At some point in the year or two between my return to genre reading and my decision to start blogging, The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang became an r/Fantasy darling. It won the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO, the elder sister to SPSFC), matching the highest score in the history of the competition, and there… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
At some point last year, Legends & Lattes went from fun, self-published cozy fantasy in a D&D-inspired world to one of the hottest books in the genre, riding the wave to Nebula and Hugo nominations and an Astounding Award nomination for author Travis Baldree. It was on my “look for a chance to get to… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
After my experience with The Calculating Stars and The Relentless Moon, I’m always intrigued by a new release from Mary Robinette Kowal. But The Spare Man came out at a time when I was feeling a little burned out on murder mysteries, and after seeing a few mixed reviews, I decided I’d let this one… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal
I heard so many rave reviews about Spear by Nicola Griffith that I decided to put it off until its inevitable Hugo nomination. Tordotcom novellas seemed unstoppable, and it was getting nothing but praise. And then it ended up not making the list—perhaps due to category confusion, as the word count puts it in that… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Spear by Nicola Griffith
I read T. Kingfisher for the first time a couple years ago when a friend highly recommended A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, and since then I’ve added a fair few others, from the excellent children’s book Harriet the Invincible (as Ursula Vernon) to adult fairy tale retellings and even horror. But Nettle & Bone… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Starling House was released on October 3, 2023. Alix E. Harrow burst onto the scene in the late 2010s with a blend of beautiful imagery, bingeable prose, and fabulist plots featuring sharp moral divides… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: Starling House 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. Generation Ship will be released on October 17, 2023. When I saw Michael Mammay’s Generation Ship pop up on NetGalley, I was intrigued by the blurb, but I’d never heard of the author and… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: Generation Ship by Michael Mammay
This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Hexologists will be released on September 26, 2023. Josiah Bancroft was perhaps the first breakout star of the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO, elder sister to SPSFC), parlaying Senlin Ascends into a four-book deal… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft
After merely enjoying Mexican Gothic while so many of my bookish friends were totally enamored, I figured it’d take a bigger push for me to pick up Silvia Moreno-Garcia again. That push came in the form of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau appearing on the shortlist for the Hugo Award for Best Novel, and I’m… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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
