Unholy Terrors

August 14, 2023
A teen risks everything for love and truth in this uneven fantasy from Clipstone (the World at the Lake’s Edge Duology). Everline Blackthorn has always felt like an outsider among the Vale wardens. Not only is she unable to wield the magic that the other wardens use to protect the enclave and its residents from bloodthirsty monsters called vespertine, she’s also the illegitimate daughter of the wardens’ commander, birthed by an infamous traitor. On the night Everline was born, her mother betrayed the enclave and decamped to the Thousandfold, a realm home to the vespertine and their eldritch god creator. Everline’s father won’t discuss her mother’s motives, so when a handsome human-vespertine hybrid named Ravel abducts Everline’s best friend, Lux, in retaliation for the wardens killing his sister, Everline defies orders and heads for the Thousandfold, hoping to rescue Lux and uncover the truth about her mother’s defection. When outside forces contrive to link Ravel and Everline’s fates, romance blossoms. Purple prose and anemic worldbuilding give way to a paltry plot, but Everline’s evolving relationship with her half sister, Briar, and her commitment to saving Lux, are bright spots, adding nuance and heart. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

September 1, 2023
Defying her duties may be the only way for a girl to discover the truth about herself in a world of monsters. As a warden, Everline Blackthorn has vowed to protect the wall surrounding the Hallowed Lands from the wolflike vespertine, monsters left behind after the fall of evil god Nyx Severin. Though the distinctive dark blue eyes they share prove she's the warden commander's illegitimate daughter, her olive skin and dark hair betray her: Her late mother is regarded as a traitor for abandoning her post when the vespertine invaded. Everline fights not only the vespertine, but her mother's legacy and her own lack of aptitude for magic, while Briar, her perfect half sister, who closely resembles their father, constantly reminds her of her failings. While out on patrol with Everline's best friend, Lux, whom Briar is romantically involved with, the half sisters encounter a vespertine who's walking upright. Seeking answers about both this anomaly and her own origins, Everline ventures onto the moorlands, betraying her warden vows. There she encounters Ravel, another humanlike vespertine, and she can't help but find him strangely alluring. Some inconsistencies in worldbuilding and characterization are distracting, but the book's strength and charm lie in its complete commitment to its brooding atmosphere, with stormy nights, bloody rituals, and animal magnetism. The growing sisterhood between Everline and Briar once they escape their father's influence adds depth. Most characters are cued white. A modern, moody, and monstrously gothic experience. (Fantasy. 14-18)

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December 1, 2023

Gr 9 Up-Everline Blackthorn has spent her whole life training to become a warden, to protect the Hallowed Lands from the vicious monsters known as vespertine who live beyond the wall. Despite being older, Everline will always come second to her legitimate sister Briar. Everline's father leads the wardens while her mother is their most notorious traitor, who abandoned the wardens the night Everline was born. While out on patrol with her best friend, Everline comes across Ravel Severin, a human-vespertine hybrid who reveals there's more to these monsters than Everline was taught. For Everline to save her best friend and discover the truth about the enclave, she'll have to follow in her mother's footsteps, abandon the cause she's sworn to, and seek out the truth. Strong character dynamics prop up the thin plot arcs and uneven pacing but are never deep enough to truly develop the characters. Ravel and Everline's romance adds an additional layer to Everline's inner conflict. Clipstone relies heavily on repetitive descriptions to create the Gothic atmosphere that permeates the novel, with her dialogue doing a lot of the heavy lifting. With next to no worldbuilding, readers are often forced to fill in the blanks themselves. Most of the cast reads as white. VERDICT Heavy on vibes and atmosphere, this is ultimately an underdeveloped goth fantasy that may appeal to fans of Nicki Pau Preto's Bonesmith.-Emmy Neal

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2023
Unholy Terrors is an alluring, gothic tale of forbidden love and shifting allegiances in a land of magic and monsters. Everline Blackthorn is not like the other wardens who guard the wall of bones, protecting the Hallowed Lands from the wolf-like vespertine—her magical abilities never manifested, and her past is heavy with the legacy of her mother’s mysterious desertion. When Everline encounters an impossible vespertine—one that is more boy than monster—she is determined to seek the truth of the world beyond the wall. Unholy Terrors is Clipstone’s third novel and, while it is stand-alone, holds the same gothic-fantasy charm as her previous works. One for readers of romance rather than for high-fantasy fans, Unholy Terrors is rich in swoon-worthy tropes—enemies-to-lovers, witty retorts, mud-covered skirt hems, vampiric embraces, and shuddering breaths. The setting is a patchwork of fairy tale and religious iconography, and the familiarity provides easy reader immersion while the ritualistic elements lend dramatic weight. While the novel focuses on the palpable (PG-rated) romantic tension, underneath it is a twisting plot exploring coming of age, family ties, and evolving values. Best suited to readers aged 14+ who are fans of L J Smith, Lynette Noni and Sarah J Maas, Unholy Terrors is for all those who have longed to kiss a monster.