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Fortress Frontier by Myke Cole
I hear two main complaints among those who read Myke Cole’s debut novel, Control Point. First, the novel’s protagonist Oscar Britton was an indecisive and unlikable whiner. Second, that the writing and...
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In which I write some short reviews to catch up. . .
The Ramal Extraction by Steve Perry In the 24th Century, the Galactic Union’s Army is stretched thin and mercenary units fill in the gaps. Headed up by retired Colonel R.A. Cutter, the Cutter Force...
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The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett
What separated The Warded Man from the detritus of epic fantasy was that it was written with intent. Not only intending to tell a wide ranging and intricate fantasy story, Peter Brett wrote a novel...
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Another reading log. . .
In an effort to “catch up”, I’ve compressed several books into a single post. I hope this will be the last of my omnibus reviewing. Enjoy! The Kassa Gambit by M.C. Planck – Held back by an ending...
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American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett
It wasn’t that Nola’s vision had changed: it was that her vision had changed without her even knowing it. There were all kinds of things happening around her that she’d never known about, that she was...
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In which I quickly review Andre Norton, Tom Holt, and Howard Andrew Jones
With Andre Norton’s aged novel Star Guard, Tom Holt’s new novel Doughnut, and Howard Andrew Jones’ Pathfinder tie-in novel Plague of Shadows, I’ve found three authors and books to review that have...
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Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan
Sharing an editor at Orbit Books, Brian McClellan got a nice boost when bestselling author Brent Weeks called Promise of Blood, “a hugely promising debut. . .[and] the finest flintlock fantasy I’ve...
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A Tor Heavy Group of Short Review
Shattered Pillars by Elizabeth Bear Remember when I made a bit of a stink that Range of Ghosts wasn’t nominated for a Hugo? I am even more vindicated by the exceptional quality of the sequel, Shattered...
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A Shambling Guide to Tao: How Plot Structure and Character Arc are Overrated
Since the moment I finished Wesley Chu’s debut novel, The Lives of Tao, I called reading it ‘the most fun I’ve had this year.’ I wouldn’t call it the best novel, and maybe not even the best debut, but...
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The Flames of Shadam Khoreh and the Lays of Auskaya by Bradley P. Beaulieu
The Winds of Khalakovo, the first installment in Bradley P. Beaulieu’s Lay of Anuskaya series, was raved about on this blog in 2011. I acquired the follow-up, The Straits of Galahesh, several months...
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Love Minus Eighty by Will McIntosh
Will McIntosh wrote a book about love and I’m wondering whether I’ll ever read another that does it better. Love Minus Eighty isn’t a romance. In fact, it’s often antithetical to that idea. Instead...
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The Oathbreaker’s Shadow by Amy McCulloch
I’m going to say some stuff about ‘Young Adult’ fiction. Some of it’s going to be really wrong, but I’ll hedge by saying it’s my interpretation. Let’s try not to crucify me for it. For me, what makes...
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Is Abaddon’s Gate really just a Black Halo? A review of novels by James S.A....
Where do novels begin? Is it the protagonist? The plot? Some cool magic system? Or a world detail? It’s a silly question, because there is no right answer. And even if there was, it only matters...
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The Daedalus Incident by Michael J. Martinez
If you’ll recall, I wrote a post about the demise of Night Shade Books in which I admitted to being sent two manuscripts by the publisher to give my feedback on. Michael Martinez’s The Daedalus...
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Playing Tyler by T.L. Costa (a quick review for a quick read)
I’ve read more young adult this year than ever before and by and large it’s been a tremendous decision. I continue to be impressed with the quality of character and story, demonstrating why the...
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A Review of the anthology Unfettered
Brought together by a ubiquitous desire to help two-time cancer survivor Shawn Speakman pay his onerous medical bills, Unfettered is a mishmash of stories from a host of the most well known authors in...
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Napoleonic Bechdel Tests by Michael J. Martinez
There’s been a lot of intense debate in recent weeks about the treatment of women in the SF/F community, as well as the depiction of women in SF/F works. For the former, I can only express my dismay...
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How about five (more) mainstream novels for science fiction and fantasy readers?
Damien Walters of the Guardian did a list last week of genre novels that would/should appeal to mainstream readers. That’s cool, but such discussions always strike me as a little hat in hand to the...
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Duck and Covers: Another gorgeous Donato Giancola, and others
I can almost provide this cover image without comment. The third in Elizabeth Bear’s brilliant Eternal Sky trilogy, Steles of the Sky continues the story of Re Temur and the Wizard Samarkar in their...
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It’s like a melody in my head by T.L. Costa
So, when it comes to voice in fiction, I feel I can only speak to my opinion of what voice is and how I use it in my writing. The answer, simply enough, is music. When I was little I remember sitting...
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