The nitty-gritty: Lady and Lord Riven have one last magical adventure in this exciting conclusion to Stephanie Burgis’s lively historical fantasy series. As far as I know, this is the last book in Stephanie Burgis’ delightful Lady & Lord Riven series, and I’m very sad! The author has created a fascinating fantasy world full of […]
The nitty-gritty: A young visual effects designer discovers the dark side of social media and fame in Alma Katsu’s latest, a fast-paced, modern day cautionary tale. Alma Katsu has taken her knowledge of social media—she was one of the first social media research analysts—and turned it into a harrowing tale about the price of fame. […]
The nitty-gritty: Weird, complex and bloody, The Calamities brings big mob energy to a supernatural tale about demons and those that worship them. Chuck Wendig never fails to deliver epic, emotionally charged stories, and The Calamities is no exception. This is a big, sprawling, multi-character story that I’m calling “Game of Thrones meets The Dark […]
The nitty-gritty: Zombies aren’t the only killers in this tense YA thriller, an exciting start to a new series. If you’re looking for a dark, gritty YA zombie story, then look no further. If We Survive the Night was unexpectedly violent, and the main character surprised me in more ways than one. This is a […]
The nitty-gritty: Horror and romance combine in some interesting ways in Devil Inside, a dark but oddly sweet demonic possession tale. “I like it here. Inside you. I think I might stay for a while.” In his latest horror novel, Clay McLeod Chapman takes the idea of demonic possession and turns it into a love […]
The nitty-gritty: A Lovecraftian-inspired story set in Korea, A Plagued Sea is an unsettling, claustrophobic nightmare. “There are, in fact, fish in the sea that have developed limbs like arms or legs to crawl along the seabed. With the volcanic eruption, rarely seen sea creatures from the deep ocean were swept onto the shore. People […]
The nitty-gritty: Filled with memorable characters, enchanting creatures and a touch of romance, Sea of Charms offers thrilling adventures and feel-good emotional moments. Sea of Charms is the third book in Sarah Best Durst’s interconnected series of cozy fantasy romances, and you can definitely read this as a standalone (in my opinion, it doesn’t really […]
The nitty-gritty: The perfect antidote to action-heavy fantasy, The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance has surprising depth, well drawn characters, and a nice found family vibe. “Climbing a mountain is more than simply striving for the peak, Ainsworth.” For a book that got off to a very shaky start, I was surprised by […]
The nitty-gritty: Cynthia Pelayo reimagines the story of Peter Pan, with elements both new and familiar, in this emotionally charged tale. This isn’t the first Peter Pan retelling I’ve read that casts Peter as the villain—check out Lost Boy by Christina Henry for an excellent example of that—but it was a good one! Cynthia Pelayo […]
The nitty-gritty: Welcome to Fell, New York, a town with many unsolved mysteries and plenty of ghosts. The Sun Down Motel has a room waiting for you, if you’re brave enough to enter… I’m so glad I finally made time to read The Sun Down Motel, after diving into Simone St. James’s A Box Full […]