The Search for the Red Dragon by James A. Owen
The previous Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica book, Here There Be Dragons, had a clean ending, but The Search for the Red Dragon introduces a new conflict that’s tied to the original adventure.
The strengths — and weaknesses — of the first book continue in The Search for the Red Dragon. The illustrations preceding each chapter are gorgeous, and James A. Owen‘s writing is plain,
November 30th, 2008. Charles Tan (GUEST)´s rating: 3 | James A. Owen | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
It took me a little while to get fully engrossed in Blood Bargain, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down. Maria Lima’s second Blood Lines novel is even better than the first, a fun and sometimes poignant paranormal treat.
Once again, there’s trouble in Rio Seco, and Keira Kelly finds herself embroiled in it. Her vampire boyfriend Adam is showing alarming signs of weakness, and at the same time, Keira is drawn into two missing-persons cases that seem unconnected on the surface but may in fact be linked.
November 25th, 2008. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4 | Maria Lima | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The first installment of Pamela Freeman‘s Castings trilogy may seem at first like a typical fantasy novel, with swords as everyone’s weapon of choice, horses as everyone’s mode of transportation, and copious amounts of ale and stew making up everyone’s diet. But it doesn’t take long before Blood Ties reveals itself to be quite different from the usual swords-and-sorcery realm: in its setting and atmosphere, in its plot and story-structure, and in its myriad of themes and ideas.
November 20th, 2008. Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 4.5 | Pamela Freeman | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Finders Keepers by Linnea Sinclair
I enjoyed Ann Aguirre’s Grimspace so much that I thought I ought to start looking into this whole “romantic” sci-fi thing. It all seemed so right up my alley. And I’d seen Linnea Sinclair listed as an author of this type of work, and Finders Keepers sounded interesting.
Finders Keepers is undoubtedly a romance novel with spaceships and laser rifles (no lightsabers). No matter how you shake it,
November 19th, 2008. Beth Johnson Sonderby (guest)´s rating: 1.5 | Linnea Sinclair | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Mythic II edited by Mike Allen
Much like its predecessor Mythic, Mythic 2 feels compact and precise. Both the prose and poetry (and everything else in between) are easy to read and have a lyrical tonality. The anthology is even and consistent, with no sudden drops or spikes in the quality. Editor Mike Allen also continues the format of alternating between both mediums, which makes the book work.
For the most part, I found the poems to be decent and the fiction enjoyable.
November 18th, 2008. Charles Tan (GUEST)´s rating: 3 | Catherynne M. Valente, Cherie Priest, Jo Walton | Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Truth be told, I wasn’t hugely impressed with the first Percy Jackson book, The Lightning Thief. It was entertaining, yes, but somewhat convoluted, derivative and predictable. Well, with Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, I take it all back. With a more rewarding plot, stronger characterization, and smoother pacing, the second book in the five-part series is an improvement in every respect.
Percy Jackson has recently discovered that his missing father is none other than the sea god Poseidon,
November 15th, 2008. Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 4 | Rick Riordan | Children | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
Here’s another really fun installment of The Wheel of Time. Like The Eye of the World, The Great Hunt kept me thoroughly entertained. Everything I said in the review above goes for this book, too. It’s fast-paced and full of plot. I think this is the best book in the series.
We get to meet some excellent secondary heroes and villains in The Great Hunt — Egeanin and the Seanchan from across the sea who use captured and chained women with power to fight for them,
November 15th, 2008. Kat Hooper´s rating: 4 | Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan | Audio | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Lord of the Silent Kingdom by Glen Cook
In my review of Glen Cook’s first book in the Instrumentalities of the Night series, I bemoaned the lack of a map. Somehow, my opinion managed to go unheard and/or unheeded and so I’ll start again by asking if it would be too much to include a map in a book that jumps among a slew of kingdoms, countries, islands, and petty territories.
As a long-time fan of “epic” fantasy, I consider myself pretty well-versed in how to handle sweeping geography,
November 14th, 2008. Bill Capossere, John Hulet and Robert Thompson´s rating: 3, 4 | Glen Cook | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Road of the Patriarch by R.A. Salvatore
The previous book in R.A. Salvatore’s Sellswords trilogy, Promise of the Witch-King was disappointing. Road of the Patriarch redeemed Salvatore in my eyes after that previous lackluster effort.
Road of the Patriarch follows Jarlaxle and Artemis Entreri as they wrap up their sojourn in the Bloodstone lands. Jarlaxle is especially in fine form as he sows chaos in his wake with what seems to be very little effort. Many of his actions seem random (he is a drow after all) but when his schemes coalesce,
November 12th, 2008. John Ottinger (guest)´s rating: 3.5 | R.A. Salvatore | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Dragon’s Son by Margaret Weis
This typical middle novel concerns the twin sons born to Melisande: Marcus, the son of the King of Idlyswylde, and Ven (short for Vengeance), the son of the dragon who (in the body of the human Grald) raped her.
Most of the book focuses on the development of both boys from age 6 to 16. Neither of them know about the other. Ven is half dragon (his legs are dragon’s legs) and is being raised by Bellona (Melisande died at the end of Mistress of Dragons).
November 12th, 2008. Kat Hooper´s rating: 2.5 | Margaret Weis | Audio | SFF Reviews | no comments |
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