcile their differences. At its heart, this is a story about brotherhood, family, the fight against police brutality and the carceral system, racism and anti-Blackness, and ableism through the autistic experience—all in all, it is essential reading about activism and collective action. Aiden’s voice will linger long after you finish this riveting work.
School Library Journal: Phoebe, nicknamed Phibs by her friends, has lived in Boca Chica Key, FL, with her grandmother since her mother mysteriously disappeared. She’s always felt connected to the ocean, is an expert diver and underwater photographer, and seems to possess a sixth sense about the underwater world. She often feels out of place among her wealthier Key West friends, but her unique gift brings them unexpected social media fame, leading to a dream dive trip to Marimont, off the coast of Australia. This trip offers Phibs a chance to spend a final, glorious summer with her friends, including Gabe, whom she secretly hopes will become more than a friend. On a dive in Marimont, Phibs feels the ocean calling her to explore a crack she sees in the seabed, which leads to a magnificent underwater cave. It’s like nothing she’s ever seen, but Phibs and her friends soon learn some things are best left undisturbed. The story unfolds through alternating time lines, weaving together present-day events with flashbacks that reveal details about what happened to the group before Marimont. This narrative technique, paired with an engaging writing style and some shocking twists and turns, is sure to thrill. Romance, mystery, horror, adventure, treasure hunting, and a love letter to diving all combine to make this a compelling read. Fans of The Outer Banks will find themselves hooked from the first page. VERDICT A refreshing, original debut, this book is a must-have addition to any YA collection.
Library Journal: Children are disappearing, but only the loss of a lord’s son forces Holt Hawley into action. Once a proud soldier of the elite battalions, Hawley is now embittered and despised by his men. Tasked with finding a True Vigilant (mythical figures said to possess extraordinary powers), Hawley knows he’s tracking a tall tale. Yet, bound by duty, he ventures into the forest, where a brutal attack leads him to Enelda Drake. While far from the stuff of legend, the old woman might be their only hope to find the children. Latham (The Red Tower), known for his steampunk novels and Sherlock Holmes pastiches, skillfully brings his knack for plotting mysteries and investigations into an epic fantasy setting. The multilayered machinations and propulsive pacing will grip readers, but the book’s greatest strength lies in its characters. Enelda and Hawley form a unique and unusual pairing, and Hawley’s struggle captures the dedication of broken soldiers yearning for lost honor. VERDICT: With warmongering, political intrigue, and themes of standing up for the weak, this marks the start of a compelling fantasy series that is perfect for fans of David Dalglish and Justin Lee Anderson.
Booklist: Prolific romantasy author Andrews (Broken Kingdoms series, beginning with Curse of Shadows and Thorns, 2021) offers an exciting first entry in a Norse-inspired series. The power of a melder is one that kings have killed for. Lyra Bien has such power and has tried to keep it hidden it since the night of the raids. But secrets don’t stay secret forever, and Lyra is betrayed and sent to Stonegate, the royal fortress of Jorvondal. Roark Ashwood, a deadly warrior with secrets of his own, is tasked with escorting Lyra and guarding her from potential threats. Roark despises melders, whose power he views as corrupt. And how could Lyra trust a Draven, Jorvondal’s sworn enemy? Undeniably drawn together, though, they begin to really see each other. Lyra imagines the hands Roark uses to speak doing more. Roark begins to fall for the melder with silver in her eyes. But will power and betrayal ultimately tear them apart? Expertly weaving together loyalty, love, and lore, Broken Souls and Bones offers a compelling narrative that will have romantasy readers enthralled.
Horn Book: This sequel to The School for Invisible Boys (rev. 1/24) shifts its focus to twelve-year-old Samantha Osbourne, budding agent for the clandestine paranormal research group Kairos, as she navigates adolescence, grief, and…monsters. Sam is sent on a covert mission to recover a top-secret list created by recently deceased, eccentric Kairos agent Lionel Frobisher. Using her unique ability to alter her appearance in others’ minds, Sam disguises herself as Lionel’s cousin Sunny for a visit to his Seattle home. When the strange Draven family simultaneously moves in next door, Sam’s suspicions are raised. Hutchinson’s complex story line interweaves the fantastical (living buildings, magic glasses, deadly stuffed animals) with relatable tween concerns (such as feeling “exposed” in a two-piece swimsuit). Details around the loss of Sam’s parents in a fire and the surprising revelation about the Kairos organization’s true motives add narrative depth. Brief chapters, intriguing dilemmas, and near-constant twists will keep readers on edge throughout this substantial addition to a thoroughly creepy and captivating adventure series.
Publishers Weekly:Though Black high school junior Aiden loves football, he’s always believed that his reactions to overstimulation connected with his autism diagnosis would prevent him from joining his older brother, star quarterback Brandon, on the high school team. When he participates in summer tryouts, his overwhelm from a multi-person pileup triggers a meltdown. Assuming he’s doomed his chances, Aiden moves on, until a confluence of events results in his making the team, a development that not everyone—including some of his new teammates—is happy about. Then Aiden is involved in a physical altercation with a white teammate, and Brandon, having protected Aiden, is wrongfully charged with assaulting a white police officer. With the future Brandon has worked so hard for—and the brothers’ relationship—in jeopardy, Aiden determines to clear his brother’s name. Chapter titles count down the days leading up to and following the incident, grounding readers and injecting immediacy into Davis’s propulsive debut. Aiden’s intimate first-person perspective offers an organic portrayal of a Black autistic teen navigating social stigma and systemic racism. Writing nuanced and complexly rendered characters, family dynamics, and social commentary, Davis delivers a powerful portrayal of identity and siblinghood that’s as gripping as it is thoughtful. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kat Kerr, Donald Maass Literary. (Apr.)