Thieves seem to be “in” this decade, and Ari Marmell’s Widdershins, from the COVENANT series, is one of the most popular in YA. In Covenant’s End, Widdershins returns to her home city, only to discover that there have been drastic changes while she has been away. Some are huge and affect the entire city. Some are personal, shifting the fault lines in Shins’ heart.
Shins carries a tiny god, Olgun, in her head. Olgun provides insight,
February 18th, 2015. Marion Deeds´s rating: 3.5 | Ari Marmell | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 6 comments |
The Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford, illustrated by Kelly Murphy
Right up front, Jordan Stratford advises the young readers of The Case of the Missing Moonstone (2015), the first book in his WOLLSTONECRAFT DETECTIVE AGENCY series, that he is playing fast and loose with history. Ada Byron (also called Ada Lovelace), Lord Byron’s daughter, was eighteen years younger than Mary Godwin, not three, but Stratford thought these two brilliant young women working together and solving mysteries would be fun, so he changed the timeline.
February 17th, 2015. Marion Deeds´s rating: 4 | Jordan Stratford | Children | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Pacific Fire by Greg van Eekhout
(Our reviews may contain spoilers for the previous novel, California Bones.)
Pacific Fire is the second book in Greg van Eekhout’s OSTEOMANCY series. The first one, California Bones, was the story of Daniel Blackland, son of a powerful osteomancer in a magical southern California. If California Bones charted the fate of Daniel, Pacific Fire belongs almost entirely to Sam,
February 11th, 2015. Marion Deeds and Bill Capossere´s rating: 4 | Greg Van_Eekhout | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Greg van Eekhout’s California Bones generated a lot of excitement when it came out last year. Now that the sequel, Pacific Fire, is out, Van Eekhout is doing a “mini book tour.” He stopped in Petaluma, California, at Copperfield’s Books, to talk with horror editor Ross E. Lockhart about the trilogy, writing for adults versus middle graders, his love of the band Rush and his opinion about the need for a Black Widow movie. I was in the audience and made a few notes from their dialogue.
February 3rd, 2015. Marion Deeds | Greg Van_Eekhout | Author Interviews, Giveaway! | 18 comments |
The Whispering Swarm by Michael Moorcock
“… There was Blackfriars Bridge and the rich waters of the river, marbled by rainbow oil, poisonous and invigorating, buzzing like speed. What immune systems that environment gave us! It was an energy shield out of a science fiction story. The city lived through all attacks and so did we. Our bit of it – almost the eye of the storm – was scarcely touched. I grew up knowing I would survive. We all knew it.”
Michael Moorcock is one of Those Names in the SFF field.
February 3rd, 2015. Marion Deeds´s rating: 2.5 | Michael Moorcock | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
(Warning: may contain spoilers of the two previous books.)
In the foreword to Half a Crown, Jo Walton says that she is by nature an optimistic person and that’s why she wrote the SMALL CHANGE series (which she refers to as Still Life with Fascists). Half a Crown, the final book in the trilogy, is admittedly more optimistic that the first two. Sadly, in several ways it’s the weakest of the three,
January 27th, 2015. Marion Deeds´s rating: 3 | Jo Walton | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
(May contain spoilers for the previous book, Farthing.)
Ha’Penny is the second book in Jo Walton’s dark alternate history series SMALL CHANGE. The “small change” that created this world is the refusal of America to get involved in the war in Europe, in 1941. From that small “counterfactual” sprang a world where, by 1949, Europe is largely under the control of Hitler, who is at war with Stalin for the rest. Britain negotiated a “peace with honor” with Germany and has now fully embraced fascism.
January 23rd, 2015. Marion Deeds´s rating: 3.5 | Jo Walton | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
What Do You Resolve to Read in 2015?
We’re at the time of year when everyone does two things: 1) “Best of” lists; and 2) resolutions for the future. We published our “Best Of” list a few weeks ago, so I’m taking this space to talk about my reading resolutions for 2015.
I resolve to re-read the GORMENGHAST trilogy by Mervyn Peake. It’s been decades since I’ve read it and I need to reacquaint myself.
I resolve to branch out a bit and read slightly more space opera in 2015 and military SF in 2015.
January 22nd, 2015. Marion Deeds | Giveaway!, Thoughtful Thursday | 23 comments |
At first glance, it seems like Farthing, Book One in Jo Walton’s SMALL CHANGE trilogy, could have been written by Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers or Elizabeth George. At a house party in the home of an aristocratic British family, a guest is found dead, his body staged to throw suspicion on another guest specifically. Soon clouds of secrets, lies, betrayals and adulteries fill the air. Peter Carmichael, the Scotland Yard Inspector sent to investigate, must fight his way through those clouds,
January 22nd, 2015. Marion Deeds´s rating: 4 | Jo Walton | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
(Warning; May contain spoilers of the earlier book, Three.)
Before I sat down to write my review of Morningside Fall, the second book in Jay Posey’s LEGENDS OF THE DUSKWALKER series, I had to go back and re-read my review of book one, called Three. I enjoyed Three, but I had a lot of the same problems that I had with Morningside Fall,
January 15th, 2015. Marion Deeds´s rating: 3 | Jay Posey | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
What a fascinating exploration of Edwige Fenech's contributions to the giallo genre! I love how the post highlights her unique…
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…