Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-GarciaMy rating: 5 of 5 stars Moreno-Garcia dipped into the inkwell of mortality to write a modern fairy tale about love, both romantic and fraternal, featuring Gods and a plucky character shaped by the world to be a reluctant hero. The world-building is brilliant, drawing from the lush […]
My Favorite Story of 2019 (so far) Read More »
I haul groceries to my fourth-floor studio one landing at a time. My bottle of discounted rum, a 5 lb. sack of potatoes, and a rocket-shaped golden squash—so irresistible at the market—anchor me down like sandbags. Around me wafts the dinners of my neighbors. Sweat drips from my face and armpits. At my door, I
Just a Little Touch of Mojo Hand Read More »
I’m just posting this so I don’t lose it. — For Anonymous-George, long ago I saw one of the first, I believe, novels about a young woman who wasn’t allowed to use magic or whatever because she was a woman, and the thought occurred to me as to how it might go if men were
Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time) on Matriarchies in Finn Read More »
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi AdeyemiMy rating: 5 of 5 stars An important story written from a vantage point above a landscape of suffering and tears. Adeyemi does an excellent job with setting, painting a colorful mosaic rich in magical realism but grounded in pain and tragedy. I especially found compelling her use
When They Have Taken the Magic Read More »
The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane AndersMy rating: 5 of 5 stars It’s tough to review this one without spoilers and still convey the essentials, because the worldbuilding is so unique, so let me give a one-liner first and you can choose to move on if you wish: I give
If You Think Science Fiction Should Make You Ask Yourself Tough Questions… Read More »
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillipMy rating: 4 of 5 stars I loved the voice of the narrator, the straightforward unapologetic fairy tale weave. I enjoyed the transformation of Sybel, how she loses her naïveté to the Eld version of the Great Game, and I mourn her loss of the magical world
All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane AndersMy rating: 5 of 5 stars All the birds… is such an enchanting story, a true modern fairy tale that still finds time to dig deep into doomsday ethics and build venn diagrams of science and magic. The characters spoke to me. I love how well
A Modern Fairytale Explores the Union of Magic and Science. Read More »
Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette KowalMy rating: 4 of 5 stars I really enjoyed this story. My favorite character was Mr. Vincent’s muse. Kowal constructs a fantasy world atop Austen’s propriety-infused England, one where beauty and magic (glamours) are coupled. The story is a romance, but there is drama and numerous plot
Beauty and Glamour Read More »
The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de BodardMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Aliette de Bodard crafts a dystopian world in an alternate history where The Great War led to a earth-shattering conclusion forever crippling the civilized world. With its roots in fallen angels, where there is a market in their very skin, bones,
Spinning Silver by Naomi NovikMy rating: 5 of 5 stars Note: mild spoilers (just a little more than a dust jacket summary and list of characters) Naomi Novik’s modern fairy tale, Spinning Silver, draws from Indo-European folklore, especially the story of Rumpelstiltskin. Novik is both upfront and subversive about the story’s roots, starting the novel
My Review of Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik Read More »
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha LeeMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Not only a good novel, this is also a window into an enormous world in conflict, and it begins in media res, with brutal and confusing warfare. At the center of the story is Kel Cheris, an infantry captain and brilliant mathematician, and Shuos
Ninefox Gambit – the joy of great world building! Read More »
Children of Thorns, Children of Water by Aliette de BodardMy rating: 4 of 5 stars This story, a novelette of just under 12000 words, is not only a wonderful story of loyalty and friendship but also a glance through a display window into a dark and vivid world. De Bodard’s prose is excellent, especially the
A Great Peek Into a Very Special Fantasy World Read More »
A Conjuring of Light by V.E. SchwabMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I loved the Shades of Magic saga. The world building was unique and made sense in the story. The characters are memorable, their positive and negative attributes. The magic system is coherent and well-matched for the world, and this author isn’t afraid of
A Conjuring of Light – last installment of the Shades of Magic series. Read More »
I made big strides over the last few days. The story is getting clearer for me. It’s still a lot to shove into 50000 words but I’ll fix that in the revision.
Ropee’s Story – Progress Report – Day 15 (early morning) Read More »
I’ve fallen a little behind but the story has me in its thrall. Not worried. We’re getting there.
Ropee’s story – part 1 – nanowrimo Read More »
The Obsidian Heart by Mark T. BarnesMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Mark Barnes does incredible world building. It’s extraordinary and many-layered, which can almost stun the reader with its complexity, at least that is how I feel reading the stories. On the other hand, there is no denying how many details he keeps in
The Obsidian Heart Brings Echoes of Empire into Focus! Read More »
The Hedge Knight by George R.R. MartinMy rating: 4 of 5 stars A delicious short tale set in a brief hiatus of peace, a time when a knight like Ser Duncan (Dunk) could walk, ride, joust, and sell his sword to a worthy (or not) lord. This tale describes how he and his squire Egg
After several years of political influence that resulted in No Award votes for the Hugo Awards, this year’s were largely uncontroversial, but the results were surprising to many who are not paying attention to SFF. A picture is better to convey the information: Also, N.K. Jemisin who just finished The Broken Earth trilogy. Her series
Hugo Awards: Women > Sad Puppies Read More »
Cinder by Marissa MeyerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Marissa Meyer writes fairy tales in a dystopian future of high technology and little hope. Cinder, the protagonist, is a homologue of Cinderella. We have a Prince, an evil stepmother, and other aspects of the famous tale, but the original story is used as a device