Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto
If you like Anne McCaffrey’s DRAGONRIDERS OF PERN series and are looking for more of the same — elite society of beast-riders with a telepathic/empathic link between human and animal — then Nicki Pau Preto’s YA debut novel Crown of Feathers (2019), the first in a series of the same name, might be worth your time. If you’ve read enough of this type of book to pick out key plot points and character developments from seven leagues away,
March 14th, 2019. Jana Nyman´s rating: 2.5 | Nicki Pau Preto | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
Medieval Russia comes to life in Katherine Arden’s WINTERNIGHT TRILOGY, which began in Lesnaya Zemlya, a small village in northern Rus’ in The Bear and the Nightingale and continued in The Girl in the Tower. Vasilisa (Vasya) is a young woman with the rare ability to see and speak with the natural spirits or chyerti of the hearth, stables,
March 14th, 2019. Tadiana Jones, Bill Capossere and Marion Deeds´s rating: 5 | Katherine Arden | SFF Reviews | 15 comments |
Books and Writing:
Joshua Bilmes founded Jabberwocky Literary Agency. In this interview with the Odyssey Writing Workshop, he provides some valuable information on the role of agents and dispenses writing advice.
Nerds of a Feather spends a few minutes with writer and editor Catherine Lundoff, who shares some book recommendations.
According to the U.K. Guardian, the release of Margaret Atwood’s sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale will be a media event, complete with a live broadcast.
D.W. Pasulka has a new book coming out.
March 13th, 2019. Marion Deeds | World Wide Wednesday | no comments |
The Haunting of Tramcar 015 by P. Djèlí Clark
P. Djèlí Clark’s 2019 novella (140 pages in print) is a genial paranormal mystery tale set in a wonderfully evocative alternative Cairo at the beginning of the 20th century. The title pretty much sums up the plot. Tramcar 105 is indeed haunted, as is quickly established in humorous fashion by the two agents sent to investigate by the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities. Hamed Nasr is the veteran of the pairing, with a sharp investigative eye and an equally sharp lack of patience for having his time wasted.
March 13th, 2019. Bill Capossere´s rating: 4 | P. Djèlí Clark | Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Today Fantasy Literature welcomes Rati Mehrotra, whose ASIANA duology explores multiple themes and genres; she joins me to discuss those aspects of her YA novels, her current work-in-progress, and a delicious-sounding cuppa. One commenter will win one copy each of Markswoman and Mahimata!
Jana: The ASIANA duology features a blend of science fiction, fantasy, and post-apocalyptia. What challenges did you face in combining elements of these genres,
March 12th, 2019. Jana Nyman | Rati Mehrotra | Author Interviews, Giveaway! | 9 comments |
Gareth Hinds makes a lot of good decisions in his graphic version of Homer’s The Iliad (2019), both in terms of art and narration, resulting in a book that’s easy to recommend both to young adults and also educators/parents who want to slip a little classical knowledge into their kid’s comic book.
Two of those good decisions involve cleverly incorporating each major hero’s initial into their helm or breastplate and ignoring the historical reality, and portraying the two sides in uniform garb so as to more easily distinguish one from the other.
March 12th, 2019. Bill Capossere´s rating: 4.5 | Comics, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik
Jessie Mihalik’s debut novel, Polaris Rising (2019), is a bit like if Leia Organa and Han Solo didn’t have that wet blanket Luke Skywalker moping about, bringing everyone down with his whinging about moisture farming and power converters. It’s a story about a runaway princess and an outlaw soldier causing all kind of space-shenanigans, evading capture by the princess’ intended fiancé and her overbearing father, and the best part is that the princess is the one driving all the action and risking everything to protect her life and the lives of her companions.
March 12th, 2019. Jana Nyman´s rating: 4 | Jessie Mihalik | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Since I fell in love with Sylvain Neuvel’s giant robots and sardonic narrator in Sleeping Giants, I’ve been curious to see what he would write next. The Test (2019) is an excellent novella, quite different from THE THEMIS FILES trilogy, though some similar themes are touched on and there are similarities in the narrative technique.
I went into reading The Test totally cold,
March 11th, 2019. Tadiana Jones and Kat Hooper´s rating: 4.5 | Sylvain Neuvel | Horror, Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
We’re reading some brand new books this week. Take a peek!
Bill: Not a lot of reading lately thanks to piles ‘o papers and sundry deadlines. But I did finish Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James, with mixed feelings as the end result. I also read a genial novella, The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clark. And I’m currently listening to Heart: A History by Sandeep Jauhar, a fascinating mix of memoir and scientific/medical history.
March 10th, 2019. Tim Scheidler | Status Update | no comments |
The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime by Toshio Ban & Tezuka Productions & translated into English by Frederik L. Schodt
“They say if you try making anime for 3 days, you’ll never be able to quit and that in 3 days you’ll also be broke. But even if I were to go broke, I still don’t think I’d be able to quit.” These words from Tezuka, upon receiving an award late in life, express his passion for his work in anime, but he had an equal passion for manga.
March 9th, 2019. Brad Hawley´s rating: 5 | Comics | SFF Reviews | no comments |
If the state of the arts puzzles you, and you wonder why so many novels are "retellings" and formulaic rework,…
I picked my copy up last week and I can't wait to finish my current book and get started! I…
Gentlemen, I concur! (Forgive me for jumping into your convo)
The cover is amazing. I love how the graphic novel (and the review!) hewed close to the theme of "good…
I've thought about picking that one up. The artwork looks perfect.