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Articles by Rae Carson
Monster Monarch Maiden by Rae Carson @raecarson.bsky.social @raecarson #GreenwillowBooks @RobinBridgeFour #LoveAudiobooks
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Monster, Monarch, Maiden by Rae Carson Narrator: Bailey Carr on August 25, 2026 Genres: Fantasy Romance Pages: 480 Length: 13 hours, 15 minutes Format: Audiobook, eARC Source: NetGalley Goodreads Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple Bria Angarsold isn’t supposed to be a hero. She’s just a mountain girl.
Monster, Monarch, Maiden
Rae Carson. Greenwillow, $19.99 (480p) ISBN 978-0-06-324420-7 Carson (Any Sign of Life) melds sparkling romantasy and high-stakes political intrigue as two teens with god-given magical abilities uncover a political conspiracy that imperils their lives and their world.
Like a River Glorious: Gold Seer Trilogy, Book 2 Book Review
age 13+ Tense Gold Rush tale shows harsh reality of slavery. Parents need to know that Like a River Glorious, by Rae Carson (the Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy), is the second absorbing book in the Gold Seer trilogy. It stars Lee, a girl whose parents are murdered in Georgia by her uncle, who wants to exploit her "witchy" ability to find gold.
Any Sign of Life Book Review
age 13+ Clever teen survives doomsday in exciting sci-fi adventure. Parents need to known that Any Sign of Life is a science fiction adventure novel, in which one young woman awakens to find everyone in her town dead. Rae Carson, author of The Girl of Fire and Thorns Trilogy, takes a gripping premise and follows it through a series of exciting plot turns. Some violence, but there are many descriptions of decomposing bodies.
BREWED WITH LOVE
Dark, seductive, but over-the-top: Characters and book alike will enthrall those who choose to play. Garber returns to the world of bestseller Caraval (2017), this time with the focus on younger, more daring sister Donatella. Valenda, capital of the empire, is host to the second of Legend’s magical games in a single year, and while Scarlett doesn’t want to play again, blonde Tella is eager for a chance to prove herself.
BLAME MY VIRGO MOON
Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel,... Adventure drags our heroine all over the map of fantasyland while giving her the opportunity to use her smarts. Elisa—Princess Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza of Orovalle—has been chosen for Service since the day she was born, when a beam of holy light put a Godstone in her navel.
JUPITER RISING | Kirkus Reviews
Lachrymose but brimming also with love and heart. Having lost one beloved foster sibling in Orbiting Jupiter (2015), Jack Hurd faces the devastating prospect of losing another in this equally intense companion volume. Schmidt packs his story with seemingly tough but emotionally vulnerable males circling orphaned Jupiter, who is 3 years old and a charismatic scene stealer.
APPLE BLACK ORIGINS
Best suited for only the most ardent fans of the series. In the kingdom of Youta on the Eden Continent, 13-year-old Willow Wantmore, a Black girl with vitiligo, dreams of joining the Youta Guild, but her tribe faces discrimination. Her estranged sorcerer father, Uzoh Olaocha, bestowed upon her a coveted and rare Golden Wand named Novajinx that she uses to keep her pale locs tied.
STONE FEATHER FANG
Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel,... Adventure drags our heroine all over the map of fantasyland while giving her the opportunity to use her smarts. Elisa—Princess Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza of Orovalle—has been chosen for Service since the day she was born, when a beam of holy light put a Godstone in her navel.
THE CLADDAGH | Kirkus Reviews
Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic. Chainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied. Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school.
ACE AND THE MISFITS
Though it lacks references or suggestions for further reading, Arn's agonizing story is compelling enough that many readers... A harrowing tale of survival in the Killing Fields. The childhood of Arn Chorn-Pond has been captured for young readers before, in Michelle Lord and Shino Arihara's picture book, A Song for Cambodia (2008). McCormick, known for issue-oriented realism, offers a fictionalized retelling of Chorn-Pond's youth for older readers.
THE CHAOS GRID | Kirkus Reviews
Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel,... Adventure drags our heroine all over the map of fantasyland while giving her the opportunity to use her smarts. Elisa—Princess Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza of Orovalle—has been chosen for Service since the day she was born, when a beam of holy light put a Godstone in her navel.
Cocktails to Pair With Your Favorite Fantasy and Horror Books
Books and drinks are very much personal tastes. What is delicious to one person tastes like hell to another. So we have offered up some, possibly, tasty cocktails that might pair with your favorite fantasy and horror stories. My first pairing is from one of my favorite short stories for 2021, Badass Moms of the Zombie Apocolypse. A story that was nominated for a Hugo, and rightly so. It is courageous and extraordinary.
REBEL SKIES | Kirkus Reviews
A deliciously edgy plot and lingering mysteries will leave readers eager for the sequel. Kitchen helper Kurara, who works in the floating castle Midori and has memories she can’t unlock, finds herself on a quest to restore her best friend’s body following a disaster.
DEFIANT | Kirkus Reviews
A grand finale, presented with a touch light enough to buoy all the self-actualization. Also: giant space worms! Hotshot pilot Spensa Nightshade completes her apotheosis in this series closer, as human rebels and their alien allies mount a climactic assault on the galactic empire.
SEA SERPENT'S HEIR
From the Girl of Fire and Thorns series , Vol. 1 Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel,... Adventure drags our heroine all over the map of fantasyland while giving her the opportunity to use her smarts. Elisa—Princess Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza of Orovalle—has been chosen for Service since the day she was born, when a beam of holy light put a Godstone in her navel.
HAWKEYE | Kirkus Reviews
From the Girl of Fire and Thorns series , Vol. 1 Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel,... Adventure drags our heroine all over the map of fantasyland while giving her the opportunity to use her smarts. Elisa—Princess Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza of Orovalle—has been chosen for Service since the day she was born, when a beam of holy light put a Godstone in her navel.
WISH OF THE WICKED
This sprawling, action-packed origin story, layered in mystique, will pull readers into its fascinating world. When a ruthless queen attempts to banish a mysterious coterie of magic-wielding sisters, the youngest of them develops an intricate plan of revenge in this spin on “Cinderella.” Each member of Entente has a distinct magical gift, but Farrow, the youngest member of the collective, has difficulty managing hers.
VAULTING THROUGH TIME
A time-travel novel with a gymnastics twist, adult author McCabe’s debut YA novel follows high school athlete Elizabeth Arlington in her quest to find answers about her biological parentage. After living with unresolved questions that her older, widowed mom is cagey about, a secret DNA test reveals to Elizabeth that her ancestry is 70% European and 30% Han Chinese, surprising her, since neither of her blond parents appear to have Asian heritage.
MIDNIGHT AT THE HOUDINI
From the Girl of Fire and Thorns series , Vol. 1 Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel,... Adventure drags our heroine all over the map of fantasyland while giving her the opportunity to use her smarts. Elisa—Princess Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza of Orovalle—has been chosen for Service since the day she was born, when a beam of holy light put a Godstone in her navel.
MIRRORVERSE | Kirkus Reviews
“In the not very distant past, two magical stars collided, sending reality spiraling in two very different directions.” While the old tales continue on as normal in the Source Worlds, in the Mirror Worlds, characters from Disney stories exist in heightened forms. The light and dark mirrors created in the stellar collision fell, pitting the forces of good and evil magic against each other.
MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD
by Mark Goldblatt ‧ A girlfriend, a gay best friend, and an imaginary companion provide company and distraction for a teenager experiencing repressed trauma. Beginning with the book’s title and the appearance of a dapper, spectral gent named Winston Ono on the first page, Goldblatt makes good on his claim at the outset that John, Paul, George, and Ringo are all over this exercise in misdirection.
PART OF YOUR WORLD
A graphic adaptation of an entry from the popular Twisted Tale series that reimagines Disney fairy tales. Basing her work on Braswell’s 2018 novel of the same name that remixes “The Little Mermaid,” Strohm presents readers with a cinematic, full-color graphic novel that ponders what might have happened if mermaid Ariel had never defeated the nefarious sea witch Ursula.
FAIREST OF ALL | Kirkus Reviews
A VILLAINS GRAPHIC NOVEL From the Villains series by Serena Valentino ; illustrated by Fiona Marchbank ‧ The evil stepmother in this retelling of “Snow White” starts life as a commoner who marries the king and becomes a loving mother to his little girl. How does she develop into a murderous monster? Valentino constructs an emotionally complex story that investigates the queen’s origins as the daughter of a cruel mirror maker.
TAKE OFF! | Kirkus Reviews
by Lea Beddia ‧ A gay Canadian teenager’s mettle gets tested hard both at school and on the trail. As if the struggle to make passing grades and cope with severe test anxiety aren’t bad enough, Marisa has to endure homophobic comments and constant harassment from Aimee, a sneering classmate and former friend, not only in high school, but even on a day hike when she’s paired with her tormentor and fellow classmate Dawn during a weekend extra-credit survival camp.
APPLE BLACK | Kirkus Reviews
SUNNY EYES From the Apple Black series , Vol. 2 by Odunze Oguguo ; illustrated by Odunze Oguguo ‧ Battles and intrigue ensue in this sequel. Jumping in right where Volume 1 of this manga series dropped off, this latest entry shows that opposing factions are still vying for control of young Sano’s mysterious powers, encapsulated in his ebony arm known as Arodihs, the Arm of Merlin, God of Sorcery.
THE PRICE OF HOPE
From the Historian Tales series , Vol. 5 by Lance Conrad ‧ After the king dies, the prince gives up, and the Empire attacks, people in the Kingdom of Tumani need to find the hope to fight on. When the Historian, immortal witness to all great stories, arrives in Tumani, he finds the beloved king has died. Prince Matan’s grief is so deep he refuses to take the throne, leaving the learned, justice-minded citizens vulnerable.
MEET THE MOON | Kirkus Reviews
Jody is hovering on the cusp of puberty in 1970 New Jersey when her mother dies; an eventful year follows. The fatal car accident changes everything for the Morans: 13-year-old Jody, her three sisters, little brother, and their newly minted widower dad. Even for an affectionate, easygoing family like theirs, adapting to abrupt, tragic loss is uniquely challenging. There’s a steep learning curve; mistakes are made.
NO ESCAPE FROM THE ALHAMBRA
by Kirsten Boie ; translated by David Henry Wilson ‧ A teen’s school trip takes a literal approach to hands-on learning in this translated title from Germany. Boston is a short, blond German boy being raised by a struggling single mom; he was named after the hometown of the American father who doesn’t know of his existence. On a class trip to Spain, he’s occupied with seeing the sights and trying to fit in with cooler classmates who mock him.
RISE OF THE RAID MOB
Four friends face off against an impending alien invasion. High schoolers Jack Delaney, Cameron Yates, Megan Joyce, and Ayo Osikoya-Arinola aren’t the most popular students at their school. But as tHeScOuRgE, ForgeFire666, Zuul, and Hephaestus in Distant Dawn, a global online co-op game featuring massive mechs and tentacled alien foes, they comprise the Raid Mob, the game’s most legendary squad.
NEVERLANDERS | Kirkus Reviews
by Tom Taylor ; illustrated by Jon Sommariva ‧ The last of the Lost Boys gambles the fate of Neverland on getting a ragtag group of young friends to enlist in a magical war. Paco, the only surviving Lost Boy, travels to New York to find new recruits to help him fight a battle to save Neverland. He meets Bee and Luz when he saves their lives during a subway skirmish. Bee then invites him back to their trailer in a junkyard and introduces him to the rest of the crew.
NEVER NEVER | Kirkus Reviews
From the Villains series , Vol. 9 by Serena Valentino ‧ A Peter Pan origin story centering the perspective of Capt. Hook. The notorious baddie started life as a precocious child in London. In fact, at one point the infant James Hook vanished from his pram when his nurse’s attention was elsewhere. Six days later, after a magical sojourn in Never Land, he was reclaimed by his family—but he continued to long to return there.
CITY OF HOOKS AND SCARS
From the City of Villains series , Vol. 2 by Estelle Laure ‧ Mary struggles with the aftermath of the Battle at Miracle Lake. Mary Elizabeth had a found family in boyfriend James, best friend Ursula, and tentative acquaintance Mally. After they were kidnapped and injected with experimental magic, returning as villains in the Battle at Miracle Lake, Mary’s old life disappeared.
VIVID | Kirkus Reviews
From the Color Theory series , Vol. 1 by Ashley Bustamante ‧ An orphan and a loner, Ava Locke studies and hopes to become a Benefactor like her mentor, Selene, protecting the land of Magus against Mentalists. Seventeen-year-old Ava is a top student at Prism, one of Magus’ elite schools, where they teach Shapers (Blue magic users) and Augmentors (Red magic users). In the past, Prism also taught Yellow magic users, or Mentalists, until they began abusing mind control.
TIN MAN | Kirkus Reviews
From the Legend series , Vol. 1 by Marie Lu ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 29, 2011 A gripping thriller in dystopic future Los Angeles. Fifteen-year-olds June and Day live completely different lives in the glorious Republic. June is rich and brilliant, the only candidate ever to get a perfect score in the Trials, and is destined for a glowing career in the military. She looks forward to the day when she can join up and fight the Republic’s treacherous enemies east of the Dakotas.
ANY SIGN OF LIFE
Narrator Amy Landon puts forth a strong performance in this near-future postapocalyptic story. Paige Miller, a 17-year-old basketball player, wakes up from a six-day flu to find her family and the world as she knew it destroyed. With her dog her only companion, Paige goes on the road to find anyone still alive. Landon keeps the suspense high and the story moving at a rapid pace, even during longer chapters, which are formatted like diary entries.
IAMTW Announces 2021 Nominees
The International Association of Media Tie-In Writers (IAMTW) recognizes the wide range of authors who work on media tie-ins. Often overlooked, these writers craft exciting tales using beloved characters and settings of franchises including the likes of Mike Hammer, Firefly, Murder She Wrote, James Bond, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Star Trek. These stories can be original adventures, or adaptations of movies or television episodes.
Four Uncanny Stories, Elsa Sjunneson, and Uncanny Magazine Are All 2021 Hugo Award Finalists!
PHENOMENAL news, Space Unicorns! Four Uncanny Magazine stories are finalists for the prestigious Hugo Award! “Burn or The Episodic Life of Sam Wells as a Super” by A. T. Greenblatt is a finalist for Best Novelette, “The Inaccessibility of Heaven” by Aliette de Bodard is a finalist for Best Novelette, “Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse” by Rae Carson is a finalist for Best Short Story, and “Metal Like Blood in the Dark” by T.
Uncanny Magazine 2020 Award Eligibility
This year, Uncanny Magazine is still eligible for the Best Semiprozine Hugo Award. Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas are also still eligible for the Best Editor (Short Form) Hugo Award for editing issues 32-37. (Note: If you are nominating the Thomases in this category, please continue to nominate them together. They are a co-editing team.) The stories listed below are eligible in either the short story or novelette categories of the SF/F awards.
Audio: The Empire of Dreams by Rae Carson
The Empire of Dreams by Rae Carson Narrator: Kyla Garcia Series: Fire and Thorns #4 Published by HarperAudio on April 7, 2020 Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy Length: 13 hours, 42 minutes Format: Audiobook Source: Purchased Goodreads Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple Even though Red Sparkle Stone is a foundling orphan with an odd name and a veiled past, she's about to be adopted into the royal family—by Empress Elisa herself. Sixteen-year-old Red can hardly believe her luck.
The Rise of Skywalker: Expanded Edition (Star Wars)
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Witness the epic final chapter of the Skywalker saga with the official novelization of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, including expanded scenes and additional content not seen in theaters! The Resistance has been reborn. But although Rey and her fellow heroes are back in the fight, the war against the First Order, now led by Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, is far from over.
The Rise of Skywalker: Expanded Edition (Star Wars) (Hardcover)
$28.99 Coming Soon - Available for Pre-Order Now Description Witness the epic final chapter of the Skywalker saga with the official novelization of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, including expanded scenes and additional content not seen in theaters! The Resistance has been reborn. But although Rey and her fellow heroes are back in the fight, the war against the First Order, now led by Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, is far from over.
The Empire of Dreams
New York Times–bestselling author Rae Carson makes a triumphant return to the world of her award-winning Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy in this extraordinary stand-alone novel. Fans of Leigh Bardugo, Kendare Blake, and Tomi Adeyemi won’t want to put this book down. Red Sparkle Stone is a foundling orphan with an odd name, a veiled past, and a mark of magic in her hair.
Uncanny Magazine Issue Thirty-Two
Uncanny Magazine Issue Thirty-Two Welcome to Uncanny Magazine Issue Thirty-Two! All of the content will be available for purchase as an eBook (PDF, EPUB, MOBI) on January 7, 2020. The free online content will be released in two stages—half on January 7 and half on February 4. Featuring all-new short fiction by Rae Carson, Eugenia Triantafyllou, C.L. Clark, Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam Sharon Hsu, and Alex Bledsoe; reprint fiction by E.
Badass Moms in the Zombie Apocalypse
My labor pangs are mild at first. They’re intense, sure, but it’s mostly warmth and pressure like my abdomen is hugging itself. I’ve got time. Hours maybe, before I have to flee the enclave and get myself to the birthing hideout. In the meantime, I’m in our makeshift infirmary, trying to get water past old Eileen’s tight-pressed lips because we ran out of IV and NG intubation supplies a long time ago.
The Star Wars Reading List
Before you go... Check Out The Bestselling Books of All Time See the List The ReadDown Maybe you’re an avid Star Wars fan, or maybe you’re ready to begin your journey.
The Empire of Dreams
Amazon.com Best Books of the Month New York Times–bestselling author Rae Carson makes a triumphant return to the world of her award-winning Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy in this extraordinary stand-alone novel. Fans of Leigh Bardugo, Kendare Blake, and Tomi Adeyemi won’t want to put this book down. Red Sparkle Stone is a foundling orphan with an odd name, a veiled past, and a mark of magic in her hair.
The Five Best New ‘Star Wars’ Books
This story was written in collaboration with Forbes Finds. Forbes Finds covers products and experiences we think you’ll love. Featured products are independently selected and linked to for your convenience. If you buy something using a link on this page, Forbes may receive a small share of that sale.
2019 Year in Review
Laugh Out the Old Year and Welcome the New Elections, mass demonstrations, climate change, impeachment scandals and perennial Vancouver favourite – ‘affordable housing’ dominated the news headlines in 2019. Bid farewell to all that doom and gloom as Vancouver TheatreSports’™ 2019 Year in Review takes an improvised look at these top stories and adds a much-needed comedic perspective as we prepare for the coming year.
Queen's Shadow | Disney Books | Disney Publishing Worldwide
Buy Now Available Formats Print & eBook Written by the #1 New York Times best-selling author of Ahsoka! When Padmé Naberrie, “Queen Amidala” of Naboo, steps down from her position, she is asked by the newly-elected queen to become Naboo’s representative in the Galactic Senate. Padmé is unsure about taking on the new role, but cannot turn down the request to serve her people.
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