The nitty-gritty: A fast-paced mystery with plenty of creepy moments, Ghoster gets off to a strong start but ends up a little too WTF for my taste. This is probably going to be the most disappointing book of the year for me. I absolutely loved The Last Days of Jack Sparks, and I’ve been waiting […]
The nitty-gritty: A touch of romance blended with a magical tale of witches and wine, The Vine Witch was a pleasant surprise. October is the perfect month for stories about witches, and The Vine Witch is an atmospheric tale that, while very light on spooky elements, offers plenty of magic and witchy folklore. I don’t […]
The nitty-gritty: I loved the moody, dangerous quality of these stories, but both endings left me confused. Demain Publishing’s Short Sharp Shocks! is a series of short horror fiction by various authors, and I was recently offered a review copy of their most recent release by Mike Thorn. Dreams of Lake Drukka & Exhumation is […]
A love spell is not a bouquet of flowers but a boot in your face, grinding its muddy heel. The nitty-gritty: A worthy follow-up to The Girl With Ghost Eyes, Boroson’s latest shines with magical imagery, sparkling and downright funny dialog, complex characters and an immensely satisfying plot, all framed by the rich history of […]
The nitty-gritty: Another winner from Sharon Lynn Fisher, The Absinthe Earl is a delightful historical romance, meticulously researched and full to the brim with unexpected fantasy elements and a fast moving plot. I stared wide-eyed and then dropped into a drunkard’s curtsy, blushing like a lovesick maiden. “Your Majesty,” I murmured. I closed my eyes, […]
The nitty-gritty: A short but powerful tale of the dark emotional lives of a family, Ormeshadow is an exceptional novella with the promise of magic just around the corner. I had no idea what to expect when I started Ormeshadow, but I have to say this was a surprise of the best kind. Priya Sharma […]
The nitty-gritty: Sarah Pinsker’s love of music shines through in this wonderful debut, where two women might just have enough moxie between them to change the world. I suppose you could call A Song for a New Day dystopian fiction, but it’s unlike any dystopian I’ve ever read. This story is full of hope, and […]
The nitty-gritty: A delightful adventure filled with mystery, danger, romance and a dog named Bad. Oh, and lots of Doors. She accumulated the dust of other worlds on her skin like ten thousand perfumes, and left constellations of wistful men and impossible tales in her wake. I’ve been reading glowing reviews of this book for […]
The nitty-gritty: A powerful and realistic portrayal of a near future civil war, Our War is a harrowing, emotional and ultimately uplifting story about the nature of war. “After we win this war, we can put away the guns for good.” Last year I was blown away by Craig DiLouie’s One of Us, a grim, […]
I’m thrilled to be helping Apex Books promote their Back Catalog Blog Tour! I’ve been reading and reviewing Apex books for years now, and their quality has just gotten better and better. I can’t stress enough that if you are looking for cutting edge, original and high quality speculative fiction, you just won’t find another […]