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Fleet of Knives by Gareth L. Powell
Fleet of Knives (2019) is the second book in Gareth L. Powell’s EMBERS OF WAR series and a finalist for the 2020 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. Its predecessor, Embers of War, was also a Locus finalist and won the British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novel of 2018. When I reviewed it last year, I reported that Embers of War was “pleasant but forgettable” and,
June 18th, 2020. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Gareth L. Powell | Audio | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Batgirl Vol. 4: Strange Loop (Rebirth) by Hope Larson & Scott Godlweski
This is the fourth volume in Hope Larson’s Batgirl run, one which has focused not only on crime-fighting, but also community spirit — what I’ve liked most about Larson’s stories is that Barbara Gordon gives just as much to the suburb of Burnside as her civilian self than she does as a vigilante. In this, she’s assisted by a group of friends who also contribute to society in meaningful ways, as well as enriching Barbara’s day-to-day life.
June 12th, 2020. Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 3.5 | Comics | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Tomorrow, the Killing by Daniel Polansky
Tomorrow, the Killing (2012) is the second book in Daniel Polansky’s LOW TOWN series, a noir-flavored fantasy set in the grimy underbelly of a fictional city. Tomorrow, the Killing takes place three years after the events of Low Town (UK: The Straight Razor Cure). You don’t necessarily need to read Low Town first because the stories stand alone,
June 11th, 2020. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Daniel Polansky | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence
The Girl and the Stars (2020) is the first book in Mark Lawrence’s BOOK OF THE ICE series. It’s about a society that lives in an extremely harsh icy climate. They have a spiritual leader called “the regulator” who looks for children who are “broken” — children who are too weak or who have character traits that will not benefit the survival of their tribes when they become adults. Every few years, to cull the herd,
June 9th, 2020. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Mark Lawrence | Audio | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Batgirl Vol. 2: Son of Penguin (Rebirth) by Hope Larson & Christian Wildgoose
At the end of Volume One of Hope Larson’s take on Batgirl, a new face had arrived in Burnside, Gotham, who answered to the name “Cobblepot” at the airport.
Turns out he’s Ethan Cobblepot, son of the Penguin, though has never had any kind of close relationship with his father. He’s handsome and clever, and wants to improve the world through technology, launching a variety of apps to ensure public safety. Barbara is charmed, and agrees to go on a date with him — though given the spate of tech-related crime happening in the area,
June 8th, 2020. Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 3.5 | Comics | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Batgirl Vol. 1: Beyond Burnside (Rebirth) by Hope Larson & Rafael Albuquerque
Now is the right time to admit that I don’t read many DC comics — or many comics, period. I jumped straight into this series without any context of Barbara Gordon’s life or background, beyond the general basics of the character. (For instance, I know she’s the daughter of Commissioner Gordon and spent some time in a wheelchair, but I have no idea how she regained the use of her legs, or who Frankie is).
So how does this story hold up for someone with just a tenuous understanding of Batgirl?
June 4th, 2020. Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 3.5 | Comics | SFF Reviews | no comments |
They say that the Undersea was the dwelling place of the gods. They say many things of the Myriad, and all of them are true. The gods were as real as the coastlines and currents and as merciless as the winds and whirlpools.
No one knows who or what the gods were, the giant creatures who lived in the sea and then, mysteriously, all died. But everyone knows that a piece of a dead god can make your fortune. Hark is still a child himself,
June 1st, 2020. Terry Weyna´s rating: 3.5 | Frances Hardinge | Horror, Stand-Alone, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Sweep with Me by Ilona Andrews
Sweep with Me (2020), the fifth book in Ilona Andrews’s INNKEEPER CHRONICLES series, finds Dina DeMille fretting with her boyfriend Sean about an upcoming official review of Dina and the Gertrude Hunt, her magical inn for interstellar travelers. The innkeepers’ Assembly is concerned about some of the goings-on at the Gertrude Hunt and whether Dina and Sean have been keeping their rules, including not letting anyone on Earth know that their inn isn’t an ordinary one.
June 1st, 2020. Tadiana Jones´s rating: 3.5 | Ilona Andrews | Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 3: The Shu-Torun War by Kieron Gillen & Salvador Larroca
The fourth volume in Kieron Gillen’s DARTH VADER series focuses more on political strategy and warfare than the earlier volumes (which were more to do with espionage). In the wake of the first Death Star’s destruction, the Empire is desperate to regain a foothold on the galaxy and reverse the morale acquired by the Rebellion through the loss of their great weapon.
Vader is sent to the planet of Shu-Torun,
May 29th, 2020. Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 3.5 | Comics | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant
There’s a scene in Kester Grant’s The Court of Miracles (2020) where an entire room of nobles is hypnotized by the head of the assassin’s guild into doing something horrific, but which they are wholly oblivious to. It’s an apt scene to note, because while this first book in the COURT OF MIRACLES trilogy is far from horrific (really, far from it), Grant is such a fluid writer that she lulls you into a sort of readerly trance,
May 26th, 2020. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3.5 | Kester Grant | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 2 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.