Got back on track with the novels this month, although picking up sequels to books I’d loved is definitely playing things on easy mode. But the trend of finding stellar short fiction continued. I think experimental stories by folks named Sarah are my new favorite thing. Short Stories April Favorites “Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather”… Continue reading April 2021 Round-up and Short Fiction Focus
Maggie Stiefvater has a pair of series that have made her a name in YA fantasy, but in my circles, I’ve heard as much or more about her 2011 stand-alone featuring high-stakes races on the backs of murderous water horses. And with the two first-person narrators fitting perfectly into one of the trickiest of bingo… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
I first heard about Rosemary Kirstein’s The Steerswoman on a list of excellent female-authored fantasy that had been undeservedly forgotten. The premise struck me immediately: Steerswomen are a group dedicated to the collection and free distribution of knowledge, traveling the world asking and answering questions. They will truthfully answer any question asked of them, no… Continue reading Sci-fi/Fantasy Series Review: The Steerswoman by Rosemary Kirstein
Once again, Book Bingo does its job, albeit not in the way I expected. Way back before I ramped up my reading to current levels and started writing about books, I read and loved The Ballad of Black Tom. It put Victor LaValle on my mental list of intriguing authors, but with mixed reviews for… Continue reading Psychological Novel Review: The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle
The title is great, the cover is gorgeous, and Benedict Patrick’s novelette “And They Were Never Heard From Again” was one of the best stories I read all of last year. So dipping back into Yarnsworld for the first full-length novel was a no-brainer. They Mostly Come Out at Night is a dark fairy tale, with… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: They Mostly Come Out at Night by Benedict Patrick
I didn’t see too much hype for Micaiah Johnson’s debut–although it was enough to push my library hold to five months–but what it lacked in quantity, it made up for in quality. Every single review I saw for The Space Between Worlds raves about it. I was hoping to read it before award nomination season ended, but… Continue reading Science Fiction Novel Review: The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson
Last summer, I read and really enjoyed Kate Elliott’s co-written The Golden Key, and I’ve been meaning to grab some of her solo work ever since. She has an extensive enough catalogue to make the choosing difficult, but I’m a sucker for big fantasy epics, so I finally dived in with Spirit Gate, which opens… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Spirit Gate by Kate Elliott
Every year on April 1, r/Fantasy releases a new board for their annual Bingo challenge. Completing it requires filling 25 squares with 25 different books by 25 different authors. Each square has an optional hard mode, for added challenge, and some participants will also do themed cards (for instance, I filled out a card last… Continue reading Planning for 2021 Fantasy Bingo
No five-star novels this month, but an absolutely incredible month of short fiction. Last month I had one story on my favorites list. This month I have five, including one all-timer. I highly recommend taking a long look at a few of these. Short Stories March Favorites “STET” (2018) by Sarah Gailey. A fascinating experimental… Continue reading March 2021 Round-up and Short Fiction Focus
In my corners of book social media, it’s impossible not to be aware of Katherine Addison’s breakout hit, The Goblin Emperor, which is either a delightfully wholesome comfort read or a dull political fantasy where nothing happens, depending on who you ask. It had been on my list for a long time, and after finally… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
