The nitty-gritty: I wanted the gothic creepiness of What Moves the Dead, but instead this sequel lacked the elements that made the first book so good. “This isn’t just a dream, though. It’s the war.” I absolutely loved What Moves the Dead last year, and I was honestly surprised to see Kingfisher had written a […]
The nitty-gritty: Magic, art forgery and heists make up the plot of Gwenda Bond’s latest, a fun mash-up with mixed results. I ended up having a lot of fun with The Frame-Up, despite a few issues with pacing and some of the world building elements. Gwenda Bond has written a magical heist story with a […]
The nitty-gritty: A man gets more than he bargained for when he decides to go after his fiancé in this strange, compelling but uneven sci-fi tale. This was an odd one, folks. The tagline on the cover promises a sci-fi thriller, but “thriller” is not a word I would use to describe The Sanctuary. That’s […]
The nitty-gritty: A short, psychological horror story that is heavy on mood and light on plot. Your Shadow Half Remains is a psychological horror story that takes place after a pandemic-like event, and it’s definitely more “psychological” than “horror,” in my opinion, which is probably why I didn’t rate it higher. I do love Sunny […]
The nitty-gritty: A remarkable story in so many ways, Shelby Van Pelt’s debut will stick with me for a very long time. What a wonderful surprise this was! I thought Remarkably Bright Creatures was a story about a woman and an octopus, but it turned out to be so much more than that. This is […]
The nitty-gritty: A fascinating idea—cryonics—held my attention, but the plot was confusing at times, as the author kept his readers in the dark far too long. Deep Freeze is a sci-fi thriller about cryonics, and I enjoyed parts of it very much. Saying that, I struggled with the way the story was told, which I’ll […]
The nitty-gritty: Thrilling, romantic and charged with emotion, The Serpent & the Wings of Night is the dark vampire tale you didn’t know you needed. I hadn’t even heard of this book when I was offered a review copy, but a few glowing reviews caught my attention and I agreed to read it. And I’m […]
The nitty-gritty: Emily Wilde and friends return in this whimsical, magical sequel that succeeds on every level. “I have never felt so spent. Yet I must write what happened—for how else will it be known? Already the details drift from my mind like dandelion seeds scattered by the wind. The price of too much time […]
The nitty-gritty: Short but powerful, The Tusks of Extinction is an emotional journey through time and memory. “Damira was there again, listening to uncle Timur read to her. This was the gift of the mammoth mind, the elephant mind; to be where she was and elsewhere as well. To be in this present and yet […]
The nitty-gritty: A well-written debut with a loveable main character, Thirteen Ways To Kill Lulabelle Rock is a fresh, funny and feel-good story. “At the end of all this, there’s going to be one Lulabelle left. Who do you want it to be?” What happens when a famous actress tells her thirteenth clone to kill […]