Mini-Reviews: A Song Below Water & Newt’s Emerald
Bethany C. Morrow’s A Song Below Water is a YA urban fantasy with a great concept that unfortunately suffers from poor execution. Tavia and Effie are sisters in all but […]
Review: All the Seas of the World by Guy Gavriel Kay
When a pirate, a mercenary, and a would-be scholar are hired to assassinate the leader of a city state, a chain of events is set into motion that will change […]
Mini-Reviews: Kill the Queen & The Serpent
Kill the Queen follows Evie, a minor member of the Bellona royal family as she escapes the palace and becomes a magical gladiator in the name of revenge. If that […]
Review: A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson
Less a love story and more the unmaking of one, A Dowry of Blood follows our narrator Constanta and her obsessive love for Dracula, referred only to as “My Lord” […]
Mini-Reviews: Just Like Home & The Black God’s Drums
Vera Crowder’s estranged mother calls her out of the blue to deliver bad news: first, she’s dying, and even worse, it’s time for Vera to come home. It’s been twelve […]
Review: Toil & Trouble edited by Jessica Spotswood & Tess Sharpe
With stories set in the past and present, in world real and imagined, the short stories in Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft are linked by their […]
Mini-Reviews: What We Both Know & Foundryside
Hillary Greene’s life has been put on hold so that she can take care of her father. Her father, an acclaimed novelist, has been prevented from writing his memoirs because […]
Review: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Travis Baldree describes his debut novel Legends & Lattes as a “low-stakes cozy fantasy,” and this is one case where the marketing fits the bill. The story follows the quiet […]
Mini Reviews: Black Water Sister & The Queens of Innis Lear
When Jessamyn Teoh’s parents decide to move back to Malaysia from the USA, she tags along to help them get settled in. When Jessamyn Teoh’s parents decide to move back […]
Review: A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
With a winning combination of magic, intrigue, and romance, A Marvellous Light is sure to please fans of historical fantasy. When the non-magical Robin Blyth is mistakenly assigned to a […]
Mini-Reviews: Comeuppance Served Cold & Intercepted
Newly arrived in Seattle, Dolly White has been hired as a lady’s companion for the unbridled socialite Fiona Earnshaw. According to her father, Fiona’s wild ways are unbecoming of a […]
Review: The Book of Night by Holly Black
The Book of Night is celebrated YA fantasy author Holly Black’s first foray into adult fantasy, and it was a pretty successful endeavour. After a job gone horribly wrong, Charlie Hall […]
Review: Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Xingyin lives an enviable – if somewhat dull – life as the daughter of the immortal moon goddess. Set apart from other immortals for reasons Xingyin’s mother refuses to discuss, […]
Mini Reviews: All’s Well, The Bride Test, & Good Neighbors
As you’ve likely guessed, all is not well with Miranda Fitch. Former stage actress turned struggling theatre professor, Miranda is being crushed under the weight of her excruciating chronic pain […]
Review: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
One of the things that I like best about Xiran Jay Zhao’s debut, Iron Widow, is that it truly defies categorization. A YA dystopian novel inspired by figures and cultural […]
On Depression, Reading, and Renewal
Where have I been? Getting personal re: depression, reading, and the hope of renewal.
Review: Thornbound by Stephanie Burgis
Angland’s first female magician, Cassandra Harwood, returns in THORNBOUND. And this time, she’s opening a magic school!
Review: The Book of Hidden Things by Francesco Dimitri
Francesco Dimitri’s THE BOOK OF HIDDEN THINGS is a beautifully written story of intrigue, betrayal, and the abiding friendship between four very different men.
Anatomy of a Book Cover: Vol. 2
What’s the most eye-catching, appealing aspect of a book’s cover art? Let’s break down some eye-catching cover art!
5 Reasons to Read: Barbed Wire Heart by Tess Sharpe
With high stakes and an incredible emotional payoff, Tess Sharpe’s BARBED WIRE HEART is a feminist mystery/thriller that I recommend to everyone.
Review: Rogue Souls by Chelsea Mueller
ROGUE SOULS, the second book in a dark urban fantasy series, delivers on character development and world building but stumbles a little when it comes to plot.
Mini Reviews: The Eclectic Edition
In today’s Mini Reviews post, I discuss Miriam McNamara’s THE UNBINDING OF MARY READE, Tade Thompson’s THE MURDERS OF MOLLY SOUTHBOURNE, and A PERILOUS UNDERTAKING by Deanna Raybourn.
Monthly Recap: June 2018
June 2018 was a busy month, packed with exciting work challenges, some decent reading, and welcoming our new puppy into our home!
Review: Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
Well-written, powerful, and original, Rebecca Roanhorse’s TRAIL OF LIGHTNING is one of the most important and exciting books of the year.