My attempt to read as many of this year’s Hugo finalists as I can had led me to several popular works that I had either not gotten around to or had actively avoided. One of the latter was The Poppy War, with its reputation for a jarring tonal shift and some absolutely brutal war scenes.… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Gideon the Ninth is one of those books that has been incredibly popular in my online circles for the last year or two, but where I needed a push to actually move it to the top of my list. That push came in the form of its sequel being nominated for the Hugo Award for… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
I’ve heard so many glowing reviews of Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi in the last year, but given my mixed results with literary-leaning novels, I hadn’t found the excuse to give it a read until its nomination for the Hugo Award for Best Novel. And so I approached with a healthy mix of excitement and trepidation Although… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
August in the Tar Vol household was an attack of real life, and I had to consult my spreadsheet to even remember what I read this month. But the whirlwind-hampered memory doesn’t mean there weren’t some excellent reads this month, both short fiction and more extended work. So let’s get right to it. Short Fiction… Continue reading August 2021 Round-up and Short Fiction Focus
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
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
The praise for Raybearer has been impossible to miss since its release last year, and I’ve been looking for an excuse to squeeze it into a crowded reading schedule. When Jordan Ifueko’s debut joined an incredibly stacked list of Lodestar Award finalists, it gave me a perfect reason to move it to the top of… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
I’d heard quite a bit about Nghi Vo’s debut novella The Empress of Salt and Fortune when it came out last year, but it didn’t distinguish itself from an overstuffed TBR until it appeared on the finalist list for the Hugo Award for Best Novella. And, while I had been underwhelmed by some other finalists… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: The Empress of Salt and Fortune
Last week, I told you about the team of judges I’m leading for the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition. This week, it’s time to meet our first round entries. Each judging team has been given 30 books. It is our job to whittle that down to three semifinalists–a task that we… Continue reading Introducing Team Tar Vol On’s SPSFC Round One Entries
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reader Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Last Graduate will be released on September 28, 2021. Naomi Novik’s A Deadly Education may not have been the best book I read last year, but the action-packed dark magic school novel… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
