Booklist Reviews
In the Six Villages, the people live and die by the hawk. Twins Kylee and Brysen, whose tyrannical father was recently killed on an ill-fated mission, chafe against their lives; Kylee possesses a deep, magical gift for falconry but wants only to escape it, while Brysen longs to be a renowned falconer but lacks natural talent. They're frozen by their father's debts and imminent war, but when the boy Brysen loves makes a terrible bargain, Brysen sets off on a quest to save him—and to prove himself. Kylee, knowing her brother's weaknesses, joins him, but she has secrets of her own. The twins are trying to capture a ghost eagle, the rarest and most dangerous of the raptors—a bird that can bring the darkest part of someone's heart to the surface—and if they survive, they may not be what they were. With dynamic world building that offers nods to Tibetan cultural traditions, this trilogy opener is a captivating, layered adventure that explores the bonds of siblings in an unforgiving world. Stock up—this one will make the rounds. Grades 9-12. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.
Horn Book Guide Reviews
In a quasi-medieval fantasy world of battle falconry, boy-girl twins Brysen and Kylee go on a quest to capture a ghost eagle, which forces them to confront their traumatic childhoods and diverging futures. London's series-starting fantasy is written in lush prose and boasts unflinching characterizations. The matter-of-fact incorporation of Brysen's gay romance contributes to the emotional heft of the novel. Copyright 2019 Horn Book Guide Reviews.
Kirkus Reviews
Falcons are the new dragons in this engrossing fantasy series opener. In the Six Villages, the Uztari use birds of prey for hunting, fighting, and companionship. But "war is on the wing" as they say: The Kartami, nomadic religious extremists, are set on purging the Six Villages of their sins. Twins Kylee and Brysen, who have "the same elk-brown skin as their mother, the same ice-blue eyes as their father," soon find themselves at the conflict's center. Kylee has a "once-in-a-generation gift" for falconry, yet all she wants is to be free of it forever. All Brysen wants is to be with his boyfriend and trainer, Dymian. By selling birds at market, the twins almost earn enough to pay off their late, abusive father's gambling debts and fulfill both their hearts' desires. But lovelorn Brysen gets swept up in Dymian's debts and agrees to capture the dangerous, elusive ghost eagle in order to save Dymian's life. Kylee secretly follows. The story, told through multiple third-person pe rspectives, soon reveals that more than just Dymian's life rests on the twins' shoulders. With political intrigue, epic battle sequences, jolts of romance, and strong female and queer characters, there's a lot to pique readers' interests here. But it's the unique worldbuilding and beautifully complex sibling relationship that make this a must-read. Readers will be swept away in this book's talons. (Fantasy. 13-adult) Copyright Kirkus 2018 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.
School Library Journal Reviews