Belgarath the Sorcerer & Polgara the Sorceress by David and Leigh Eddings
As a reviewer I find it a bit challenging to justify my review of these books; they are exactly what they say on the tin. If you like Belgarath and Polgara, you’ll like these books. If you don’t, you won’t. If you don’t know who they are, don’t read them (but you might consider THE BELGARIAD, which contains the background you would need).
If you’re like me and read book reviews just because,
May 25th, 2018. Nathan Okerlund´s rating: 3 | David Eddings | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
The Two of Swords: Volumes One, Two, and Three by K. J. Parker
Reading any of K.J. Parker’s books will reveal that he is deeply skeptical of human nature, very much including the feelings and ideals that usually get the best press. He passed his witheringly critical eye over romantic love in the ENGINEER trilogy, platonic friendship in The Company, and in THE TWO OF SWORDS series,
May 24th, 2018. Nathan Okerlund and Stefan Raets´s rating: 3.5 | K.J. Parker | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Our weekly exploration of free and inexpensive short fiction available on the internet. Several 2017 Nebula short fiction nominees are reviewed in today’s column.
A Series of Steaks by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (2017, free at Clarkesworld, $3.99 Kindle magazine issue). 2017 Nebula award nominee (novelette)
In this near-future SF novelette, 3-D printing has become so advanced that a “bioprinter” can mass-produce copies of food. In any criminal forgery case, the best forgeries are the ones that never get noticed, and Helena Li Yuanhui of Splendid Beef Enterprises,
April 2nd, 2018. Tadiana Jones, Katie Burton and Nathan Okerlund | Philip K. Dick, Sarah Pinsker | Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Sometimes, you pick up a book expecting to know what’s in it, and expecting that you’ll like it, and your expectations are met and everyone goes home happy. This scenario is at least good, often excellent, sometimes superlative, and by this time in my book-reading life that’s usually what I get.
But there’s a peculiar kind of pleasure in picking up a book which you have no expectations for, good or bad, putting it down after the first chapter, and saying, “I don’t know what’s going on here,
December 27th, 2017. Nathan Okerlund´s rating: 4.5 | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Merlin’s Bones by Fred Saberhagen
We raided the used bookstore the other day and this was one of my prizes; as sometimes happens when I visit the used bookstore and pick up a book by an author whose name I consider a guarantee of quality, I discovered when I got home that I had actually read Merlin’s Bones before — perhaps fifteen years ago, in this case. It took about three chapters to be sure, by which time I was merrily embarked and enjoying the story, so I didn’t mind.
November 20th, 2017. Nathan Okerlund´s rating: 2 | Fred Saberhagen | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Devil in a Forest by Gene Wolfe
Gene Wolfe is different from most of us — at least, he’s certainly not like me. When I hear the song “Good King Wenceslas” I may wonder idly when the Feast of Stephen is (it’s December 26th, as I finally learned two years ago), if he was a real person (he was, although he was actually a duke) and, perhaps, if he was as good as all that (I have no idea). Gene Wolfe heard “Good King Wenceslas” and decided to write this book.
November 16th, 2017. Nathan Okerlund´s rating: 4 | Gene Wolfe | Stand-Alone, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe (1846, free at Project Gutenberg)
Our narrator Montresor, an Italian nobleman, explains ― in a suspiciously vague way ― how his friend Fortunato has mortally offended and insulted him. Montresor sets himself on a course of implacable revenge … but he wants to do so in a way that Fortunato understands that Montresor is the source of revenge,
October 30th, 2017. Tadiana Jones, Bill Capossere, Kat Hooper and Nathan Okerlund | Dennis Danvers, Edgar Allan Poe, M.R. James, Nick Mamatas, Ray Bradbury | Audio, Horror, Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
What a perceptive and beautiful review. You make it clear that Yamada not only knows the story she wants to…
Read together with The Serpent Mage, the series is one of the best works of art out there. The main…
thanks for this really well-written review. You've definitely piqued my interest in this, particularly in how you highlight the still…
Thanks for the kind words, Ira! Much appreciated!
Fine review