A Taste for Monsters by Matthew Kirby
Matthew Kirby’s first two books, The Clockwork Three and Icefall are, I think, two of the best constructed and ambitious YA books out there. I haven’t been equally impressed with the ones since, though they still show marks of a fine craftsman in various aspects. Where then does his latest, A Taste for Monsters, fall? I’d say somewhere in between — better than the last few thanks to more vivid characters,
November 21st, 2016. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3.5 | Matthew Kirby | Stand-Alone, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Weaver (2016), Emmi Itäranta’s second novel, is a powerful story that occupies a space between the fantastical and the allegorical. Filled with its own symbols and mythology, and set in a world with eerie similarities to our own, Itäranta’s tale of an isolated island community’s struggle to maintain order is worth several re-reads — not just for the pleasure of her prose or for the compelling plot and characters, but for the secondary text woven like a bright thread within the primary body of the novel.
November 16th, 2016. Jana Nyman´s rating: 5 | Emmi Itäranta | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
Congress of Secrets by Stephanie Burgis
In 1814, the four countries that defeated Napoleon Bonaparte held a congress in Vienna, determined to establish a new balance of power among the European nations. It was a contentious congress filled with intrigue and realpolitik, but at least those real-life diplomats and leaders weren’t contending with shadowy magic, the way Stephanie Burgis’ characters are in her alternate history fantasy Congress of Secrets (2016).
Lady Caroline Wyndham, a wealthy British widow, has come to Vienna,
November 14th, 2016. Marion Deeds´s rating: 3.5 | Stephanie Burgis | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Fair warning: I’m going to reveal one plot point in my discussion that barely qualifies as a spoiler (really, the reader figures this out pretty immediately), but if you have any concerns don’t read past paragraph four (ending with “bioweapons”).
Will McIntosh’s new techno thriller Faller (2016) is characterized by a unique setting/premise, some early plot twists, and strong characterization, and though I would say the story devolves a bit by the end, for the most part it’s a quick-moving and engaging story that also tackles some thought-provoking questions.
November 7th, 2016. Bill Capossere´s rating: 4 | Will McIntosh | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Angel Catbird by Margaret Atwood, Johnnie Christmas & Tamra Bonvillain
For a literary giant who is approached with a seriousness that borders on reverence, Margaret Atwood is perfectly willing to have fun and write whatever she wants. Sometimes that is clearly genre-tinged; sometimes it is darkly humorous, and sometimes it’s a graphic novel for children about a superhero who is part human, part cat and part owl. And that’s the premise of Angel Catbird, Volume 1.
Atwood’s story and words are illustrated by Johnnie Christmas and colored by Tamra Bonvillain.
November 5th, 2016. Marion Deeds´s rating: 3 | Margaret Atwood | Children, Comics | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
In the Vintage Hogarth Series, contemporary authors put their individual novelistic spin on a Shakespeare play. So far the series has seen the release of Jeanette Winterson’s The Gap of Time (The Winter’s Tale), Howard Jacobson’s Shylock is My Name (The Merchant of Venice), Anne Tyler’s Vinegar Girl (The Taming of the Shrew), and now Margaret Atwood’s Hag-seed (2016),
November 3rd, 2016. Bill Capossere´s rating: 4 | Margaret Atwood | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 7 comments |
The Four Thousand, the Eight Hundred by Greg Egan
Subterranean Press is one of my favorite publishers because they’re always putting out distinctive speculative fiction that’s beautifully packaged. I especially appreciate the many novellas they publish because I am often in the mood for shorter works these days and novellas give me the opportunity to read authors whose stories I might not otherwise have time for.
The Four Thousand, the Eight Hundred (2016) is Greg Egan’s recent science fiction novella about a woman named Anna who directs the spaceport on the asteroid Ceres.
November 2nd, 2016. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Greg Egan | Short Fiction, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
The Unreal and the Real: The Selected Short Stories by Ursula K. Le Guin
Everyone with even a passing knowledge of SF/Fantasy will likely have heard of Ursula K. Le Guin, one of the giants of the field whose work has transcended genre and literary categories. Her SFF works have ranged from mythical fantasy such as the EARTHSEA CYCLE to brilliant studies of gender, identity, and political ideologies like The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed.
October 31st, 2016. Stuart Starosta´s rating: 4 | Ursula K. Le-Guin | Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Apothecary’s Curse by Barbara Barnett
The Apothecary’s Curse, by Barbara Barnett, has wonderful ideas and many interesting elements. In particular, Barnett has a unique thought about the Celtic Faerie. Unfortunately, the story can’t quite support the weight of all the ideas, and the book’s time-jumping structure creates an episodic effect that vitiates the urgency. I don’t think this one succeeds, but I love the imagination at work here.
There are at least two discrete stories in The Apothecary’s Curse.
October 28th, 2016. Marion Deeds´s rating: 2.5 | Barbara Barnett | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan
I’m not quite sure how to review The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan. It’s not quite like anything else I’ve read, and I’m not sure I know how to review visual art in the first place. But I can certainly recommend it.
This unique book contains photographs of small sculptures by Tan, each illustrating one of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Each sculpture encapsulates its respective tale in one haunting image, often enhanced by the lighting and arrangement of the photo,
October 27th, 2016. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4.5 | Shaun Tan | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
Do it! One of the best things I've read in recent years.
This reminds me. I want to read Addie LaRue.
We’re in total agreement David!
I felt just the same. The prose and character work was excellent. The larger story was unsatisfying, especially compared to…
Hmmm. I think I'll pass.