An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham
This third novel in Daniel Abraham’s LONG PRICE QUARTET is even more exciting than the first two novels. In the first book, A Shadow in Summer, we saw the Galts (the enemies of the city-states of the Khaiem) destroy the industry of the Khaiem’s most glorious city, Saraykeht. In the second book, A Betrayal in Winter, the Galts attempted to get control of the city of Machi by killing off the Khai’s sons and installing their own man as Khai.
December 17th, 2014. Kat Hooper and Bill Capossere´s rating: 4.5 | Daniel Abraham | Audio | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
There is space opera, and then there is Space Opera. Dan Simmon’s 1989 Hyperion is S.P.A.C.E. O.P.E.R.A. From grand schemes to the most minute of details, vivid character portrayal to imaginative and original future technology, gorgeous scenery to a multi-dimensional, motivated plot, everything works. Weaving his tale, Simmons proves a master storyteller, each of the seven tableaus presented begging to be devoured. As a result, it is virtually impossible to read Hyperion and not want to follow up with the sequel,
December 17th, 2014. Jesse Hudson´s rating: 4 | Dan Simmons | SFF Reviews | 16 comments |
The Foundry’s Edge by Cam Baity & Benny Zelkowicz
The Foundry’s Edge, by Cam Baity and Benny Zelkowicz, is a solid MG/YA entry that, I’d say, had more potential than was met. In failing to fully take advantage of its possibilities, it never falls so far as to be a “bad” read, but it also rarely inspires or enthralls, though it picks up in the latter quarter of the novel, both in terms of action and emotion.
The story is set at first in the city of Meridian, a technologically advanced (well past any other regions) city thanks to being the home of the Foundry,
December 16th, 2014. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3.5 | Cam Baity | Children | SFF Reviews | no comments |
A Betrayal in Winter by Daniel Abraham
“Constant struggle is the price of power.”
A Betrayal in Winter, the second book in Daniel Abraham’s LONG PRICE QUARTET begins about 15 years after the events of A Shadow in Summer (which you probably should read before beginning A Betrayal Winter or before reading this review).
Maati, the poet of Saraykeht, was disgraced by the disappearance of the andat Seedless and the subsequent downfall of the cotton trade in Saraykeht.
December 16th, 2014. Kat Hooper and Bill Capossere´s rating: 4 | Daniel Abraham | Audio | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
The War in the Air by H.G. Wells
The War of the Worlds wasn’t the only masterpiece that H.G. Wells wrote with the words “The War” in the title. The War in the Air, which came out 10 years later, in 1908, is surely a lesser-known title by this great author, but most certainly, in my humble opinion, a masterpiece nonetheless. In this prophetic book, Wells not only predicts World War I — which wouldn’t start for another six years — but also prophesies how the advent of navigable balloons and heavier-than-air flying craft would make that war inevitable.
December 16th, 2014. Sandy Ferber´s rating: 5 | H.G. Wells | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 5 comments |
Dark Screams: Volume One edited by Brian Freeman and Richard T. Chizmar
Dark Screams: Volume One is the first of at least four volumes of short horror anthologies that are projected for publication through August 2015. The books are being published as ebooks only through Random House’s digital-only genre imprint, Hydra, for a bargain price of $2.99.
Volume One starts out with one of the most popular horror writers ever: Stephen King. “Weeds” was originally published in Cavalier,
December 15th, 2014. Terry Weyna´s rating: 3.5 | Kelley Armstrong, Stephen King | Horror, Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Necromancer’s House by Christopher Buehlman
The Necromancer’s House, by Christopher Buehlman, is a scary, funny, fast-paced urban fantasy novel with a rich voice and likeable characters. With its multiple viewpoints and several satisfying reveals along the way, it is one of the most well-crafted and exciting books I have read in a while.
Buehlman tells the story of Andrew Blankenship, a charming, brilliant modern wizard who drives an antique Mustang, wears his long black hair in a samurai bun, and goes to AA meetings regularly.
December 15th, 2014. Kate Lechler´s rating: 4.5 | Christopher Buehlman | Horror, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Birchfield Close by Jon McNaught
Birchfield Close by Jon McNaught is another wonderful offering from Nobrow Press. It is a quiet work filled with noises, a Mona Lisa on a postage stamp, an epic in sonnet form, and a study in time captured in minutes and seconds. All these contradictions should make it clear how difficult it is to write about a book that’s only about twenty-five pages long, covers a brief period of time at the end of a day, and has no dialogue between characters.
December 15th, 2014. Brad Hawley´s rating: 5 | Comics | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Fish by Bianca Bagnarelli
Bianca Bagnarelli is an Italian artist who was born in Milan. Recipient of multiple awards, she founded a small independent label that publishes short comic stories by Italian and foreign artists. I’m pleased that I’ve discovered her work through Nobrow Press. Unfortunately, many of these works — such as Fish by Bianca Bagnarelli — are easily overlooked because they are short, quiet graphic novels that touch on the small, but significant, moments of life. In fact, Fish is only about thirty pages long,
December 13th, 2014. Brad Hawley´s rating: 4 | Comics | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
“I miss the days when I used to be nostalgic.” ~Vlad Taltos
I’ve been slightly disappointed with the last few novels in Steven Brust’s VLAD TALTOS series, but with Issola, book 9, Brust returns to what I liked about the earlier books. While I admired Brust’s willingness to experiment with his world, his characters, and especially the narrative structure of his novels, I think he’s best when the overall plot is moving forward and Vlad is using his assassin skills to solve mysteries and help his powerful Dragonlord friends.
December 12th, 2014. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Steven Brust | Audio | SFF Reviews | no comments |
I believe you are missing the point of this book here. I don't believe the purpose is to tell a…
I love it!
Almost as good as my friend: up-and-coming author Amber Merlini!
I don't know what kind of a writer he is, but Simon Raven got the best speculative-fiction-writing name ever!
[…] Its gotten great reviews from Publishers Weekly (starred review!), Kirkus, Locus, Booklist, Lithub, FantasyLiterature, and more. Some of whom…