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A Time of Exile by Katharine Kerr
A Time of Exile, the first book in the second Deverry quartet, opens a number of years after the events in Daggerspell. Rhodry is getting older, but his Westfolk genes have given him long life and people are starting to mutter dweomer when they look at him. He stages his own death so that he is able to slip away from his life in Aberwyn. He meets Jill again when he heads into the lands of the Westfolk,
January 24th, 2010. Amanda Rutter (guest)´s rating: 3 | Katharine Kerr | SFF Reviews | no comments |
I loved Black Ships, and I didn’t know if Jo Graham could top it. The answer, I am happy to report, is a great big YES!
Hand of Isis continues the story of some of the characters from Black Ships who have now been reincarnated as players in the Egyptian-Roman power struggle. You don’t need to read Black Ships first, but you’ll probably get more out of Hand of Isis if you do.
January 23rd, 2010. Kelly Lasiter and Ruth Arnell´s rating: 3, 5 | Jo Graham | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
I’ve just been to Venice and back, and I’m not even jetlagged…
In Nightwalker, Jocelynn Drake transported the reader to Egypt and London, and now, in Dayhunter, we’re headed for the canals. As the book begins, Mira and Danaus are summoned to appear before the vampire council in Venice. I loved following Mira to all her favorite haunts in the city; Drake does a great job of creating a tangible sense of place.
January 23rd, 2010. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 3 | Jocelynn Drake | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Always Forever by Mark Chadbourn
Always Forever is the third novel in the AGE OF MISRULE trilogy by Mark Chadbourn, and at the start of this final installment, things definitely aren’t looking up. As Darkest Hour ends, the five Brothers and Sisters of Dragons are scattered and broken, and the dark god Balor is loose in the land again. If the five heroes can’t somehow stop Balor by the festival of Samhain, when he comes into his full powers,
January 17th, 2010. Stefan Raets´s rating: 3 | Mark Chadbourn | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Darkest Hour by Mark Chadbourn
Darkest Hour is the second book in Mark Chadbourn‘s AGE OF MISRULE trilogy. As often is the case, the middle book in the trilogy is the darkest one, and if the title didn’t give it away, Darkest Hour is no exception. Thankfully, the novel contains enough excitement to make it a thrilling read that should please fans of the first book.
At the conclusion of World’s End,
January 12th, 2010. Stefan Raets´s rating: 3 | Mark Chadbourn | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Lord of Snow and Shadows by Sarah Ash
Lord of Snow and Shadows starts as Gavril, a young relatively carefree painter, learns that he has just inherited rule of the northern kingdom of Azhkendir after his father (whom Gavril never knew) was murdered. The inheritance has a darker side, however, as his father’s line also passes from son to son the Drakhaoul, a creature which lives in their blood and mind and gives them great power at great cost — the eventual transformation of their body and soul.
January 12th, 2010. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3 | Sarah Ash | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Stone of the Stars by Alison Baird
The Stone of the Stars is a fun, if imperfect, high fantasy with gently feminist overtones, a coming-of-age theme, and a slight hint of romance.
The beginning is… well, inauspicious. There’s a Prologue that has the feel of warmed-over Tolkien as seen through the lens of the “back in the good old days, everyone was a peaceful Goddess-worshipper” myth. Then, in chapter one, we meet our heroine, Ailia, in a scene that has “Mary Sue” written all over it,
January 10th, 2010. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 3 | Alison Baird | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald
The Meaning Will Come with the Thing Itself…
George MacDonald wrote hundreds of stories throughout his lifetime (not surprising considering he had eleven kids!), most of which were fantasies that drew on a rich variety of sources: mythology, fairytales and Biblical mysticism. Credited by C.S. Lewis as the main inspiration behind The Chronicles of Narnia, MacDonald’s dreamy little tales (especially this one) are a strange blend of frustrating ramblings and sublime imagery. Love it or hate it,
January 10th, 2010. Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 3 | George MacDonald | Children, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Magician and the Fool by Barth Anderson
Jeremiah Rosemont is a far-fallen academic star, an art historian with specialized knowledge of — and uncanny experience with — tarot decks. Having exiled himself from the United States, he finds his wanderings through Nicaragua interrupted one night by the mysterious delivery of a plane ticket to Rome. There, he stumbles into a maelstrom of occult forces and figures gathering around a deck of uncertain origin and powers. Another figure with links to the deck is the Boy King, a vagrant in Minneapolis with strange and formidable talents.
January 5th, 2010. Rob Rhodes´s rating: 3 | Barth Anderson | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Here There Be Witches by Jane Yolen
Jane Yolen’s anthology is centered around the topic of witches and holds a wide range of writing styles, whether it be poetry, short stories, retelling of legends or dialogue. This variety of these stories and their tones sometimes makes a rather mish-mashed collection; the serious stories don’t quite fit with the light-hearted ones and you feel as if they should be in separate books. On the other hand, the range means that there’s something for everyone and one gets to see the many sides of witches and their crafts.
January 3rd, 2010. Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 3 | Jane Yolen | Short Fiction, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
This book made no sense to me at all. I was hoping for some explanations at the end but it…
Oh, Marion, you say "but dark" as if it were a bad thing! 😂
Hammer Studios is... reborn? I only ever read the "Kane" stories, which I found good but dark. It's a little…
Oh...and the men used the name "The Great Northern Expedition" to throw people off as to their actual destination, even…
Oh, it IS, Marion! It is!