(2) YA In the second book of a duology (Courting Darkness, rev. 1/19) set in an alt-historical world of fifteenth-century Brittany and France (also the setting of several of her other novels), LaFevers returns to the tangle of intrigue and danger in which she last left Sybella and Genevieve, both trained assassins of the convent of Saint Mortain, patron saint of death. Ensconced as attendant to France's new queen, Sybella fights to keep her young sisters safe from her half-brother, a powerful and sexually predatory viscount. Meanwhile, Genevieve has become a sometimes-trusted lover and friend to France's king, but has endangered the convent she serves by telling him of its nature. And, pressed as he is on all sides by seditious, power-greedy advisors, the king's indecisiveness and insecurities are the greatest threat of all. LaFevers wraps up the romances and story lines of escape and treachery first set in motion in the previous volume, in part through a broader arena of rebellion and national misalliance, which culminates in the (literal) pyrotechnics of Sybella, Genevieve, and their band of friends and allies. Aside from their formidable efficiency in killing and routing much larger forces--skills the novel values highly--Sybella and Genevieve are characterized as finding healing and resolution from traumatic pasts through romance and through their own sisterly solidarity.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(4) YA Zafira, a hunter, is sent by the Silver Witch to Sharr, a magical desert island, to retrieve a book that will return magic to the kingdom. Nasir, the sultan's son and an assassin, is sent to take the book and kill Zafira. Although the fantasy lacks cohesion, an unusual Arab-inspired setting and a growing romance redeem this picturesque series opener.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) YA In LaFevers's alt-historical fifteenth-century Brittany, Sybella (from the His Fair Assassin trilogy), the trained assassin and daughter of Saint Mortain, becomes attendant to the Queen of France. Not far away, Genevieve, a novice from Saint Mortain's convent who had gone missing, is making the hazardous journey back to the French court. Alternating between Sybella's and Genevieve's voices, LaFevers maintains an intense pitch of intrigue, with murders, assaults, romance, and betrayals.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(3) YA After seventeen-year-old alchemist Mirabelle unintentionally helps assassinate King Louis XIV, she renounces the uprising led by her mother's Shadow Society to brew curatives for the impoverished masses in secret. Meanwhile, Josse, the king's bastard son, must flee to the sewers of Paris to protect his beloved younger sisters and decidedly not-beloved half-brother, the crown prince. An exciting debut novel packed with poison, rebellion, action, and romance.

Reviewer: Rachel Marsh

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Chin Ko. These early-reader biographies offer simple narratives that touch on highlights of these (frequently covered) subjects' lives. Large font is surrounded by plenty of white space to aid emerging readers. The cartoonlike illustrations are slick but occasionally emotive; an appendix includes photographs and/or period paintings as well as contextual information. Timeline. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and Martin Luther King Jr.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(3) YA Fourteen authors representing a range of races and ethnicities reflect on this tumultuous year's historic events, including the assassinations of Dr. King and Robert Kennedy, anti–Vietnam War demonstrations, the Chinese Cultural Revolution, etc. The contributors incorporate personal memories, interviews, archival material, and scholarship when presenting their stories chronologically. An excellent, timely contribution considering today's political and cultural upheaval.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) YA Mia resents her political marriage to Prince Quinn, but when an assassination attempt occurs at the altar, she helps him escape. Their journey unsettles everything she has ever learned about herself, her family, and the laws that govern her country--especially the tradition of killing women who work magic. Barton explores oppression, power, and corruption through a fast-paced fantasy with plenty of plot twists.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) YA Seventeen-year-old Katherine seeks to avenge her Catholic father's death by masquerading as a male actor to kill Queen Elizabeth I. She and Toby, the closeted-bisexual royal spy charged with foiling the assassination, become mutually attracted while performing the leads in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, a play of disguises, deception, gender, and love. Told via dual first-person narratives, this entertaining historical novel deals with many still-relevant topics. Bib.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) YA In a magical, Italy-inspired setting, the Capo takes over Vinalia and poisons Teodora di Sangro's powerful father. Teo hatches a plan: with the help of a genderfluid strega named Cielo, Teo will shape-shift into a boy, impersonate her brother, travel to the Capo's Palazza, and find the antidote. Told in rich metaphorical language, this high fantasy offers a compelling interrogation of gender, power, and familial duty.

Reviewer: Rachel Marsh

(3) YA Elsa leaves Veldana--a world written into existence through "scriptology"--to find her abducted mother; she ends up in an alternate nineteenth-century Italy, where scriptologists, mechanists, and alchemists wield great power. Elsa's own polymath powers make her a political target, but a society of young scientists, including charming mechanist Leo, may be able to help. Lush steampunk world-building and plenty of action characterize this alternate-history fantasy.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) YA When Ang's boss is framed for the murder of Bar-Selehm's prime minister, the seventeen-year-old former steeplejack is determined to clear his name. But with a racist coalition government at the helm and a mysterious illness sweeping the nonwhite neighborhoods, it won't be easy for her. This conclusion to the timely alt-history fantasy trilogy (Steeplejack; Firebrand), led by a remarkable female protagonist of color, is both eloquent and exciting.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(2) 4-6 Readers meet the German theologian and pastor who was executed for participating in a failed assassination attempt on Hitler. Hendrix deftly contrasts Bonhoeffer's and Hitler's biographical details against the larger World War II backdrop. The book effectively employs hand-lettered typeface, comic-panel layouts, spot art, vivid two-color illustrations, occasional maps, and striking political-cartoon-style editorial illustrations. The result is that this heavily textual book is also a highly visual one. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(4) YA Twin brothers Charlie and Alex belong to a secret society that employs time travel to manipulate, even assassinate, historic figures. Sent to the Tudor court to stop Jane Seymour's marriage to Henry VIII, they find themselves entangled in romances and intrigues from both their own era and the one they're visiting. Hosie's fast-paced, ambitious adventure occasionally overreaches with too many complications and not enough character development.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) 4-6 "This one is special," says the note accompanying a sharp-edged tin robot from twelve-year-old Alex's grandfather. Soon Alex and his urbane, mysterious grandfather are pursued from Paris to Prague by robotic assassins after Alex's robot, which hides the secret to reanimating the legendary Golem. The entertaining plot proceeds at full tilt with multiple chases, fights, and escapes; some mysteries remain unresolved, suggesting a sequel.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) YA Fifty years after their assassinations, Dr. King's and Robert Kennedy's battles for social justice are placed in moving parallel. The dual biographic account centers on April 4, 1968, when presidential candidate RFK announced news of MLK's death to an Indianapolis crowd. The narrative, with tragic and sometimes religious tones, uses many primary sources. An epilogue acknowledges that the issues these men fought for are still ongoing. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. After establishing Martin Luther King Jr.'s characteristics, even in childhood, that would compel him to fight oppression, the poetic narrative jumps to King's thirty-ninth birthday. The remaining poems detail what transpired between February 1968, when sanitation workers went on strike in Memphis, and April 1968, when King was assassinated. Swirling watercolor, gouache, and India-ink illustrations give life and movement to King's story. Timelines. Bib.

Reviewer: Michelle H. Martin | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(3) YA In Poison's Kiss, assassin Marinda saved her brother from the Snake King. Now she's committed to destroying the Snake King's secret society, the Naga, from the inside out. Her former partner, Iyla, is also spying on the Naga, but can she be trusted? The plot of this Indian folklore–based adventure twists and turns like the snakes it features right up until the satisfying conclusion.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(2) YA Arc of a Scythe series. In this sequel to Scythe, Citra (revived as Scythe Anastasia) and her mentor, Scythe Curie, are the target of assassination attempts. Rowan has gone rogue, fleeing underground and taking the moniker Scythe Lucifer to glean unethical and unworthy scythes. Through excellent storytelling, Shusterman deepens the world-building and raises ethical questions about this society's foundations. He expertly weaves narrative strands together, culminating with the requisite cliffhanger.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(3) YA Swanson's expertly researched and -written account of King's legacy and assassination also explores how James Earl Ray became the man who killed the civil rights leader. Detailed maps and records are used to trace Ray's flight and eventual apprehension. Numerous archival photographs and large-font captions will draw even reluctant readers into this well-documented narrative. Extensive notes and sources are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) YA Allegra, niece of hunted assassin Lea Saldana (Assassin's Heart), has constantly felt out of place in her family. An unexpected romance blooms with Traveler boy Nev after Allegra learns the truth about her identity--which leads to her kidnapping and more revelations. Set eighteen years after its companion novel, Ahiers's latest YA fantasy contains strong world-building, plenty of plot twists, and a sympathetic heroine.

Reviewer: Janet Daniels