The nitty-gritty: A refreshingly original YA fantasy with pirates, sea monsters and deeply developed and complex relationships. They can try to kill me all they want, but I’m the girl who stands on the backs of the beasts of the NeoPacific. The Minnow blazes from within, promising life and warmth and villainy, but out here […]
The nitty-gritty: A delicious blend of magic and intrigue, deception and romantic tension, a perfectly paced follow-up that will leave you longing for more. Beware: spoilers await all ye who have not read A Darker Shade of Magic! It’s been a year since I read A Darker Shade of Magic, but I easily fell right […]
The nitty-gritty: A fast-paced sci-fi adventure, with one of the coolest concepts I’ve ever run across, and a twist that you won’t see coming. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Will McIntosh’s adult novels (Love Minus Eighty and Defenders) but this is the first book of his I’ve read. In his YA debut, McIntosh has come […]
The nitty-gritty: A gritty and magical story with plenty of danger, romance and a very special drink called sorcerer’s shine. Magic can achieve a lot of things, but it can’t undo the past. I’ve sworn off sorcery, buried my magic with earth, blood, and tears below the ground, but I’d gladly sell my soul to […]
The nitty-gritty: A twisty and addictive mystery with cool science fiction overtones, full of atmosphere galore. I’ve read two outrageous stories in the past week, and this is one of them. (The other being Burning Midnight which I’ll be reviewing later in the week.) And when I say “outrageous,” I mean crazy plots that blew […]
The nitty-gritty: A big, complex and emotional sequel that delivers on all levels, with the best female characters you’re likely to read all year. Mulaghesh slows to a stop as it comes into view. It is like a dome—a broad, brown, curving structure nearly thirty or forty feet wide. But it is made entirely out […]
The nitty-gritty: Another hilarious entry into the Sin du Jour world, with some of the funniest dialogue I’ve ever read. “Are you guys almost done down there?” he asks the impossibly small piece of composite concealed in his right ear. “I’m fuckin’ bored.” “Us ‘guys’ are rigging the final charge now,” Cindy’s irritated voice answers […]
The nitty-gritty: A strange and glorious story, whose quirky ideas and charming characters surprised me at every turn. Patricia found herself still obsessing about Laurence, as she slid on knee-high leather boots and a black babydoll dress with red sparkles and went to an Irish bar in the Financial District to put a curse on […]
The nitty-gritty: A compact story with big ideas, featuring a fascinating magic system and fierce and determined female characters. I was immediately drawn to this novella by the cover: a beautiful and fierce-looking woman in the middle of a stormy sea. What was happening to her? It is book covers like this that make me want […]
The nitty-gritty: A fantastical gathering of Apex’s best of the last six years, showing a broad range of styles and talents in speculative fiction, with something for everyone. Apex Magazine has been going strong for six years, and I’m so happy to have read this group of stories selected from among hundreds published over the […]