We're back with another installment of The Book Rookie! This time, Alex and Andrew join cole to discuss The Hero of Ages, Brandon Sanderson's thrilling conclusion to the original Mistborn trilogy! Just catching up? Listen to our discussions about Mistborn and The Well of Ascension before you dive in. And enjoy our shiny new musical…
Tag: Fantasy
Cuphead Carnival Chaos: A Gollywompin’ Good Time
When you see Cuphead Carnival Chaos on shelves, be they virtual or digital, you may ask yourself: who is this book for? Fair question. There are two answers. One is obvious, and the other is semi-obvious. The obvious answer: Cuphead Carnival Chaos is for fans of Cuphead. The semi-obvious answer is that this book is…
Continue reading ➞ Cuphead Carnival Chaos: A Gollywompin’ Good Time
5 Lighthearted Reads for Dreary Times
Let’s get straight to the point: everything is tough right now. And rather than regurgitate the buzzwords and messaging you see on all your social platforms, I’d like to shift gears and offer you a little light to get through some dark times. Here are five lighthearted reads that will put a smile on your…
In an Absent Dream – Indecision Meets Duality
In an Absent Dream marks a return to form for Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series, which faltered in book three after its impressive first and second installments. Here, we learn the backstory of Lundy, a character left tragically underexplored in Every Heart A Doorway. Lundy’s arc in Every Heart was short but sweet, and her…
Continue reading ➞ In an Absent Dream – Indecision Meets Duality
Beneath the Sugar Sky – Nonsense Meets Mortality
Beneath the Sugar Sky returns, if only for a moment, to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. The third novella in the aptly named Wayward Children series brings us back to present-day following Jack and Jill’s prequel adventure in Down Among the Sticks and Bones. This pattern of alternating past-present stories will continue, according to…
Continue reading ➞ Beneath the Sugar Sky – Nonsense Meets Mortality
Construct – The Foundations Have Been Laid
I’ve never had the inclination to read self-published titles. I’m always worried I’ll read into it too deeply or be overly critical, because I can so rarely turn off that portion of my brain. So when Luke Matthews reached out to me and requested an honest review of his self-published book Construct, I was a…
Continue reading ➞ Construct – The Foundations Have Been Laid
Down Among the Sticks and Bones – Childhood Meets Brutality
Down Among the Sticks and Bones, Seanan McGuire’s first prequel to Every Heart a Doorway, offers brutal ruminations on the nature of childhood and the implications of growing up. This story, starring twin sisters Jacqueline (Jack) and Jill (before you ask--yes, there are plenty of references to the nursery rhyme. No, they’re not overdone), paints…
Continue reading ➞ Down Among the Sticks and Bones – Childhood Meets Brutality
Hearts of Oak – It Did Not Grow On Me
When I read the premise of Hearts of Oak, by Eddie Robson, I got excited. Growing buildings within an expanding city? Sign me up. The main character is an architect trying to understand the underpinnings of her world after being awoken from a stupor that required her to continuously expand the kingdom? Heck yeah, this…
Every Heart A Doorway – Magic Meets Reality
Seanan McGuire weaves a poignant tale in Every Heart A Doorway, the first novella in her award-winning Wayward Children series. Through expert world-building and a sharp writing style, Every Heart A Doorway provides a heart-wrenching look at belonging, acceptance, and what it means to be stripped of them. When protagonist Nancy finds herself ejected from…
Continue reading ➞ Every Heart A Doorway – Magic Meets Reality
The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro – Fantasy Divorce Simulator
The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro, by K.S. Villoso, is equal parts compelling, refreshing, engrossing, and frustrating. The novel has a problem-- it has an extremely rough start in the service of setting up a brilliant finale. Before I dive in and start lauding the book’s many positive qualities, I want to say this upfront: if you…
Continue reading ➞ The Wolf Of Oren-Yaro – Fantasy Divorce Simulator