CANR
WORK TITLE: Long Live Evil
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.sarahreesbrennan.com/
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY: Ireland
NATIONALITY:
LAST VOLUME: SATA 351
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born September 21, 1983, in Ireland.
EDUCATION:Kingston University (London, England), M.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author. Worked as a librarian in Surrey, England.
AVOCATIONS:Reading, swimming, writing.
AWARDS:Teen/Young Adult Fiction Prize, Bisexual Book Awards, 2018, for In Other Lands.
WRITINGS
Contributor of short stories to anthologies, including Kiss Me Deadly: Thirteen Tales of Paranormal Love, edited by Trisha Telep, Running Press, 2010.
SIDELIGHTS
In the fantasy novels of young adult author Sarah Rees Brennan, there are no portals to other worlds. In her fiction debut The Demon’s Lexicon, the first novel in a trilogy, the setting is a modern-day England where school, friends, and household chores share the stage with magic charms, power-hungry magicians, and ruthless demons. “I love writing urban fantasy,” Brennan noted on her home page, “because since it’s grounded in reality it can make you feel like magic is right around the corner.”
Brennan was born in Ireland and also lived in New York City and Surrey, England, where she worked as a librarian while beginning her writing career. A prolific writer and blogger, she began contributing to Web sites devoted to the “Harry Potter” novels of author J.K. Rowling. She wrote The Demon’s Lexicon during the course of earning a master’s degree in creative writing and quickly completed the remaining two novels in the trilogy: The Demon’s Covenant and The Demon’s Surrender.
For sixteen-year-old Nick Ryves and his injured older brother, Alan, every day at their London home presents new dangers, as readers learn in The Demon’s Lexicon. The boys live under a constant threat of discovery now that their father has been murdered and their mother driven mad by the world’s hidden darkness. With Nick’s sword and Alan’s gun, they have made demon-hunting their cause. Their mother’s madness was caused in retaliation for her theft of a powerful charm, and when Alan is injured by a demon and then takes in two teens in need of help, Nick begins to feel the responsibility for everyone’s survival resting heavily on his shoulders. To erase the malignant demon mark caused by Alan’s injury, Nick must kill the magician responsible; to do nothing will mean Alan’s death. However, something does not seem right about the older brother’s explanations about the family’s past, and when Nick searches for the truth he also risks the family’s survival.
In reviewing The Demon’s Lexicon for Kirkus Reviews, a writer cited Brennan’s “fresh voice,” with its “wicked humor and crepuscular sumptuousness,” as a strength of a story that “deftly ratchet[s] … up the tension and horror to a series of shattering climaxes.” Even non-fantasy buffs will enjoy the book’s “solid writing” and “fast-paced plot,” predicted Leah J. Sparks in a School Library Journal review of The Demon’s Lexicon, and Horn Book contributor Lauren Adams praised Brennan’s “complex characterization” and her ability to create a “magical England … bright with inventive details.” In Voice of Youth Advocates, Bonnie Kunzel recommended The Demon’s Lexicon to “aficionados of sharp writing, complex characters, fast-paced plots, teen angst, and the struggle between good and evil.”
In The Demon’s Covenant readers once again encounter Mae and Jamie Crawford, the teens who joined up with the Ryves brothers in The Demon’s Lexicon. For Mae, her hopes of returning to a normal life are dashed when she realizes that the magicians of the Obsidian Circle are once again attempting to seduce her brother to join them. Worried that Jamie may be won over by this evil, she asks Nick and Alan for help, not realizing that Nick may be in as much danger as Jamie from the Circle’s powerful and ruthless leader.
“Plots thicken, characters deepen, and snark is bantered with witty abandon,” noted a Kirkus Reviews critic of the second volume in Brennan’s urban fantasy series. In School Library Journal, Anthony C. Doyle wrote that the story’s “undercurrent of wit and subtle sarcasm” transforms a tale of “demons, magic, and dysfunctional families into an affecting and fun read,” while the Kirkus Reviews critic deemed The Demon’s Covenant a novel that is “not to be missed.”
Brennan ends her urban fantasy trilogy with The Demon’s Surrender, which is told from the perspective of a new character, Sin, who is about to take over the Goblin Market. However, her leadership is threatened by dark powers, and as she balances loyalty to family and duty to her inheritance, she also falls in love with scholarly Alan Ryves. Meanwhile, the Ryves brothers are engaged in a battle to the end with the evil magicians of the Circle, and Mae is still trying to save her brother Jamie from these same magicians.
Writing in Voice of Youth Advocates, Bonnie Kunzel had praise for this final volume of the “Demon’s Lexicon Trilogy,” noting: “Once again, fans of the supernatural TV show will be satisfied, as will the growing audience of paranormal readers, both teens and adults.” Similarly, Horn Book reviewer Lauren Adams felt this final installment “brings back all the pulse and energy of the first.” A Kirkus Reviews writer also commended the “flashes of quicksilver humor” in this final volume of an “outstanding urban-fantasy trilogy.” Further praise came from School Library Journal contributor Sam Bloom, who lauded the author’s “skilled plotting and evocative setting,” and went on to note that readers would “enjoy the witty dialogue and the fast-paced plot.”
Brennan teamed up with Justine Larbalestier for the vampire novel Team Human. The authors offer a unique variety of vampire novel here, positing a time when vampires are an accepted part of U.S. society. Mel, the protagonist of Team Human, is—despite this normalizing of relations—not a great fan of vampires. For her, their worst trait is a lack of a sense of humor. The vampires of her town, New Whitby, are generally good citizens, but still Mel would rather see these sun-shunning individuals stick to their own part of town, known as the Shade. Mel’s dislike and distrust of vampires is intensified with the arrival of a young vampire named Francis at her school. Francis projects a cultivated appearance and speaks with an upper-class British accent. Mel is dismayed to see that her best friend, Cathy, is attracted to this new arrival. Mel has reasons for distrust: another friend, Anna Saunders, lost her doctor father when he disappeared with one of his patients, a beautiful vampire. Mel cannot understand how Cathy could trust Francis in light of this tragedy. In an effort to save Cathy, Mel follows her to the Shade where Cathy is visiting Francis. There the unexpected happens: Mel meets Kit, a good-looking human youth who has been raised by vampires. Befriending Mel, he begins to cut through her prejudices against and preconceptions of vampires. Soon she is even investigating the disappearance of Dr. Saunders with a new perspective.
Adams, reviewing Team Human in Horn Book, praised this “new twist” on the vampire tale. Adams found the novel “both fearsome and funny, [and] a fresh entry in the popular genre.” Similarly, a Publishers Weekly contributor called this a “thoroughly enjoyable read with a core of unexpected depth.” Likewise, School Library Journal writer Sharon McKelfar felt the novel displays a “poignancy that is rare, coupled with a dry humor that is truly laugh-out-loud funny.” Booklist reviewer Bethany Fort also had praise for Team Human, terming it a “witty, comedic parody that adds a fresh idea to the teen vampire novel trend.”
Brennan inaugurated a gothic romance and mystery series, the “Lynburn Legacy,” with the 2012 novel Unspoken. The novel features seventeen-year- old Kami Glass who resides in the sleepy English village of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Kami has long heard of the mysterious and wealthy Lynburn family, who have been absent from their village for as long as Kami has been alive. Now the Lynburns have returned, and amazing and frightening events ensue. First, Kami makes an astounding discovery. Ever since she was a child, she has had a voice in her head, that of a boy named Jared. He has been her special imaginary friend, she believes. But with the arrival of the Lynburns, Kami discovers that the younger son of the family, Jared, is the voice in her head and is quite real. Soon these two team up to discover the cause for their ability to communicate with one another telepathically. In the course of these investigations, Kami and Jared uncover family secrets and dark mysteries lying dormant in the violent history of Sorry-in-the-Vale.
Katie Bircher, reviewing Unspoken in Horn Book, felt that this opening series installment is “full of mystery, magic, and nods to both the girl detective genre and gothic romance,” and that it would have readers “impatiently awaiting the next.” Likewise, Booklist reviewer Ilene Cooper thought that this work “has enough going for it to make readers look forward to the next book.” Similarly, for a Kirkus Reviews contributor, Unspoken is an “enjoyable tribute for established fans of the gothic, as well as an enticing introduction for new ones.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer also commended this work, calling it a “promising launch with a dark cliffhanger of an ending,” while School Library Journal writer Jill Heritage Maza focused on the characterization in the novel, noting that “Brennan molds a likable and independent heroine.”
(open new)In her standalone novel, Tell the Wind and Fire, Brennan takes inspiration from the classic Charles Dickens novel, A Tale of Two Cities. Her version stars Lucie Manette, a resident of the Light City who was born in the Dark City. Lucie is a Light magician and is dating Ethan Stryker, member of a powerful family in the Light. She learns that Ethan has a dangerous doppelgänger in the Dark called Carwyn. As the Dark prepares for revolution, Lucie must decide which side she is on. A Kirkus Reviews critic praised “[Brennan’s] metaphorically rich magical system, her timely (and timeless) championing of society’s outcasts” and “her trademark witty dialogue.” “Well-developed main characters and relationships combine with excellent world-building for an engaging story from start to finish,” asserted Amanda Raklovits in School Library Journal. Writing in Reviewer’s Bookwatch, Karyn L. Saemann suggested: “Tell the Wind and Fire is a powerful treatise, with a liberal dose of fun and carefully-measured, not too-heavily applied, fantasy elements that will appeal to readers ages 12 and older, both familiar and new to the genre.”
In Other Lands tells the story of Elliot Schafer, who is bullied at school and ignored at home. One day, he is invited to enter a fantasy world called the Borderlands. There, he meets allies as he trains to be a soldier. Over the years, he matures, coming to understand both his own sexuality and the inequalities he sees in the Borderlands. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews described the book as “a wholly rewarding journey.” Aileen Valdes, reviewer in Voice of Youth Advocates, commented: “Firmly ensconced in a fantasy setting, the story jumps right into steady worldbuilding and excellent character development, neither of which feels overwhelming.”(close new—more below)
On her home page, Brennan explained why she chooses to write for a teen audience: “Because I think that they’re awesome! … We’re in the midst of a teen revolution: there are huge amounts of teen books out there that are wildly imaginative and just as good (if not better) than the adult ones. Plus the teenage years are really exciting ones: you’re discovering love, and yourself, and a whole other world. If you were discovering magic and risking death as well, think about how much more exciting life could be!”
(open new)Though the majority of her books are written for teens, Brennan released her first book for adults in 2024. The volume, Long Live Evil, tells the story of a woman named Rachel “Rae” Parilla, who is dying of cancer. In the hospital, she recalls taking her little sister, Alice, to fan conventions for the book series, “Time of Iron.” Now, Alice tells her stories from the books to help entertain her. When Rae wakes up one day, she finds a mysterious woman who gives her the chance to enter the world of “Time of Iron,” promising that when she emerges, she will be free of cancer. If she does not take that opportunity, she will die. Rae chooses to enter the world and meets colorful characters along her journey. Writing in Booklist, Emily Whitmore remarked: “Brennan’s adult fantasy debut is two great stories in one: the romantasy in the background and Rae’s adventure in the foreground.” A Kirkus Reviews critic called the book “absolutely wonderful.”(close new)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 15, 2009, Daniel Kraus, review of The Demon’s Lexicon, p. 35; July 1, 2012, Bethany Fort, review of Team Human, p. 63; August 1, 2012, Ilene Cooper, review of Unspoken, p. 74; June 1, 2024, Emily Whitmore, review of Long Live Evil, p. 49.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, July-August, 2009, Kate McDowell, review of The Demon’s Lexicon, p. 436.
Horn Book, September- October, 2009, Lauren Adams, review of The Demon’s Lexicon, p. 554; July-August, 2011, Lauren Adams, review of The Demon’s Surrender, p. 141; July-August, 2012, Lauren Adams, review of Team Human, p. 121; September-October, 2012, Katie Bircher, review of Unspoken, p. 82.
Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2009, review of The Demon’s Lexicon; April 15, 2010, review of The Demon’s Covenant; May 1, 2011, review of The Demon’s Surrender; August 1, 2012, review of Unspoken; February 1, 2016, review of Tell the Wind and Fire; July 15, 2017, review of In Other Lands; June 15, 2019, review of Season of the Witch; August 1, 2020, review of Fence; July 1, 2024, review of Long Live Evil.
Publishers Weekly, May 28, 2012, review of Team Human, p. 99; July 16, 2012, review of Unspoken, p. 170.
Reviewer’s Bookwatch, April, 2016, Karyn L. Seaman, review of Tell the Wind and Fire.
School Library Journal, July, 2009, Leah J. Sparks, review of The Demon’s Lexicon, p. 79; August, 2010, Anthony C. Doyle, review of The Demon’s Covenant, p. 96; November, 2011, Sam Bloom, review of The Demon’s Surrender, p. 113; October, 2012, Jill Heritage Maza, review of Unspoken, p. 124; November, 2012, Sharon McKellar, review of Team Human, p. 110; August, 2016, Amanda Raklovits, review of Tell the Wind and Fire, p. 59.
Voice of Youth Advocates, April, 2010, Bonnie Kunzel, review of The Demon’s Lexicon; June, 2011, Bonnie Kunzel, review of The Demon’s Surrender, p. 179; April, 2012, Jennifer M. Miskec, review of Team Human, p. 77; October, 2012, Laura Lehner, review of Unspoken, p. 372; June, 2016, Heather Christensen, review of Tell the Wind and Fire, p. 75; October, 2017, Aileen Valdes, review of In Other Lands, p. 70; June, 2019, Sherrie Williams, review of “Ghosts of the Shadow Market,” p. 71.
ONLINE
Fantasy Book Addict, http://www.fantasybookaddict.com/ (February 4, 2012), “Sarah Rees Brennan Interview.”
New Leaf Literary website, https://www.newleafliterary.com/ (September 11, 2024), Susie Townsend, author profile.
Sarah Rees Brennan website, https://www.sarahreesbrennan.com (September 11, 2024).
Tor.com, http:// www.tor.com/ (October, 2012), Liz Bourke, “Sleeps with Monsters: Sarah Rees Brennan Answers Six Questions.”
About Sarah
Sarah Rees Brennan was born and raised in Ireland by the sea. After world travel and surviving stage four cancer, she settled there in the shadow of a three-hundred-year-old library.
Writing young adult fiction, she was a Lodestar, Mythopoeic and World Fantasy finalist, Carnegie nominee and #1 New York Times bestseller. A lifelong fan of villains because they have more fun, LONG LIVE EVIL is her first adult work.
For information on Sarah’s upcoming events, life and work, you can sign up for her newsletter.
Sarah Rees Brennan
Ireland
aka Ava Corrigan
Sarah Rees Brennan was born and raised in Ireland by the sea, where her teachers valiantly tried to make her fluent in Irish (she wants you to know it's not called Gaelic) but she chose to read books under her desk in class instead. The books most often found under her desk were Jane Austen, Margaret Mahy, Anthony Trollope, Robin McKinley and Diana Wynne Jones, and she still loves them all today.
After college she lived briefly in New York and somehow survived in spite of her habit of hitching lifts in fire engines. She began working on The Demon's Lexicon while doing a Creative Writing MA and library work in Surrey, England. Since then she has returned to Ireland to write and use as a home base for future adventures. Her Irish is still woeful, but she feels the books under the desk were worth it.
Genres: Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
New and upcoming books
July 2024
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Long Live Evil
(Time of Iron, book 1)
Series
Demon's Lexicon
1. The Demon's Lexicon (2009)
2. The Demon's Covenant (2010)
3. The Demon's Surrender (2011)
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Lynburn Legacy
1. Unspoken (2012)
2. Untold (2013)
3. Unmade (2014)
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Bane Chronicles
1. What Really Happened in Peru (2013) (with Cassandra Clare)
3. Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale (2013) (with Cassandra Clare)
4. The Midnight Heir (2013) (with Cassandra Clare)
6. Saving Raphael Santiago (2013) (with Cassandra Clare)
8. What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything (2013) (with Cassandra Clare)
9. The Last Stand of the New York Institute (2013) (with Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson)
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Ghosts of the Shadow Market
1. Son of the Dawn (2018) (with Cassandra Clare)
2. Cast Long Shadows (2018) (with Cassandra Clare)
7. The Land I Lost (2018) (with Cassandra Clare)
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Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
1. Season of the Witch (2019)
2. Daughter of Chaos (2019)
3. Path of Night (2020)
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Fence
1. Striking Distance (2020)
2. Disarmed (2021)
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Time of Iron
1. Long Live Evil (2024)
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Novels
Team Human (2012) (with Justine Larbalestier)
Tell the Wind and Fire (2016)
In Other Lands (2017)
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Collections
The Bane Chronicles / Tales from the Shadowhunter (2017) (with Cassandra Clare)
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Series contributed to
Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy
1. Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy (2015) (with Cassandra Clare)
4. Nothing but Shadows (2015) (with Cassandra Clare)
7. Bitter of Tongue (2015) (with Cassandra Clare)
8. The Fiery Trial (2015) (with Cassandra Clare)
9. Born to Endless Night (2015) (with Cassandra Clare)
Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy (2016) (with others)
Shadowhunters Short Story Paperback Collection (2020) (with others)
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Fate: the Winx Saga
2. Lighting the Fire (2022)
Sarah Rees Brennan
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sarah Rees Brennan
Born 21 September 1983 (age 40)
Ireland
Occupation Writer
Nationality Irish
Alma mater Kingston University London
Period 21st century
Genre Young adult fantasy
Notable works
The Demon's Lexicon
In Other Lands
Website
sarahreesbrennan.com
Sarah Rees Brennan (born 21 September 1983)[1] is an Irish writer best known for young adult fantasy fiction. Her first novel, The Demon's Lexicon, was released June 2009 by Simon & Schuster.[2] Rees Brennan's books are bestsellers in the UK.
Life and career
Rees Brennan was born in Ireland. She obtained a Creative Writing MA from Kingston University in London[3] and worked as a librarian in Surrey, England[4] before moving to Dublin where she currently lives.
Rees Brennan has been writing since the age of five.[5] She has a blog on LiveJournal which has over 4000 subscribers.[2]
She wrote her first novel, The Demon's Lexicon, while studying for her Creative Writing MA. The publishing house Simon & Schuster obtained a three-book contract deal with her which involved an undisclosed six-figure sum. Since then she has written and collaborated on many bestselling and award-nominated works including In Other Lands and her tie-in work with Netflix.
Rees Brennan is a cancer survivor, having been diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2017.[6]
Awards and honors
Three of Brennan's books are Junior Library Guild books: Untold (2014),[7] Unmade (2014),[8] and In Other Lands (2017).[9]
The Demon's Lexicon received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Bulletin, and School Library Journal.[citation needed]
In 2017, The New York Times included In Other Lands on their list of the fall's best young adult fantasy novels.[10]
Awards for Brennan's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
The Demon's Lexicon Leeds Book Award Finalist [citation needed]
2009 Cybils Award for Young Adult Speculative Finalist [11]
2010 ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top 10 [12]
Carnegie Medal Longlisted [citation needed]
2013 Unspoken ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection [13]
2014 Team Human Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Selection [14]
Unmade Andre Norton Award Finalist [8][15]
2017 In Other Lands Bisexual Book Award for Teen/Young Adult Fiction Winner [16]
Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction Nominee [17]
2018 European Science Fiction Society Award for Best Work of Fiction Finalist [18]
Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book Finalist [19]
Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book Finalist [20][21]
2019 ALA Rainbow Book List Selection [22]
Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature Finalist [23]
Publications
Novels
Demon's Lexicon Trilogy
The Demon's Lexicon, June 2009
The Demon's Covenant, May 2010
The Demon's Surrender, June 2011
Lynburn Legacy
Unspoken, June 2012 (Book 1)
Untold, August 2013 (Book 2)
Unmade, 2014 (Book 3)
The Spring Before I Met You, September 2012 (Book 0.25)
The Summer Before I Met You, September 2012 (Book 0.5)
The Night After I Lost You (Book 1.5)
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Season of the Witch (Book 1), July 2019
Daughter of Chaos (Book 2), December 2019
Path of Night (Book 3), May 2020
C.S. Pacat's Fence novelisations
Fence: Striking Distance, September 2020
Fence: Disarmed, May 2021
Shadowhunters Universe
Team Human, co-authored with Justine Larbalestier, July 2012
The Bane Chronicles, co-authored with Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson
Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, co-authored with Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson and Robin Wasserman
Fate: The Winx Saga
The Fairies' Path, as Ava Corrigan, March 2021
Lighting the Fire, August 2022
Other
Tell the Wind and Fire, April 2016
In Other Lands, August 2017
Short fiction
"Undead Is Very Hot Right Now" in The Eternal Kiss, ed. Trisha Telep
"The Spy Who Never Grew Up" in Kiss Me Deadly, ed. Trisha Telep
"Queen of Atlantis" in Subterranean Press Magazine: Summer 2011, ed. Gwenda Bond
"Lets Get This Undead Show on the Road" in Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions, ed. Melissa Marr
"Faint Heart" in After, ed. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
"Treasure and Maidens" in Scheherazade's Facade, ed. Michael M. Jones
"I Gave You My Love by the Light of The Moon" in Defy the Dark, ed. Saundra Mitchell
"Beauty and the Chad" in Grim, ed. Christine Johnson
"Wings in the Morning" in 'Monstrous Affections', ed. Kelly Link
Sarah Rees Brennan
Sarah Rees Brennan was born and raised in Ireland by the sea, where her teachers valiantly tried to make her fluent in Irish (she wants you to know it’s not called Gaelic) but she chose to read books under her desk in class instead. After living in London, New York and Australia, she now uses Ireland as a base for her adventures. She is the author of the The Demon’s Lexicon and Lynburn Legacy series, standalones Tell the Wind and Fire, and In Other Lands, and several collaborations with other writers such as Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson and Kelly Link. Her books have been long-listed for the Carnegie Medal, shortlisted for a Nebula award, and received multiple starred reviews.
Suzie Townsend
QUOTED: "her metaphorically rich magical system, her timely (and timeless) championing of society's outcasts. Her trademark witty dialogue."
Brennan, Sarah Rees TELL THE WIND AND FIRE Clarion (Children's Fiction) $17.99 4, 5 ISBN: 978-0-544-31817-5
"It was the best of times until it was the worst of times" in a fantastical Tale of Two Cities. In Light New York, Light magic provides luxurious ease for its practitioners, but the symbiotic Dark magic provokes ostracism and confinement. Lucie Manette escaped Dark New York as a heroine after rescuing her father from imprisonment, but she remains guilt-ridden over those she left behind. When Carwyn, a doppelgänger created with illegal Dark magic, unexpectedly saves his double, Ethan (Lucie's beloved and nephew of the Light Council's leader), Lucie is sickened by the exposed corruption among the ruling caste. But as the downtrodden Dark populace rises in bloody revolution, Lucie has to make a terrible choice. Retellings of beloved classics are tricky, but here, Dickens' overall plot and major characters translate effortlessly into this intriguingly imagined setting. Lucie and Ethan are more complex than their rather insipid Victorian prototypes, and Carwyn retains all the bad-boy fascination of his charismatic counterpart. Less successful are the direct quotes from the original, which feel strained and artificial. Brennan is best where she is most original: her metaphorically rich magical system, her timely (and timeless) championing of society's outcasts. Her trademark witty dialogue--although restrained by the somber narrative--still sparkles, making the inevitable tragic conclusion all the more poignant. This respectful and occasionally clever homage may be most appreciated by those least familiar with the original. (Fantasy. 12 & up)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
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"Brennan, Sarah Rees: TELL THE WIND AND FIRE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Feb. 2016, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A441734984/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=799e33cd. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
QUOTED: "Well-developed main characters and relationships combine with excellent world-building for an engaging story from start to finish."
BRENNAN, Sarah Rees. Tell the Wind and Fire. 8 CDs. 9:51 hrs. Dreamscape. 2016. ISBN 9781520004495. $39.99. 2 MP3 CDs.
Gr 9 Up--In Lucie Manette's New York, the practitioners of Light magic hold the power, and they keep Dark magicians and other undesirables in a separate part of the city. Though she possesses Light magic, Lucie was born in the Dark, coming to live in Light New York only after her mother's death and her father's arrest and torture for asking too many questions. Treated as a celebrity in the Light, and a symbol of defiance in the Dark, Lucie just wants to take care of her father and live her life, all while keeping a big secret. Her boyfriend, Ethan Stryker, part of the most powerful family in Light New York, also has a secret, an illegal doppelganger created when he was an infant. With tensions between the two cities at a breaking point, the three teens will play crucial roles in the coming revolution. This well-written futuristic urban fantasy retelling of A Tale of Two Cities is solidly narrated by Lisa Larsen. She uses subtle nuances to distinguish among characters, but is at her best with Lucie. Her measured narration conveys how Lucie has kept herself controlled and her guilt hidden in order to survive. But as revolution erupts, she must take a stand, and Lucie learns things are rarely black-and-white, as both sides are capable of evil. VERDICT Well-developed main characters and relationships combine with excellent world-building for an engaging story from start to finish. ["Intricate world-building, effective characterization, and an oppressed class fomenting revolution make this creative adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities a natural fit for 'Hunger Games' fans": SLJ 4/16 review of the Clarion book.]--Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL
Raklovits, Amanda
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Source Citation
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MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Raklovits, Amanda. "Brennan, Sarah Rees. Tell the Wind and Fire." School Library Journal, vol. 62, no. 8, Aug. 2016, pp. 59+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A459888213/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9ab63099. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
Brennan, Sarah Rees. Tell the Wind and Fire. Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016. 368p. $17.99. 978-0-544-31817-5.
Brennan's newest book is a retelling of Dickens's classic A Tale of Two Cities. In this updated fantasy, the two cities are really one city divided between the light and the dark. Light magicians, who are able to channel the energy of the sun into magic, rule the opulent Light City. The Dark City is, of course, in many ways its opposite--full of angry, dangerous shadows. Lucie Manette has one foot in each city. Born in the Dark but now living in the Light and a fully practicing Light magician, she understands the fear and desperation that may soon lead to revolution in the oppressed Dark City. When she discovers that her boyfriend has a doppelganger--created with the darkest of magic--her precarious balance between the Light and the Dark threatens to come crashing down.
Brennan's exploration of Dickens's powerful themes is interesting in theory but does not quite measure up to the challenge. Lucie's almost-too-perfect boyfriend and his bad-boy doppelganger lack the substance and depth of character that give meaning to the ultimate sacrifice. While Lucie is clearly modeled on the new strong females featured in so many popular dystopian novels, she more often feels weak, indecisive, and in need of rescue. Clearly not as strong as the original, the book may be a good introduction for teens not ready to tackle Dickens's hefty tome.--Heather Christensen.
Christensen, Heather
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Christensen, Heather. "Brennan, Sarah Rees. Tell the Wind and Fire." Voice of Youth Advocates, vol. 39, no. 2, June 2016, p. 75. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A455183919/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=94c09844. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
QUOTED: "Tell the Wind and Fire is a powerful treatise, with a liberal dose of fun and carefully-measured, not too-heavily applied, fantasy elements that will appeal to readers ages 12 and older, both familiar and new to the genre."
Tell the Wind and Fire
Sarah Rees Brennan, author
Clarion Books
c/o Hougton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers
3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10016
9780544318175, $17.99, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com
A modern and recognizable, yet also dramatically altered, New York City is the stage for Tell the Wind and Fire, Sarah Rees Brennan's riveting young adult fantasy about a teen girl at the center of a societal revolution.
Conceived, the author notes, "as a rift on my favorite Charles Dickens novel, A Tale of Two Cities," with parallel characters and situations, Tell the Wind and Fire follows 17-year-old Lucie Manette, born in walled Dark New York and since exiled with her father to Light New York. Before their exile, she gained fame by demanding her father be spared from death, and is now reviled and hailed by various factions.
Ultimately, this is a coming-of-age story as Lucie's eyes are opened to truths, some of which she was previously sheltered from knowing. Her family members; boyfriend, Ethan, and his celebrity family; and friends are revealed to be playing various--in some cases surprisingly twisted--roles as the divided city descends into chaos. Contributing to the crisis is the appearance of Carwyn, a doppelganger--or soulless twin--created in Ethan's likeness, who has a long-held score to settle.
Though the division of the city into dark and light suggests black-and-white simplicity, Tell the Wind and Fire is anything but one-dimensional. Rather, it is steeped in complex themes--abandonment; societal division along a host of lines, including socio-economic; tenacity in the face of great challenge; retribution; betrayal; underground lawlessness and fanaticism; and family love and loyalty.
Wrenching moments, where characters must take decisive action to save themselves or a loved one, or to change the course of the widening rupture, come up frequently. Malevolence and benevolence, it's ultimately clear, are not bound by jurisdiction, but flourish in both light and dark places--a potent message.
Tell the Wind and Fire is action-packed, with characters wielding powerful magic as they heal, plot, hide, battle, and kill amid modern landmarks and city streets, lending both a fantastic and realistic feel. Lucie and her teen counterparts are distinctly twenty-first century--texting and frequenting dance clubs--while also embittered and empowered by cruel, post-modern reality. Brennan, a New York Times bestselling author, masterfully knits together the story's complex threads.
Tell the Wind and Fire is a powerful treatise, with a liberal dose of fun and carefully-measured, not too-heavily applied, fantasy elements that will appeal to readers ages 12 and older, both familiar and new to the genre.
Karyn L. Saemann, Reviewer
www.inkspotsinc.com
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
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Saemann, Karyn L. "Tell the Wind and Fire." Reviewer's Bookwatch, Apr. 2016. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A453290146/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=96e61d33. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
QUOTED: "a wholly rewarding journey."
Brennan, Sarah Rees IN OTHER LANDS Small Beer Press (Children's Fiction) $19.95 8, 15 ISBN: 978-1-61873-120-3
Four years in the life of an unloved English schoolboy who's invited to a secret magical school and learns that even in fantasyland, real life is messier than books.If Elliot's story seems familiar, the impression fades quickly. Ginger-haired, white Elliot, an undersized nonpracticing Jew, is a total brat. When the 13-year-old crosses into the Borderlands and sees he's more intelligent than most of the other kids--and adults--he's quick to say so. He doesn't form a circle of friends so much as an alliance of distrustful mutual advantage. With Luke Sunborn, a flaxen-haired, blue-eyed, white golden boy, Elliot tutors Serene, an ethereally beautiful elf with "pearl-pale" skin, who's determined to excel twice as much as any other student. Elliot's initial interest in Serene is despicable; he aims to fake friendship until she grows to love him. But over the course of four years training among child soldiers, Elliot, unsurprisingly, grows up. His slow development into a genuinely kind person is entirely satisfying, as is his awakening to his own bisexuality and to the colonialism, sexism, and racism of Borderlands society. Only one human character, the beautifully and sparingly drawn Capt. Woodsinger, appears to be a person of color. A stellar, if dense and lengthy, coming-of-age novel; those with the patience to sit through our hero's entire adolescence will find it a wholly rewarding journey. (Fantasy. 14-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Brennan, Sarah Rees: IN OTHER LANDS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 July 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A498345190/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=eb3bff98. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
QUOTED: "Firmly ensconced in a fantasy setting, the story jumps right into steady worldbuilding and excellent character development, neither of which feels overwhelming."
Brennan, Sarah Rees. In Other Lands. Big Mouth House, August 2017. 432p. $19.95. 978-1-61873-120-3.
Elliot Schafer does not fit in anywhere--not at home with a dad who barely acknowledges his presence and an absent mother; and definitely not at a school where he pushes away others before they can torment him. Therefore, no one is more surprised than Elliot when a magical military training academy that protects the border wall recruits him. While he is a pacifist by nature, Elliot is quickly attracted by the prospect of serving as a diplomatic councilor to the Borderlands, peopled by mermaids, elves, dwarves, and other magical folk. Magic takes a back seat, though, to Elliot finding what he thought was never available to him--true friends and young love that can see past the walls he has steadily built around himself.
New York Times bestselling author Brennan returns with this whip-smart novel. Firmly ensconced in a fantasy setting, the story jumps right into steady worldbuilding and excellent character development, neither of which feels overwhelming. Readers will laugh at the one-liners while maneuvering ages thirteen through seventeen with Elliot and friends as they grow up, balance friendship and love, and find their places in a world that seems bent on pushing them aside. This novel impeccably weaves in LGBTQ issues, turns binary gender norms on their head, and presents the true cost of war in human terms. Hand this to teens who are looking for a humorous, subversive, stand-alone fantasy that is lighter on action than many others in the genre; this deserves a place in every library collection.--Aileen Valdes.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
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Valdes, Aileen. "Brennan, Sarah Rees. In Other Lands." Voice of Youth Advocates, vol. 40, no. 4, Oct. 2017, p. 70. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A511785070/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6b763775. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
Clare, Cassandra, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, Kelly Link, and Robin Wasserman. Ghosts of the Shadow Market. Margaret K. McElderry, June 2019. 624p. $24.99. 9781534433625.
5Q * 5P * S
Hidden within cities throughout the world lies a place called the Shadow Market, invisible to most humans. The Shadow Market offers potions and treasures and a place for Shadowhunters, vampires, faeries, vampires, werewolves, and warlocks to meet and mingle. Over the course of a century and several countries and continents, a Shadowhunter called Jem Carstairs searches for links to his own past and connections to much-loved friends now lost. As Jem continues his quest across the years and over several countries, he encounters a range of mystical creatures, from alluring to deadly. Always, his heart hearkens back to warlock Tessa, his forever love and his touchstone across the century and the miles.
The first eight chapters in this book were originally released as e-books in early 2018, with the final two chapters of the book available for the first time in this edition. This is a companion to Clare's series The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, and The Dark Artifices, and while fans of those series have been eagerly awaiting the final two stories in this book, the stories here can certainly be read as a stand-alone and do not require knowledge of the other series. The character-building in this book is intricate and well developed, with a deeply touching conclusion that is profoundly true to the characters. The high level of prepublication interest and the excellent quality of the book make this an essential young adult purchase for both public and school libraries.--Sherrie Williams.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
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Williams, Sherrie. "Clare, Cassandra, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, Kelly Link, and Robin Wasserman. Ghosts of the Shadow Market." Voice of Youth Advocates, vol. 42, no. 2, June 2019, p. 71. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A594663341/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=579221b1. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
Brennan, Sarah Rees SEASON OF THE WITCH Scholastic (Young Adult Fiction) $9.99 7, 9 ISBN: 978-1-338-32604-8
A prequel to Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Sabrina Spellman lives with her aunts, Zelda and Hilda, and cousin Ambrose in their funeral home, which they run because "even witches need to make a living." As the daughter of a warlock, Sabrina possesses magical abilities that may be further realized once she has her dark baptism and enrolls in the Academy of Unseen Arts. But her half-mortal self is hesitant to leave behind her friends, Roz and Susie, and her sweet, artsy boyfriend, Harvey. Pressured by Zelda to uphold the Spellman family name, she is mocked by her potential Academy peers for only being half witch, and to top it all off, she doubts Harvey's feelings for her. She and Ambrose cast a spell which intensifies Harvey's infatuation, leaving Sabrina overwhelmed rather than reassured. And when she turns to an admiring wishing-well spirit for help, matters only worsen. The narrative alternates between chapters told from Sabrina's point of view and those titled "What Happens in the Dark"--the latter offering insight into various characters' weaknesses and fears. Lack of fully rounded character development hinders readers' full investment, but glimpses into the characters' darker sides will pique interest. The racial makeup of the cast reflects that of the television show: Sabrina is white, Ambrose is black, and there is diversity in several supporting characters.
A creepy literary adaptation to please existing Sabrina fans and that may entice new ones. (Horror. 13-adult)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Brennan, Sarah Rees: SEASON OF THE WITCH." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A588726875/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=fca2145a. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
Brennan, Sarah Rees FENCE Little, Brown (Teen None) $12.99 9, 29 ISBN: 978-0-316-45667-8
Fencers face a challenge from their coach—learning to work as a team—in this novelized continuation of a sports romance comic series.
Kings Row, once underdogs despite being from an elite Connecticut boarding school with a long history of fencing, have won their first match of the year. Despite their potential, they are failing at bonding as a team. Nationally ranked prodigy Seiji doesn’t know the first thing about making friends. His roommate, Nicholas, a White scholarship student, feels like an outsider surrounded by his wealthy classmates. White playboy Aiden couldn’t care less about anyone on the team except their captain, Harvard, who (according to their coach) needs to learn to prioritize himself once in a while. In the midst of their teamwork training, Harvard awakens to his sexuality, and Aiden battles jealousy to preserve their friendship. Although the romantic subplot includes a contrived scenario of dating lessons, the tension between Harvard and Aiden adds urgency to the story. The queer-affirming bubble of Kings Row drifts between fluffy escapism and realism: While the world imagines a place without hate for queer people, it withholds the same treatment for other differences. Harvard, who is Black, and Seiji, who is Japanese, remark on their experiences with racism. Bullies harass Nicholas for his socio-economic status. After a high-intensity buildup, readers may wish for a clearer resolution of the central romantic drama.
Fans of C.S. Pacat’s graphic series Fence may wish to reenter this world in novel form. (Romance. 14-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Brennan, Sarah Rees: FENCE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2020. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A630892088/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5c686f58. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
QUOTED: "Brennan's adult fantasy debut is two great stories in one: the romantasy in the background and Rae's adventure in the foreground."
Long Live Evil. By Sarah Rees Brennan. July 2024. 464p. Orbit, paper, $19.99 (9780316568715); e-book (9780316568722).
Rae is dying. She was head cheerleader and head bitch in her high school, until she started to forget things and could not keep up with her classmates. Lying in her hospital bed, I her only escape is a series of books that she and her sister love. The characters are all beautiful, but complicated; the rules of the world are strict; and Rae is a bit in love with the hero. When a mysterious woman shows I up at her bedside and tells Rae that she can enter the book and try to complete a mission that might mean a cure in the real world, Rae, half in a daze, wanders into the series. But when Rae wakes up, she is in the body of the main villainess of the work, due to be executed the following day. Rae decides to lean into her natural-villain powers, creates a whole team of villains, and plots to achieve the mission. Readers will laugh at the absurd situations and revel in all of Rae's successes. Brennan's adult fantasy debut is two great stories in one: the romantasy in the background and Rae's adventure in the foreground. --Emily Whitmore
YA: Older teens will enjoy Rae's very meta adventure into a favorite genre, romantasy. EW.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 American Library Association
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Whitmore, Emily. "Long Live Evil." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 19-20, 1 June 2024, pp. 49+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A804018232/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=41a6f07c. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
QUOTED: "absolutely wonderful."
Brennan, Sarah Rees LONG LIVE EVIL Orbit (Fiction None) $19.99 7, 30 ISBN: 9780316568715
A young woman with cancer is presented with a fantastical opportunity to save herself in this adult debut.
Rachel Parilla is sick. Very sick. She used to be a cheerleader. She used to take her younger sister, Alice, to conventions for Alice's favorite book series, Time of Iron, a melodramatic epic fantasy in which characters like the Iron Maid and the Golden Cobra have bloody adventures and torrid love triangles in the magical land of Eyam. When Rae was getting her first cancer treatments, Alice kept her entertained by recounting the plot of the first book in the series. Soon Rae became a fan herself, but her aggressive cancer makes it hard for her to hold a book, let alone read it. One day she wakes in her hospital bed to see a strange woman who has an even stranger offer: She can stay in her own world and die of cancer, or she can embody a character in Time of Iron, find the magical Flower of Life and Death, and come back to a cancer-free body. Rae scoffs at the idea, but lo and behold, there is a door waiting for her--and when she opens it, she finds herself in the body of the books' infamous villainess, Lady Rahela, the Beauty Dipped in Blood, immersed in the world of Eyam. Rae's adventure begins with tremendous wonder, and there are many laugh-out-loud moments as she revels in the fun of being a fictional femme fatale. But as Rae gets closer to her goal, Brennan brings the people and the world of Eyam to vivid, often heartbreaking life with such incredible skill that readers will be even bigger fans of Time of Iron than Alice.
Absolutely wonderful.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Brennan, Sarah Rees: LONG LIVE EVIL." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799332728/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e8cf8c37. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.