The nitty gritty: A woman on the run encounters mysteries and horrors on a derelict space ship, in this scary but uneven space thriller. I can’t resist a good sci-fi horror story, and once again S.A. Barnes gives her fans a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller with some good jump scares and plenty of atmosphere. Although Cold […]
The nitty-gritty: A kooky, feel-good road trip story set in a Matrix-like world, When We Were Real explores the meaning of life in a humorous, heartfelt way. “Getting inebriated inside a sim was like turning yourself into a cartoon—and then turning on your cartoon television to watch the Simpsons watch Itchy and Scratchy.” Not only […]
The nitty-gritty: A surreal, locked room murder mystery set in an impossible house, Rose/House is a beautifully written puzzle of a story. “There is, as there has always been for Selene inside one of Basit’s buildings, a sense of hypnosis. Of being led, of being let into a a secret, a series of revelations, stripping […]
The nitty-gritty: Humor, action and romance combine in this latest entry in Constance Fay’s absurdly fun sci-fi series. This is the third book in Constance Fay’s Uncharted Hearts series, and Chaos is another adrenaline-fueled story with lovable characters and plenty of humor. I did have a few issues with pacing and logistics this time, although […]
The nitty-gritty: John Scalzi takes an absurd idea and adds humor, heart and thoughtful commentary about life in this fast-paced, engaging “what if” story. You can always count on John Scalzi to come up with fresh ideas, even if they’re waaay out there (literally, in this case), and that’s what you get with When the […]
The nitty-gritty: A generation ship is the setting for this cozy space mystery, a series opener that explores memories and leaving home. Murder By Memory is a fun, imaginative generation ship story with an intriguing mystery at the center and the perfect book to curl up with for a couple of hours. This is my […]
The nitty-gritty: Epic in scope but somehow intimate as well, Future’s Edge is an end-of-the-world tale with heart and hope. “The fall of Earth was both sudden and protracted. Ships filled with Cutters shimmered into existence above the planet. They looked like flowers fashioned from glass and filigree, with components whose geometries seemed to overlap […]
The nitty-gritty: An intriguing mystery that focuses on the emotional relationships between the characters, The Third Rule of Time Travel is a different take on the time travel trope. Philip Fracassi, who is known for writing horror, turns to science fiction in his latest, a twisty, thought provoking time travel story. Time travel is a […]
The nitty-gritty: Found family, tense action and otherworldly elements combine in this engaging and funny story with big ideas. For my first T.J. Klune book, I think this was a great place to start. Of course, I have nothing to compare it to, but I absolutely loved The Bones Beneath My Skin, even though Klune’s […]
The nitty-gritty: A mysterious tower is the setting for this entertaining sci-fi/fantasy tale, made better by Dan Hanks’ emotional themes. Dan Hanks takes a familiar idea—the survival game—and twists it into something new and exciting. The Way Up is Death is a fast-paced thriller with horror elements and a bit of a LitRPG feel to […]