From the Publisher
An action-packed narrative of monsters, violence, and political intrigue.” — School Library Journal
Praise for THE WISH GRANTER: “Satisfying fare for fantasy fans.” — Kirkus Reviews
Praise for THE WISH GRANTER: “A welcome feminist revision of the classic fairy tale.” — School Library Journal
Praise for THE SHADOW QUEEN: “With poison, fire, and deadly deeds, this tale is hard to put down and even harder to forget. I’ll never look at apples the same way again!” — Maria V. Snyder, New York Times bestselling author of the Study series
Praise for THE SHADOW QUEEN: “Magic, dragons, and royalty in hiding: The Shadow Queen hits all the right notes of an incredible epic fantasy.” — Jodi Meadows, author of the Orphan Queen duology
Praise for THE SHADOW QUEEN: “Filled with complex characters, imaginative and horrible consequences, and sharp twists — Booklist
Praise for THE SHADOW QUEEN: “An action-packed retelling of “Snow White”...Great fun” — School Library Journal
Praise for THE SHADOW QUEEN: “A fully imagined fairy tale landscape.” — Publishers Weekly
Praise for DELIVERANCE: “A sharp new epic” — Booklist
Praise for DECEPTION: “An engaging fantasy” — Booklist
Praise for DEFIANCE: “A well-paced, heart-wrenching tale of loyalty, courage, and love.” — Romantic Times
Praise for DEFIANCE: “C.J. Redwine’s DEFIANCE is a gritty, thrilling adventure sprinkled with moments of breathtaking tenderness. I read it in one sitting.” — Rae Carson, Morris Award finalist for and New York Times bestselling author of The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Booklist
Praise for THE SHADOW QUEEN: “Filled with complex characters, imaginative and horrible consequences, and sharp twists
Jodi Meadows
Praise for THE SHADOW QUEEN: “Magic, dragons, and royalty in hiding: The Shadow Queen hits all the right notes of an incredible epic fantasy.
Maria V. Snyder
Praise for THE SHADOW QUEEN: “With poison, fire, and deadly deeds, this tale is hard to put down and even harder to forget. I’ll never look at apples the same way again!
Booklist
Praise for THE SHADOW QUEEN: “Filled with complex characters, imaginative and horrible consequences, and sharp twists
Rae Carson
Praise for DEFIANCE: “C.J. Redwine’s DEFIANCE is a gritty, thrilling adventure sprinkled with moments of breathtaking tenderness. I read it in one sitting.
Romantic Times
Praise for DEFIANCE: “A well-paced, heart-wrenching tale of loyalty, courage, and love.
Julie Kagawa
Praise for DEFIANCE: “Spellbinding, romantic, and impossible to put down.
School Library Journal
11/01/2017
Gr 8 Up—The latest "Ravenspire" novel, inspired by The Prince and the Pauper, delivers an action-packed narrative of monsters, violence, and political intrigue. Javin, the prince of Akram, an Arabian Nights—style fantasy world, has spent the last 10 years at a military academy. His return home is disrupted when an illegitimate cousin, Rahim, impersonates him as part of a political coup. Earnest and naive Javin is thrown into the vicious Maqbara prison, where he must fight monsters in gladiatorial battles in hopes of winning an audience with his father, the king. The novel's strength lies in its fast-paced action sequences and inventive monsters. While Redwine introduces themes of systemic oppression through her portrayal of the dark elves, an enslaved and subjugated race in Akram, the novel's ironic refrain that "the only good elf is a dead elf" comes across as heavy-handed moralizing rather than a nuanced exploration of these ideas. Characterization generally takes a backseat to the action, and the romantic subplot that fills the second half of the book feels rushed and out of place between the many graphic scenes of violence. Redwine's fans will appreciate cameo appearances by characters from the other "Ravenspire" novels, but this installment stands alone as a dark fantasy for readers who love fight scenes and political plotting. VERDICT Purchase where the author's previous books are popular.—Molly Saunders, Homewood Public Library, AL
Kirkus Reviews
2017-11-13
A prince replaced by a double must reclaim his identity.The crown prince of Akram, Javan Samad Najafai of the house of Kadar, has spent the past 10 years at Milisatria Academy fulfilling his mother's dying wish. In his absence, a rebellious faction of aristocrats is slowly poisoning the king, and they plan on taking advantage of his addled state by replacing Javan with Rahim, the illegitimate son of the king's cousin. Javan thwarts the attempts on his life only to have Rahim's father identify Rahim as the true prince. Javan narrowly escapes execution but is sentenced to the Maqbara, a prison where prisoners are forced into gladiatorial combat against all manners of creatures and monsters for the viewing and gambling pleasure of the aristocracy. Pious, honorable Javan is horrified by this miscarriage of justice and by what's happened to his kingdom. He sets out to win the tournament to gain an audience with the king and prove his identity. He gains a reluctant ally, then friend, in the warden's slave, a pale-skinned girl with a secret. As they struggle for their respective freedoms, their evolution from friends to more is romantic and compelling. The action scenes are inventive, as are narrative moments from Rahim's perspective. In a change from previous Ravenspire settings, Akram is Arab-coded (a sensitivity reader is thanked in the acknowledgements), but there are unobtrusive references to the other books.An exciting, entertaining series companion. (Fantasy. 12-adult)
