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
I’ve been vaguely familiar with Malka Older as a sci-fi author with a pretty good reputation, but I hadn’t actually had an opportunity to read any of her work, and when The Mimicking of Known Successes was pitched as a sapphic Sherlock Holmes in space, my mystery-fatigue inclined me to skip this one as well.… Continue reading Sci-fi Novella Review: The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Brides of High Hill will be released on May 7, 2024. While I still haven’t circled back to When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, I’ve read and enjoyed everything else in The… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo
February is always a great month for catching up on stories—especially relatively short ones—from other people’s favorites lists, and while I had heard almost no buzz about Nothing But the Rain by Naomi Salman, a book club friend had it atop their 2023 novella list, so I thought I’d give it a try. Guess what?… Continue reading Sci-fi Novella Review: Nothing But the Rain by Naomi Salman
I find Alix E. Harrow’s writing style incredibly readable, with her debut novel being one of my favorite books from 2019, and her works second on my ballot for both Best Short Story (“Mr. Death”) and Best Novella (A Spindle Splintered) last year. Given her popularity, it was no real surprise to see her back… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Mammoths at the Gates will be released on September 12, 2023. Nghi Vo hooked me on The Singing Hills Cycle with the the wonderful, Hugo-winning, found object epic The Empress of Salt and Fortune.… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo
I’d heard enough good about Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk that I had it penciled in to read even before the Hugo finalists were released, though my uneasy relationship with noir had me somewhat apprehensive. But with its spare word count and excellent narrative voice, it promised to be well worth… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thornhedge will be released August 15, 2023. I’ve dipped my toe into T. Kingfisher’s middle grade work and her horror, but despite the best of intentions, I hadn’t yet made it to her fairy… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
Lois McMaster Bujold was one of the first authors I read when I got back in genre fiction as a grad student, and I’ve liked her work enough that I’ve come pretty close to reading all of it. But one gap on my list has been her Penric and Desdemona novella series within the World… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Last Dragoners of Bowbazar will be released on June 1, 2023. I’ve been hearing about Indra Das for a while, but not enough to push him to the top of a crowded TBR.… Continue reading Fantasy Novella Review: The Last Dragoners of Bowbazar by Indra Das
