In the Ravenous Dark

April 1, 2021
A tale of magic, revenge, and death. Rovan lost her father, a user of blood magic, when she was 7, on the day that the king's bloodmages stormed her house. Twelve years later, she accidentally reveals her inherited magical power by saving her friend's life in the middle of the town center. Taken into custody for being unregistered, Rovan unwillingly suffers a ceremony that is deemed mandatory for all bloodmages--attachment to a shade, who acts more like a personal jailer than guardian. Rovan is valuable as a potential source of magic, so she's forced to associate with the royal family, soon to an intolerable degree. Between enduring one injury after another, she seeks to finish her father's work by breaking her bonds and exposing the king's unsavory secrets. Rovan is a tenacious spitfire who fights for freedom and vengeance by any means necessary. Strickland's worldbuilding is grand; ancient Greece inspires the city's culture, and the mechanics of blood magic parallel the diametrically opposed death magic in interesting ways. Plus, there's a new take on a supernatural creature that slides into the story toward the end. Characters in this fantasy world have a range of skin tones and appearances that include violet and silver eyes as well as green and dark blue hair. Several queer identities are represented, including nonbinary, asexual, and polyamorous. Rovan is light-skinned and attracted to multiple genders. Dauntless and passionate. (family tree) (Fantasy. 15-adult)

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April 5, 2021
Ever since her blue-haired, golden-eyed father, an unregistered bloodmage, was slain for refusing to serve the king of Thanopolis, Rovan Ballacra has carefully hidden her own blue hair and powers. When Rovan, now 19, accidentally reveals her abilities more than a decade later, she’s promptly captured and soon magically bound to Ivrilos, a black-haired, long-dead 23-year-old man who serves as both Rovan’s guardian and enforcer of the king’s will. Now imbued with her family’s potent magical bloodline, Rovan becomes a pawn in a dangerous political game, expected to marry a royal to preserve the power and protect Thanopolis from an unnatural blight that has consumed most of the outside world. While fighting to save herself and those she loves, pansexual, polyamorous Rovan juggles feelings for both Ivrilos and the passionate Princess Lydea, and befriends nonbinary, asexual Japha. In this complicated dark fantasy, Strickland (Beyond the Black Door) conjures a seductive world with a largely pale-skinned cast where blood and shadow magics intertwine. At times the setting feels more atmospheric than descriptive, but the fast-paced plot and romantic themes will appeal. Ages 15–up. Agent: Hannah Bowman, Liza Dawson Assoc.

May 1, 2021

Gr 10 Up-Nineteen-year-old Rovan Ballacra is a pansexual bloodmage, magical and using blood as a power source, who keeps her magic hidden. Having similar skin color to her father, much paler than most of the bronze-skinned bloodmages, she is successful in hiding her powers. Living in Thanopolis, she is assigned an undead spirit named Ivrilos after her father dies. He is to look after her and guide her. Once she accidently reveals her magic, she is forced to live in a fantasy world. She is not sure who to trust. She is controlled by Ivrilos but also swayed by Lydea, a rebel Princess. Both Lydea and Rovan are expected to marry those chosen for them. Rovan falls for Lydea but has a strong relationship with Ivrilos as well. Together, they reveal a secret that could destroy Thanopolis and must fight to save it. Strong, interesting characters and a well-developed world make this a fantastic fantasy. Rovan is cunning and not to be outrivaled by anyone. Characters have a variety of sexual orientations and Strickland doesn't shy away from sexual content: Well-written on-the-page sex scenes, as well as profanity, make this book a fit for older readers. VERDICT A sexy romance for fantasy fans looking for a suspenseful plot set in a dark world. Hand to readers who enjoyed Strickland's Beyond the Black Door.-Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton H.S., Linden, MI

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