The nitty-gritty: An excellent sequel, Hel’s Eight brings readers more of Ten Low‘s desolate and dangerous desert setting and larger than life characters, with just the right balance of action and emotion. Last year I read Stark Holborn’s Ten Low and loved it, and I’m so happy that the author decided to continue Ten’s story. […]
The nitty-gritty: Epic in scope but intimate in characterization, Infinity Gate introduces a fascinating multiverse with a high stakes plot, plenty of twists and relentless pacing. M.R. Carey won my heart years ago when I read The Girl With All the Gifts, and since then his stories have never failed to impress me. And Infinity […]
The nitty-gritty: A promising idea turned sour for me, as the relationship drama overwhelmed the fascinating wolf plot. Feed Them Silence has an intriguing premise: in the future, an interface has been developed that will link the minds of a human and a wolf, thus enabling humans to better understand a near extinct species. Sean […]
The nitty-gritty: A sweeping family saga dripping with gothic atmosphere, The Girl From Rawblood is both a love story and a tragedy, filled with dread and shocking revelations. “When I try to think of Rawblood, to draw it with words, a muffling whiteness comes. I can’t describe it any more than I can my own […]
The nitty-gritty: A perplexing mystery and a second chance romance set the stage for this engaging science fiction series starter. This was such a lovely, gentle story with unique world building, and I really enjoyed it. If the description “cozy mystery set in space with a queer love story” gets your attention, then you will […]
The nitty-gritty: Five young writers get the chance of a lifetime in this high octane thriller debut with surprises around every corner. The Writing Retreat is one of those thrillers that starts out strong and keeps you guessing, and then later in the story sort of goes off the rails with lots of over-the-top action […]
The nitty-gritty: Zoje Stage’s latest should have worked, but too many disconnected elements made for an overall confusing and lackluster thriller. I had high hopes for Mothered, since I’ve had such good experiences with Stage’s other books, but unfortunately this didn’t completely work for me. The premise is great: a woman struggling to pay her […]
The nitty-gritty: An apocalyptic virus, eldritch horrors, brain eaters and more, Sister, Maiden, Monster feels like the literary equivalent of thrash metal, and that’s a compliment:-) “Living with her is breathtakingly terrifying. She seems aware, occasionally, that she’s become a complete maniac. If you crossed a savant with a perfect predator, gave that hybrid a […]
The nitty-gritty: A multi-generational story of the ties that bind a family of women together, with a bit of magic thrown in for good measure. “She looked happy, hand in hand with her husband. Perhaps she was, then. Or perhaps I was standing too far away. A great many things look different from a distance. […]
The nitty-gritty: A feel good story with lovable characters, World Running Down is an engaging dystopian that offers plenty of food for thought. Despite the gloomy title, World Running Down was a breath of fresh air, an upbeat and optimistic story that tackles some heavy themes in an accessible way, and it was simply a […]