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Superheroes — and supervillains — have always been problematic. They are usually all but impossible to kill, but have a single vulnerability that everyone seems to know about, and to aim for, a tradition that goes all the way back to Achilles (who was invulnerable because he was dipped in the River Styx as a baby — except for the ankle by which his mother held him when doing the dipping). Even after death, they always seem to come back in some form or another; Superman, for instance,
January 1st, 2011. Terry Weyna´s rating: 3.5 | Alan Moore, Bill Willingham, Chris Roberson, Daryl Gregory, Ian McDonald, James Maxey, Lou Anders, Marjorie M. Liu, Mark Chadbourn, Matthew Sturges, Mike (M.R.) Carey, Peter David, Stephen Baxter | Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
At first, Personal Demons reminded of those Christian romances I devoured like potato chips when I was in high school — the ones where a hot date meant getting together to read the Bible. Frannie, the high school girl who is the principal viewpoint character, comes from a large Catholic family and seems, initially, to be intent on remaining true to every bit of her Catholicism. In my own large Catholic family, that would most definitely include allowing no boy to touch me between my neck and my knees before my wedding night.
December 24th, 2010. Terry Weyna´s rating: 3.5 | Lisa Desrochers | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Spirit Eater by Rachel Aaron
The Spirit Eater (2010) is the third installment in Rachel Aaron’s THE LEGEND OF ELI MONPRESS series. Just like the first two books, The Spirit Thief and The Spirit Rebellion, it’s an entertaining, fast-moving fantasy story, although this newest novel does have a considerably darker edge to it.
The darkness starts right away with the novel’s prologue, in which we learn more about Nico,
December 21st, 2010. Stefan Raets and Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Rachel Aaron | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Book of Secrets by Chris Roberson
Spencer Finch is an investigative journalist who is researching billionaire J. Nathan Pierce for one of his stories. In the course of his research, he discovers that a mysterious book was recently stolen from Pierce, and it’s this book that will lead Finch on a fascinating and unlikely journey with far-reaching implications. Early on in the story, Finch also receives his recently deceased grandfather’s inheritance: a box full of stories and other texts. These gradually add a whole new dimension to both his grandfather’s legacy and the secret,
December 19th, 2010. Stefan Raets´s rating: 3.5 | Chris Roberson | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
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 |
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.