Author: tarvolon

Magazine Review

Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (October 2025)

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GigaNotoSaurus is back, and my monthly magazine reading is once again at two. So let’s take a look at the October issues of it and Clarkesworld! Clarkesworld It’s always exciting to see a Table of Contents with a bunch of authors you’ve five-starred in the past, and so as much as I appreciate Clarkesworld platforming… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (October 2025)

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon by Mizuki Tsujimura

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This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon was released on August 26, 2025. My first exposure to Mizuki Tsujimura was a couple years ago when I read the tremendous Lonely Castle in the… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon by Mizuki Tsujimura

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

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Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is one of those acclaimed works of juvenile fantasy that I’d missed when I was a kid and have spent years meaning to circle back to. And as this year’s fantasy Bingo board felt like a two-handed shove in its direction, I finally pulled it off the shelf… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Reviews

Horror Novel Review: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

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I’m not much of a horror person, but I do have a soft spot for “people are the real horror” historical pieces, with Tananarive Due’s The Reformatory and Victor LaValle’s Lone Women among my favorites of the last few years. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter seemed another entry along those lines, and given some glowing reviews… Continue reading Horror Novel Review: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: Knife Children by Lois McMaster Bujold

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I’m a big fan of almost all of Lois McMaster Bujold’s work, and the combination of romance, fantasy adventure, and cross-cultural connection-building in The Sharing Knife made the series a highly enjoyable read. Despite all that, I’d never gotten around to the short sequel novel taking place a couple decades after the first four books.… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Knife Children by Lois McMaster Bujold

Reviews

Alternate History Novel Review: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

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Colson Whitehead’s acclaimed The Underground Railroad has been on my TBR for quite some time, and when it got picked up by one of my book clubs, I was excited to finally give it a try.  Anyone who’s the least bit familiar with the book will probably know the central conceit: the historical Underground Railroad… Continue reading Alternate History Novel Review: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King

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The Phoenix Pencil Company seems to have gotten more hype in general fiction circles than speculative fiction ones, but author Allison King caught my eye with her interview in Clarkesworld, and given my recent fascination with stories that play with memory and family, it moved up my TBR quickly.  The Phoenix Pencil Company is essentially… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King