Swordbird by Nancy Yi Fan
The Swordbird Song
by Kat Hooper
To be sung to the tune of “The Trees” by Rush.
There is unrest in the forest,
There is trouble in the trees,
For the bluejays want their eggs back
And their nuts and their berries.
The trouble with the blue jays,
(And they’re quite convinced they’re right)
They say the cardinals filched their babies
And they grabbed their food at night.
August 23rd, 2011. Kat Hooper´s rating: 2 | Nancy Yi Fan | Audio, Children | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
I’m a huge fan of books that don’t let me go until I’ve reached the last page. Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones, the first in her Mortal Instruments series, is that kind of book. Ostensibly written for young adults, this is a novel that adults will enjoy just as much as teenagers, for all that the protagonist and her friends are high-school aged.
Clary and her friend Simon — not boyfriend, much as he’d like to claim that title — visit the Pandemonium Club in Manhattan,
July 8th, 2011. Terry Weyna´s rating: 4 | Cassandra Clare | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 6 comments |
The Princes of the Golden Cage by Nathalie Mallet
The Princes of the Golden Cage is a fine debut fantasy by Nathalie Mallet. Mallet sets her fantasy in a vaguely Arabian setting, with a Sultan and his many princes by many wives. The princes are kept caged in sumptuous captivity, a reaction to previous generations having raised armies and warred upon one another to eliminate competition for the throne. Now the princes war merely upon one another, seeking out reasons for offense and therefore excuses for duels to the death.
March 12th, 2011. Terry Weyna´s rating: 3.5 | Nathalie Mallet | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
This review is brought to you by the letters “T,” “S,” “T,” and “L.” Wraith is a textbook example of an Idiot Plot. The story is set in motion when the heroine does something stupid, and this sets the tone for the entire novel. Almost every plot development in Wraith is triggered by Zoë doing something stupid.
Zoë Martinique has the ability to leave her body and travel astrally. She has built a career on this talent,
November 18th, 2010. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 1 | Phaedra Weldon | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
The Serpent and the Rose by Kathleen Bryan
Averil is the daughter of a duke of Lys, trained from childhood in the magical arts on the Ladies’ Isle. Gereint is a fatherless farmboy who possesses a powerful, untamed streak of wild magic. As the sinister king of Lys and his advisor, both practioners of dark magic, unleash a plot to remove the realm’s nobles and awaken an ancient evil, Averil is summoned back to the mainland, while Gereint chases after a band of Knights of the Rose, hoping that their Order can train him.
June 18th, 2010. Rob Rhodes´s rating: 3 | Kathleen Bryan | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, is a tightly-plotted, intelligent YA novel that hits the upper mid-level of recent YA sci-fi/fantasy, falling a few steps below Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games or Kristin Cashore’s Fire (admittedly a high standard) but several steps above recent offerings like Caragh O’Brien’s Birthmarked or James Dashner’s The Maze Runner.
May 5th, 2010. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3.5 | Catherine Fisher | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Auralia’s Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet
Jeffrey Overstreet’s Auralia’s Colors is a bright, colorful fantasy debut. Painting with a unique palette, Overstreet tells the story — both heartening and tragic — of a young girl with a special mission of change.
Auralia is an orphan found by a group of Gatherers, laborers who are indentured to the local Noble family, House Abascar. Living in this rough community she has a chance to grow up untainted by some of the attitudes prevalent in the Householder community that lives in direct contact with House Abascar.
April 8th, 2010. John Hulet´s rating: 4 | Jeffrey Overstreet | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Dead Girls Are Easy by Terri Garey
When vintage-boutique owner Nicki Styx suffers a near-death experience, she comes back from the Light with the ability to see and hear ghosts. Before she knows it, the dead are hounding her day and night, in the hopes that she’ll help tie up their loose ends. Sometimes this just means passing on a last message of love. But when Nicki’s friend Caprice is killed, Nicki’s life really gets messy.
Caprice’s boyfriend Mojo has been thrown in jail, accused of Caprice’s murder. Caprice wants him freed.
March 20th, 2010. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 2 | Terri Garey | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes
To be honest, I’m thoroughly divided as to the sort of review I want to give The Somnambulist. On the one hand, despite some flaws, for most of the book, it was one of the most fun reads I’ve had in a while. On the other hand, the last 40 pages or so were just downright bad. I don’t mean simply disappointingly bad relative to the rest of the book, but off-the-rails, what-the-heck-happened, did- the-author-die-and-then-some-stranger-finish-the-book terrible kind of bad. Which leaves me with a dilemma.
February 4th, 2010. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3 | Jonathan Barnes | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
Mel is living his dream. He’s been plucked from his meager existence in his sleepy town and has been brought to the big city to study as an apprentice under a great Master painter. Once there however, Mel finds that life in the big city is not exactly what he pictured.
The head apprentice Groot has it out for him because he knows how much more talented Mel is, and Groot’s big-shot uncle also has Mel on his short list and will go to any lengths to fatten his own pockets and squash Mel like a bug.
November 25th, 2009. Guest´s rating: 1.5 | Mike Wilks | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
COMMENT Was I hinting that? I wasn't aware of it. But now that you mention it.... 🤔
So it sounds like you're hinting Fox may have had three or so different incomplete stories that he stitched together,…
It's hardly a private conversation, Becky. You're welcome to add your 2 cents anytime!
If the state of the arts puzzles you, and you wonder why so many novels are "retellings" and formulaic rework,…
I picked my copy up last week and I can't wait to finish my current book and get started! I…