I am left with a lot of questions after finishing Neon Yang’s The Genesis of Misery. The primary one being, “so what?” Described as a combination of Neon Genesis Evangelion meets retelling of Joan of Arc, I would say that Misery lives up to its promises. Yet, while I think this is an imaginative and…
I find myself in a difficult position when it comes to picking a score for today’s book. Nona The Ninth, the third book in The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir, has a complicated existence. On the one hand, Muir is one of the most talented authors around right now. Her incredible prose and outstanding…
The Bruising of Qilwa, a novella by Naseem Jamnia, is a short story about being trans, immigration, belonging, and how plague/tragedy can change reality for many people. The story is entertaining, heartfelt, and it brings some nice representation to a genre that could always use more. However, while it is both cute and fun it…
Continue reading ➞ The Bruising of Qilwa – More Than Meets The Eye
Introducing another surprise hit for 2022, Ed McDonald’s Daughter of Redwinter. I have read McDonald’s other fantasy series, Raven’s Mark, and enjoyed myself greatly. There was definitely room for improvement, but the core of his last series was great (you can find reviews about it here) and McDonald has a real talent for bringing life…
Continue reading ➞ Daughter Of Redwinter – Two Headstones Way Up
I will forever keep anything Nghi Vo writes at the top of my TBR because every story is unlike anything I have read before. She has captured my attention once again with her most recent release, Siren Queen. This time, Vo pulls back the curtain on the glitz, glamour, and dark side of Hollywood as…
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske is utterly delightful and one of the best books I’ve read in 2021. I am blinded by the joy this book brought me, and I can’t help but feel warm and fuzzy all over. I know it’s cliche but Marske’s story is truly magical and conjures all the right…
Making the transition from novella series to a full-fledged novel is not an easy one, but today we have another example of someone who got it right. A Master of Djinn, by P. Djèlí Clark, is the fourth story in the Dead Djinn universe and the first full book. It is set in 1912 in…
Light from Uncommon Stars, by Ryka Aoki, is a very strange book in the best way possible. It’s a story about music, trans individuals, aliens, loneliness, video games, Faustian bargains, San Gabriel Valley, donut shops, and more. It is wholly its own thing, despite the blurb on the back saying it’s Good Omens meets The…
Continue reading ➞ Light From Uncommon Stars – Rare Brilliance
Gangsters, ghosts, and gods. That’s what you’re up against in Black Water Sister by Zen Cho. Be prepared to deal with at least two threats at any given time. And when a god shows up, well, just start praying. Cho’s standalone story is a brilliant blend of reality and the supernatural set against the vibrancy…
It's only as I write this that I realize that I am a complete idiot and the title of this book, She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan, is the mother of all puns. It’s about a woman who rose to fame and fortune by shining brighter than the sun, by pretending to be…
Continue reading ➞ She Who Became The Sun – Hotter Than A Drought
