Leigh Bardugo described The Familiar as romantic and character-driven, but I found it to be neither of these things. The premise is interesting and the protagonist enticing, but the narrative is slow and struggles to keep up with its own plans. Burned bread becomes a fresh loaf, a meager basket of eggs begins to overflow,…
Agustina Bazterrica appeared on my book radar as a massive splotch rather than a small blip. Tender Is The Flesh was responsible. The novella told a dark and grotesquely prescient story about a potential future for humanity. When Nineteen Claws and a Blackbird was released, it was an instant purchase. I hoped for an equally…
Continue reading ➞ Nineteen Claws And A Blackbird – Not So Sharp
Let's take another break from the deluge of generation ships and instead focus on another type of ship, the ark. Didn’t see that one coming did you? Or maybe you’re here to hold me to task on the books I promised to read in our Black Author Appreciation post from earlier this year. Either way,…
Continue reading ➞ Lost Ark Dreaming – An Enthralling Vision
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark is death-defyingly fun. It was thrilling and hilarious and earned more than a few chuckles from me. It’s a standalone fantasy with a deadly mystery that truly makes the most of its short page count. I encourage you to sign here to enter Clark’s enticing world…
Continue reading ➞ The Dead Cat Tail Assassins – Exquisite Euology
Mickey7 is a book I chose to skip on its release particularly because of its popularity and hype. It had an interesting premise, but there were a few red flags that hinted to me that I would personally not like it. However, I ended up picking this one up because Bong Joon-Ho is set to…
2024 must be my lucky year because I have gotten two new Greatcoats novels in the first quarter alone. Sebastian de Castell is on a role having just released Crucible of Chaos, a standalone Greatcoat story we loved, and now his first entry in a brand new Greatcoat saga: Play of Shadows. After years of…
Continue reading ➞ Play Of Shadows – Comedy, Tragedy, History, Mystery
Sosuke Natsukawa’s The Cat Who Saved Books combines my love for stories and all things feline. My sister bought me this book after my cat Iroh passed away, and I’m grateful she thought of me. Months later, I picked up the book and enjoyed its easy-going story and appreciation for books. Rintaro is a reclusive…
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang is an angry book that doesn’t shy away from the horrific realities of a world and culture being overrun by a much stronger and technologically advanced one. While the protagonist is forced into a compelling and complicated situation, the plot spends too much time focusing inward…
Continue reading ➞ To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods – Internal Struggle
Today we have an exciting novella called The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond. It is the first in a novella series following the exploits of a dragonslayer named Maddileh. She is a rare lady knight, and there aren’t many women in her line of work. This comes with the classic fantasy period piece sexism package…
What in the web-slinging hell did I just read? Spider-Man Blue languished on my comics shelf for years, awaiting the day when I needed a quick read and an easy win. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale are the teams behind The Long Halloween and Dark Victory, two of my favorite Batman comics. Their take on…
