

Jan 30
Review of All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall
Nonie is the young protagonist of this stark climate-change dystopian future, in which her small community fights to survive and to...


Jan 29
Review of Spellslinger (Spellslinger #1) by Sebastian de Castell
Kellen begins as a principled, headstrong young man lacking in the magic crucial for power, familial stability and social standing in his...


Jan 24
Six of My Favorite Fantasy Reads of the Year
Six Great Bossy Fantasy Reads I read some entertaining, imaginative, sometimes funny, fantastic fantasy in the past year--enough to make...


Jan 15
Review of The Blood of the Old Kings (Bleeding Empire #1) by Sung-Il Kim
In this first installment of The Bleeding Empire, Kim sets three characters on paths to discover their worth, their purpose, and their...


Jan 10
My Favorite Science Fiction Reads of the Year
My Favorite Sci-Fi Reads I love how science fiction stretches the way I think about what's possible, or explores issues like mortality,...


Jan 7
Review of Hum by Helen Phillips
The dystopian future of Hum is haunting in its familiar elements, its plausible, terrible climate-change effects, the extreme reliance on...


Jan 3
Review of Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
Frances White's debut is a locked-room mystery on a magical ship full of uncertain alliances, deadly vendettas, and a sassy and...


Jan 2
Review of The Last Hour Between Worlds (Echo Archives #1) by Melissa Caruso
I may not have followed all of the echoes in time, creatures convincingly impersonating other creatures, or protagonists' complex,...


Dec 19, 2024
Review of The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Bardugo's rich world-building sets the scene in Spain during the Inquisition, as a scullery maid with magical abilities is thrust into...


Dec 17, 2024
Review of The Shadow of the Gods (The Bloodsworn #1) by John Gwynne
Gwynne's epic, Norse-inspired saga tracks three fascinating main protagonists through battles, shifting alliances, strengthened resolve,...


Nov 20, 2024
Review of Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang
I loved the dark academia setting, Sciona's bid to become the first female in the High Magistry, and her rethinking of long-held...


Nov 14, 2024
Review of Bull Moon Rising (Royal Artifactual Guild #1) by Ruby Dixon
I was hooked on the story of a team of young women fighting for admittance to a guild, their bonds, and their adventures. But the...


Nov 8, 2024
Six Great Stories about Robots, Humans and Alien Life, and AI
The Robot Books I love a good artificial intelligence- or robot-focused story, and these six (plus, in several cases, their sequels)...


Nov 7, 2024
Review of To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
This slim book tells the story of a small crew of astronauts in the twenty-second century who are searching for alien life--and who must...


Nov 6, 2024
Review of His Majesty's Dragon: Temeraire #1 by Naomi Novik
ICYMI: This series by Naomi Novik introduces vain, strong-willed, talking dragons, their complex, wonderfully faulted handlers, and...


Oct 31, 2024
Review of Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik
Novik never seems to make a misstep, and the thirteen stories here revisit favorite fictional worlds, delve into never-before-revealed...


Oct 18, 2024
Six Magical Fairy Tales Grown-Ups Will Love
Fairy Tales and Retellings For this list, I focused on books with fantastical elements; clear good-and-evil conflicts; characters living...


Oct 17, 2024
Review of Hell for Hire (Tear Down Heaven #1) by Rachel Aaron
I felt like the story started off slowly, but once the world was built and the background established, I was hooked on the interpersonal...


Oct 4, 2024
Six Four-Star (and Up) Science Fiction Reads I've Loved
Six Four-Star (and Up) Bossy Science Fiction Reads I realize I just said this last week regarding mysteries, but really, doesn't the cold...


Oct 2, 2024
Review of A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated #1) by Danielle L. Jensen
The first in Jensen's fantasy series ticked many of my boxes--strong female main character, a tension-filled Chosen One premise, a fight...