Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

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Tarnished and Torn: Another solid entry in this pleasant series

Tarnished and Torn by Juliet Blackwell

Tarnished and Torn is the fifth book in Juliet Blackwell’s WITCHCRAFT MYSTERIES series. If you haven’t read any of the books yet, I’d recommend that you start back at book one, Second Hand Spirits. This is a pleasant cozy mystery series that isn’t going to stun you with brilliant ideas or delight you with its literary finesse, but it consistently does what it sets out to do — it entertains. Its strength is the cast of characters who are likeable right from the start and who grow on the reader as,

Mayhem: A dark, elegantly written murder mystery

Mayhem by Sarah Pinborough

Two things drew me to Sarah Pinborough’s Mayhem. First, the cover — exceptionally elegant and very fitting for this 19th century tale. Second, Jack the Ripper. If for some reason you are unaware of who he was, Jack was a serial killer in late 19th century London who targeted female prostitutes and murdered them in brutal ways. He killed at least five women, likely more, but get this — he was never caught. This anonymity led to widespread terror throughout the area for years to come.

December 19th, 2013. Pat Doherty´s rating: 3.5 | Sarah Pinborough | SFF Reviews | no comments |

Dark Visions: A Collection of Modern Horror, Volume I

Dark Visions: A Collection of Modern Horror, Volume 1 edited by Anthony Rivera & Sharon Lawson

Dark Visions: A Collection of Modern Horror, Volume One, is a publication of Grey Matter Press, a small publisher of all genres of horror. The anthology has no theme — something of a rarity these days, when most anthologies are restricted to a particular type of monster (zombie, werewolf, vampire; you know the drill). Few of the writers who contributed stories to this anthology are known to me, though there are a few big names.

The Land Across: Not sure if we get it….

The Land Across by Gene Wolfe

Kat and I both read Gene Wolfe’s The Land Across last week. I read the print version produced by Tor and Kat read the audio version produced by Audible and narrated by Jeff Woodman. I wrote most of the following review, but Kat insisted on sticking in her comments so she didn’t have to write her own review. That’s how this review became a conversation.

Bill: Let’s be honest. In an ideal world,

Quintessence Sky: Solid self-published sequel

Quintessence Sky by David Walton

Quintessence Sky is the follow-up to David Walton’s historical fantasy Quintessence, one of last year’s more interesting reads for me which garnered a four and a half star recommendation, thanks to its rich characterization and smart discussions or representations of big ideas: clash of religions and cultures, imperialism/colonialism, the conflict of science and religion.

Unfortunately, despite all its good qualities, Quintessence couldn’t find enough of an audience (we do what we can here) to keep Tor on board as publisher,

December 12th, 2013. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3.5 | David Walton | SFF Reviews | no comments |

In a Witch’s Wardrobe: Great series for audio

In a Witch’s Wardrobe by Juliet Blackwell

I’m really enjoying Juliet Blackwell’s WITCHCRAFT MYSTERY series on audio! These are short paranormal mysteries that have appealing characters, are light on blood and violence, feature (but don’t focus too much on) romantic relationships, include a bit of humor, and have a great setting (a vintage clothing store in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco). Each mystery is self-contained but there’s an overarching plot that advances with each book (so you want to start with the first book, Secondhand Spirits).

She Walks in Darkness: A period gothic thriller from a master of epic fantasy

She Walks in Darkness by Evangeline Walton

Many of us who have read Evangeline Walton have her, mentally, on our epic fantasy bookshelf with people like J.R.R. Tolkien and Mervyn Peake, for her retellings of the Welsh mythic cycle The Mabinogion. For us, She Walks in Darkness is a surprise. This previously unpublished novel, brought out by Tachyon Press, is not epic fantasy at all but a gothic thriller.

Written in the early 1960s, She Walks in Darkness was a casualty of Walton’s dispute with a publisher.

Mage’s Blood: A sprawling epic clash of civilizations

Mage’s Blood by David Hair

Mage’s Blood, by David Hair, is a sprawling epic clash of civilizations that will seem familiar to those who know their history and world cultures, though the addition of magic and some geographic repositioning keeps it from being simply historical fantasy or fully allegorical.

The setting and premise is given to us in an early (and somewhat clumsy) exposition by two of the characters:

When Kore made this land, he made two great continents [Yuros and Anitopia], separated by vast oceans,

November 25th, 2013. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3.5 | David Hair | SFF Reviews | no comments |

Delia’s Shadow: Ghosts, mystery, and good fun

Delia’s Shadow by Jaime Lee Moyer

Delia’s Shadow, Jaime Lee Moyer’s first novel, is a fun and light read highly recommended for anyone who just wants to see a hard-edged detective solve a murder mystery while falling in love, with ghosts and Edwardian outfits as excellent window dressing. If that sounds satisfying, then Delia’s Shadow is a perfectly pleasant way to spend a Saturday afternoon. The characters fall into well-worn but very likable categories, the mystery-solving proceeds in neatly-ordered steps,

November 21st, 2013. Alix E. Harrow´s rating: 3.5 | Jaime Lee Moyer | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |

The Incrementalists: An ambitious collaboration

The Incrementalists by Steven Brust & Skyler White

The Incrementalists is collaboration between authors Steven Brust and Skyler White. I was more familiar with White going in, having enjoyed her trippy novels and Falling, Fly and In Dreams Begin. My experience with Brust’s vast catalogue was sadly limited to having read The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars many years ago while obsessively collecting the FAIRY TALE SERIES. In The Incrementalists,

November 21st, 2013. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 3.5 | Skyler White, Steven Brust | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |

Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

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Recent Discussion:

David C Walton on Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil: Ambitious, atmospheric, and ultimately unevenJuly 5, 2025
Do it! One of the best things I've read in recent years.
Marion Deeds on Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil: Ambitious, atmospheric, and ultimately unevenJuly 5, 2025
This reminds me. I want to read Addie LaRue.
Bill Capossere on Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil: Ambitious, atmospheric, and ultimately unevenJuly 3, 2025
We’re in total agreement David!
David C Walton on Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil: Ambitious, atmospheric, and ultimately unevenJuly 3, 2025
I felt just the same. The prose and character work was excellent. The larger story was unsatisfying, especially compared to…
Marion Deeds on Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil: Ambitious, atmospheric, and ultimately unevenJuly 3, 2025
Hmmm. I think I'll pass.