For someone who gets scared easily, I--perhaps paradoxically--love reading about the monsters and creatures that stalk the pages of SFF. They always fascinate me, and I find them more terrifying than a human villain ever could be. As the veil begins to thin, take a look at this list of monsters I’ve lost sleep over.…
“If I needed to describe Empire of the Vampire, by Jay Kristoff, in one word, that word would be ‘extra.’ This gigantic epic fantasy, that reads like a cross between Interview with a Vampire and The Name of the Wind, does everything in its power to be edgier than the sharpest knife, louder than a…
We’ve got “last stands” and “epic conclusions” all over the sci-fi and fantasy world, but they’re only made impactful by the all-is-lost moments that precede them. And in the six-volume Descender saga, by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen, Rise of the Robots serves up that all-is-lost moment with a dash of hope. Descender Volume 5…
Continue reading ➞ Descender Volume 5: Rise of the Robots – Heating Up
Time for one last spooky book read before the end of October. Usually, it would be prudent to end this hallowed month with a bit of triumphalism. A reminder that all things spooky are good, and the genre's growing presence is reaffirmed. But folks, I have to tell you, I will not be able to…
Continue reading ➞ HEX – This Book Is Cursed And Not In A Good Way
Ken Liu has been quietly carving out a nook in the annals of epic fantasy, and not enough people are reading his work. The Dandelion Dynasty is enormous; a four-book series with installments that are roughly 1000 pages each. Book three, The Veiled Throne, is coming out soon, and it’s an absolute must-read. However, one…
Time for another horror novel folks, and I have to say this one left me in a bit of a tizzy. Slewfoot, by Brom, is a slow burn historical horror that captures Puritan culture vividly, but falters when delivering on the horror and its themes. Slewfoot is the story of Abitha, an Englishwoman sold as…
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…
The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker may be filled with darkness, but it’s another great read to ignite your spooky season. This story is unique and at the helm is a main character archetype I rarely experience but thoroughly enjoy. Baker immerses her reader in the world of Reapers and Shinigami where death…
Continue reading ➞ The Keeper Of Night – Hello Darkness, My Old Friend
The Last Graduate, by Naomi Novik, is one of the best books of the year for many readers. I don’t think that will surprise anyone who has read A Deadly Education, which was one of my top picks of last year. The Scholomance series stands out from the pack with a unique narrative experience, fabulous setting,…
Today, we continue our descent into the wonderful world of Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen’s Descender graphic novel series. The last three issues have earned 9s across the board from me, and Volume 4: Orbital Mechanics continues the tradition of excellent sci-fi space spelunking. Volume 3 brought us some significant reveals that shook the story…
Continue reading ➞ Descender Volume 4: Orbital Mechanics – Connective Tissue
