The nitty-gritty: A perfect mix of history and mystery, Opium and Absinthe was both engaging and informative. I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, so I was delighted to discover that I loved reading about New York City in 1899. Kang builds her fascinating, multilayered story around several historical events: first, the publication of […]
The nitty-gritty: Calvin Demmer offers up a tasty but bloody chocolate box of horrific tales that revolve around holidays. I had seen Calvin Demmer’s collection The Sea Was a Fair Master around, and so when he contacted me to see if I’d be interested in reading his latest short story collection, I immediately agreed. Demmer’s […]
The nitty-gritty: A creeping dread infuses this atmospheric Gothic tale of diabolical family secrets. “The walls speak to me. They tell me secrets. Don’t listen to them, press your hands against your ears, Noemí. There are ghosts. They’re real. You’ll see them eventually.” One of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s strengths is her ability to create an atmospheric […]
The nitty-gritty: A sweet and funny story filled with friendship, family and a little romance. And plenty of sci-fi pop culture name dropping! Bookish and the Beast is another fun entry into Ashley Poston’s lively Once Upon a Con series, where each book takes on a traditional fairy tale and spins it into a modern […]
The nitty-gritty: Another winner from Grace Draven, full of magic, romance, danger and yes, a dragon. I really enjoyed this book, which is the second in Draven’s Fallen Empire series. The story follows a different set of characters from the first book, Phoenix Unbound, but several characters from that book cross over into Dragon Unleashed. […]
The nitty-gritty: An exciting and satisfying conclusion to the series, Chaos Reigning was a ton of fun. I’ve had so much fun with the Consortium Rebellion, and I’m actually sorry that it’s over. Chaos Reigning follows the same format as the first two books in the series but changes up the characters and the plot […]
The nitty-gritty: Creepy and atmospheric, this claustrophobic look at mental illness was surprisingly chilling. She had always loved sleeping and couldn’t understand people who didn’t. It was all of the best things about being dead, but without its permanence. What an unusual story! The Unsuitable is one of those books that blurs the line between […]
The nitty-gritty: Bennett’s complicated magic system dampened some of my enjoyment of this sequel, but the emotional connections between characters and exciting action sequences made up for it. If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that Robert Jackson Bennett always delivers a complex, entertaining and emotional story, and I’m happy to say that […]
The nitty-gritty: For fans of Christina Henry’s Alice books, this collection fills in some of the blanks and gives readers a peek into the emotional lives of her characters. Looking Glass is a collection of four interconnected novellas set in Christina Henry’s Alice world and gives readers some new glimpses into the lives of Alice […]
The nitty-gritty: History, witchcraft and romance collide in Louisa Morgan’s beautifully written story about a secret family lineage. I’m a big fan of Louisa Morgan’s “witch” books, and it’s a given that I’ll read every one she writes. The Age of Witches is another winner, with a wonderfully immersive story and solid writing. I fell […]