Order [book in series=yearoffirstbook.book# (eg 2014.01), stand-alone or one-author collection=3333.pubyear, multi-author anthology=5555.pubyear, SFM/MM=5000, interview=1111]: 2010.01

The King’s Bastard: A very average read

The King’s Bastard by Rowena Cory Daniells

I was really excited to read The King’s Bastard. Now that I’ve finished it I find myself both pleased and a little disappointed.

There isn’t much that’s amazingly new in this book. It has all of the traditional political elements that I’ve read about numerous times; for example, the older inheriting brother is jealous of the younger brother. Added into the mix are plotting relatives and friends set to destabilize the throne, as well as plenty of secrets.

December 5th, 2010. Sarah Chorn´s rating: 3 | Rowena Cory Daniells | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |

The Greyfriar: Wonderful first installment

The Greyfriar by Clay and Susan Griffith

The Greyfriar, an interesting blend of steampunk, alternate history and paranormal fantasy, introduces us to a British Empire that has relocated to North Africa after a hugely successful assault by organized armies of vampires. Humankind now lives in areas of the globe that offer the greatest chance for survival and resistance to the vampire threat. (This felt very much like the setting of S.M. Stirling’s The Peshawar Lancers in which Britain relocates to India after England was destroyed by a comet.)

The Vampires in The Greyfriar are similar to humans;

November 30th, 2010. John Hulet´s rating: 4 | Clay and Susan Griffith | SFF Reviews | 9 comments |

Black Wings: I loved meeting Madeline Black

Black Wings by Christina Henry

“Besides, look at you. I’m supposed to believe you’re an Agent of death? You’re covered in flour.”

“I was in the middle of making a pear tart dotted with gorgonzola. You’re an unscheduled call.”

That’s on page 3 of Black Wings, and that’s when I knew I was going to enjoy the heck out of Christina Henry’s voice.

The flour-covered Agent is Madeline Black, whose job it is to collect the souls of the newly dead and escort them to the Door that leads to the afterlife.

November 22nd, 2010. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4.5 | Christina Henry | SFF Reviews | no comments |

Past Midnight: Refreshingly devoid of YA paranormal clichés

Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen

Charlotte’s parents are ghost-hunters who travel the country investigating (and debunking) the paranormal. In the past, Charlotte’s peers have treated her like a freak when they learned about her parents’ profession, so when Charlotte starts a new school at the beginning of senior year, she keeps it a secret. Avery, a popular cheerleader, lives across the street from Charlotte’s new home, and the two girls become fast friends. Finally, Charlotte thinks she’s going to have a normal life —that is, until ghostly presences start manifesting around her,

Geist: So much to appreciate!

Geist by Philippa Ballantine

Sometimes you read a book and enjoy it while reading, only to find it falls apart when you think about it later. The inverse happened to me with Philippa Ballantine’s Geist. I enjoyed it, and then the more I thought about it, the more I found to appreciate.

Geist is a secondary-world fantasy, set on the continent of Arkaym. The residents of Arkaym fear the geists, powerful otherworldly spirits that can enter the physical realm and possess people.

November 16th, 2010. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4.5 | Philippa (Pip) Ballantine | SFF Reviews | 7 comments |

Low Red Moon: Suspenseful and moving, but lackluster romance

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

Low Red Moon — not to be confused with the Caitlin R. Kiernan novel by the same name — is Ivy Devlin’s entry into the field of YA paranormal romance. The protagonist is Avery Hood, a teenage girl whose parents have just been murdered. Avery remembers only brief flashes from that fateful night. Now, she’s trying to deal with her grief, adjust to her new life with her grandmother, and piece together her memories to solve the mystery.

Highborn: Brynna has a lot of acclimating to do…

Highborn by Yvonne Navarro

Highborn begins with a vividly described scene of Hell. Astarte, a fallen angel, watches the daily round of horrors from her bloodstained tower, and decides she wants out. We then cut to Astarte, having escaped Hell and calling herself Brynna Malak, as she adjusts to life in modern-day Chicago. Brynna can understand any language she hears. She’s less adept at navigating other aspects of human life: how to feel empathy, how to pet a dog, and why you shouldn’t just wander away from the scene when you witness a murder.

November 12th, 2010. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4 | Yvonne Navarro | SFF Reviews | no comments |

At the Queen’s Command: A fantasy twist on the American Revolutionary War

At the Queen’s Command by Michael A. Stackpole

It’s 1763, and the Crown Colonies of Mystria are in turmoil. Unwillingly, they are becoming the new battleground in the ongoing war between their colonial master Norisle and their rivals, the Tharyngians, after the ongoing conflict on the continent of Auropa. Simultaneously, some Mystrians are beginning to feel that the young colonies don’t owe allegiance to the distant Norillian queen anymore, with underground texts that advocate independence growing in popularity.

If all of this doesn’t sound familiar yet, just change Norisle to England,

November 10th, 2010. Stefan Raets´s rating: 2.5 | Michael A. Stackpole | SFF Reviews | no comments |

StarCrossed: Exciting political fantasy for YAs and adults

StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce

StarCrossed starts with a bang. Digger, a young thief, has just escaped capture and turns up alone and breathless at the place she was supposed to meet her sweetheart and fellow thief, Tegen. But as she goes over the night’s events in her mind, she realizes Tegen didn’t get away and is probably dead. Afraid of getting caught herself, Digger takes her first opportunity to get out of the city. That opportunity comes in the form of four teenage aristocrats in a pleasure boat.

November 8th, 2010. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4 | Elizabeth C. Bunce | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |

Troubled Waters: A book that just feels good

Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn

Zoe Ardelay has spent the last 12 years living in exile and poverty with her father. She’s known that her father, a member of the Five Families that help rule Welce under the king’s guidance, used to be King Vernon’s top advisor, but then fell out of favor and was forced to leave the capital city and seek refuge in a distant village. Now, stricken with grief at her father’s passing, she is shocked to see an expensive coach pull into the village, and an unknown stranger step down,

Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

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