The nitty-gritty: Angsty, immature characters, overly-dramatic dialog and secrets revealed too soon add up to a disappointing story. It seems February is the month of disappointments, as yet another one of my highly anticipated 2024 releases failed to impress me. I had high hopes for An Education in Malice, especially after loving the author’s last […]
The nitty-gritty: With a strong beginning and a thrilling ending, I enjoyed parts of House of Hunger, especially the darker horror elements, but overall it turned out to be a mixed bag for me. Of this I am utterly certain: I will never again know peace. —VANESSA, FIRST BLOODMAID OF THE HOUSE OF HUNGER House […]
The nitty-gritty: A delightful blend of humor and self-aware storytelling, A Mirror Mended is the fairy tale multiverse mash-up you didn’t know you needed. “I mean, sure, when one is looking for the lair of a cannibal queen, one expects to encounter a certain degree of spookiness. One might anticipate something resembling the Beast’s castle […]
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: Romance, intrigue and mystery collide in this sparkling science fiction debut. Winter’s Orbit was such a nice surprise! From some of the publisher’s descriptions and comparisons, I was expecting a much more romance-heavy story, but for those of you who shy away when the word “romance” comes up, fear not. The relationship between […]
The nitty-gritty: A lighthearted, humorous “found family” story with plenty of laughs and even a few sweet moments. I enjoyed this unexpectedly humorous and touching novella, even though it didn’t really rock my world. The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water is Zen Cho’s ode to the Chinese wuxia genre of martial arts […]
The nitty-gritty: A sweet and funny story filled with friendship, family and a little romance. And plenty of sci-fi pop culture name dropping! Bookish and the Beast is another fun entry into Ashley Poston’s lively Once Upon a Con series, where each book takes on a traditional fairy tale and spins it into a modern […]
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: Wormholes, a missing grandmother, relationship drama and even some eldritch god horror infuse this short and lively novella with excitement and heart. Finna was a lot of wacky fun, with some surprisingly thoughtful emotional moments and commentary on identity. I wasn’t sure all these disparate elements would mesh together, but by the end […]
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 […]