Review by Booklist Review
In a culture and a time where the use of ink (for writing of any kind) can bring on a deadly plague, Shae's sudden, violent loss of her family results in a journey to seek help. She approaches the High Bards, supernaturally talented and trained individuals who police Montane, ridding villages of the Indigo Death and collecting tithes for High House and Lord Cathal. Once at High House, she discovers her own special talents and begins bard training, only to unearth dark truths about power and corruption in the process. Short action-driven chapters and Shae's first-person narration move this above-average fantasy romance detective story along at a good clip. There are a few moments of sentimental overtelling, but readers will breeze right through them to see what new danger their heroine will face next. Incorporating commentary on propaganda, censorship, and female empowerment, Farrow's debut reveals her activist roots. Try this with fans of Natalie Mae's The Kinder Poison (2020), or, for a disease-driven plot, try Margaret Owen's Merciful Crow series.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Activist Farrow illustrates truth's revolutionary nature in this duology-opening fantasy debut. Due to an inkborne plague dubbed the Indigo Death, or Blot, reading and writing are prohibited in Montane for everyone but Bards--tithe-collecting magicians who manipulate reality using language. When freckle-skinned Shae, 17, develops strange symptoms, she seeks out a trio of traveling Bards and begs one to cure her; her brother succumbed to Blot five years prior, and Shae can't bear to cause her mother more pain. He refuses, however, and the next day, Shae comes home to find a Bard's dagger through her mother's heart. The constable won't investigate, so Shae heads for High House, the Bards' castle, seeking answers. Upon arrival, she discovers that she isn't sick--she's a fledgling Bard manifesting magical abilities. Despite her suspicions, she agrees to remain at High House and train; where better to ferret out her mother's killer than from within? Shae's determination inspires, but her naivete strains credulity, particularly as the story progresses. Nebulous worldbuilding, particularly regarding Bards' magic, and a shoehorned romance also disappoint, though the epilogue hints at action and intrigue to come. Ages 14--up. Agents: Emma Parry, Janklow & Nesbit, and Stephen Barbara, Inkwell Management, on behalf of Glasstown Entertainment. (Oct.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Shae lost her younger brother to the mysterious blue plague a few years ago. Coupled with her father's death when his heart gave out, and her mother becoming mute through grief, her existence is bleak. The area where she and her mother struggle to raise sheep is plagued by drought, and regular visits by bards who expect an ample tribute further strain everyone's livelihood. It's a hard existence, quickly made even worse when Shae discovers her mother's body. The murder weapon is an unusual dagger. When the weapon and body vanish and the local authorities deny that anything happened, it galvanizes Shae to make the long and perilous trek to High House, home of the mysterious Cathal and the bards who she hopes can grant her a Telling that might reveal the truth about her mother's death. Instead, she's taken in and offered training as a bard, a choice that pulls her ever deeper into a convoluted web of secrets and deception where knowing whom to trust becomes a major challenge. The deeper she goes into the maze of intrigue, the more she learns about the goings-on at High House, the truth of her mother's murder, and how she became a target. Farrow's story will grab listeners and pull them into a frightening, twisty world. Narrator Emily Shaffer makes the listener's journey into this world a smooth one. VERDICT A good choice for libraries where dark fantasy and dystopian tales are popular.--John R. Clark, formerly with Hartland P.L., ME
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--Shae lost her younger brother to the mysterious blue plague a few years ago. Coupled with her father's death when his heart gave out, and her mother becoming mute through grief, her existence is bleak. The area where she and her mother struggle to raise sheep is plagued by drought, and the regular visits by bards who expect an ample tribute further strain everyone's livelihood. It's a hard existence, quickly made even worse when she discovers her mother's body. The murder weapon is an unusual dagger. When the weapon and body vanish and the local authorities deny that anything happened, it galvanizes Shae to make the long and perilous trek to High House, home of the mysterious Cathal and the bards who she hopes can grant her a Telling that might reveal the truth about her mother's death. Instead, she's taken in and offered training as a bard, a choice that pulls her ever deeper into a convoluted web of secrets and deception where knowing whom to trust becomes a major challenge. The deeper she goes into the maze of intrigue, the more she learns about the goings-on at High House, the truth about her mother's death, and how she became a target. This book will grab listeners and pull them into a frightening, twisty tale. Narrator Emily Shaffer makes the listener's journey into this world a smooth one. VERDICT A good choice for libraries where dark fantasy and dystopian tales are popular.--John R. Clark, formerly with Hartland P.L., ME
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A stubborn small-town girl uncovers earth-shattering secrets as she tries to solve a murder. Following her brother Kieran's death from the Indigo Death, aka the Blot, an ink-borne plague, 17-year-old Shae and her Ma have lived as outcasts outside dusty, dying Aster. In Montane, only the black-robed, warrior Bards--tax-collectors, magic-users, executioners--from High House may read or write, and stories about or icons of the mythical kingdom of Gondal are forbidden. When a visit from three Bards ends in death, disaster, and a coverup, Shae abandons her only real friend, Fiona, and rejected suitor, Mads, to sneak into the Bards' stronghold and training academy. Predictability follows, as Shae proves magically powerful, one of the few females with the gift of Telling, and both pawn and pariah. Also unsurprisingly, Shae's small, personal quest threatens the whole system. Farrow's first foray into young adult literature has a message, but its foundations are underdeveloped: Lacking specificity and context, Montane is a generic Western pre-industrial setting; the shifts in genre and tone (from pastoral to police procedural to political revolution) are abrupt; the pacing is rushed; and the resolution awaits a sequel. Most characters are white; only a minor villain is explicitly identified as having dark skin. A standard fantasy with substandard development. (Fantasy. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
