“This book is my love letter to Iceland and its people,” writes Betsy Tobin in her afterword to Ice Land. And so it is. Tobin is at her best when describing the landscape of Iceland:
The day we met, I had flown deep into the central highlands, seeking a spot where I could be alone. I found it on a high desert plateau, where a hidden spring had forced its way up through the lava shield,
September 14th, 2009. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 0.1 | Betsy Tobin | Stand-Alone, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
Kate DiCamillo’s new work, The Magician’s Elephant, takes a little bit of warming up to early on, but the simple and sometimes poetic prose combined with the fairy tale/fable-like atmosphere and style starts to win the reader over, first charming them, then moving them. By the end, which comes quickly since it’s more novella than novel, both the prose and emotional impact have deepened and intensified, making this a novella well worth reading oneself and to one’s children.
September 12th, 2009. Bill Capossere, Terry Weyna and Kat Hooper´s rating: 4 | Kate DiCamillo | Audio, Children, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
The Other Lands by David Anthony Durham
PLOT SUMMARY: Several years have passed since the demise of Hanish Mein. Corinn Akaran rules with an iron grip on the Known World’s many races. She hones her skills in sorcery by studying The Book of Elenet and dotes on her young son, Aaden — Hanish’s child — raising him to be her successor. Mena Akaran, still the warrior princess she became fighting the eagle god Maeben, has been battling the monsters released by the Santoth’s corrupted magic. In her hunt she discovers a creature wholly unexpected,
September 11th, 2009. Robert Thompson´s rating: 4 | David Anthony Durham | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers
Walter Moers’s young adult novel The City of Dreaming Books is a wonderful combination of fantasy and farce. Moers leads the reader on a highly entertaining, and sometimes tense, journey through an imaginary world where literature is life.
Following the death of a beloved mentor, aspiring author Optimus Yarnspinner journeys to the city of Bookholm, a city devoted entirely to the creation, sale and consumption of books. The City of Dreaming Books follows Yarnspinner as he tries to follow the path that leads from his mentor to Bookholm and finds adventure along the way.
September 11th, 2009. John Hulet´s rating: 4 | Walter Moers | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
I interviewed Leanna Renee Hieber about her fantasy debut, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, a gothic Victorian tale filled with ghosts, magic, and romance. Read my review of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker and learn more at Leanna Renee Hieber’s website!
Kelly: Percy Parker is an unusual heroine, both in her appearance and in her shy, timid personality. How did she first come to you? Did she appear full-formed, like Athena,
September 11th, 2009. Kelly Lasiter | Leanna Renee Hieber | Author Interviews | 2 comments |
Arthur C. Clarke has claimed that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” In a book about elves who use magic to create race cars, Mercedes Lackey wrote that “any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology,” quoting the author Larry Niven. Which leaves me with the question: is there really a difference between fantasy and science fiction? When it comes to a story, is there a fundamental difference between a spaceship with a teleporter device and a mage with a portal spell? What is the difference between an alien and an elf?
So readers,
September 10th, 2009. Ruth Arnell | Thoughtful Thursday | 42 comments |
You know your family is dysfunctional when demons are better company.
As Demon Inside begins, Megan Chase is adjusting to her new role as Gretneg of the personal demons. A Gretneg is a leader, similar to a Mafia don, and much like a Mafia don, Megan has to show a ruthless side in order to keep her charges’ respect and avoid being bullied by other Gretnegs. This is no easy task. Megan shrinks from the violent discipline the demons are used to.
September 10th, 2009. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4 | Stacia Kane | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski
The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski is perhaps not itself a “wonder” (that sort of praise is a bit too breathlessly over the top), but it comes close enough to deserve an enthusiastic recommendation and a preeminent place on any child’s shelf. Start with several appealing and richly drawn characters; add an inventive mix of history, folk tales, and the author’s own plotting; toss in an original blend of various magics and technologies, sprinkle a few grim moments about and several more whimsical ones;
September 9th, 2009. Bill Capossere´s rating: 4 | Marie Rutkoski | Children | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Set the Seas on Fire by Chris Roberson
Author of many short stories and novels, the three-time World Fantasy Award-nominated and two-time John W. Campbell Award-nominated Chris Roberson is also a co-founder of the writers’ collective Clockwork Storybook and owner/operator of the indie publisher MonkeyBrain Books (Michael Moorcock, Alan Moore, Jeff VanderMeer). Set the Seas On Fire is part of the Bonaventure-Carmody universe which includes the books Cybermancy, Incorporated (2001-Clockwork), Here,
September 9th, 2009. Robert Thompson´s rating: 3.5 | Chris Roberson | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Golden City by John Twelve Hawks
PLOT SUMMARY: The Golden City delivers the climax to the epic FOURTH REALM TRILOGY, a story that began “off the Grid” in Los Angeles and has taken readers on a wild ride from the underground tunnels of New York to the secret ruins buried beneath the streets of Rome and Berlin.
At the heart of the trilogy rages a battle between the Corrigan brothers, two charismatic leaders and Travelers — the name given to certain prophets with the ability to change the course of history,
September 8th, 2009. Robert Thompson´s rating: 3 | John TwelveHawks | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Looking forward to reading the review.
Always my pleasure, Marion! I'm almost finished with Book #3 now, and hope to be reporting on it very shortly....
After reading your review, I'm quite sure I never read this one, or Book Three for that matter. I loved…
What a fantastic review! I loved how you highlighted the blend of action and character development in "Foundryside." The intricate…
On her blog, "Aunt Beast" says she is in the early stages of working on another Tinfoil Dossier novella, so…