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: Queer Librarians take on the Man in this rolicking, imaginitive Wild West tale. Esther was, she realized, nothing more than a hand of cards in a poker game between these three women. She was only a symbol. She wasn’t the thing they were playing for. And like a bad hand, she could be […]
The nitty-gritty: A twisty, clever and irreverent story about demonic possession. So apparently K.J. Parker is a pseudonym for author Tom Holt, and this has been common knowledge for the past five years. I just got that memo, lol, but even if I didn’t know this, it wouldn’t change my opinion of Prosper’s Demon at […]
The nitty-gritty: A raw and heartbreaking story about growing up Black, Onyebuchi infuses his tale with fantastical elements and gives us characters who are not willing to sit still. I went into Riot Baby with no expectations at all, and I think that’s the best way to approach this story. This short novella is a […]
The nitty-gritty: A delightfully rough and dangerous story with magical, animated creatures who captured my heart. “What’s the world coming to?” the big human said. “I remember when this was simple. And now there’s little doll people threatening me with a shave. Fuck me.” This is my first Adrian Tchaikovsky book, but it certainly won’t […]
I mean, what can I say about All Systems Red, that hasn’t already been said, several years and thousands of reviews later? Obviously I loved it. I loved Murderbot. And I loved the other characters as well. I loved the pacing and the tension and wow this story was so much more exciting than I […]
The nitty-gritty: Nuns on a galactic mission to heal and offer comfort are forced to make some hard decisions in this stunning and thoroughly original science fiction adventure. I had no idea what to expect when I started reading Sisters of the Vast Black, touted as “nuns in space” by the publisher. But it didn’t […]
The nitty-gritty: A short but powerful tale of the dark emotional lives of a family, Ormeshadow is an exceptional novella with the promise of magic just around the corner. I had no idea what to expect when I started Ormeshadow, but I have to say this was a surprise of the best kind. Priya Sharma […]
The nitty-gritty: Weird, shocking, bloody and did I mention weird? Reading Gideon the Ninth was an experience. Gideon the Ninth was weird. I can honestly say I’ve never read anything quite like Tamsyn Muir’s debut, so if you’re looking for that elusive, completely original story, then Gideon might just be the book for you. And […]