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Onyx & Ivory

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
0 of 1 copy available

"At once fresh, at once classic, Onyx and Ivory is a page-turning blend of monsters, magic, and romance." —Susan Dennard, New York Times bestselling author of Truthwitch

Acclaimed author Mindee Arnett thrusts readers into a beautiful, dangerous, and magical world in this stunningly epic and romantic fantasy for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah Raasch.

They call her Traitor Kate. It's a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king of Rime.

Cast out of the nobility, Kate now works for the royal courier service. Only the most skilled ride for the Relay and only the fastest survive, for when night falls, the drakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: She is a wilder, born with forbidden magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals.

And it's this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by drakes in broad daylight—the only survivor Corwin Tormaine, the son of the king. Her first love, the boy she swore to forget after he condemned her father to death.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin must put the past behind them to face this new threat and an even darker menace stirring in the kingdom.

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  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Khristine Hvam alternates between the two lead characters in this story with a consistently intense tone. Kate lives a hard life as a Relay rider in the land of Rime. She must hide her wilder magic or face execution as her father did several years ago for attempting to assassinate the king. When she crosses paths with Prince Corwin, a forgotten love interest from the past, they must work together to understand who is behind the attacks that haunt the subjects of Rime while navigating feelings that resurface. Hvam perfectly delineates each character through dramatic dialogue. Listeners will enjoy this fantastical tale of love, vengeance, and tolerance. M.D. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      March 26, 2018
      Arnett (Polaris) offers a gripping story of two people’s search for courage and answers in a chaotic world. Kate Brighton was branded a traitor after her father tried to assassinate the king. Then the man she loved let her father be executed, and the kingdom increased persecution of “wilders,” those with magic tied to the four elements and spirit. Kate is one of those beings; she possesses the ability to influence the minds of animals. Adding further challenges, nightdrakes (flightless dragons) are attacking more frequently, and Kate’s first love, Prince Corwin, returns. Corwin wants her help to figure out why the drakes are attacking in broad daylight now, and he asks Kate to return with him to Norgard, her home, where she can find answers about her father. Kate hopes the journey will bring closure and peace, even as her rekindled friendship with Corwin stirs long-buried feelings and unrealistic dreams of the future, and the threat of invasion by a conquering nation looms. Arnett builds a rich world of magic and intrigue, enhanced by side characters of substance that create momentum for subsequent books. Ages 14–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary & Media.

    • School Library Journal

      March 1, 2018

      Gr 9 Up-In this expansive fantasy world of dragons, magic, and mystery, no one can be trusted. This is especially true for Kate, an outcast paying for her father's sin-a failed assassination attempt of a high king. Now she lives on the dangerous margins of society as a courier riding around the kingdom attempting to survive in a world filled with flightless dragons called nightdrakes. Kate has one advantage-the magical power to control the minds of animals. Her strange world is turned even more so when she falls in love with Corwin, the king's son. As nightdrakes become an increasing threat, the kingdom is thrown into turmoil and Kate and Corwin are caught in the middle. Arnett invites readers into a complex world with its own vocabulary. The chapters alternate between the stories of Kate and Corwin. These dual perspectives offer teens a depth of understanding of each of these characters' inner lives. The author has a knack for writing for young adults and molding real-life situations into this engaging story of magic and young love. VERDICT Recommended for young fans of Game of Thrones and those who enjoy fast-paced and exciting fantasy.-Kevin McGuire, Woodland Hills School District, PA

      Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Kirkus

      March 1, 2018
      A traitor's daughter contends with her painful past and dangerous future in this series opener.Nineteen-year-old "Traitor Kate" Brighton tries to outrun her father's infamy as a Relay rider in the kingdom of Rime. Rider life is tough, especially with a new onslaught of ravenous drakes, but Kate loves horses, with whom she shares a forbidden "wilder" magical bond, risking the attention of the Inquisition. When an unexpected encounter reunites Kate with "Errant Prince" Corwin, she returns to the city of Norgard determined to protect the wilders and uncover the reason for her father's treason. Meanwhile, co-narrator Corwin renews his rivalry with his brother, Edwin, and must compete against him for the crown. Blond, blue-eyed Corwin and black-haired, golden-skinned Kate are typical tormented protagonists, but some of the secondary characters mercifully compensate for this angst-y duo. The setting is blithely anachronistic, describing revolvers as revolutionary but newspapers and pocket watches as familiar, and plot loopholes, geographic inconsistencies, and political history are all too often (and not always successfully) obscured by magic. Arnett (The Nightmare Charade, 2015, etc.) notably draws attention to economics and poverty, elements often downplayed in fantasy novels, but otherwise offers a generic tale of action and romance. There is some ethnic diversity in secondary characters.A reluctant-rebel riff on "Cinderella," with more horses. (Fantasy. 14-18)

      COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Booklist

      March 15, 2018
      Grades 9-12 Once a member of the nobility, Kate Brighton's life changed dramatically when her father, the master of horse, tried to assassinate the high king. Nine years after her father's execution, Kate keeps her head down, working for the Relay to carry messages via horseback across dangerous terrain. Kate, one of the few female riders, is both helped and hindered by her wilder gift: she can touch and influence the minds of animals, but those powers are illegal and punishable by death. When a chance encounter leads Kate to Corwin, the son of the high king and Kate's former love, she finds herself face-to-face with the past she's tried to escape. But tensions elsewhere are boiling over: deadly nightdrakes have begun attacking during the day, and conflicts between the wilders and their oppressors are coming to a head. Part political thriller, part fantasy epic, this is a high-octane adventure that untangles issues of choice, bias, and injustice. There's special appeal for animal-lovers, but this series starter will suit any high-fantasy fan.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

    • The Horn Book

      January 1, 2019
      Kate Brighton bears her late father's "traitor" legacy and shares a magical bond with the horses she now rides to relay mail while avoiding the terrifying nightdrakes. When an unexpected daylight drake attack causes her to cross paths with her former love, Prince Corwin, it portends romantic and political difficulties ahead. Arnett builds an engaging world for this high fantasy full of action and realistic character development.

      (Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Formats

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Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:6
  • Lexile® Measure:830
  • Interest Level:9-12(UG)
  • Text Difficulty:4-5

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