The nitty-gritty: An inventive and quirky tale, Hearts of Oak was a surprise from start to finish. Well, this was an odd story! And I mean that in a good way. Whatever you think Hearts of Oak is about, be ready to adjust your perceptions, because it started one way, and at about the halfway […]
The nitty-gritty: Six high school friends with magical abilities get into a heap of trouble in Gailey’s first foray into young adult fiction. Sarah Gailey is a rockstar in publishing these days, with no less than four new books published within a span of less than two years. In their latest, they dip their toes […]
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: 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: 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 […]
The nitty-gritty: Kiersten White’s Buffyverse series wraps up nicely with Chosen, despite a few uneven plot points, and our favorite characters are back with plenty of snarky humor and Buffy Easter eggs. “Anyway, you should have said you were a Slayer. Slayers and I go way back. Here.” He pulls out one of his cards, […]
The nitty-gritty: Fans of Down Among the Sticks and Bones will love this follow-up, as we get to go back “home” to the Moors, a world where death and murder are everyday occurrences. “This is terrible,” said Sumi brightly. “I mean, we knew it was going to be terrible when we followed a mad scientist […]
The nitty-gritty: A tense, thrilling mystery with tinges of the supernatural, Damien Angelica Walters’ latest will have your frantically turning pages long into the night. Damien Angelica Walters is known for her edgy and disturbing horror stories, and I was excited to dive into her latest novel. With The Dead Girls Club, she veers off […]
The nitty-gritty: Malka Oldler’s insights into the human condition give these quirky stories heft and emotion, and I thought about them long after I had finished reading. I really enjoyed Malka Older’s serialized science fiction story, Ninth Step Station, so when I was asked if I’d like to read her latest short story collection, I […]