Jack of Kinrowan by Charles de Lint
Jack of Kinrowan is actually two books — Jack the Giant Killer and Drink Down the Moon — in an omnibus edition.
Jack the Giant Killer served as de Lint’s volume in the excellent Datlow and Windling edited series of modern retellings of classic fairy tales, as it retells the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, this time with Jack being a Jacky.
May 22nd, 2010. Ruth Arnell´s rating: 4 | Charles De_Lint | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Welcome to the third installment of Rename This Horrible Cover!
This week, I invite you to feast your eyes on this beauty.
Isn’t this a spectacularly bizarre cover? Is that a dog? A hell hound? A lion with mange? What exactly is that large ominous thing? And how is it both behind the man and in front of him at the same time? I’m so confused.
So dear readers, I turn to you. What’s a better name for this cover? I submit “Lord of the Fading Lion Breath.”
Every month we feature a new cover and your job is twofold:
1.
May 20th, 2010. Ruth Arnell | Giveaway!, Thoughtful Thursday | 21 comments |
The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz
The Witches of Karres by James Schmitz is classic, old school science fantasy. Originally published in 1966, this is the story of Captain Pausert of Nikkeldepain, who rescues three young slaves on a foreign world only to find that they are actually three witches from the interdicted planet of Karres. With magical abilities to see the future, teleport objects over long distances, and destroy objects with just a whistle, these three young ladies turn Pausert’s life completely upside down.
May 20th, 2010. Ruth Arnell´s rating: 5 | James H. Schmitz | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Quite frequently in our Thoughtful Thursday discussions, I will reference books that I loved, only to discover that we don’t have reviews for them. Such was the case with The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley, which many people had referenced. I was so embarrassed that we didn’t have a review for that book that I went and reread it so I could write a review.
We have an amazing staff of reviewers here trying to keep up with the ever increasing tide of new books while trying to back-fill reviews of older books as we have time.
May 13th, 2010. Ruth Arnell | Giveaway!, Thoughtful Thursday | 12 comments |
Thief Eyes by Janni Lee Simner
Based on the Icelandic myth told in Njal’s Saga, Thief Eyes by Janni Lee Simner centers around American teenager Haley, who comes to Iceland with her father. The two of them are trying to find Haley’s mother, who had disappeared there a year earlier after an argument with Haley’s dad. Haley gets caught up in a generations-old curse when she finds an inscribed coin on the shore of a lake. Trying to escape the effects of the curse, she has to face the consequences of actions made by people a thousand years before she was born,
May 10th, 2010. Ruth Arnell and Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 2.5 | Janni Lee Simner | Stand-Alone, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Fall of Light by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
(Note: Fall of Light is a “sideways sequel” to A Fistful of Sky. It refers back to some of the things that happened in A Fistful of Sky, but you could read Fall of Light on its own without any problem.)
Opal LaZelle (sister to Gypsum LaZelle of A Fistful of Sky) is a Hollywood makeup artist who specializes in making monsters for horror movies.
April 30th, 2010. Ruth Arnell´s rating: 2.5 | Nina Kiriki Hoffman | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
I’ve started listening to books on my commute. I spend an hour each day in my car, and since apparently I am turning into a cranky old woman who complains about kids and their crazy music, I have lost patience with the radio. Luckily for me, my library has an impressive collection of books on CD so I can find something new to listen to every week.
As I’ve dipped my toe into this new medium for enjoying fantasy, I’ve discovered that just like there are good authors, there are also good readers. Jim Dale is amazing.
April 29th, 2010. Ruth Arnell | Giveaway!, Thoughtful Thursday | 31 comments |
There were shouts of glee resounding through the FanLit offices last year when we heard that Janny Wurts’ Wars of Light and Shadow series was going to be re-released in the US. Beyond just being a great author, we here at FanLit have another reason why Ms. Wurts holds a special place in our hearts and on our bookshelves. Have you ever noticed our beautiful dragon logo? That dragon was created by the multi-talented Janny Wurts.
A few weeks ago, our fearless leader, Kat, went in to get the original artwork framed,
April 22nd, 2010. Ruth Arnell | Giveaway!, Thoughtful Thursday | 26 comments |
Stoneheart by Charlie Fletcher
Stoneheart, the first book in the Stoneheart trilogy by Charlie Fletcher features a cast of three main characters. George, a 12 year old boy, has a hard home life. His father died in a car accident, his mother is a self-absorbed actress who is physically and emotionally absent most of the time, and he’s a social outcast at school. When he gets unfairly blamed for an accident on a school field trip, he lashes out by breaking the head off a stone dragon carved on the outside of the museum.
April 21st, 2010. Ruth Arnell´s rating: 3.5 | Charlie (C.A.) Fletcher | Audio, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Welcome to the second installment of Rename This Horrible Cover!
This week, I invite you to feast your eyes on this beauty. Honestly, I have no idea what’s going on in this picture. Is that a carriage? Being driven by Santa’s helpers? Are they avalanche surfing? Why are the people so skinny? Were they hunting for bones on the mountainside? Are those special cadaver sniffing horses? I really am so confused.
So dear readers, I turn to you. What’s a better name for this cover?
Every month we feature a new cover and your job is twofold:
1.
April 15th, 2010. Ruth Arnell | Giveaway!, Thoughtful Thursday | 21 comments |
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…
this sounds like a fun one