I did not grow up reading comic books, so perhaps it’s no surprise that as an adult, I haven’t gotten into graphic novels. I read Watchmen in college and that might be it…ever. But the English translation of Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed came with enough hype from people that don’t normally read graphic novels… Continue reading Fantasy Graphic Novel Review: Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed
The Two Doctors Górski by Isaac Fellman had a few strong reviews when it came out in 2022, but the overall mixed bag from reviewers and my spotty history when it comes to theme-heavy, plot-light stories saw me passing it up at the time. However, my themed Bingo card for this year requires a Dark… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: The Two Doctors Górski by Isaac Fellman
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Haunt Sweet Home will be released on September 3, 2024. For my money, Sarah Pinsker may be the best out there right now writing short-but-not-that-short sci-fi and dark fantasy. So when I saw she… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Alien Clay will be released on September 17, 2024. As far as I can tell, Adrian Tchaikovsky has been a wildly prolific sci-fi/fantasy author for a solid decade by now, but after getting popular… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky
It’s been a busy August in real life, with a family getaway, a couple celebrations, and the beginning of school. But I’ve been plugging along in my reading, and I’ve found some great fiction. Do I say that every month? Pretty much yeah. But I read enough to make it true. Let’s get to it,… Continue reading August 2024 Round-up and Short Fiction Miscellany
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Sky Full of Elephants will be released on September 10, 2024. Sky Full of Elephants, Cebo Campbell’s debut novel, has been marketed almost entirely outside of genre spaces, but an audacious speculative premise and… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan is not a story that would’ve caught my attention based on the blurb, but I have so many bookish friends who adore it that it’s been on my TBR for years at this point. It also fit at least two tricky squares for my themed Bingo card this… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
Another month, another batch of short fiction to read. Let’s take a look at the two magazines I read in full this August! Clarkesworld The August issue of Clarkesworld features a couple authors I’d immensely enjoyed in the past, so I was really excited to get to this one. And as expected, it gave me… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (August 2024)
I usually publish standalone reviews of novellas that were published as standalone books, but I read two last month that had me saying a lot of the same things, so I’m breaking from my habit and writing what I believe is my first review two-pack: The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson and Desdemona… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Reviews: The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe and Desdemona and the Deep
I read plenty of C.S. Lewis as a kid, but the reputation of Till We Have Faces for philosophical density scared me off. Then, as an adult, my lukewarm feelings toward Greek myths and desire to diversify my reading kept me from picking it off the stack. But an offline book club picked it for… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
