Ariadne flips the legend of Theseus, minotaur-slayer, on its head, focusing instead on the titular Ariadne and her sister, Phaedra. But is this particular odyssey into the well-trodden realm of Greek myth retellings worth the trials ahead? Time to trade in our Dark Horse picks for Dark Pegasus picks and find out, because Jennifer Saint’s…
P. Djèlí Clark’s Ring Shout taps into fantasy and horror to tell a story of racism in America. It reads like an ominous tale told around the campfire, a short story to warn listeners against festering hatred that thrives on those who are quick to use it. I am usually a glutton for content, but…
One of my favorite books from 2019 was Sarah Pinsker’s debut novel, A Song for a New Day. She so perfectly captured the search for hope within a fairly boring and mundane dystopia. When I read the description for her new book, I knew I wanted to get my hands on it. While it certainly…
Continue reading ➞ We Are Satellites – An Object in Motion, Stays in Motion
The Shadow of the Gods is the first installment in a brand new series by John Gwynne, an author I have read consistently for the last few years. This time he takes on Norse mythology and incorporates it into a new epic fantasy trilogy called The Bloodsworn Saga. I watched the new Mortal Kombat movie…
It’s time for another Dark Horse! This is one I have been wanting to get to for a while, but it’s hard to right a ship after just completely blowing past your destination. I was caught in its wake first by it’s insanely gorgeous cover, and second by the promise of its story and potential…
This review will be short and sweet and primarily for those of you who are already reading The Murderbot Diaries, by Martha Wells. If you aren’t already reading Murderbot, you have made a mistake; please go read my review for book one - All Systems Red. To the rest of you who are still here,…
As I dive deeper and deeper into science fiction as a genre, I’ve felt a much more intense need to read short stories. Much like the novella, there is so much more room to be sharper, snappier, and fulfill a theme in novel ways. Unfortunately, it’s very hard to review short stories. Collections help sometimes,…
Continue reading ➞ I’m Waiting for You and Other Stories — Patience is a Virtue
Congratulations to both Black Sun, the first book in the Between Earth and Sky series, and its author Rebecca Roanhorse! This book was so much better than I was prepared for, and I feel so bad that I didn’t read it in 2020, that I have invented a new award that we will use going…
Having read Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow, I was expecting another genre-bending experience when I read Mexican Gothic. But that is not how this story goes. The book reads like the well-loved gothic tales of old, and it will absolutely delight fans of this particular genre. This is not a bad thing whatsoever,…
Continue reading ➞ Mexican Gothic – New Faces, Familiar Fates
Last year, I chose Nick Martell’s The Kingdom of Liars as one of my Dark Horse selections. In fact, it was one of two picks on my list. In my review, I lauded the book’s lightning-quick pace and worldbuilding, hoping it would herald a new fantasy saga to watch. The Two-Faced Queen, Martell’s second installment,…
