Review: Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
Equal parts disarming, charming, and disgusting, Someone You Can Build a Nest In is one of the most original works of speculative fiction I’ve read in a long time. Shesheshen […]
Mini-Reviews: This Could Be Us & That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human
Warm and wise, Kennedy Ryan’s This Could Be Us poses this question: what if you could be the love of your life? Soledad Barnes is married to her college sweetheart […]
Review: The Book of Love by Kelly Link
Beloved short story writer Kelly Link’s first novel, The Book of Love, will be polarizing. It is character-driven, meandering, philosophical, and really quite strange. Many readers will find that this […]
Review: Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan
Fathomfolk is an adult fantasy that hinges on the political unrest between humans and fathomfolk, creatures with gills whose forms are many and varied. Sirens, sea witches, kappas, water dragons […]
Review: An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson
Sapphic desire, dark academia, obsession. And vampires? I should’ve been eating this up, but instead I thought An Education in Malice fell flat. Inspired by the gothic vampire classic Carmilla, […]
Review: What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez
A blend of history, mythology, mystery, and romance – What the River Knows marks the beginning of a buzzy new YA series. On the brink of adulthood, Inez has been raised […]
Review: An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
Rivers Solomon first grabbed my attention with their moving, thought-provoking, and gorgeously-written novella The Deep. With their novel An Unkindness of Ghosts, they’ve proven that they’re just as capable with […]
Review: The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
As a human living in the vampire courts, Oraya’s life is under constant threat. Sure, she’s the adopted daughter of the brutal king Vincent, but vampire’s aren’t exactly known for […]
Review: For a Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig
For a Muse of Fire introduces a new YA fantasy series about rebellion, shadow puppets, and necromancy. This unexpected combination contributes to a unique atmosphere – but not a cohesive […]
Review: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Thanks to my annual Read Your Own Damn Books Challenge, I’ve read quite a bit from Neil Gaiman’s back catalogue over the past couple years. Although it pains me to […]
Review: Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
I can always trust Silvia Moreno-Garcia to dream up a fun story in an atmospheric setting. Silver Nitrate delivers exactly that, although it stumbles when it comes to characters. Set […]
Review: Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
Ling Ling Huang’s debut novel is a chilling and provocative body horror about beauty, consumption, and capitalism. Natural Beauty follows an unnamed narrator through her adolescence and early adult life […]
Review: A Power Unbound by Freya Marske
A Power Unbound is the impressive and satisfying conclusion to Freya Marske’s Edwardian gaslamp fantasy romance trilogy, the Last Binding. Each book in the series follows a new main couple, […]
Review: A Season of Monstrous Conceptions by Lina Rather
An immersive historical fantasy novella, A Season of Monstrous Conceptions is my first time reading Lina Rather’s work – and it won’t be the last. Recently arrived from the countryside, Mrs. […]
Mini-Reviews: Brainwyrms & The Left Hand of Darkness
Alison Rumfitt’s books are not for the faint of heart, but to be fair, she did warn me. I knew things were going to get wild after that content warning. […]
Review: The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport by Samit Basu
Samit Basu’s The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport is simultaneously a fun and frothy space romp and a thoughtful examination of colonialism and environmental collapse. It is both achingly earnest and bitingly […]
Review: To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
Moniquill Blackgoose has burst onto the scene with her debut novel To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, a fresh and reflective YA fantasy novel. Anequs lives on the island of Masquapaug, […]
Mini-Reviews: Divine Rivals & Tooth and Claw
Since day one, Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt have been pitted against each other. Competing for a single coveted columnist at the most prestigious newspaper in Oath, these “divine rivals” […]
Mini-Reviews: The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle & Mongrels
In the third outing of the Edinburgh Nights series, streetwise teenager Ropa Moyo has left the city on a wee work trip. Stuck wrangling attendees at the Society of Skeptical Inquirers’ […]
Mini-Reviews: Immortal Longings & The Earl I Ruined
Chloe Gong is one of the buzziest writers in the YA fantasy space and has been for a couple years, but I’ve been drifting further away from YA and haven’t […]
Review: A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand
A Crown of Ivy and Glass introduces a new fantasy romance series featuring dark magic, demons, fae, gods, and a mysterious magical boundary realm called the Middlemist. If all that […]
Review: She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
A reimagining of the rise of the Ming Dynasty, She Who Became the Sun is a historical fantasy novel that deftly explores destiny, gender, duty, desire – and the age-old thirst […]
Mini-Reviews: Stardust & The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy
When Victoria tells Tristran Thorn that she’ll marry him if he can fetch a fallen star for her, the poor sod believes her. Only a foolish youngster like Tristran could […]
Review: La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman
The first in a new trilogy, La Belle Sauvage is as a prequel to the iconic His Dark Materials series. If you haven’t given the original series a whirl, let […]