Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 02/01/2021 Gr 9 Up—A merman and a prince who is secretly a mage fall in love on a pirate ship, and must endure a political kidnapping and repay a sea witch before they can be together. Can Prince Tal and his beloved merman Athlen survive such a journey toward a happy ending? Lukens attempts to weave together too many plots in this queer YA fantasy novel. Not enough time is spent on the page to give all of the complex characters the backstories that readers will desire. Teens are introduced to mages, mermen, multiple royal families, mercenary pirates, and other magical creatures, all of whom come with a history that is integral to the plot. However, the information given only scratches the surface, resulting in too many characters whose stories are tangled together and big plot reveals falling short. The ending feels abrupt, leaving questions unanswered for some plotlines, while others get wrapped up into a happily ever after. After a perilous journey, these characters deserve better. VERDICT The plot of this queer fantasy is intriguing, but ultimately proves to be too much for one novel.—Elizabeth Portillo, Finkelstein Memorial Lib., Spring Valley, NY - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 05/01/2021 *Starred Review* Sixteen-year-old Prince Tal is magic; born of fire, he is the last mage of his royal line and the first since his evil great-grandfather abused his own magic powers to wreak death and devastation. Accordingly, Tal’s magic is a closely guarded secret, lest the people of his country and the surrounding kingdoms think he will use it for evil, too. Now on a coming-of-age tour of his kingdom, Tal discovers a strange boy chained on a derelict ship and recklessly uses magic to free him, only for the captive to leap into the sea and vanish under the waves. Soft-hearted Tal is devastated, sure the teen has drowned. But when Tal arrives at the nearest port town, he is astonished to find the young man there. It turns out the fellow, named Athlen, has a secret of his own that will propel the two young men, who have fallen in love, on a great adventure that will see Tal kidnapped by pirates and held as a pawn in a plot to push his kingdom into war. Can Athlen rescue him, and can the plot be foiled? Lukens has written a richly imagined fantasy, filled with action, suspense, and fully realized characters, that is also a beautiful love story that will touch readers’ hearts and live in their memories. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.