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Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits by Robin McKinley & Peter Dickinson
Let me start by saying I’ve never been much for short stories. It’s not that they can’t be well done, and I admit that it takes a huge talent to do them well, but I usually find myself frustrated and wanting more. Probably because I am used to reading full-length novels. That being said, I enjoyed reading Fire. There are five stories, two by Robin McKinley and three by Peter Dickinson.
December 13th, 2010. Sarah Webb (guest)´s rating: 3.5 | Peter Dickinson, Robin McKinley | Short Fiction, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
You’ll be forgiven for overlooking that Jack Whyte’s The Skystone is an adaptation of Arthurian legend. Believe it or not, Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table are nowhere to be found. Instead, Whyte’s story is about Roman general Caius Britannicus’ dream for Britain.
The Skystone is set amidst the Roman withdrawal from Britain. Britannicus’ legion has faced hard fighting along Hadrian’s Wall. They have retreated to Londinium, and the Romans are about to leave permanently.
December 11th, 2010. Ryan Skardal´s rating: 3.5 | Jack Whyte | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Right Hand Magic by Nancy A. Collins
Tate, a young New York artist, needs a new apartment right away. She makes metal sculptures out of car parts and other odds and ends, and it seems her landlord isn’t too happy with the noise level. Tate discovers an available room at a reasonable price and jumps at the chance, even though the building is in Golgotham, New York’s magical neighborhood.
Golgotham itself is a fantastically intriguing setting and the best part of Right Hand Magic. It inspires a sense of wonder akin to what you might have felt when first discovering J.K.
December 8th, 2010. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 3.5 | Nancy A. Collins | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box by Marjorie M. Liu
Download Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box
I recently had the opportunity to try out Tiger Eye Part I: Curse of the Riddle Box, a casual game released in April 2010 by PassionFruit Games. The game is based on the first half of the novel Tiger Eye by Marjorie M. Liu.
A disclaimer: I’m not as well-versed in casual games and hidden-object games as some other players might be;
December 3rd, 2010. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 3.5 | Marjorie M. Liu | Games | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Counterfeit Magic by Kelley Armstrong
This year Subterranean Press has published several novellas written by authors who’ve been on my radar but not necessarily at the top of my To Be Read stack. These little books are a perfect introduction to such writers because they’re easy to read in a few hours and I can get the “feel” or “flavor” of the authors and their worlds without spending a lot of time engaged in a longer novel, one that may not even be the end of the story.
Kelley Armstrong’s Counterfeit Magic is a perfect example.
November 29th, 2010. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Kelley Armstrong | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer
Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded is the second steampunk anthology edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, following 2008’s first installment. It contains about twice as many stories as its predecessor, but unlike the first collection the quality is more uneven here, resulting in a less impressive but still fascinating anthology that should please fans of the genre.
While the first anthology only contained one story I was less than happy with, there are at least four or five in Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded that I could have done without.
November 16th, 2010. Stefan Raets´s rating: 3.5 | Caitlín R. Kiernan, Catherynne M. Valente, Cherie Priest, Daniel Abraham, Jeff VanderMeer, Jeffrey Ford, Lisa Mantchev, Margo Lanagan, Stephen Baxter, William Gibson | Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 14 comments |
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
Meghan Chase has kept her promise and allowed Ash, prince of the Winter Court, to take her back to the castle of his mother, Queen Mab. Before arriving at the castle, Meghan thought a hint of romance had blossomed between her and Ash. Yet now he treats her with cold disdain before the entire Unseelie court.
The early chapters of The Iron Daughter (2010) focus largely on Ash’s icy demeanor and Meghan’s resulting hurt feelings. Meghan is rather annoying in these scenes;
November 12th, 2010. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 3.5 | Julie Kagawa | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Echo City is a vast and ancient city in the middle of a huge, deadly desert. Its inhabitants have been isolated for thousands upon thousands of years and have come to believe that the city is actually all of the world, because venturing out into the surrounding desert is certain death. During its immense history, the city has renewed itself countless times by building new layers on top of the old, not like layers of sediment but more like floors in a building, with the old “echoes” of its past slowly decaying in underground vaults.
November 5th, 2010. Stefan Raets´s rating: 3.5 | Tim Lebbon | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
Empress of Eternity by L.E. Modesitt Jr
It’s hard not to get excited whenever L.E. Modesitt Jr. releases a new standalone sci-fi novel. Despite being better known for his various fantasy series than his science fiction, some of his best work can be found in the latter genre. Novels like The Parafaith War, Archform: Beauty, Adiamante and Haze (just to name a few) are wonderful examples of this amazingly prolific author’s talent when it comes to science fiction.
November 1st, 2010. Stefan Raets´s rating: 3.5 | L.E. Modesitt_Jr | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
In the collection White Time, Margo Lanagan writes with a clear, distinctive style that doesn’t spoon-feed, but rather challenges the reader in a good way. Her text is multi-layered and works on multiple levels to create interesting speculative fiction stories, some using the tropes of science fiction and some those of fantasy.
White Time features ten stories, and each is unique and different. The eponymous story, “White Time,” is the opener for this publication.
October 30th, 2010. Charles Tan (GUEST)´s rating: 3.5 | Margo Lanagan | Short Fiction, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Thanks for the kind words, Ira! Much appreciated!
Fine review
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!