Tag: review

Magazine Review

Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Three): Reviews of Clarkesworld, GigaNotoSaurus, and F&SF (May 2023)

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In January, I started a new series, which I hope to continue all year, in which I read and review sci-fi/fantasy magazines. I’ve settled on three publications to follow this year: my two favorites from 2022 and a third that has been a titan of the genre for decades. And after a solid-but-unexceptional April, May… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Three): Reviews of Clarkesworld, GigaNotoSaurus, and F&SF (May 2023)

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: Saint Death’s Daughter by C.S.E. Cooney

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The marketing of C.S.E. Cooney’s Saint Death’s Daughter did absolutely nothing to appeal to me. Queer coming-of-age? Could be good, but not a selling point in itself. Features necromancers? That’s probably a negative, to be honest. Comparisons to Gideon the Ninth? Absolutely a negative. But enough bookish friends liked it that I decided to give… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Saint Death’s Daughter by C.S.E. Cooney

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: Witch King by Martha Wells

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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. Witch King will be released on May 30, 2023. Between The Books of the Raksura and The Murderbot Diaries, Martha Wells has become one of my favorite character writers in the contemporary sci-fi/fantasy genre—especially… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Witch King by Martha Wells

Reviews

Sci-fi Novel Review: The Peacemaker’s Code by Deepak Malhotra

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The first round of the second annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC2) has ended, and my team has hand-picked three semifinalists to send to two other teams of fellow judges. In return, we have received six semifinalists from two other judging teams, which we will read before the end of April. And as someone who… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: The Peacemaker’s Code by Deepak Malhotra

Reviews

Sci-fi Novel Review: Night Music by Tobias Cabral

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The first round of the second annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC2) has ended, and my team has hand-picked three semifinalists to send to two other teams of fellow judges. In return, we have received six semifinalists from two other judging teams, which we will read before the end of April. One that piqued particular… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: Night Music by Tobias Cabral

Reviews

Sci-fi Novel Review: Those Left Behind by N.C. Scrimgeour

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The first round of the second annual Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC2) has ended, and my team has hand-picked three semifinalists to send to two other teams of fellow judges. In return, we have received six semifinalists from two other judging teams, which we will read before the end of April. And one of the… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: Those Left Behind by N.C. Scrimgeour

Reviews

Sci-fi Novel Review: The Blue, Beautiful World by Karen Lord

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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. The Blue, Beautiful World will be released on August 29, 2023. After enjoying Redemption in Indigo immensely back in 2020, I’ve had Karen Lord on the list of authors to revisit for a few… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: The Blue, Beautiful World by Karen Lord

Reviews

SFF Novel Review: The Three Armageddons of Enniscorthy Sweeny by R.A. Laffery

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It’s been a very long time since I’ve reread anything that wasn’t a short story or a children’s book, but after an intense R.A. Lafferty binge about a decade ago, I thought it was time to return to some favorites and see how they hold up. And for whatever reason, I decided to skip right… Continue reading SFF Novel Review: The Three Armageddons of Enniscorthy Sweeny by R.A. Laffery

Reviews

Sci-fi Novel Review: The Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolfe

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Being a big fan of R.A. Lafferty, it’s hard not to hear lots of recommendations for the other Catholic sci-fi writer known for his creativity, symbolism, and prose style that’s considered by many fans to be an all-time great. And yet, perhaps intimidated a bit by his reputation for unreliable narrators and confusing plots, it… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: The Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolfe