Lord of the Darkwood by Lian Hearn
This is Book Three in a quartet and this review may contain spoilers for earlier books.
In the third installment of Lian Hearn’s THE TALES OF SHIKANOKO, the story moves to the next generation, with the true emperor and the son of Shika and the Autumn Princess. In Lord of the Darkwood (2016), characters who previously played supporting roles take center stage, and for the first time in the series we meet a tengu,
September 5th, 2016. Marion Deeds´s rating: 3.5 | Lian Hearn | SFF Reviews | no comments |
In her follow-up to her acclaimed novel The Miniaturist, Jessie Burton adopts a dual timeline structure, following the lives of two creatively gifted women separated by time and place, but linked by a luminous, long-hidden painting that bodes well to take the art world by storm, and a decades-old mystery about the artist. The Muse (2016) lacks the subtle element of magical realism that lent a mysterious aura to the dollhouse and the titular miniaturist who furnished it in her debut novel,
September 5th, 2016. Tadiana Jones´s rating: 4 | Jessie Burton | Edge, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Death: The Deluxe Edition by Neil Gaiman
Death: The Deluxe Edition, was published by Vertigo in 2012. It’s a handsome book, slightly outsized (7 ¼ by 11 inches), perfect bound with a hard cover, dust jacket and matte black endpapers. The cover has a collage look, filled with shades of black and shell-pink, with Death in profile. The spiral tattoo below her right eye is prominent, and her hair sweeps in a curve like a wing.
All the stories in Death: The Deluxe Edition were written by Neil Gaiman.
September 3rd, 2016. Marion Deeds and Stuart Starosta´s rating: 4.5 | Neil Gaiman | Comics | SFF Reviews | 9 comments |
Girls and Goddesses: Stories of Heroines from Around the World by Lari Don & Francesca Greenwood
Girls and Goddesses: Stories of Heroines from Around the World, written by Lari Don and illustrated by Francesca Greenwood, is a collection of thirteen folktales in a wide range of time and place. While the language is a little flat, for the most part I found it an enjoyable read. And it’s yet another alternative to all those princess-rescued-by-the-boy-hero that used to be the norm.
The cultures/regions included are:
ChinaThe tales are relatively short,
September 2nd, 2016. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3.5 | Lari Don | Children, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
The Jagged Orbit by John Brunner
The 1950s and 60s was a time in the US rife with social tension and conflict. With unpopular wars being fought on foreign soil, blood was also being shed on American streets as ethnic, gender, and counter-culture concerns often turned to violence. Partially a reaction to these social issues, the New Wave science fiction movement, spearheaded by such writers as Ursula Le Guin, Samuel Delany, Robert Silverberg, Barry Malzberg, Joanna Russ, and others shifted the genre’s gears,
September 2nd, 2016. Jesse Hudson | John Brunner | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
Night Flower, currently only available online, is a prequel novella to Court of Fives, the first book in Kate Elliott’s YA fantasy trilogy (also titled COURT OF FIVES). The relationship between Doma Kiya and Captain Esladas — the parents of Jessamy, teenaged Fives adversary and central figure of the trilogy — is a matter of speculation for many, especially the Saroese nobles who view this pairing with disgust and disdain.
September 1st, 2016. Jana Nyman´s rating: 4.5 | Kate Elliott | Short Fiction, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
The Windsingers by Megan Lindholm
The Windsingers is the second book in a series of four featuring Ki and Vandien. It was first published in 1984. The first novel, Harpy’s Flight, which was also Lindholm’s debut, showed some serious flaws in pacing and structure but I still thought it was an interesting book. In The Windsingers, Lindholm clearly improves in those areas but she loses some of the dynamic between Ki and Vandien. In the end I did think the first novel,
September 1st, 2016. Rob Weber´s rating: 3.5 | Megan Lindholm | SFF Reviews | no comments |
It's hardly a private conversation, Becky. You're welcome to add your 2 cents anytime!
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Gentlemen, I concur! (Forgive me for jumping into your convo)
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