Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

Rating: 3.5

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Great read

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Harry has had a miserable summer. None of his friends have written to him and he wonders whether Hogwarts and the world of wizardry that he discovered the year before is just a dream. Four weeks before he is due to return to school he has a visit from Dobby the House Elf who warns him not to return to Hogwarts. And so we embark on another year at Hogwarts and another mystery — this time involving the Chamber of Secrets.

I enjoyed Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,

The Portable Door: Quick, humourous fantasy

The Portable Door by Tom Holt

I’ve come late to the Tom Holt party, but I’m glad I finally made it. The Portable Door is the first book of his that I have read and I definitely intend to try more.

The Portable Door is the story of Paul Carpenter, who takes a mysterious job in a mysterious firm where mysterious goings-on occur. I found it always interesting, a nice quick read, and lightly humourous. I wouldn’t say there were many laugh-out-loud moments,

April 15th, 2010. Amanda Rutter (guest)´s rating: 3.5 | Tom Holt | SFF Reviews | no comments |

Dead Witch Walking: Comparing Rachel Morgan and Anita Blake

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

Robert read the omnibus version called This Witch for Hire. It contains Dead Witch Walking and The Good, The Bad, and the Undead.

A guilty pleasure of mine, pardon the pun, was reading the ANITA BLAKE series by author Laurell K. Hamilton. Unfortunately, like many readers, I was turned off by the direction that the series was heading with later novels, and eventually stopped reading the books altogether with 2003’s Cerulean Sins.

April 14th, 2010. Robert Thompson´s rating: 3.5 | Kim Harrison | SFF Reviews | no comments |

Avilion: Dreamy, as usual, but not mind-blowing

Avilion by Robert Holdstock

At the end of Mythago Wood, we left Steven Huxley waiting for Guiwenneth to return from Lavondyss. Avilion is a direct sequel — the story of what happened when Guiwenneth came back. She and Steven have lived happily together for years and have two children, Yssobel and Jack.

Unfortunately, though, she’s not exactly the same woman she was before. Her ordeal with Christian has changed her and she and Christian (now leader of the time-travelling army called Legion) still haunt each other.

April 7th, 2010. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Robert Holdstock | SFF Reviews | no comments |

The Celestial Globe: Solid and rewarding YA

The Celestial Globe by Marie Rutkoski

The Celestial Globe is the second book in Marie Rutkoski’s Kronos Chronicles, following last year’s Cabinet of Wonders, which was a wonderful start with strong characterization, a creative mix of 16th century history and folk tales in service of a compelling plot, and a wonderful sense of both light and grim whimsy. The Celestial Globe isn’t as strong, but it’s a rewarding read in its own right and more than fulfills the purpose of a second book: convincing the reader to stay with the series.

The Fledging of Az Gabrielson: A YA page turner

The Fledging of Az Gabrielson by Jay Amory

In the wake of a global apocalypse, humans take to the skies, building enormous cities above the encroaching cloud cover, connected to the earth by slender columns. The columns enclose supply elevators that bring essential resources up from the surface to the earth to the Airborn , who are so named because of these cities and because of their giant wings that allow them to fly like angels. All the Airborn have wings, except for the teenager Az Gabrielson, born without the wings that mark everyone else in his society.

The Ghost in the Mirror: Gothic creepiness for all ages

The Ghost in the Mirror by John Bellairs & Brad Strickland

I may not be the best person to review John Bellairs’ The Ghost in the Mirror (1993), since it is clearly one book of many in a series, and I’ve only just arrived. When I picked up my copy from the library, I had no idea that it was part of a larger set, when in fact, Bellairs has written sixteen books that contain the characters found within this book.

I should say at this point that Bellairs’

Changeless: Charming

Changeless by Gail Carriger

In this charming sequel to Soulless, Gail Carriger brings us back to the world of Alexia Tarabotti, who now happens to be Lady Maccon. When a mysterious occurrence in London leaves vampires without fangs and werewolves incapable of shifting forms, Alexia springs into action, determined to find the source of this dangerous power. Whether or not her husband approves, she gathers her allies, rides a dirigible, is the target of assassins, and has to confront the (possibly eternal) side effects of her soullessness.

March 23rd, 2010. Ruth Arnell and Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Gail Carriger | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |

Impossible: A book I should have loved

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

This is a difficult review for me to write. Nancy Werlin makes several plotting decisions that don’t quite work for me, even though I can see the ways these decisions serve the narrative.

Impossible is a book I should have loved. I adore plots that hinge on the exact wording of curses and prophecies: “none of woman born,” “when two Mondays come together,” that sort of thing. Here is a whole novel based on that concept. Our heroine,

Vintage Soul: First of what should be a good series

Vintage Soul by David Niall Wilson

Vintage Soul by David Niall Wilson is a well-written short novel billed as the first in The DeChance Chronicles. Wilson is the winner of the Bram Stoker award for his horror stories, and it’s clear from the start that Vintage Soul was written by a master wordsmith. I particularly enjoyed reading the indulgent setting of the opening party scene in which a powerful vampire is kidnapped right in front of her guests. The vampires call upon mage and investigator DeChance,

March 10th, 2010. Stephen B. Frank´s rating: 3.5 | David Niall Wilson | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |

Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

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