The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson
The Bands of Mourning (2016) is the third book in Brandon Sanderson’s second MISTBORN series, following closely (well under a year) on the heels of the last installment, Shadows of Self. Set several centuries after the original trilogy, this second one shows us a world still dealing with the ramifications of those events, but one that also, unlike a lot of fantasy worlds, has continued to progress technologically as guns,
January 22nd, 2016. Bill Capossere and Kevin Wei´s rating: 3.5 | Brandon Sanderson | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
Another year, another round of amazing novels! I can feel myself almost salivating at the delicious, delicious sequels and debuts set to be published this year! Right now I’m envisioning curling up in a comfy chair with a 2016 release and a big plate of cookies… and it’s really distracting…
Anyway, here are the two releases I’m most excited about this year:
1. Daniel Abraham’s The Spider’s War, out March 8, is the conclusion to his acclaimed THE DAGGER AND THE COIN series. I’ve been waiting for this one for two years!
January 21st, 2016. Kevin Wei | Thoughtful Thursday | 33 comments |
Editor’s update: The Fifth Season won the 2016 Hugo Award.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
I am awestricken by the imagination of N.K. Jemisin, but it isn’t just her wild vision of a seismically turbulent planet that makes The Fifth Season so successful. Jemisin depicts her strange and harrowing world through the old-fashioned tools of fine writing and hard work, done so well that it looks easy – transparent – to the reader.
The world of The Fifth Season,
January 15th, 2016. Marion Deeds, Jana Nyman, Kevin Wei, Stuart Starosta and Kat Hooper´s rating: 5 | N.K. Jemisin | Audio, Hugo Award | SFF Reviews | 16 comments |
Blood of the Mantis by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Things begin to slow down some in Blood of the Mantis (2009). The third book in the SHADOWS OF THE APT series is the smallest, and yet took the longest for me to read. Adrian Tchaikovsky maintains the same level of writing established in the first two, but seems to be struggling a bit with middle-book syndrome. The events in book 3 are too important to completely leave out of the story, it’s too long to be split between other books,
January 12th, 2016. Justin Blazier and Kevin Wei´s rating: 3.5 | Adrian Tchaikovsky | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Dragonfly Falling by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Between introducing the uniquely imaginative concept of ‘Insect-kinden’ and showcasing a well-rounded display of characterization, world-building, story, pacing and prose, Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Empire in Black and Gold was not only an impressive debut, it was also a memorable start to an exciting new fantasy series. A direct continuation of Empire in Black and Gold, Dragonfly Falling is basically more of the same, just on a larger and more entertaining scale.
January 6th, 2016. Robert Thompson, Justin Blazier, Terry Weyna and Kevin Wei | Adrian Tchaikovsky | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky
If all I had to go by was the cover art (Tor 2008 edition), the title of the book and the synopsis, I probably wouldn’t give Adrian Tchaikovsky’s debut a second glimpse. After all, the artwork fails to capture the eye, the book title is bland, and the summary makes the novel sound formulaic. I mean how many times have authors written about a powerful ‘Empire’ bent on conquering the world and the unlikely heroes determined to stop them? For that matter,
December 29th, 2015. Robert Thompson, Justin Blazier, Terry Weyna and Kevin Wei´s rating: 4 | Adrian Tchaikovsky | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony
You know that delighted little feeling you get when a package arrives on your doorstep? And with how excited you are, you just can’t wait to unbox whatever it is? Imagine you’ve just received a mysterious package, perhaps one you’ve been anticipating for a long time. Except, you’re so thrilled that you forget to check the name on the shipping label… and when you open it up, it’s not for you… Whoops.
You see, I’d heard so many things about Piers Anthony’s XANTH series,
December 4th, 2015. Kevin Wei and Kat Hooper´s rating: 0.1, 0.5 | Piers Anthony | SFF Reviews | 19 comments |
The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher
Fans of Jim Butcher (including myself) were thrilled to see that he’s started a new series called THE CINDER SPIRES. This one is quite different than his previous works. THE DRESDEN FILES, for which Butcher is best known, is a modern-day urban fantasy with a first-person narrator and a hardboiled feel. THE CODEX ALERA is an epic fantasy with a typical medieval setting and plot.
THE CINDER SPIRES is set in a more imaginative world.
November 13th, 2015. Kat Hooper, Kevin Wei and Tadiana Jones´s rating: 3 | Jim Butcher | Audio | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
Warning: Will contain spoilers for previous books in the RAVEN’S SHADOW series
Anthony Ryan’s RAVEN’S SHADOW series follows the life of Vaelin Al Sorna and his comrades, from his childhood in the religious, militaristic 6th Order to his career as a general, commander, and practitioner of the Dark (magic). Queen of Fire, the third and final book of RAVEN’S SHADOW, brings the series to a conclusion that leaves much to be desired.
September 17th, 2015. Kevin Wei´s rating: 2.5 | Anthony Ryan | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Tower Lord, book two in Anthony Ryan’s RAVEN’S SHADOW trilogy, picks up where its predecessor, Blood Song, left off, with protagonist Vaelin Al Sorna returning to the Unified Realm following his capture and eventual victory in a duel in the Isles. King Malcius, who has succeeded King Janus to the throne of the Realm, proves to be a fairly weak ruler. Vaelin is eventually reunited with his sister Alornis and is named Tower Lord by King Malcius.
September 16th, 2015. Kevin Wei´s rating: 2 | Anthony Ryan | SFF Reviews | 2 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…