Ruinsong

September 1, 2020
Two young women shift from childhood friends to enemies to lovers. In Cavalia, cruel Queen Elene has complete control of her population. Cadence is a corporeal mage; weaving spells through song, she can manipulate others' bodies for healing, pleasure, or pain. This is Cadence's first year as the Principal in the Performing, an annual event during which sadistic Elene forces singers to torture the kingdom's nobles. Noble Remi is Cadence's estranged childhood friend, attending the Performing in place of her chronically ill mother. Through a series of chance encounters, the teens reconnect. When Elene discovers their relationship, she forces Remi to become a prisoner/companion to Cadence to manipulate them both. As their fates become more intertwined, both Cadence and Remi must decide how far their feelings for each other go and what they're willing to sacrifice to unseat the powerful queen. Both girls' alternating first-person narrations often read like exposition, and occasionally repetitive background information feels underutilized. The setting--which evokes 19th-century Europe--sometimes clashes with more contemporary vocabulary. Uneven pacing slowly builds before racing to the finish. Descriptions of violence committed by corporeal mages are graphic but not gratuitous. Cadence, Remi, and Elene are White; diversity is woven into the text through Black background characters, Remi's body positivity, Cadence's dyslexia, and sign language. Despite uneven craft, readers looking for inclusive Sapphic fantasy will be pleased to find this. (Historical fantasy. 14-18)

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October 12, 2020
In this queer fantasy retelling of The Phantom of the Opera from Ember (the Seafarer Duology), Bordea comprises three classes: nobles; mages, who wield magic through song; and commoners. Eight years ago, Elene—an ambitious corporeal mage, whose vocalizations affect living things and organic matter—grew tired of second-class citizenship and slaughtered her way onto the throne. Now, as a continuing show of power, she summons the surviving nobility to annual Performings, where her principal—a subordinate corporeal mage—sings a torturous tune. When Remi de Bordealan, 16, attends the event in her ailing mother’s stead, she is appalled to discover the queen’s new chantrix is her childhood friend, orphan Cadence. Remi confronts Cadence, who insists that things would be worse for everyone if she refused Elene’s orders. The further Elene pushes Cadence, however, the more persuasive Cadence finds Remi’s argument for rebellion. Anguish and dread suffuse every page of this harrowing tale, which is told in alternating first-person narratives. An extended setup slows the start, and Ember rushes the conclusion, but the predominantly white cast feels fully fleshed out, and a romantic subplot exploring the girls’ mutual attraction adds warmth and emotional complexity. Ages 14–up. Agent: Eric Smith, P.S. Literary. (Nov.)■

November 1, 2020

Gr 9 Up-Since childhood, a ruthless queen has trained Cadence to use her magic as a weapon. Against a backdrop of eerily topical politics, Cadence struggles with her conscience and complicity in helping her queen stay in power by intimidating and silencing dissidents, and in a world where magic is based on song, those out of the queen's favor are often silenced-their vocal cords are severed. It's a task she's had since she was taken from her family at six, at the time a matter of survival. But when she's reunited with childhood friend Remi, Cadence starts to question just how responsible she is for the queen's campaign of intimidation. As the two young women are drawn to the possibility of covert and eventually open rebellion, their friendship rekindles and eventually turns to romance. Ember's novel unfolds at a leisurely pace, which may frustrate action-seeking readers, but the characters and their motivations are complex and nuanced and need the time to develop. Cadence's struggle, in particular, is relatable. Remi grapples with an emerging class consciousness and desire to leverage her privileged position to help those unable to help themselves. This is a solid fantasy that weaves queer romance with themes of social justice. Both Remi and Cadence are described as white, a number of other characters are Black, and among the non-noble classes, queer relationships are accepted. VERDICT An engaging fantasy novel that will push readers to draw parallels between the narrative and contemporary events and conflicts and, hopefully, empower them to use their own voices to stand up for what they believe in.-Erin Downey, Boise Sch. Dist., ID

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