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…
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,…
Having spent the last two years digging into the world of novellas, I feel I am starting to get the hang of consistently identifying stories I am going to enjoy. Unfortunately, there are always going to be wild cards that slip through the cracks and ruin your day, much like Fireheart Tiger, by Aliette de…
They say it’s never a good idea to judge a book by it’s cover. After a while, when it comes to actual books, that advice gets harder and harder to follow. It’s not easy with all these amazing artists out there, providing color and form to black and white text. Some of my favorite covers…
Continue reading ➞ Tower of Mud and Straw — Colossal in its Brevity
This year has been full of some genuinely fantastic novellas, and TOR has done an exceptional job of leading the charge. Novellas have such potential to be focused, and a lot of authors have recently showcased that potential in big ways. Novellas can be explosive and monumental and addicting. One that has stuck with me…
This is a weird novella, and I am here for it. The Seventh Perfection, by Daniel Polansky, sits somewhere between a full novel and a novella at just under 200 pages. But what a 200 pages it is. The story’s main gimmick is it is told completely from a second-person point of view, and it…
The real takeaway I got from The Kraken’s Tooth is that Anthony Ryan is a strong writer. I obviously already knew that, given my familiarity with his other work, but it's nice to be reminded that the authors you like are good at their craft. The Kraken's Tooth is the second installment of a seven-part…
Continue reading ➞ The Kraken’s Tooth – What’s Krakenalackin
So is it just me, or everyone else getting tired of me writing reviews about books I liked and/or loved? No? Just me then? Well luckily for you, I have another one of those reviews that you can’t get enough of. Fortunately, this one is a short little piece for a perfectly sized book. If…
I have been beginning to feel like a metaphorical Goldilocks lately when it comes to Asian inspired political period pieces. The last two I tried were The Throne of the Five Winds and The Wolf of Oren-Yaro - neither of which quite did it for me. But, apparently, I have a thing for these kinds…
Continue reading ➞ The Empress Of Salt And Fortune – A Scrumptious Political Snack
Seanan McGuire’s fifth Wayward Children novella brings us once again to Eleanor West’s home for the titular youth. It also returns to the story of Jack (Jacqueline) and Jill, sisters whose collective tale of sibling love and loss rises to a volcanic climax in Come Tumbling Down. Beware--spoilers from previous Wayward Children installments ahead! Jack…
Continue reading ➞ Come Tumbling Down – Sisterhood Meets Finality
