November 28th, 2009. Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 4 | Kevin Crossley-Holland | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
CLASSIFICATION: Set in 1812 during the French invasion of Russia — specifically the Battle of Borodino, the capture and fires of Moscow, the retreat from Moscow, and the Battle of Berezina — with the primary antagonists being vampires, Twelve is much like the book describes itself… a vibrant blend of detailed historical fiction and heart-stopping supernatural horror. I was reminded of a cross between a Bernard Cornwell novel, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles,
November 28th, 2009. Robert Thompson´s rating: 5 | Jasper Kent | SFF Reviews | no comments |
November 27th, 2009. Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 2.5 | Terry Brooks | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Raider’s Ransom by Emily Diamand
Raider’s Ransom is set in and around the British Isles, where the survivors of a major global disaster (caused by technology) live much more primitively than their predecessors did. After major weather phenomena and amazing flooding, those who lived were left to clean up and move on with what was left.
Now war is stirring between the crumbling government and the families. The daughter of the Prime Minister is kidnapped, wreaking havoc on the fishing village where she was taken from.
November 27th, 2009. Skye Walker´s rating: 3.5 | Emily Diamand | Children | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Demon Bound by Caitlin Kittredge
Demon Bound is the second book in Caitlin Kittredge’s Black London series. Kittredge fans will be happy to know that she has once again spun a fascinating yarn that is loaded with creative nuances and twists. Her dark imagination is a breath of dank, moldering, fetid air exhaled by something creeping out of the haunted crypt she calls a brain. She has a knack for unfolding compelling stories without too much backfill (backfill is something I personally find annoying).
November 26th, 2009. Stephen B. Frank´s rating: 3 | Caitlin Kittredge | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Mel is living his dream. He’s been plucked from his meager existence in his sleepy town and has been brought to the big city to study as an apprentice under a great Master painter. Once there however, Mel finds that life in the big city is not exactly what he pictured.
The head apprentice Groot has it out for him because he knows how much more talented Mel is, and Groot’s big-shot uncle also has Mel on his short list and will go to any lengths to fatten his own pockets and squash Mel like a bug.
November 25th, 2009. Guest´s rating: 1.5 | Mike Wilks | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
“I can steal anything.” With that boast, Gen sets into action a course of events that could affect kingdoms. When he boasts that he can steal the King’s Seal, and then delivers on his promise, he is arrested and thrown into prison, where he languishes until the King’s Magus approaches him with an offer: freedom if he can steal Hamiathes’s Gift, a legendary stone that carries with it the right to rule the kingdom of Eddis.
Megan Whalen Turner writes a delightful mythic fantasy that takes the reader on a secret journey through a country whose culture and religion are loosely based on Ancient Greece.
November 24th, 2009. Ruth Arnell, Tadiana Jones and Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4.5 | Megan Whalen Turner | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 6 comments |
Nightingale’s Lament by Simon R. Green
The Nightside stories are so hard boiled that it’s hard to put in perspective, but I’m going to try anyway: If you took Dashiell Hammett’s corpse, rolled it in batter, then deep fried it till black, you would have a pretty good approximation of what Simon R. Green is going for.
Nightingale’s Lament is the third book in the Nightside series, and follows the same pattern as the previous books do: basically,
November 24th, 2009. Justin Blazier and Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Simon R. Green | Audio | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
In the innocence of my youth (note: aka up until a couple of months ago), I naïvely thought that a fantasy in which a supernatural being fell in love was called a “paranormal romance.” When I started blogging, I proudly proclaimed myself a fan of urban fantasy and paranormal romance and invited people to send me reading materials. Yeah.
I soon got wise to the difference between fantasy and romantic fantasy and things settled down. But then a few weeks ago I received in the mail a hot-off-the-press paperback with a naked man on the cover that I’m 99.8% sure I never asked for.
November 23rd, 2009. Stephen B. Frank | Giveaway!, Thoughtful Thursday | 30 comments |
We have with us today, Lev Grossman, in addition to writing book reviews for Time Magazine, Lev is also the internationally best-selling author of The Magicians, Warp, and Codex. His Nerd World blog has recently relaunched as Techland.com. But Lev promises that a) he is still a nerd; and b) he will still be blogging about nerd culture.
SB Frank: I was looking at your website and I saw that you’ve written on some fascinating topics. One article in particular that caught my eye was a piece “Catalog This,” that talked about the bizarre things that are sometimes bequeathed to libraries as part of the estates of famous personas,
November 20th, 2009. Stephen B. Frank | Lev Grossman | Author Interviews, Giveaway! | 17 comments |
This book made no sense to me at all. I was hoping for some explanations at the end but it…
Oh, Marion, you say "but dark" as if it were a bad thing! 😂
Hammer Studios is... reborn? I only ever read the "Kane" stories, which I found good but dark. It's a little…
Oh...and the men used the name "The Great Northern Expedition" to throw people off as to their actual destination, even…
Oh, it IS, Marion! It is!