The Language of Power by Rosemary Kirstein
2014’s The Language of Power is the fourth and final complete book in Rosemary Kirstein’s THE STEERSWOMAN series. Kirstein is hardly the worst offender in the ranks of writers who stopped writing before a series was finished. Still, the sense of urgency that develops in the final few pages of the book left me hanging, almost literally. Since this is the fourth book in the series, this review might contain spoilers for the previous books.
November 17th, 2021. Marion Deeds´s rating: 2.5 | Rosemary Kirstein | SFF Reviews | 5 comments |
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
The Bone Shard Daughter (2020) by Andrea Stewart is a fast-paced, enticing read, with an attractive world and a magical system that grabs the imagination with both hands and doesn’t let it go.
Stewart’s debut is the first book of a series, THE DROWNING EMPIRE. In an archipelago empire, the imperial Sukai dynasty defeated the powerful Alanga, who ruled it. The current emperor, Shiyen, uses bone shard magic to protect his citizens from the possible return of the Alanga.
November 12th, 2021. Marion Deeds and Bill Capossere´s rating: 4 | Andrea Stewart | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Call of Fire (2017) continues the adventures of Ingrid Carmichael, introduced in Breath of Earth as a secretary at a geomancy school with tremendous hidden powers and who, in this second BLOOD OF EARTH novel, is on the run from an ambitious ambassador with deadly secrets. This time, Beth Cato takes Ingrid, Lee Fong, Cy Jennings, and the brilliant engineer Mr. Fenris up the Pacific Northwest coastline to Portland and Seattle, where the Japanese influence of the United Pacific conglomeration is inescapable.
November 11th, 2021. Jana Nyman and Marion Deeds´s rating: 3.5 | Beth Cato | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Word Fantasy awards were announced last weekend. Trouble the Saints, by Alaya Dawn Johnson, won for Best Novel. Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi took the award for Best Novella, and Celeste Rita Baker’s “The Glass Bottle Dancer” took home the best short story award.
In his newsletter, Max Gladstone announced that CRAFT Sequence merchandise is now available. Yes, you too can now have a Red King Consolidated T-shirt.
If you’re a Hugo voter this year, John Scalzi reminds you that the deadline is looming.
File 770 writes about a round table which included N.K.
November 10th, 2021. Marion Deeds | World Wide Wednesday | no comments |
Nightshifted by Cassie Alexander
Edie Spence has a degree in nursing and a job at the County Hospital, in the Y4 ward. County Hospital, the public hospital that treats everyone, insured or not, is a tough gig at any time — Y4 is both tougher and weirder, being the floor that treats daylight servants of vampires, vampires themselves, shapeshifters, and all sorts of were-folk. Oh, and did I mention zombies? The work is hard and dangerous, the pay is abysmal, but by working here, Edie guarantees protection for her junkie brother. As Nightshifted opens,
November 10th, 2021. Marion Deeds´s rating: 3.5 | Cassie Alexander | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Lights of Prague by Nicole Jarvis
The Lights of Prague (2021) is Nicole Jarvis’s first novel. It’s set in 1868 Prague, filled with pijavica* — vampires — and other magical creatures. Fighting the pijavica are the lamplighters, whose cover job is to go around lighting the new gas streetlamps in the city. Domek Myska is a lamplighter, apprenticed to an irascible alchemist. Lady Ora Fischerova is a widowed noblewoman with a secret, who has started up a flirtation with Domek. A bold and terrible plan hatched by an upstart nest of vampires threatens them and the entire city.
November 8th, 2021. Marion Deeds´s rating: 3 | Nicole Jarvis | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
When I got to the scene in Under the Whispering Door (2021) featuring an opportunistic “medium” being messed with by two ghosts, I started laughing so hard I fell over sideways on the loveseat. My husband kept saying, “What? What?” and I could only gasp, “You’ll… have to read it yourself.”
You’ll have to read it yourselves, too.
2021’s Under the Whispering Door is TJ Klune’s second fantasy book marketed to adults.
November 4th, 2021. Marion Deeds´s rating: 4.5 | TJ Klune | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Facebook has changed its name to Meta, with a sort-infinity-sign logo. That was close enough to Neil Stephenson’s “metaverse” that Axios interviewed the writer about it.
World FantasyCon (this month in Montreal) is offering day memberships. This is a hybrid con, part online and part in-person. (Thanks to File 770.)
George R.R Martin hosts a Wild Cards-themed event at the Jean Cocteau Cinema in Santa Fe, New Mexico, November 13. (File770 again.)
The U.K. Guardian article about the preservation of hundreds of pulp-era Mexican movies will be of special interest to Sandy,
November 3rd, 2021. Marion Deeds | World Wide Wednesday | no comments |
Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest
Leda Foley is trying to keep her single-person travel agency afloat. Grady Merritt is a Seattle PD detective away at a conference. When Leda changes his return flight plans without notice or explanation, she saves his life — and outs herself as a psychic. Back home in Seattle, Grady hires her to assist on a baffling cold case he won’t let go of. Abruptly, a psychic episode shows Leda that this case and unsolved murder of her fiancé Tod three years earlier are connected.
2021’s Grave Reservations is a slight departure for Cherie Priest;
November 3rd, 2021. Marion Deeds´s rating: 4.5 | Cherie Priest | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Lost Steersman by Rosemary Kirstein
In the third book of Rosemary Kirstein’s STEERSWOMAN series, steerswoman Rowan steps off the edge of her known world and risks her life in the process. Originally published in 2003, this book has been reissued. My review may contain spoilers for The Steerswoman and The Outskirter’s Secret.
The Lost Steersman begins with a prologue, a letter from Rowan to the Prime of the Steerswomen,
November 1st, 2021. Marion Deeds´s rating: 3 | Rosemary Kirstein | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Thanks for the kind words, Ira! Much appreciated!
Fine review
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!