I love the Saga series and SAGA VOL. 4 is certainly no exception. That said, there were some parts of this latest volume that really unsettled me. I guess that’s a good way to describe the general tone or theme of the volume: families, unsettled.
This week’s trope is FATHERS:
Comes in two types in fantasyland. Either a semi-mystical figure proving impossible to live up to or the overbearing type who doesn’t understand why his daughter doesn’t accept the traditional princess role. He may be tough to get along with but usually does think he has his kids interests in mind.
The cover for Sophie Jordan’s REIGN OF SHADOWS was just released on Epic Reads this past week, and it is gorgeous. Definitely a book I’d want on my shelves.
Kristi Charish’s debut novel OWL AND THE JAPANESE CIRCUS is a fun, fast-paced, and clever addition to the urban fantasy genre. Charish is Canadian so there was no way I could resist giving her work a try – and I’m happy to report that I was pretty damn impressed with her originality and her plotting.
This week’s trope is PEOPLE ON BOATS:
Grab a map of Fantasyland and you are sure to see there is water. Of course not everything important is going to happen on land, right? Sometimes people actually have to get on a boat and hit the water. Where, being fantasyland, anything can happen.
If you’re big into webcomics, you’ve probably heard of NIMONA. Noelle Stevenson’s witty, off-beat and somewhat dark webcomic quickly developed a cult following, catching the attention of major publishing houses. Thus, the graphic novel version of NIMONA was born.
This week’s trope is ORPHANS:
No one in Fantasyland amounts to anything if they still have both parents. Rule number one. Thanks to Stephanie for the suggestion (and let us all be surprised together that it isn’t in the Tough Guide).
As the smallest dragon in the Heartstriker clan, Julius survives by a simple code: keep quiet, don’t cause trouble, and stay out of the way of bigger dragons. But this meek behavior doesn’t fly in a family of ambitious magical predators, and his mother, Bethesda the Heartstriker, has finally reached the end of her patience.
This booze-soaked second volume of RAT QUEENS reveals a growing menace within the very walls of Palisade. And while Dee may have run from her past, the bloated, blood-feasting sky god N’rygoth never really lets his children stray too far.
This week’s trope is DISGUISES:
Hiding in plain site? Put on a disguise. Often used to sneak into the evil lair. For best results brain a guard and steal his; no one is tracking these things.
THE EXILED QUEEN begins right where the series left off, with our narrators Raisa and Han on the run. Not together, of course…but since apparently all roads lead to Oden’s Ford it’s only a matter of time until they’re face-to-face once more.
It seems like May went by SO QUICKLY this year! Although that may have been because it was the last month of my undergrad, and I’m a teeny bit excited to be done.
This week’s trope is HEISTS/CONS
Smash and grabs are not always the best way to illicitly acquire objects in fantasy land. Sometimes these things take planning, a loyal crew, and a little bit of luck. But a good crew can always get the job done.
In DEAD HEAT the series arc is revealed and begins to gain momentum, as it becomes clear that the next few books will feature Anna and Charles tracking down the Fae who’ve been unleashed on the human population.
This week’s trope is DEAD GODS
Fantasyland had gods, right? And now they are dead. Dead Gods are not forgotten though, often they are still just influential to the land as they were when living.
Reading the next instalment in one of my favourite UF series always feels like coming home; LATE ECLIPSES, the fourth book in the October Daye series, was no exception.
This week’s trope is THE WEASEL
Weasels are usually very useful, obtaining information from unlikely sources and the like. For that matter they may be fun to be around. But can they ever really be trusted? Usually about as far as they can be thrown, but one never knows.
An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire (October Daye #3) Genre: Urban Fantasy Publisher: DAW on September 7, 2010 Narrator: Mary Robinette Kowl for Brilliance Audio Source: Purchased October “Toby” Daye […]
This week’s trope is MOMS:
Everyone has a mother. Including people in fantasyland. Just in time to be slightly early for Mother’s Day.
Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge Genre: YA, Retelling Publisher: Balzer + Bray on May 5, 2015 Source: Publisher via Edelweiss My thanks to Blazer + Bray and Edelweiss for providing […]
Oh April, I’m not the saddest bit sorry to see you go. Blogging took kind of a backseat to school and work in April but I vow to get back into the swing of things in May!
This week’s trope is THE BIG CITY
There has to be somewhere in Fantasyland where everyone comes together. All roads lead to Rome after all. A place where traders prosper, politicians scheme, and criminals thrive.
Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep (Black Blade #1) Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy Publisher: K-Teen on April 28, 2015 Source: Publisher My thanks to K-Teen and NetGalley for providing […]
This week’s trope is THE ACE
Some people are just ridiculously good at everything. Be it magic, swordplay, or all of the above. THE ACE has no equal.