The nitty-gritty: A twist on the magical school trope told from the parents’ point of view, Caitlin Rozakis’s latest is a fun, heartfelt story with wry humor and a cozy vibe. “Oct 27 12:05 p.m. A kind reminder after last year’s incident that many of the off-the-shelf (Halloween) costumes sold in mundane stores are considered […]
The nitty-gritty: Tochi Onyebuchi’s latest melds hard boiled noir and fantasy in a perfectly paced story with humor and heart. “The français are a Harmattan that never ends.” Harmattan Season is a tautly written crime story with magical overtones, set in a fantasy version of postcolonial West Africa. This is a slow-burn mystery told from […]
The nitty-gritty: A spell gone wrong turns a prince into a horse in this funny (at times) fantasy where the horsey antics are the best part of the story. “Virtue of Mercy. I was married to a horse.” Behooved is a fun and silly romantasy that offers a lot of laughs and some feel good […]
The nitty-gritty: I loved the magical worldbuilding and stellar writing, but the plot felt scattered and confusing, resulting in a story with mixed results. Don’t Sleep With the Dead is a companion novella to Nghi Vo’s The Chosen and the Beautiful, a magical retelling of The Great Gatsby which I read almost four years ago […]
The nitty-gritty: Adventure, danger, magic and a touch of romance, Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales brings all these elements and more together in this satisfying series conclusion. “I must write it down. For it is in writing that I will discover a way out. A door within the story. There is one. It cannot […]
The nitty-gritty: I enjoyed parts of this bizarre fantasy/horror novella, but some elements were a little too bizarre. But Not Too Bold is a very weird piece of fiction that didn’t completely work for me, but I do appreciate some of the things the author did with worldbuilding. I also loved the Latin American flavor […]
The nitty-gritty: A delightfully unique fantasy tale, Greenteeth combines richly developed folkloric world-building with lovable, flawed characters. A delight from start to finish. “‘There is some hope then?’ I asked. ‘You remember what I said the first time we met, Jenny? There is always hope.’” I came very close to not requesting Greenteeth, and I’m […]
The nitty-gritty: A delightful romantasy that focuses more on characters and world-building than romance, Wooing the Witch Queen is the perfect start to a promising series. I’ve been a Stephanie Burgis fan since 2016, and with each new book, she gets better and better. Wooing the Witch Queen is the start to a new romantasy […]
The nitty-gritty: Another magical and thought provoking entry in the Wayward Children series, Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear brings one character’s origin story to life. This is the tenth book in Seanan McGuire’s magical—and slightly uneven—fantasy portal series, and I feel the need to not only review this particular book, but give you my […]
The nitty-gritty: The Hollow and the Haunted is an impressive YA debut with humor, high stakes and a nicely done grumpy/sunshine romance. You probably know I’m not a big YA reader, and when I do read it, it takes a lot to impress me. I’ve seen lots of enthusiastic reviews of The Hollow and the […]