I came across Steven Saylor’s work when my Kindle suggested Roman Blood (I just finished Lindsey Davis’ Falco at the time). I delved right in, and loved it! I’ve just finished the latest installment (Throne of Caesar). I’ve mentioned this series a lot in the past but never reviewed it, so I’m now rectifying this […]
Book Review
Book Review: Nine Perfect Strangers, by Liane Moriarty
Rather uncharacteristically, I read this international best seller soon after its release (following a binge of childhood-era fantasy, cause hey! squirrel!). I was drawn by several factors: Aussie author (a neighbour, one suburb over), worldwide success, and — not in the least — Moriarty’s hilarious author’s bio. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting […]
Book Series Review: God Stalk / Chronicles of the Kencyrath, by P.C. Hodgell
God Stalk is another book I remembered very fondly from my teenagehood (I even had a limited-edition hardcover), and recently re-read to see how it withstood the test of time (as well as comparing older and contemporary young-adult fantasy). I enjoyed it tremendously — and kept reading through the series. Some of those volumes I’ve […]
Book Review: The Compleat Traveller in Black, by John Brunner
This is a little-known fantasy gem, by one of Sci-Fi greats. It contains five short stories (the original 4 written between 1960 and 1971, and published as “The Traveller in Black”, and the fifth written in 1979 and later published in the Compleat collection). I loved the premise and style of the stories when I […]
Book Review: Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse #1), by Charlaine Harris
I read this book on my wife’s urging that I read some best-sellers in a related genre (aka paranormal sex fantasies romance) and due to my own interest in reading works from perspective other than mine (in this case, by and for women). Being in a somewhat related genre (paranormal mixed with mystery) this was […]
Book Review: Where Loyalties Lie, by Rob J. Hayes
I’ve been meaning to read Rob Hayes’ works for a while (especially considering his record-breaking win in the SPFBO 2017), and so jumped into Where Loyalties Lie. It is an excellent story of piracy set in a fantasy world based on the Age of Sail, though not for the faint of heart. What to expect […]
Book Review: Dragon’s Trail, by Joseph Malik
I came across Joseph Malik first via his article 30 Day Cliff, My Ass: Reflections on 10,000 Sales. It resonated deeply with my experience and choices. Although my journey has been different (I didn’t bother querying), I came to the same conclusions and decisions in choosing the do-it-myself path without compromising on professional quality in […]
Book Review: Jhereg (Vlad Taltos), by Steven Brust
I’m not entirely sure how I came across this novel, (or how come I never heard about it before), which is a shame because some sincere thanks are due. I’ve actually just read The Book of Jhereg, which encompasses the first three novels in the Vlad Taltos series: Jhereg, Yendi, and Teckla. The review therefore […]
The Mystery of Amazon Reviews
I’ve started the year with 116 reviews for Murder In Absentia (and, I think, there were about 3-4 reviews that have been removed over the years). By now, the number of reviews is up to… <drumroll> … 110! (EDIT: It’s now back to 116, but all the new reviews are post-launch of In Numina, after […]
Book Review: A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin
This was one of the first fantasy books I’ve ever read, given to me by the same dear person who introduced me to The Hobbit. It was one of my childhood’s favourite books, and is probably one of my all-time favourites. I’ve re-read it recently, to see how it stacks up against the changing times. […]
