Month: August 2021

Reviews

Fantasy Novella Review: Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

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Part of working through this year’s Hugo Award finalists meant catching up on some backstory. Seanan McGuire’s Come Tumbling Down—the fifth Wayward Children novella and a direct sequel to the series-opening Every Heart a Doorway (reviewed here)—was nominated, but I was advised by some bookish friends to ensure that I also read Down Among the… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

Reviews

Sci-fi Novel Review: The Quiet Invasion by Sarah Zettel

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I picked up Sarah Zettel’s The Quiet Invasion last summer on the recommendation of Janny Wurts. And with under 200 ratings on Goodreads, it may be the most obscure traditionally-published book I’ve read since getting back into sci-fi and fantasy these last few years. It’s also absolutely tremendous, and I heartily recommend it to anyone… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: The Quiet Invasion by Sarah Zettel

SPSFC

Team Tar Vol On and the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition

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August 2021 marks the beginning of the first annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC, sometimes affectionately known as “spacebo”), modeled after the highly successful Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO). Three hundred entries are in–all self-published science fiction standalones or series-starters–ten judging teams are set, and it’s time to begin reading. Where do I come in? I’ve… Continue reading Team Tar Vol On and the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: From the Shadows of the Owl Queen’s Court by Benedict Patrick

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I really loved Benedict Patrick’s Yarnsworld novelette “And They Were Never Heard from Again,” but I found the series’ first novel They Mostly Come Out at Night to be a disappointment. So I returned to the creepy forest of the Magpie King for a third Yarnsworld story with some trepidation, and again came out with… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: From the Shadows of the Owl Queen’s Court by Benedict Patrick