I don’t read middle-grade fantasy all that often, but my daughter does, and a late-summer complaint that she was out of books sent me scrambling to recommendation lists in search for quality reads that were stocked on our local library shelves. I returned with three, and she immediately picked up the shortest (Dealing With Dragons… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Lost Conspiracy by Frances Hardinge
Welcome to meteorological autumn! It is still very hot, but it’s exciting to have cooler weather on the way. Most of my readings this month have been earmarked for their own reviews, so the miscellaneous section is a little bit sparse. But I do have a couple short stories to talk about, a whole bunch… Continue reading August 2026 Round-up and Short Fiction Miscellany
A new issue of Asimov’s, the full unlocking of the most recent Uncanny, and an impressive run of intriguing tales in Future Tense Fiction have given me plenty of excellent reading for this month and a strong three-zine set for my August Magazine Minis. Asimov’s Perusing the table of contents of the September/October 2026 issue… Continue reading Tar Vol’s Magazine Minis: Asimov’s, Future Tense, and Uncanny
North Sun, or The Voyage of the Whaleship Esther, was entirely off my radar in the first year from its release. But one of the questions I ask annually in my Hugo Readalong is which books from the previous year were snubbed in the nomination process. And when someone advances something I’ve never heard of… Continue reading Historical/Magical Realism Novel Review: North Sun by Ethan Rutherford
I review Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus each month. If you’re a regular reader, you know that. If you’re new here, those are a couple monthly magazines publishing sci-fi and fantasy short fiction. Either way, let’s get to it. Clarkesworld The August issue of Clarkesworld opens and closes with a pair of short stories, bookending three novelettes… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (August 2026)
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Slow Burn was released on August 18, 2026. Amal Singh has come across my reading list with a few short stories in Clarkesworld, and they’re always good reads. So, while short fiction and long… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Slow Burn by Amal Singh
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Preaching to the Choir was released on August 11, 2026. I first read Adrian Tchaikovsky six or seven years ago, and he quickly became one of my favorite authors. But I soon realized that… Continue reading Horror Novella Review: Preaching to the Choir by Adrian Tchaikovsky
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass was released on August 11, 2026. With her roots in fantasy romance, Leslye Penelope is an author I’d seen discussed but had never really sought out in the… Continue reading Science Fantasy Novel Review: The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass by Leslye Penelope
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A Trade of Blood was released on August 4, 2026. For much of the summer, I’ve been struggling to find long reads that truly captured my attention. With air travel ahead, I was looking… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett
All this week, I have been posting my rankings and overall assessments for the four single-work print fiction categories in the Hugo Awards for the year’s best in science fiction and fantasy. I’ve already covered Best Novel, Best Novella, and Best Novelette. For those who have not seen the previous posts, let me re-share my… Continue reading 2026 Hugo Awards Ballot: Best Short Story
