Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Battling personal demons is bad enough without literal monsters also posing a significant threat. At 18, Thea, who’s cued white, wants more for her life than customer service jobs and a GED, but she doesn’t have many options in her small West Virginia town of Barren’s Peak, especially since her mom died, and her dad hasn’t worked since he had a serious accident. One night, what begins as an ordinary barn party turns into a mini-massacre as small, fanged fairies attack. Thea falls in with bespectacled, white-presenting Oliver, who’s looking for evidence of a “tear between worlds,” and bronze-skinned, leather jacket–wearing Callum, who’s spent the past six months watching and reporting on Thea for the Council. Both boys are blood magicians, raised to be soldiers who protect the world, though Oliver was banished from their organization. Desperate to escape the fairies’ onslaught, Oliver sends all three of them into the Labyrinth, a plane of darkness that morphs to reflect the minds of its prisoners. The trio, who are all queer, must fight their way out before they’re consumed by monsters or succumb to exhaustion. This duology opener quickly dives into the action, which only lets up for emotionally driven scenes, so even with some persistent gaps in the backstory, readers will become invested. Oliver and Callum share a devastatingly dramatic history of loyalty, tension, and romance. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers anticipating more to come. An engrossing dark fantasy.(Fantasy. 14-18) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

School Library Journal
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Gr 10 Up—Thea LaGuerre is struggling to earn her GED while supporting her disabled and depressed father in Barren's Peak, WV. Oliver White is a vagabond and a magician who has been searching for places known as Sanctuary and Labyrinth, all while fighting monsters who have a literal thirst for his blood. He finds himself in Barren's Peak, where he meets Thea and recognizes a ring she wears around her neck. Meanwhile, Callum is the talk of Barren's Peak after his recent arrival. When danger erupts at a party, Thea flees with Oliver and Callum. They get transported through a portal and into the Labyrinth, a melancholic, lethal place where all of the magical creatures from childhood stories live. Oliver doesn't have his magic, Callum is injured, and Thea doesn't know anything about magic, so they're moving targets as they journey to find a way out. Readers of the genre will appreciate this dark fantasy novel, and especially the revelation towards the end that hints at a sequel. However, the story drags in the middle, which might deter some readers. Thea, Callum, and Oliver are white. VERDICT For older teens who enjoy dark fantasy novels.—Lois Young

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

In the desolate town of Barren’s Peak, West Virginia, a visitor named Oliver passes through, looking for magicians. After he asks a befuddled Thea if she is one, she dismisses him attends a barn party, where she warms up to Callum, the new boy in town. It is then that flesh-eating fairies gruesomely attack everyone, causing Oliver to transport Thea, Callum, and himself to the Labyrinth. Thea discovers Callum is a blood magician and that they must make it back to Earth by passing the realm’s deadly obstacles. It’s only a matter of time until Thea learns of her own background and Callum’s true mission in Barren’s Peak. Kulwicki’s second YA fantasy is loaded with Appalachian adventure and LGBTQ+ romance. Told from the perspective of the three protagonists, the story will entrance readers with a love triangle as Thea and Oliver pine for Callum, and mythological creatures like minotaurs and other monsters will appeal to fantasy fans. With an ending full of unanswered questions, there will be much anticipation for the trio’s continued journey.