Review by Booklist Review
The world beyond the walled city of Viyara is dead. Strong magic, performed by the steely Sisters of Thorn, keeps undead revenants at bay, but it is a tenuous peace. Inside the city, two powerful clans chafe against each other. Juliet Catresou, magicked and trained from infancy to defend her family, has fallen in love with Romeo, a rival from the Mahyanai clan. When her vengeful magic compels her to kill him, they resist it with catastrophic results: Romeo becomes bound to Paris Catresou, and Juliet is killed, only to be pulled back to life by Mahyanai Runajo, a Sister, in an accidental, forbidden act of necromancy. With Viyara in danger, the two are thrown into separate quests to save it. This starts at the end of the familiar story, channeling most of its narrative through Paris and Runajo, and for once, readers may not know where it's going what is death in a world with necromancers? High stakes, desperate love, and a healthy dose of gore keep this update fresh and intriguing.--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Borrowing loosely from Romeo and Juliet, Hodge creates a world ravaged by the Ruining, a fog that killed the living and allowed the dead to walk. Runajo, a Sister of Thorn, knows that it is the sacrifice of human blood that keeps the wall strong enough to protect the only surviving city of Viyara. Juliet Catresou is a young woman compelled by spells since birth to kill anyone who harms her kin, the mask-wearing Catresou clan. And yet she has fallen for Romeo, of the Mahyanai. When a bonding ceremony goes wrong, Paris (who was unhappily expecting to become Juliet's Guardian) and Romeo can read each other's thoughts and Juliet is in the land of the dead. The action alternates between what is happening with Runajo, who secretly brings Juliet back to the cloister, and Paris's activities with Romeo, often in the Lower City. Teens need not be Shakespeare fans to appreciate this work and will enjoy reading about magic, an underworld, and a Juliet who kicks butt. The complicated plot requires readers' attention, as three clans, invented religious elements, a variety of undead, and magic scrolls retrieved from a buried library all intertwine. VERDICT An atmospheric tale that pits loyalty to kin against loyalty to self and loyalty to loved ones, this work will appeal to the author's fans and those who can't get enough of fantastical retellings.-Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Inside the walled city of Viyara--the only city remaining after the Ruining (a fog that kills the living and raises the dead) has ravaged the world--two powerful families clash over honor and loyalty to kin. Enemies-turned-allies, necromancy, and the undead figure in this multi-pronged, rather overly complicated fantasy. Plot elements are inspired by Romeo and Juliet, although Shakespeare expertise isn't necessary. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
