The nitty-gritty: A story full of great ideas that really shined in some parts, but unfortunately needed more polishing and editing to make it a standout debut. I was intrigued by the idea of Smoke Eaters, a story about a special crew of firefighters with the ability to withstand dragon smoke and slay dragons. And […]
The nitty-gritty: Another winning story from Andrew Mayne, with non-stop thrills, fascinating details about scientific and forensic investigation, and a smart main character who can solve just about any puzzle. Andrew Mayne’s stories are just so damn fun! This is the second in The Naturalist series, starring Dr. Theo Cray, a brilliant computational scientist who […]
The nitty-gritty: Violent, action-packed and filled with cool world-building details, this is an amped up, supernatural Pulp Fiction on steroids! I listened to the jangled murmur of traffic on the freeway—all day, all night—it was the constant rhythm of this city. Sirens punctuated by horns, the bone-vibrating thud of bass from car radios below me. […]
The nitty-gritty: A satisfying conclusion to one of the most inventive urban fantasies out there. Going through international airport security with two prosthetic legs and a steel plate in your head isn’t exactly a piece of cake, but it’s easier than going through with a turban. – Millie Roper The Arcadia Project has been one […]
The nitty-gritty: A weird and wonderful story of colonization, survival and communication. We’d learned a lot, including one more thing. The bamboo was very friendly. Fruit appeared right away near the house where we stayed. Then one of the trunks where we’d tied our hammocks grew a shoot. Each of the new leaves had stripes […]
The nitty-gritty: A thrilling space adventure with danger around every corner—both alien and human. Outpost is a must read for all science fiction fans. I had no expectations going into Outpost, since I have yet to read any fellow blogger reviews of this book, and so I was delighted at how much fun this was! […]
The nitty-gritty: A great mix of contemporary urban fantasy and old-fashioned mythology, with a snarky teen character who won me over. A few years ago I had the pleasure of reading Rachel A. Marks’ debut, Darkness Brutal, and I was very happy to meet her at San Diego Comic Con sometime after that. Rachel was […]
The nitty-gritty: Dark, complex and terrifying, The Hunger fuses historical events with a creeping, supernatural horror, making this a standout book of 2018. A quick note for those who might be sensitive to the use of the word “Indian” when talking about Native Americans: Please note that during the timeframe of these events, Native Americans […]
Welcome to my stop on the By a Charm & a Curse blog tour! I was initially drawn in by the evocative cover, which promises a magical and dangerous story that takes place in one of my favorite settings, the circus. I really enjoyed this atmospheric YA story, and you can read my review below. […]
The nitty-gritty: A highly inventive mash-up of Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein, told in pitch perfect prose that evokes the styles of both Jane Austen and Mary Shelley. What do you get when you take two beloved classics, one gothic and one romantic, and mash them together? In this case, you get a fascinating tale of […]