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
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Mercy of Gods will be released on August 6, 2024. Despite the fact that I’ve read just one book of The Expanse (it’s been on my “I swear I’ll get around to the… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey
I finished my Hugo reading at the end of June, and SPSFC is taking our annual break between the announcement of a winner and the starting of next year’s competition, which means I had a whole lot of opportunity to pick up whatever caught my eye. And wouldn’t you know it, I found some real… Continue reading July 2024 Round-up and Short Fiction Miscellany
I go back and forth about whether to review readaloud children’s literature as part of my regular blogging, but I was using Wise Child by Monica Furlong toward my 2023 Bingo challenge for the elusive Druid square, and honestly, I thought it was good enough to deserve a standalone review. Wise Child is a short… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Wise Child by Monica Furlong
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. One Hundred Shadows will be released on August 20, 2024. Scrolling through the sci-fi/fantasy section of NetGalley puts a lot of books in front of me that aren’t necessarily part of my usual niches.… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: One Hundred Shadows by Hwang Jungeun
Another month, another batch of short fiction to read. Let’s take a look at the two magazines I read in full this July! Clarkesworld Even when Clarkesworld doesn’t have a story that blows me away, it’s always a good read, and this month there were a couple standouts and a few others that were plenty… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Two): Reviews of Clarkesworld and GigaNotoSaurus (July 2024)
Since jumping wholeheartedly back into genre fiction a few years ago, I’ve understood that my corner of speculative fiction isn’t necessarily representative of fantasy full stop. And one of the best examples is the staggering popularity of Sarah J. Maas, whose works are almost never recommended in my circles. But this year’s Book Bingo has… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
This is my fourth year reading and ranking every Hugo Award finalist in the categories of Short Story, Novelette, Novella, and Novel, and after posting ballots for Short Story, Novelette, and Novella early this week, it’s time to talk about Best Novel. While I disliked the shortlists for Short Story and Novella and loved the shortlist… Continue reading 2024 Hugo Awards Ballot: Best Novel
I’m keeping up with my four year-old tradition of reading and ranking every Hugo Award finalist in the categories of Short Story, Novelette, Novella, and Novel, and after a downer of an opening entry and a glowing second one, I’m back to another downer as I check out the Best Novella shortlist. Unlike Best Short… Continue reading 2024 Hugo Awards Ballot: Best Novella
