Nightrender

November 29, 2021
Millennia ago, the Bright Land’s divine Numina battled the Dark Shard’s demonic rancor to prevent mortals’ extermination. Then the aperture to the Bright Land started closing, forcing the Numina’s retreat. Before leaving, though, the Numina drove the rancor back toward the Rupture from which they emerged; erected a spherical Malstop to contain them and their reality-corrupting energy, called malice; and created an immortal champion, Nightrender, to defend the surviving kingdoms—Embria, Caberwill, and Ivasland—should the Malstop falter. It’s been centuries since anyone woke Nightrender; though her last campaign inexplicably ended in royal slaughter, the kingdoms are too busy attacking each other to notice the Malstop weakening. But when Embria’s Princess Johanne Fortuin becomes trapped in a malice pocket days before she’s promised to marry Caberwill’s Prince Rune Highcrown, jeopardizing their peoples’ fragile alliance, a desperate Rune defies his parents and summons Nightrender, hoping the gamble pays off. Action and court intrigue fuel the pace of this duology-opening fantasy from Meadows (the Fallen Isles trilogy). Woolly worldbuilding and superficial characters lessen the tale’s impact, but readers will revel in the lush prose and melodramatic plotting. Most characters cue as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lauren MacLeod, Strothman Agency.

December 15, 2021
Salvation is a continent in trouble: plagued by Malice (a dark, mysterious force that corrupts time and space), divided by human conflict, and frozen in fear of its one possible savior. Enter Hanne, princess of Embria, whose political marriage to Rune, prince of Caberwill, is slated to unite two out of three enemy kingdoms and commence the long trek toward a united front against Malice. However, plans, well laid as they may be, go awry, and when they do, help is sought from an unpopular source. A whirlwind plot ensues, with four point-of-view characters providing shifting perspectives. The titular entity, Nightrender, stalks the pages in stilted confusion. Hanne is ruthless and scheming, Rune hapless and well meaning, and Nadine, Hanne's cousin and lady-in-waiting, inserts commentary. Potential romances of various formations linger in the wings, setting the stage for a sequel sure to be thick with amorous intrigues. The worldbuilding is rich but can feel unwieldy, especially with regard to painting the tapestry of social conventions in Salvation. Attraction to multiple genders is seemingly normalized, but this aspect of society is not woven into the story. Most characters are cued as White. An ambitious if sometimes clumsy foray that will reward Meadows' fans and entice them to return for the sequel. (Fantasy. 14-18)

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February 25, 2022
Grades 8-10 Hanne is the Princess of Embria, set to marry Rune, the prince of Caberwilline, for the alliance it will forge between their kingdoms. But there is something slightly sinister behind the plan. The marriage will end the ongoing war, but Hanne's plan is derailed when a rancor--a terrifying magical hunting beast--chases her into another dimension. In response, Rune summons the Nightrender, an immortal warrior who is only called upon in times of great need, even though the people of his country fear her terribly. Meanwhile, Hanne is released by the rancor, and tasked with helping this third kingdom, Ivasland, destroy her own. The two betrothed, unknowingly working against each other, are wrapped up in family politics, kingdom unrest, and magical danger, and the narrative is filled with wild twists and turns. There's a lot of background and history at play here, and the complex story feels more like a later series entry. This might deter readers from becoming fully invested in the lives of Hanne, Rune, and the Nightrender; purchase only for larger collections.

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