Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente is one of the hardest books I have read. It is magical and terrifying like all good fairy tales are, but I also had to fight to find my footing with every sentence. As soon as I had a grasp of Valente’s tale, it would change so sharply that I…
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…
This post originally ran on Tor.com. There’s a lot to be said about the intersection of fantasy and the insanely large pantheon of anime content, to put it mildly. Today, I’d like to focus on Death Note and its smart, if a bit on-the-nose, use of a hard magic system to tell its story. My anime sample size…
Continue reading ➞ Death Note Is The Perfect Beginner’s Guide To Hard Magic Systems
I read Alexandra Rowland’s guest post over at The Fantasy Hive about “small magic,” and just knew I had to pick up A Taste of Gold and Iron. The post teased a plot about counterfeiting and money manipulation diving into the idea of magic users as an ecological niche that had my heart brimming with…
Continue reading ➞ A Taste of Gold and Iron – Smelts My Heart
The Kindly Ones was the epic climax, tying together myriad Sandman storylines into a delightful culmination of the series. The Wake, then, takes the loose ends left by those threads and elegantly offers endings for characters whose stories still go on after the universe-changing events of the previous volume. Hefty spoilers follow for Volume 9:…
Continue reading ➞ Sandman Volume Ten: The Wake – Loose Ends
The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne was an unintended adventure. I did not seek this book out, but it fell into my hands, and I gave it a go. There was probably a reason this story did not make it onto my carefully crafted TBR, and now I know why. Haelewise has a simple…
I make it no secret that I love Tade Thompson’s work. Ever since the Rosewater Trilogy I’ve been hooked and eagerly anticipate any new releases with his name on them. However, I waited until The Legacy of Molly Southbourne was released before diving into his trilogy of horror novellas. I make it no secret that…
Continue reading ➞ Molly Southbourne – Life After Death After Death After Death
Another year, another Avatar: The Last Airbender canon entry to review! F.C. Yee burst onto the scene in 2019 and 2020 with the Kyoshi duology. Both books were solid entries into the growing pantheon of Avatar stories. I even pined for Rise and Shadow to be adapted into a Kyoshi-centric movie. Now, F.C. Yee returns…
Continue reading ➞ The Dawn Of Yangchen – Something In The Air
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…
I am not sure who the target audience is for The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, but I think most readers would have a good time. As long as you are interested in part of the bizarre mix of contents that Megan Bannen has stuffed inside its pages you will have a ton of fun.…
Continue reading ➞ The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy – Somehow Making Undertaking Sexy And Fun
