I loved Knox’s AltEarth blend of historical-fantasy since I first saw (the excellent Goblins at the Gate), so I was very keen to try this latest installment, especially as it’s promising a mystery. What to Expect Expect a classic tale of mystery, where the protagonists – in this case, a band of actors – are […]
Fantasy
Review: The Law, by Jim Butcher (plus Little Things: a short story)
At this point I’m pretty much invested in the Dresden Files series, so there’s a lot of momentum in reading new releases. This review covers the recent Novella plus a short story that appeared in another anthology. What to Expect The Law: Expect a shorter story, about a quarter of the usual novel length. More […]
Book Review: L’Esprit de L’Escalier, by Catherynne M. Valente
A promise of a Hugo-award finalist retelling of one of my favourite greek myth caught my interest for a quick read. What to Expect Expect a Gothic novelette, full of brooding atmosphere. The ancient Greek gods are the rock stars (literally) of the modern world, and we get to explore what might have been were […]
Book Review: Amongst Our Weapons, by Ben Aaronovitch
The Rivers of London is a good series and I’ve enjoyed the previous volumes, so I was quite excited with new release. What to Expect Expect another typical Peter Grant supernatural crime blend, reading like a modern British police procedural novel except that the crimes (and police people) deal with magic. By now Aaronovitch is […]
Book Review: Unremarkable, by Geoff Habiger and coy Kisse
I love the 1920’s and historical fantasy, so any combination is an obvious allure 🙂 What to Expect Expect a short novel about a good Jewish boy from Chicago getting caught in the notorious gang wars between AL Capone and Bugs Moran. Not only is that bad enough, but there’s a supernatural twist that bubbles […]
Book Review: A Practical Guide to Conquering the World, by KJ Parker
The Siege is one of modern fantasy most unique series, coming from one of the best authors out there, so of course I jumped on the latest (and probably last) installment. What to Expect Expect a story happening in parallel to the previous novels. This could be a different starting point (at least for those […]
Book Review: Demon’s Dagger, by Douglas Lumsden
I find Lumsden’s urban fantasy series one of the best out there, and I will never get tired of saying it. So obviously I was very excited to see a companion novella. What to Expect Expect something a little different that the usual Alex Southerland novel. This one is doesn’t involve him, but one of […]
Books Review: ‘Doughnut’ and ‘The Outsorcerer’s Apprentice’ by Tom Holt
Every time I read one of Holt’s books (often under his KJ Parker pen-name), I end up loving it. Since I was in the mood for light fantasy and he’s known for that, I picked this one up from my TBR. What to Expect With a deft pen, Holt packs a lot into a fantasy […]
Book Review: A Night Owl Slips Into a Diner, by Douglas Lumsden
I loved the Southerland urban fantasy series from the moment I first came across it, so obviously jumped on this one as soon as I could. (See my previous reviews here – as well as a wonderful guest post on Meso-American things that go bump in the night!) What to Expect Expect Alex to get […]
Fantasy Creatures of the Western Hemisphere
Readers of this blog know — and share — my fascination with unusual mythological creatures, and embedding them in fantasy books. So it gives me great pleasure to host a post about Mesoamerican critters from one of my favourite writers, Douglas Lumsden. Today celebrates the release of his latest novel, A Night Owl Slips into […]