The nitty gritty: An emotional journey through grief and self-loathing, Eric LaRocca’s latest is a dark, gut punch of a story. “The world is nothing more than a carnivorous plant that devours the things that are the softest and most delicate.” Eric LaRocca has come up with yet another intense, emotional story about damaged people […]
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: 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 […]
The nitty-gritty: Despite a few minor flaws, The Crash was such a fun ride, with breakneck pacing and plenty of dramatic twists. This was my first time reading a Freida McFadden book, and it won’t be the last. The Crash is a twisty, over-the-top thriller that reminded me of Stephen King’s Misery a bit, and […]
The nitty-gritty: Full of vivid imagery, thrilling action scenes and plenty of emotion, All the Water in the World is this year’s “don’t miss” post-apocalyptic story. “That storm, the last storm of Amen, was a hypercane, like Jess predicted, the Monster in the Water. It moved faster than thought and faster than sense. It swept […]
The nitty-gritty: A bold, violent and sometimes shocking possession story, Wake Up and Open Your Eyes is light on plot but impossible to forget. Clay McLeod Chapman isn’t afraid to take risks with his writing, and he’s embraced that completely in Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, a unique take on the possession story. Chapman’s […]
The nitty-gritty: Grady Hendrix’s latest takes a more serious tone as he explores heavy topics like teen pregnancy in this emotion-packed story of friendship and self discovery. Power cannot be given, it must be taken. It is the ability to enact your will upon the world and it must be earned by the spilling of […]
The nitty-gritty: Found family, low stakes and fascinating world building make Rumor Has It another winning entry in Cat Rambo’s cozy sci-fi series. “That’s all a family is,” he signed. “People staying together as long as they possibly can.” Rumor Has It is the third book in Cat Rambo’s cozy space opera series, but it’s […]