The nitty-gritty: Alma Katsu’s signature atmospheric prose elevates this eerie, domestic thriller set on the ill fated Titanic, with mixed results. The Deep was one of my most highly anticipated books of 2020, and I’m sorry to say it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I was expecting a ghost story set aboard the […]
The nitty-gritty: Lovers cursed by a witch find themselves reliving their lives, over and over, in Constance Sayers’ sparkling and gripping debut. Don’t let the beautiful, ethereal cover fool you. A Witch in Time has some very dark themes mixed in with a romance plot about a trio of people who are connected through time […]
The nitty-gritty: Wormholes, a missing grandmother, relationship drama and even some eldritch god horror infuse this short and lively novella with excitement and heart. Finna was a lot of wacky fun, with some surprisingly thoughtful emotional moments and commentary on identity. I wasn’t sure all these disparate elements would mesh together, but by the end […]
The nitty-gritty: An exciting, fast-paced fantasy debut that will leave readers clamoring for the next book. Wow, this was fun! I believe this is A.K. Larkwood’s debut novel, and I was very impressed. The Unspoken Name is set in a fantastical world where dying cities, sleeping gods, airships, magical portals and more set the stage […]
The nitty-gritty: A lush and evocative story about a young girl’s coming-of-age in Baja California, Untamed Shore was a pleasant surprise. Outside her window, the moon watched her, but it did not judge her. The moon was pure. And she thought of Coyote, who dreamt beautiful yellow dreams and thus created the world. But when […]
The nitty-gritty: A sparkling and witty story set in Stephanie Burgis’s Harwood Spellbook series, full of romance and magic. Stephanie Burgis’ Harwood Spellbook series is a delight, and each new novel or novella expands on her world by focusing on different characters and situations. I’ll admit I’m a little behind on this series, but that […]
The nitty-gritty: Queer Librarians take on the Man in this rolicking, imaginitive Wild West tale. Esther was, she realized, nothing more than a hand of cards in a poker game between these three women. She was only a symbol. She wasn’t the thing they were playing for. And like a bad hand, she could be […]
The nitty-gritty: A deceptively “gentle” epic fantasy tale with bite, The Bard’s Blade is surprisingly addictive and perfectly paced. This series starter is a must read for fans of well developed fantasies. Wow this was fun! If you’re looking for a new fantasy series to start and you want to jump on at the beginning […]
The nitty-gritty: A twisty, clever and irreverent story about demonic possession. So apparently K.J. Parker is a pseudonym for author Tom Holt, and this has been common knowledge for the past five years. I just got that memo, lol, but even if I didn’t know this, it wouldn’t change my opinion of Prosper’s Demon at […]
The nitty-gritty: A dark and dangerous tale filled with monsters, magic and hard choices. A mystium is a crossbreed between a mysting and a mortal. Incredibly rare, as most mystings and mortals are not a reproductive match. One can only assume violence to be involved in their creation. The Will and the Wilds is a […]