Kirkus Reviews just published their review of the first novel in the Tales of Ciel series, Ardent Wings on Jealous Skies (coming November 11). The critics continue to be duly impressed.

You can read the entire review on their website, but here’s a nice pullquote:

“Lorimer’s briskly-paced novel introduces readers to a fascinating world. A bevy of curious elements crop up, including the Long Drop (a fall into the “bare sky” is an infinite plummet), Leviathan (colossal beasts resembling dolphins, tortoises, and more), and glimpses at the harrowing pirate life. The contrasts between the Strait sisters make these intriguing characters even richer; reserved Vanna tends to roll with the punches while Effie rarely holds back her emotions…A wholly absorbing, otherworldly tale of family, magic, and astonishing creatures.”

I’m not sure how many readers still take their cues from the literati, but a favorable review from Kirkus brings quite a few benefits. Kirkus is one of the oldest publications offering literary reviews, and their critical takes carry substantial weight with librarians and professional bookbuyers. A bad review from Kirkus won’t necessarily sink a new novel these days, but a glowing recommendation like this one will certainly help catch the eye of key stakeholders throughout the publishing ecosystem.

That said, reaching the institutional buyers is only one small part of our business plan at HTP. We’re much more concerned with reaching readers like you, and to that end, reader reviews are absolutely essential. If you already have your hands on the extended sample or the ARC of Ardent Wings on Jealous Skies, please take a moment to head over to Goodreads and give us a star-rating and/or a written review. This is a crucial moment to keep the momentum going, and contributing to the positive reader consensus on Goodreads is the single best way to help us ensure a successful launch. If you’re not quite ready to render social media judgment, you can still add the book as “To-read” or to any of your other virtual shelves.