The Dark Griffin by K.J. Taylor
K.J. Taylor’s The Dark Griffin is billed as “the first book in an edgy new trilogy,” but felt like reading a very long prologue. Unfortunately for the reader, the gist of the story is told in the couple of paragraphs on the back cover, taking away any suspense. I hate when the back cover gives too much away. We go into the story knowing Arren is going to end up in the arena and that he will end up partnered with the wild,
February 19th, 2011. Sarah Webb (guest)´s rating: 2 | K.J. Taylor | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Land of Burning Sands by Rachel Neumeier
The Land of Burning Sands is another well-crafted story from gifted author Rachel Neumeier. Instead of carrying on with the characters from the first book, we interact very little with the griffins and Kes in The Land of Burning Sands. They are a presence, but mostly as a menace overshadowing the developing story. I for one appreciated Neumeier introducing her readers to new characters. So many trilogies stick with the same main characters throughout, and it can get old in a hurry.
February 5th, 2011. Sarah Webb (guest)´s rating: 4 | Rachel Neumeier | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
My sister refers to this type of book as “Grandma died/disappeared and left you the family home and a whopping big mess in the basement/attic/surrounding landscape to clear up.” Carousel Tides by Sharon Lee is that kind of story, with a big helping of “you can run from your responsibilities in life, but you can’t hide.”
Carousel Tides is contemporary fantasy. I can’t call it “urban” since it takes place in a small town in coastal Maine,
January 25th, 2011. Sarah Webb (guest)´s rating: 4 | Sharon Lee | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits by Robin McKinley & Peter Dickinson
Let me start by saying I’ve never been much for short stories. It’s not that they can’t be well done, and I admit that it takes a huge talent to do them well, but I usually find myself frustrated and wanting more. Probably because I am used to reading full-length novels. That being said, I enjoyed reading Fire. There are five stories, two by Robin McKinley and three by Peter Dickinson.
December 13th, 2010. Sarah Webb (guest)´s rating: 3.5 | Peter Dickinson, Robin McKinley | Short Fiction, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Lord of the Changing Winds by Rachel Neumeier
Lord of the Changing Winds is a very well done, straightforward fantasy novel. While there isn’t anything earth-shatteringly new here, neither is there a sense of “same old story.”
Rachel Neumeier takes an interesting direction with Kes, one of her main characters. Kes is a 15-year-old orphan girl, raised by her sister in a small, quiet village. She has healing abilities and doesn’t quite fit in. So far, all the clichéd standards. Kes, however, is not a cliché.
August 2nd, 2010. Sarah Webb (guest)´s rating: 4 | Rachel Neumeier | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
MAGEWORLDS: The Price of the Stars, Starpilot’s Grave, By Honor Betray’d by Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonald
Mageworlds is one of the best trilogies I’ve ever read. It’s categorized as Space Opera since there are spaceships and multiple planets involved, but trust me, this falls on the fantasy end of the spectrum. If you’ve never tried Space Opera, this is a wonderful place to get your feet wet. If you like Space Opera, jump on in!
March 3rd, 2010. Sarah Webb (guest)´s rating: 5 | Debra Doyle | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is an ultimately frustrating retelling of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon,” a Norse fairytale about a girl (who is never referred to by name) and an enchanted white bear. It just happens to be one of my favorite fairy tales. Jessica Day George stays very true to the original story, while judiciously adding details to fill out the sparseness of the tale. She gives us a reason that the girl in the story has no name,
January 1st, 2010. Sarah Webb (guest)´s rating: 3 | Jessica Day George | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
When my daughter was young and starting to read, she told me she didn’t like chapter books because “the words put pictures in my head.” Likewise, Tim Akers put pictures in my head.
Once in a great while, you get a book that visually plays out on the big screen in your head as you’re reading the words on the page.
Veridon is a city on the banks of a large river that feeds into a massive waterfall,
November 12th, 2009. Sarah Webb (guest)´s rating: 5 | Tim Akers | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Pretty challenging book. Cut by half, speed up the cadence. Trying to figure out the plot, the main point of…
Thanks for the kind words, Marion! Coming as they are from a professional writer, they are much appreciated!
Wonderful review, Sandy.
The "body count" bothered me a bit less because being dead seemed more like an inconvenience than anything else... unlike…
Detailed, thoughtful review, Bill. I'm going to read it for two reasons. First, Karen Russell wrote it, and second, it…