The nitty-gritty: Four childhood friends are forced to confront the past in Ronald Malfi’s latest, an epic, nightmarish tale with unforgettable characters. “Do you want to see a magic trick?” After absolutely loving Come With Me last year (which made my top five books of 2021), I was both excited and hesitant to read Ronald Malfi’s […]
The nitty-gritty: A seductive, multi-layered story with family secrets, betrayal and magic, perfect for fans of dark contemporary fantasy. “We didn’t wonder where the magic came from, or why it worked. We never asked ourselves, Is this ours to take? We were three damp ducklings, green as leaves, believing with all our crooked hearts that […]
The nitty-gritty: K.D. Edwards concludes the first trilogy in his epic fantasy series with intricate characterization and world-building, thrilling action and plenty of emotional gut punches, all of which add up to another stellar entry in The Tarot Sequence. With The Hourglass Throne, K.D. Edwards brings the first trilogy of his planned nine book series […]
The nitty-gritty: Heartstopping action, hysterically funny dialog and unforgettable characters make A Sh*tload of Crazy Powers a fantastic entry into Jackson Ford’s addictive series. “You stupid little girl,” he says. “Look at me.” I do. He opens his mouth, but I get there first. “Enough with this little girl shit. I have a name. It’s […]
The nitty-gritty: Emily St. John Mandel explores the tenuous boundaries between the past, present and future in Sea of Tranquility, a thoughtful and emotional journey through time. “We knew it was coming.” Once again, Emily St. John Mandel has written a thought-provoking, luminous story about the future, the past, and all the moments in between. […]
The nitty-gritty: An ode to fandoms and the nostalgia of 1980s fantasy films, The Shadow Glass drips with magic, humor, perfect pacing and thrilling adventure. “Jack, didn’t you hear Brol’s story? The Shadow Glass was stolen from the kettu castle, Nebfet was enchanting it when Zavanna found her…none of that happened in the movie. We’re […]
The nitty-gritty: Cosmic horror, shocking violence, colorful characters and black humor come together in Alan Baxter’s follow-up to The Gulp, a delightfully dark bunch of tales that will put you on edge—and keep you there. “There’s interesting and there’s fucked, mate. Nothing good ever came out of Gulpepper.” Is it possible to be fond of […]
The nitty-gritty: Mesmerizing storytelling, history, and magic combine in this stellar multigenerational saga. Back in 2017, I read my first Louisa Morgan book, A Secret History of Witches, and now with her latest, The Great Witch of Brittany, I feel as if I’ve come full circle. Brittany tells the story of Ursule Orchière, the character […]
The nitty-gritty: Titanic meets The Sixth Sense in this terror-filled mystery set in space. I had a blast with Dead Silence, undoubtedly one of my most highly anticipated early 2022 releases, and while it didn’t necessarily go where I expected it to, I found it to be surprising and addictive. Dead Silence features an unreliable narrator […]
The nitty-gritty: Loyalty, betrayal, secrets and lies, sea dragons, prophecies and much much more, The Bone Ship’s Wake is a fitting end to a brilliant fantasy series. “I will find you, Meas,” he said quietly and he spoke only to the bones of Tide Child. “I must find you, for I fear that every day […]