When I reviewed Snow Like Ashes, the first book in the SNOW LIKE ASHES series (back when I was a FanLit newcomer), I complained of a lack of depth to the world that Sara Raasch created. In some ways, its sequel Ice Like Fire (2015) gave me what I desired; I was pleased that the world of Primoria is explored and developed in this book. But where one issue was partly solved,
November 14th, 2016. Katie Burton´s rating: 3 | Sara Raasch | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman
With The Masked City (2015), Genevieve Cogman delivers a fun, imaginative follow-up to her The Invisible Library (2014) debut. We get to spend time with our favorite characters from the first book: Irene and Kai, Holmesian-detective Vale and the fearsome Coppelia. We meet some new ones as well, including a dragon, a new pair of adversaries and a magical Train, who was my personal favorite.
This review may contain spoilers for the first book.
September 13th, 2016. Marion Deeds´s rating: 4 | Genevieve Cogman | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
Girl in the Shadows by Gwenda Bond
Gwenda Bond has a real gift for writing believable, interesting teenaged protagonists, and puts that gift to use in Girl in the Shadows (2016), the second installment in her CIRQUE AMERICAN series and a companion to the first novel, Girl on a Wire. Though not a true sequel, many primary characters from Girl on a Wire return as supporting characters in Girl in the Shadows,
August 10th, 2016. Jana Nyman´s rating: 4.5 | Gwenda Bond | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
Warning: May contain mild spoilers for the previous book.
At first glance, a mash-up between epic fantasy and futuristic dystopia just shouldn’t work. It’s as though someone has cherry-picked a bunch of best-selling ingredients and bunged them all together in a weird genre-bending cake. Even more disconcerting is a comparison made to Panem, Hogwarts and Westeros on the cover. But Erika Johansen manages to weave genres together successfully. In this second instalment of the QUEEN OF THE TEARLING trilogy,
June 30th, 2016. Ray McKenzie, Marion Deeds and Jana Nyman | Erika Johansen | SFF Reviews | 11 comments |
Supervillains Anonymous by Lexie Dunne
I really wanted to like Supervillains Anonymous, by Lexie Dunne. The first book in the series, Superheroes Anonymous, was pretty fun and I was looking forward to seeing what happened after its cliffhanger ending, when Hostage Girl (aka Gail Godwin) was falsely accused of the murder of her close friend and superhero mentor, Angelica. Unfortunately, this second installment wasn’t as satisfying as the first; in fact,
June 16th, 2016. Kate Lechler´s rating: 0.1 | Lexie Dunne | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Grim Tidings by Caitlin Kittredge
This series is intended to be read in sequence, so this review may contain some spoilers of the first book, Black Dog.
Grim Tidings is the second book in Caitlin Kittredge’s HELLHOUND CHRONICLES. Ava, the human hellhound and her lover, the necromancer Leo, can barely catch their breath before they are hurled into a new set of adventures.
Leo is now, officially, the Grim Reaper, but to fully assume his title he needs the Reaper’s Scythe.
April 20th, 2016. Marion Deeds´s rating: 3.5 | Caitlin Kittredge | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Lost Mask is book two of THE BONE MASK TRILOGY by Ashley Capes, set in a world that has as its most notable feature the existence of sacred bone masks that allow the wearer to communicate with mysterious god-like entities. From them derives the trilogy’s name, and it makes for an intriguing concept that provides a doorway between the material and spiritual realms; worldly politics and numinous mystery.
As in the previous book,
February 26th, 2016. Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 4 | Ashley Capes | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Book came in the mail. White package. Black letters. Had my name on it, so yeah, I opened it. Not that I wasn’t careful. Near Enemy was the title. Name on the cover said Sternbergh. Rang a bell like I was sitting ringside at the big fight. Turns out I’d seen this guy before. Him and his character Spademan. Now they’re back. Can’t say I’m surprised.
Not that there weren’t any surprises waiting. Like that rich guy getting offed in the limn.
February 12th, 2016. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3.5 | Adam Sternbergh | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Midnight Taxi Tango by Daniel José Older
Midnight Taxi Tango, which was published today, is the second book in Daniel José Older’s BONE STREET RUMBA series. Things have changed dramatically for Carlos Delacruz, the half-alive agent of the Council of the Dead, who monitors badly-behaving ghosts and spirits in Brooklyn. Carlos has learned a bit more about his pre-death existence, and the love of his life has left him.
Carlos and his senior partner the ghost Riley are charged with investigating several strange “random” accidents at a local park,
January 5th, 2016. Marion Deeds, Jana Nyman and Kat Hooper´s rating: 4 | Daniel José Older | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Maplecroft, the first book in Cherie Priest’s Lovecraftian series THE BORDEN DISPATCHES, was one of the best books of 2014. With Chapelwood, the sequel, Priest delivers again with an intricate, frightening story written in a completely different tone. Many familiar characters are back, and we meet some new ones, including some adversaries who are chilling, and not only because they are the servants of the Old Ones.
Leaving the chilly,
December 17th, 2015. Marion Deeds´s rating: 4 | Cherie Priest | Horror | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
What a fascinating exploration of Edwige Fenech's contributions to the giallo genre! I love how the post highlights her unique…
Pretty challenging book. Cut by half, speed up the cadence. Trying to figure out the plot, the main point of…
Thanks for the kind words, Marion! Coming as they are from a professional writer, they are much appreciated!
Wonderful review, Sandy.
The "body count" bothered me a bit less because being dead seemed more like an inconvenience than anything else... unlike…