The Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles de Lint
From its charming dustcover to the muted two-page illustration at the end, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest is a beautiful book that I would love to read with, or to, a child. Charles de Lint and artist Charles Vess form a perfect collaboration here, with a wonderful, magical story for middle readers.
This novel is an expansion of de Lint’s novella, The Circle of Cats. De Lint uses as inspiration many of the Appalachian folk-tales,
March 7th, 2013. Marion Deeds and Ruth Arnell´s rating: 5 | Charles De_Lint | Children | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
The Confusion by Neal Stephenson
If Quicksilver, the first book in Neal Stephenson’s BAROQUE CYCLE, focused on events in England and continental Europe during the 17th century, The Confusion is Stephenson taking the time to provide a more global context. Or half of it is. The Confusion combines two novels from the cycle, The Juncto and Bonanza. The Juncto follows Eliza’s exploits in Europe,
August 21st, 2012. Ryan Skardal´s rating: 5 | Neal Stephenson | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Weeping Werewolf by Bruce Coville
Moongobble has been assigned his second task to prove he should be a magician: he must get a bottle of tears from the dreaded Weeping Werewolf who lives alone in the forest. Fortunately, Edward, Urk the toad, the Rusty Knight, and Fireball the Dragon are willing to help. When they find the Weeping Werewolf, everyone is in for a big surprise!
This charming little series of short children’s novels, beautifully narrated and enhanced with cute sound effects by Full Cast Audio is the perfect way to spend an hour with a child on a Sunday afternoon.
November 26th, 2011. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Bruce Coville | Audio, Children | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
[In our “The Edge of the Universe” column we review authors that incorporate elements of speculative fiction into their “literary” work. However you want to label them, we hope you’ll enjoy discussing these books with us.]
It is well documented that SFF readers love trilogies, prequel trilogies, tetralogies, and “cycles.” Some authors describe settings, but SFF authors “build” worlds and universes. For many SFF readers, the standard of a well-built world is whether or not it warrants a series.
February 11th, 2011. Ryan Skardal´s rating: 4 | Margaret Atwood | Edge | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Hercules by Geraldine McCaughrean
Geraldine McCaughrean has written four retellings of Greek myths, fleshing out the personalities of various heroes and the circumstances that made them legendary. In her beautiful, fluid prose, McCaughrean hits the perfect balance in presenting the darker aspects of the myths without being either too gratuitous or too prissy. In this case, McCaughrean takes the figure of Hercules (who in a Greek setting, should technically be called “Heracles”). In his youth Hercules meets the personifications of Virtue and Vice, who offer him the choice of his destiny.
November 20th, 2010. Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 5 | Geraldine McCaughrean | Children | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Spook Country by William Gibson
William Gibson’s Spook Country is set in the same universe as Pattern Recognition, but Hubertus Bigend aside, there is little here that recalls its predecessor. Spook Country is perhaps the weakest entry in Gibson’s Bigend trilogy.
Where Pattern Recognition was told from Cayce Pollard’s point of view, Spook Country is divided between three plotlines that only barely touch each other.
November 4th, 2010. Ryan Skardal´s rating: 3 | William Gibson | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Golem’s Eye by Jonathan Stroud
The Golem’s Eye is a solidly enjoyable if slightly disappointing follow-up to The Amulet of Samarkand, which admittedly set itself a very high standard. The book returns to the same setting and characters first introduced in Samarkand, while expanding upon the first novel with a few new characters, one new setting (Prague) and a somewhat more complicated plot.
As in the first book, the major story involves a plot against the government which Nathaniel the young ambitious wizard must confront with his much more wise and experienced (and acidic) djinn,
December 28th, 2009. Bill Capossere´s rating: 4 | Jonathan Stroud | Children | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Agents of Light and Darkness by Simon R. Green
Agents of Light and Darkness, the second book in Simon R. Green‘s Nightside, once again follows the almost always abstruse John Taylor, the private detective who is really good at finding things. In Something From the Nightside we learned that John is a former Nightside badass who developed a conscious during his time away from the Nightside and returned to help someone in need. Agents of Light and Darkness follows a similar premise,
October 20th, 2009. Justin Blazier and Kat Hooper´s rating: 4 | Simon R. Green | Audio | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
The Dragon’s Son by Margaret Weis
This typical middle novel concerns the twin sons born to Melisande: Marcus, the son of the King of Idlyswylde, and Ven (short for Vengeance), the son of the dragon who (in the body of the human Grald) raped her.
Most of the book focuses on the development of both boys from age 6 to 16. Neither of them know about the other. Ven is half dragon (his legs are dragon’s legs) and is being raised by Bellona (Melisande died at the end of Mistress of Dragons).
November 12th, 2008. Kat Hooper´s rating: 2.5 | Margaret Weis | Audio | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Goddess of Spring by P.C. Cast
I hesitated to read Goddess of Spring. I never did really get into P.C. Cast‘s first novel, Goddess by Mistake, and I love the Persephone myth and didn’t want to be disappointed. But finally I decided to read Goddess of Spring — and liked it!
Lina, a baker from Tulsa, needs a miracle to save her bakery. She finds it in the form of a mysterious, mystical cookbook,
March 27th, 2008. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4 | P.C. Cast | SFF Reviews | no comments |
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