After dropping Kendare Blake’s Three Dark Crowns series, I wanted to see what the cards held for me in her newest book, Champion of Fate. I thought the premise of immortal women sent to turn men and women into heroes was intriguing, and I was more than ready to follow them into battle, but ultimately…
Ilmar is a city under occupation. The Pallaseen (known colloquially as the Pals) have patrolled the streets for three years after deposing the admittedly not well liked Duke. They are there to smooth out the rough edges Ilmar has accrued over its lifetime. Culture is being flattened under the direction of the Schools of Correctness.…
Continue reading ➞ City of Last Chances – Pallin’ Around With the Underground
The Water Outlaws by S. L. Huang tells the story of a group of outcasts who have found common ground in wanting to rid the empire of its corruption and restore it to its former glory. It’s an inspiring and brutal tale of heroes, anti-heroes, and villains all fighting for their version of justice. Huang…
After writing countless short stories and showcasing his skill in anthologies such as Africa Risen, Wole Talabi treats us to his newest novel and fantasy debut, Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon. The story centers on a heist, but it is so much more than a high-stakes story and goes deeper to explore the…
Continue reading ➞ Shigidi And The Brass Head Of Obalufon – Labor Of Love
It’s time for you to switch it up, slow down, and read something unique. C.J. Merwild’s The Nichan Smile tells a haunting yet hopeful story of two young boys and the friendship they develop over many years and against the odds. It is beautiful and terrible and will definitely stand out among your TBR, though…
I wanted to like The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent, I really did. It’s set in a vampiric world, and I was ready to navigate the danger with my humanity on my sleeve. Unfortunately, I entered a world that had big, bloody intentions but fell short by skimming the surface of…
Continue reading ➞ The Serpent And The Wings Of Night – No Teeth
It’s going to be a long summer full of novels with the word sky in them. It won’t be long before you see reviews of The Deep Sky and The Splinter in the Sky from yours truly. Though I would be lying if I said I weren’t excited by the prospect of reading each and…
Continue reading ➞ The Surviving Sky – Falling With Impeccable Style
Africa Risen is a sizable collection of stories from Africa and the African Diaspora edited by Sheree Renée Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, and Zelda Knight. The featured stories are a mixture of science fiction, fantasy and even some horror. Though a few fell flat for me, the majority of the pieces grabbed my attention and…
After reading the back cover of To Poison a King, I thought I had a good idea of where this story would go. I had the formula mapped out in my head and was convinced I knew how everything would play out. But S.G. Prince said, “To hell with your preconceived notions!” and decided to…
My toxic trait is that I love cruel morally-gray characters, which is why I picked up Once Upon a Broken Heart. This story is a spin-off of Stephanie Garber’s first series Caraval, and it’s the first time we meet a man named Jacks. He was one of the few things I like about that series,…
