Reviews

Sci-fi Book Review: The Faith of Beasts by James S.A. Corey

This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Faith of Beasts will be released on April 26, 2026. While I’m still only one book deep in The Expanse, I have been sufficiently impressed with the fantasy side of James S.A. Corey… Continue reading Sci-fi Book Review: The Faith of Beasts by James S.A. Corey

Magazine Review

Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (March 2026)

Everyone (myself included) is distracted by award shortlists, but there’s still new fiction being published, and there’s plenty to talk about in my review of the March issues of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus.  Clarkesworld This month’s Clarkesworld features six short stories surrounding a novella-length centerpiece from Thomas Ha. The issue opens with Bend Like the Palm… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (March 2026)

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

When I talk fantasy to someone outside my niche online groups, the most likely author to be mentioned is far and away Brandon Sanderson. I tend to have mixed feelings about his work—he has some real strengths, but some notable weaknesses as well—but Tress of the Emerald Sea is enough of a stylistic experiment that… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

Top Lists · Year in Review

Tar Vol’s Top Ten 2025 Short Fiction and Updated Recommended Reading List

A few years ago, when I started publishing annual sci-fi/fantasy recommended reading lists, the proliferation of favorites lists dropping each winter would kick off a genuine reading flurry that made my late-February list substantially larger than my mid-December one. That’s the reason I started posting two versions of the list each year.  But as I… Continue reading Tar Vol’s Top Ten 2025 Short Fiction and Updated Recommended Reading List