Beyond a Darkened Shore

February 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-This book brings together Celtic and Norse mythologies. Ciara is princess of Mide, one of the kingdoms of Eirinn (known in modern times as Ireland). Ciara is blessed-or cursed-with the ability to take over a person's mind and force them to do her will. The Mide's enemies are the Northmen who raid villages, murder the residents, and take home their spoils. Leif is leading such a raid when he comes across Ciara, who spares his brother in battle, before taking Leif captive. The pair become unlikely partners in a battle against a greater enemy; giants called jotnar who want to conquer the world. While Ciara fears her powers, Leif helps her embrace them and learn better control with the assistance from his Northman seer. Ciara struggles against her feelings for Leif, and while he stays respectful he also makes his attraction clear. As the romance develops, it gradually takes over the book, with victory against the jotnar becoming secondary. This alternate historical fantasy provides background to the belief systems of both sets of people, and other than the addition of magical elements, accurately portrays the medieval time period. Abrupt revelations that are intended to surprise instead bog down the plot as it heads into the long-anticipated final battle. VERDICT An additional purchase for libraries where mythology is popular and well read.-Rebecca Greer, Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative, FL

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2018
As heir to the throne and a skilled warrior, 17-year-old Ciara wields considerable power, but when a deadly enemy threatens her home, she must call upon her supernatural talents to protect those she loves.In Ireland in 1035 C.E., dangers come not only from the violent Northmen, but from ancient deities warring against each other and the influx of Christianity. When a power-hungry king allies himself with the jotnar, a race of horrific giants, Ciara must fight alongside her enemy. While the thought of allying with the Northmen is repugnant, she finds herself falling for the charming Leif. Together they face duplicitous kings, painful memories, and dangerous magical creatures. But if their kingdoms and love are to survive, Ciara must embrace her birthright and Leif must honor the pact he made with the Valkyries in this historical fantasy that is rich in Celtic and Norse lore and threaded through with a story of star-crossed lovers. While Morrigan and Odin are terrifying, raven-haired Ciara is the star. Beautiful, strong, and independent, she is the perfect warrior princess.Epic historical fantasy filled with deadly creatures, simmering romance, and nonstop action. (Fantasy. 12-16)

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June 4, 2018
Ciara, a princess with the ability to control the minds and actions of others, aligns herself with her enemy, a Northman named Leif, to save their world from fantastical creatures bent on its destruction. Throughout their journey, Pagan beliefs and Norse gods clash. Ciara becomes an outcast banished from her kingdom, and the initially glaring differences between her and Leif soften as they find more rare similarities to bind them. Elements of the “star-crossed lovers” trope renders their bond unsurprising, and moments of lust paired with carnage—such as a first kiss shared while they’re burning corpses on a funeral pyre—can be off-putting. Faerie magic and an army of the dead help to enliven the story, and Ciara proves to be a formidable warrior in her own right, with or without her love by her side. In her YA debut, Leake creates a strong backdrop of fantasy and myth, and she draws on her background as a psychotherapist to instill her characters with a rich vitality. Ages 14–up. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House.

December 1, 2017
Grades 9-12 Seventeen-year-old Ciara is a different kind of Irish princess: she's also a warrior with the uncanny power of mind control, using her enemies as weapons against their own comrades. Banished by her father when she refuses to kill a Northman prisoner because of their similar prophetic abilities, Ciara must find her own way of protecting her family, avenging her sister's murder, and figuring out her actual parentageall while trying to resist the attentions and appeal of Leif, the Northman leader. Leake has done her research, weaving in elements of both Irish and Viking mythology (such as the Morrigan, Odin, and the Valkyries), which lend flavor to an otherwise formulaic romance (boy meets girl, they hate each other, they like each other, trouble arises, and everything works out in the end). But with undead armies, flesh-eating spirit horses, and a powerful heroine, fantasy, romance, and historical-fiction readers will have a great time.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
Ciara, princess of Mide in the ancient land of Iirinn, has mind-control powers that help her kingdom defeat Northmen invaders but also terrify her father's army. After being banished for believing a dire vision, Ciara works with a captured Northman leader to defeat an even bigger threat to her land. Leake creatively mixes Celtic and Norse mythologies, which elevates an otherwise predictable romance.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)