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The King’s Blood by Daniel Abraham
The King’s Blood (2012) is the worthy follow-up to Daniel Abraham’s The Dragon’s Path, which was one of my top reads last year. The book picks up where the first left off for the most part and continues on with the same major characters, as well as adding a few others (and subtracting some of the originals).
The story continues some of the basic storyline, but offers up a lot of new plot.
June 20th, 2012. Bill Capossere and Kat Hooper´s rating: 4.5 | Daniel Abraham | Audio | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Dragon Griaule by Lucius Shepard
His flesh has become one with the earth. He knows its every tremor and convulsion. His thoughts roam the plenum, his mind is a cloud that encompasses our world. His blood is the marrow of time. Centuries flow through him, leaving behind a residue that he incorporates into his being. Is it any wonder he controls our lives and knows our fates?
The Dragon Griaule collects Lucius Shepard’s six stories and novellas about Griaule, the mile-long 750-foot-high dragon that has been in a spellbound sleep for thousands of years.
June 4th, 2012. Kat Hooper´s rating: 4.5 | Lucius Shepard | SFF Reviews | no comments |
You just know there are lots of reasons people might give a pass to China Miéville’s newest novel, Railsea. Some will see the YA or sci-fi/fantasy labels hanging on it and dismiss it out of hand. Others will hear it features a captain obsessed with hunting a giant white moldywarpe that cost her an arm and think “I hate parody/allusion” or “I really hated Moby Dick” or “Boy, I hate books with words like ‘moldywarpe” (or all three).
May 21st, 2012. Bill Capossere and Marion Deeds´s rating: 4.5 | China Mieville | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 5 comments |
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, published in 1884, is Edwin A. Abbott’s social satire and Christian apologetic. As a Cambridge mathematician, theologian, and schoolmaster, Abbott had a lot to say about his Victorian society and about being open-minded to the supernatural. He does this from the point of view of a humble square that lives in Flatland, a world of only two dimensions.
For the first half of the book (“This World”), the square explains the demography of Flatland,
May 14th, 2012. Kat Hooper´s rating: 4.5 | Edwin A. Abbott | Audio, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Now This Is the Law of the Jungle, As Old and As True As the Sky…
Most people are unaware that Rudyard Kipling wrote a sequel to his first highly successful anthology of stories, probably because most editions combine the two into one volume (much like the merging of Louisa Alcott’s Little Women and Good Wives). But for what it’s worth, the sequel (or second half) of The Jungle Book is better than its predecessor.
May 10th, 2012. Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 4.5 | Rudyard Kipling | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Delusion’s Master by Tanith Lee
In Delusion’s Master, the third of Tanith Lee’s FLAT EARTH novels, we’re introduced to another Prince of Darkness: Chuz, the Prince of Madness, who is handsome when seen from one side and hideous when seen from the other. Chuz watches humans and uses the opportunities they give him to practice his craft:
There were several doors by which Madness might enter any house; one was rage, one jealousy, one fear.
We first meet Chuz when a jealous queen tries to get rid of the baby she believes has caused the king to stop loving her.
May 2nd, 2012. Kat Hooper´s rating: 4.5 | Tanith Lee | Audio | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Michelle Sagara makes her young adult debut with Silence, a spooky and emotionally moving urban fantasy. The heroine, Emma, is mourning her boyfriend Nathan, who died in a car accident. She feels most at peace when she visits the cemetery in the evenings — until one night she has an uncanny encounter on the grounds. And the weirdness doesn’t end there. Now Emma can see and touch the dead, and may be able to affect these spirits in other ways as well…
Emma is a well-rounded character with both good qualities and flaws.
May 1st, 2012. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4.5 | Michelle Sagara, Michelle Sagara West | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
Bitterblue is the third book in Kristin Cashore’s series that began with Graceling and continued with Fire, both excellent novels (I gave them 5 stars and 4.5 stars respectively). Bitterblue is not quite as good, but the drop-off is slight, resulting in another strong read and a more than satisfying continuation.
Bitterblue picks up some years after Graceling.
May 1st, 2012. Bill Capossere and Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 4, 4.5 | Kristin Cashore | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
On Tanith Lee’s Flat Earth, humans live in the space between apathetic gods and vain and meddlesome demons. In the first FLAT EARTH book, Night’s Master, we met Azhrarn, prince of demons and ruler of the night who found and loved a human orphan. I loved that book for its exotic setting and gorgeous fairytale quality, but Death’s Master, the second FLAT EARTH book, is even more enchanting. While the first book was a series of connected tales,
April 26th, 2012. Kat Hooper´s rating: 4.5 | Tanith Lee | Audio | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray
The sequel to Lily of the Nile, Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray continues the story of Cleopatra Selene, daughter of the more famous Cleopatra. In this installment, Selene marries, becomes queen of Mauretania, and continually longs and schemes for the return of her birthright: the throne of Egypt.
Song of the Nile begins with a prologue that refers to the myth of Persephone’s descent, and so we know from the start that this book will take Selene into some painful emotional territory.
April 10th, 2012. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4.5 | Stephanie Dray | SFF Reviews | no 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.