Author: tarvolon

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

Reviews

Fantasy Novella Review: Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

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Seanan McGuire is one of those authors with the combination of popularity and prolific production that makes them hard not to hear recommended. And yet I hadn’t actually read any of her work going into this year’s attempts to read the Hugo finalists. Her Come Tumbling Down—the fifth installment in the Wayward Children series—was nominated… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

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The Ruin of Kings opens Jenn Lyons’ five-book epic fantasy series, A Chorus of Dragons. Despite my love of epic fantasy, I hadn’t gotten to it when it came out. But Tor Books threw their considerable marketing muscle behind the opener—I couldn’t go anywhere in fantasy-leaning corners of the Internet in 2019 without hearing about… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: The Hidden City by Michelle West

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For the last couple years, I’ve regularly seen The Essalayien Series by Michelle West (an alias of Michelle Sagara, author of The Chronicles of Elantra) cited as an underrated gem for those who like character-driven epic fantasy. As I very much enjoy character-driven epic fantasy, I’ve had this one on my list for quite a… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Hidden City by Michelle West

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

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N.K. Jemisin may be the best there is in contemporary speculative fiction, and coming into last year, I’d read every single one of her solo-authored novels. But I had some reticence when she announced a novel-sized expansion of her Hugo-nominated short story “The City Born Great.” That story was heavy enough in unexplained New York… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: The Imaginary Corpse by Tyler Hayes

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Tyler Hayes’ debut has run under the radar, but the few reviews I’ve seen have been glowing, and the concept of The Imaginary Corpse was eye-catching enough to immediately put this one on my list.  The Imaginary Corpse takes place in the Stillreal, where figments of imagination go when they are too real to disappear… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Imaginary Corpse by Tyler Hayes

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull

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This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reader Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No Gods, No Monsters will be released on September 7, 2021.  Urban fantasy is not my go-to subgenre, but the plot summary of No Gods, No Monsters caught my eye with “what looks… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull