There may not be a book with more hype in my online circles this year than Tasha Suri’s epic series-opener The Jasmine Throne. It promised pretty much everything I like in a book, with a character-focused slow build and layers of intrigue in a non-Western setting. The only question–depending mostly on my library–was whether I’d… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
After a month hiatus stemming from SPSFC responsibilities and a truncated lunch break, November has brought me back to sci-fi/fantasy short fiction, and I’ve come across some truly exceptional work. I didn’t read a bad short story all month, with the monthly “other reads” category both shorter and higher in quality than it usually is.… Continue reading November 2021 Round-up and Short Fiction Focus
It finally happened. After a decade of skepticism, I gave in and dipped my toe into what may be the most popular adult fantasy series of the last ten years, reading Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings. The Way of Kings is very much an epic fantasy opener, introducing three major storylines bound for convergence… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
My read of Lobizona is another triumph of fantasy Bingo. Although I had a blogger friend raving about Romina Garber’s new YA series, I saw little buzz elsewhere in my fantasy spaces, and it would’ve likely passed me by entirely if I hadn’t been seeking options for the Latin American Author square. And, as the… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Lobizona by Romina Garber
Our journey through the 2021 Hugo Awards ballot finishes with the most prestigious of categories: Best Novel. A final six consisting of five Hugo winning-authors and a sequel to a Hugo finalist might’ve disappointed those hoping for some new blood, but it’s hard to complain too much about a category with this kind of quality… Continue reading 2021 Hugo Ballot: Best Novel
Andy Weir is one of those authors that seems to have burst onto the scene and become a big name in sci-fi spaces but somehow rarely gets mentioned in my corners of the SFF Internet. Maybe that’s because I’ve been primarily a fantasy reader, or maybe that’s because I prefer slower and more character-driven books… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
We continue the journey through the Hugo Award ballot with the Astounding Award for Best New Writer. Unlike the other categories, these nominations do not rely on any one particular work (a debut novel, for instance) but rather an author’s body of work in the first year or two of their career. Because I have… Continue reading 2021 Hugo Ballot: Astounding Award for Best New Writer
I’ve heard only positive things about Silver in the Wood since its debut in 2019, but the premise—cozy fantasy romance between a melancholy magical creature and a newcomer to his forest—wasn’t really in my wheelhouse, and it was easy to get lost amidst so many other excellent new releases. So, in keeping with the theme… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
Axiom’s End is one of the few books I encountered in my Hugo reading that wasn’t really on my radar before its nomination. And it wasn’t directly nominated as a top book in itself, but it was cited in Lindsay Ellis’ nomination for The Astounding Award for Best New Writer. Of course, it’s not surprising… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reader Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Elder Race will be released on November 16, 2021. I knew absolutely nothing about Elder Race when I saw it come available on NetGalley, but I liked Children of Time enough to give… Continue reading Sci-fi/Fantasy Novella Review: Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky
