Month: August 2014

Rebecca chats with Laini Taylor

Yesterday I was very lucky for the chance to meet with Laini Taylor and discuss her recently-completed DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE trilogy. Arriving in Christchurch, New Zealand for our biannual Writer’s Festival, Laini was kind enough to share some insights into her epic story. Involving a star-crossed romance, a perspective flip on angels and demons, and an upcoming film adaptation, her trilogy has ensnared thousands of readers — and hopefully you as well.

Here are the New Zealand covers of Laini’s books:

I hope you enjoy the interview!

August 30th, 2014. Rebecca Fisher | Laini Taylor | Author Interviews | 3 comments |

Kirinya: I didn’t get what I wanted out of it

Kirinya by Ian McDonald

After recently enjoying Ian McDonald’s Evolution’s Shore, the first book in his CHAGA series, I was eager to proceed with book two, Kirinya. I wanted to know where McDonald was going with the fascinating ideas he presented in that first novel. What is the goal of the Chaga, the alien evolution machine that has landed on Earth in the form of a ground-covering jungle that changes the landscape and its human inhabitants as it slowly progresses across equatorial regions?

7th Sigma: Who doesn’t want to read about giant metal-eating bugs?

7th Sigma by Steven Gould

One thing I really love about accepting review copies of books is that I end up reading stuff I never would have read otherwise. It really opens my eyes up to new authors, or authors that I should have read and heard of long ago. One of these authors is Steven Gould, who, after further investigation, I discovered is well known for a 1992 novel called Jumper. Well, I got 7th Sigma in the mail and realized that it was about giant metal-eating bugs and I knew I had to read it.

August 29th, 2014. Sarah Chorn´s rating: 3 | Steven Gould | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |

Rename this horrible cover!

Wow. Just wow.

This has got to be one of the very worst book covers we’ve ever seen.

There are so many ways this is wrong.

Please help us rename this horrible cover, because it should not polluting this excellent story collection by Ray Bradbury.

The author of the new title we like best wins a book from the FanLit Stacks.

Got a suggestion for a horrible cover that needs renaming? Send it to me.

August 28th, 2014. Kat Hooper | Ray Bradbury | Thoughtful Thursday | 34 comments |

The Bone Clocks: One of my favorite reads this year

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

Fans of David Mitchell (of which I am definitely one) will feel right at home with his newest work, The Bone Clocks. You’ve got your chameleon-like ability to shift voice across a wide variety of genders and ages via multiple POVs, your richly vivid characterization, the literary and at times lyrical passages of internal monologue or description, spot-on dialog, an interconnected-story structure that spans time and space, the erudite use of history, and imaginative yet grittily real extrapolations of future settings and language.

Mary of Marion Isle: Another wonderful Haggard adventure

Mary of Marion Isle by H. Rider Haggard

The great H. Rider Haggard wrote a total of 58 novels before his death in May 1925, and of that number, four were released posthumously. Mary of Marion Isle was his penultimate creation, one which he wrote in 1924, although, as revealed in D.S. Higgins’ biography of Haggard, the idea for the story first came to him in 1916, while sailing to Australia and watching the albatrosses circling his ship. The novel was ultimately released in April 1929, and, as stated by Higgins,

The Gypsy: A Brust & Lindholm collaboration

The Gypsy by Steven Brust and Megan Lindholm

Experienced police man Mike Stepovich anf his green partner Durand apprehend a gypsy suspected of murdering a shopkeeper. Stepovich immediately notices something strange about the gypsy and does something he’s never done in his long career. He fails to turn in the knife the gypsy is carrying. Somehow he knows the gypsy is not the murderer and the knife is special. Later that night, the gypsy disappears without a trace from the police cell they are holding him in. Murder investigations are not the territory of an ordinary patrol cop but this case does not let him go,

August 28th, 2014. Rob Weber´s rating: 4 | Megan Lindholm, Steven Brust | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |

WWWednesday: August 27, 2014

On this day in 1992, Super Mario Kart was released in Japan, launching the entire Mario Kart series.

Writing, Editing, and Publishing:

The nominees for the 2014 Endeavor Awards, for a distinguished SF/F novel published by an author from the Pacific Northwest, have been announced; the winner will be announced at the next OryCon, held in Portland, OR.

The European Science Fiction Society presented awards this past weekend at the 36th Eurocon, Shamrokon in Dublin.

Finally, the Sidewise Awards (for best alternate history) and the Chesley Awards (for best science fiction or fantasy art) were awarded last week at LonCon.

August 27th, 2014. Kate Lechler | World Wide Wednesday | 3 comments |

A Fall of Princes: So much drama!

A Fall of Princes by Judith Tarr

In this third novel of Judith Tarr’s AVARYAN RISING trilogy (which probably could stand alone), it’s been 15 years since the events of the previous book, The Lady of Han-Gilen. Mirain and Elian now have a teenage son named Saraven who is heir to the throne of his country. One day Saraven saves the life of Hirel, the son of the king of a neighboring kingdom. At first they have nothing in common and even despise each other,

Under a Graveyard Sky: Here comes the Zombie Apocalypse

Under a Graveyard Sky by John Ringo

I have friends who are “preppers”: people who stockpile supplies and make solid plans for what to do in the event of a natural disaster or complete collapse of society. Under a Graveyard Sky tells the story of the kind of scenario my friends have planned for, and of how the world as we know it could unravel if the Zombie Apocalypse occurred.

Steve Smith and his family are normal people who have taken serious precautions in case the world comes to an end.

August 27th, 2014. John Hulet´s rating: 4 | John Ringo | SFF Reviews | 6 comments |

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