The God Engines by John Scalzi
AUTHOR INFORMATION: John Scalzi’s debut novel, Old Man’s War, was a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Novel. His other science fiction novels include Agent to the Stars, The Android’s Dream, The Ghost Brigades, The Last Colony, and Zoe’s Tale. He has also written several non-fiction books, The Sagan Diary novella,
November 12th, 2009. Robert Thompson, Kat Hooper, Terry Weyna and Jason Golomb | John Scalzi | Audio | SFF Reviews | 11 comments |
Stealing Death by Janet Lee Carey
Stealing Death by Janet Lee Carey is a book I really wanted to like. It has an unusual YA setting — a desert land of red sandstone and small villages; a great premise — a young boy (Kipp) who steals the sack Death uses to collect souls so no more have to die; an exciting, emotional beginning with all but one of Kipp’s family killed in a fire; and a pattern of inserting small folktales into the larger narrative.
November 11th, 2009. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3 | Janet Lee Carey | Children, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
In Between is a novella by R.A. MacAvoy about Ewen Young, a Chinese-American painter who early in the story is held up by three gangsters — a threat to his uncle who apparently is behind on some gambling debts. Ewen is a fascinating character who seems to have some latent psychic powers… something that becomes more and more apparent as the story develops.
In Between is one of those novellas that feels and reads like a really tightly compressed novel (as opposed to,
November 11th, 2009. Stefan Raets´s rating: 3 | R.A. MacAvoy | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier
Sometimes a book comes along just when you need it. Heart’s Blood was like that for me. Between Juliet Marillier’s compelling tale-spinning and an underlying message about love and courage that I really needed to hear, it’s pretty safe to say I was moved deeply by this novel.
At its core, Heart’s Blood is a Beauty and the Beast story. Marillier mixes the classic fairy tale with some of the conventions of Gothic romance,
November 10th, 2009. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 5 | Juliet Marillier | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 8 comments |
In the not-too-far-off future New York, John Shirley has created a world that’s not too different from our own. Except that in Bleak History, the spirit world (The Hidden) has become a force that manifests itself through various “gifted individuals,” giving them special abilities.
Gabriel Bleak, an ex-Army Ranger now turned bounty hunter, is one of these. Ever since leaving the Army, Gabe has been under the watchful eye of a shadowy government agency that tries to use this hidden world and its gifted people in its anti-terrorism agenda.
November 4th, 2009. Justin Blazier´s rating: 4 | John Shirley | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
Year of the Horse by Justin Allen
Justin Allen’s Year of the Horse is one of the more original fantasy amalgamations I’ve come across — a mix of fantasy, historical western, and coming-of-age boys’ adventure tale peppered with some Devil and Daniel Webster / Washington Irving / Mark Twain / Zane Grey, and topped off by a heaping of multi-culturalism. Does it all work? Not in all places, but certainly often enough to keep the reader enjoyably engaged.
The story is told from the perspective of Yen-Tzu-lu (mostly known as Lu),
October 15th, 2009. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3 | Justin Allen | Stand-Alone, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Malinda Lo combines several highly creative ideas in her debut novel, Ash. We all know the tale of Cinderella, but it’s never been told quite like this. Cinderella (here called Aisling, Ash for short) falls for a young woman instead of the prince. And the fairy who helps Ash break free of her stepmother is no rosy-cheeked godmother, but a coldly beautiful fairy lord right out of the older, darker legends of the fey folk, and he demands a steep price for his aid.
October 14th, 2009. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 3.5 | Malinda Lo | Stand-Alone, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Quatrain is a collection of four novellas, each one set in a different one of Sharon Shinn’s worlds. Ranging from fantasy to science fiction, the stories take place in radically different societies, but each novella is a different look at a person trying to find their own place in a world that is not to their liking. Each main character ends up examining their own priorities and their desire to find love and happiness in less than ideal situations. The varied responses to those dilemmas are as different as the characters and the worlds they are set in.
October 5th, 2009. Ruth Arnell´s rating: 4 | Sharon Shinn | Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt
This is an immensely difficult book to review, simply because the vast majority of casual readers probably won’t automatically enjoy The Children’s Book. It is a dense, complex, ambitious, challenging novel that is not so much a story as it is a detailed portrait of a family, a community and an era. Stretching from 1895 to 1919 and set predominantly in the Kent countryside, A.S. Byatt‘s saga contains no central character or predominant plotline; instead it chronicles the historical,
October 4th, 2009. Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 3.5 | A.S. Byatt | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Vampire Is Just Not That Into You by “Vlad Mezrich”
“Vlad Mezrich” is a pseudonym for a team of Scholastic writers who pooled their satirical talents to create this fun little book (David Levithan is the editor). The Vampire Is Just Not That Into You parodies dating guides, teen-magazine quizzes, and most of all, current tropes in vampire literature. Twilight gets the lion’s share of Vlad’s snark, but there are references to Anne Rice,
October 1st, 2009. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 3.5 | Vlad Mezrich | Stand-Alone, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
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…