This review contains spoilers! The nitty-gritty: Szpara tackles some big ideas in this edgy, sometimes shocking dystopian, but the lack of concrete world-building, uneven pacing and dubious character motivations left me a little cold. I don’t usually do ranty reviews, but once in a while I read a book that simply demands one. Docile is […]
The nitty-gritty: Dark and magical, You Let Me In surprised me in every way possible and is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Faeries are no fit company for the living; touching them taints you like a disease. I grew like a pale fruit in the shadows, small and bitter, never getting […]
The nitty-gritty: An exciting, fast-paced fantasy debut that will leave readers clamoring for the next book. Wow, this was fun! I believe this is A.K. Larkwood’s debut novel, and I was very impressed. The Unspoken Name is set in a fantastical world where dying cities, sleeping gods, airships, magical portals and more set the stage […]
The nitty-gritty: Queer Librarians take on the Man in this rolicking, imaginitive Wild West tale. Esther was, she realized, nothing more than a hand of cards in a poker game between these three women. She was only a symbol. She wasn’t the thing they were playing for. And like a bad hand, she could be […]
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: A raw and heartbreaking story about growing up Black, Onyebuchi infuses his tale with fantastical elements and gives us characters who are not willing to sit still. I went into Riot Baby with no expectations at all, and I think that’s the best way to approach this story. This short novella is a […]
The nitty-gritty: An seemingly innocent game turns dark and deadly in Danny Tobey’s latest sci-fi thriller. The God Game is being heavily compared to Black Mirror by other reviewers, but because I’ve never watched that show, I can’t say how accurate the comparison is. But what I can tell you is that I had so […]
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 thrilling and completely entertaining read from start to finish, Charles Soule once again knocks it out of the park with Anyone. Anyone is a December release that I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get to by the end of the year, but I’m so glad I decided to pick it up. […]