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I first heard about Robin LaFevers’ new YA release, Grave Mercy, a few months ago and was intrigued by its premise, which involves an order of assassin nuns. Based on that, I thought it was set in a fantasy world. When I learned that it was in fact set in our own world, in medieval France, I was more skeptical. How would LaFevers set assassin nuns in real France without it seeming unrealistic?
Alongside the real history,
April 3rd, 2012. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4.5 | Robin (R.L.) Lafevers | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
FitzChivalry Farseer, who barely survived an assassination attempt by his uncle, Prince Regal, has returned to Buckkeep where the King, his grandfather, lies dying. His other uncle, Prince Verity, is exhausting himself by trying to keep the kingdom together in the face of increasing attacks by the Red Ship Raiders. The Raiders continue to capture and, through some unknown process, “Forge” citizens of the Six Duchies. When these Forged citizens, who are now more like animals than people, are released, they start moving toward Buck Keep. What are they doing?
March 31st, 2012. Kat Hooper´s rating: 4.5 | Robin Hobb | Audio | SFF Reviews | 15 comments |
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Good Hunting All That Keep the Jungle Law…
If you were to ask anyone to describe The Jungle Book, they would probably take their cue from the widely known Disney film and say that it was about a young boy who was raised by wolves in the jungle, mentored by a bear and a panther, and who eventually kills a dangerous tiger. In this they’d be right, but they’d only be describing the first three chapters.
The rest of the book is a series of unrelated short stories about other animals,
March 30th, 2012. Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 4.5 | Rudyard Kipling | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
The scholar Brian Attebery in his book Strategies of Fantasy writes that works of science fantasy can be divided into two categories: the beautiful and the damned. No middle ground to be had, technology and the supernatural remain relative to the era, and combining them is disastrous to the point of comedy or successful to the point of being a mind-opening experience. Falling into the latter category, Lord of Light, unlike many of Zelazny’s other works of science fantasy,
March 27th, 2012. Jesse Hudson´s rating: 4.5 | Roger Zelazny | Hugo Award, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 5 comments |
The Outcast Blade by Jon Courtenay Grimwood
I have good news and bad news about The Outcast Blade, the second book in Jon Courtenay Grimwood’s ACTS OF THE ASSASSINI series.
The good news is that the book is as captivating as its predecessor, The Fallen Blade. It’s a heady brew of magic, military strategy, politics, mystery, betrayal and love. Grimwood’s descriptions of Venice are grounded rather than lyrical, creating a living city that is gritty and fantastical,
March 26th, 2012. Marion Deeds´s rating: 4.5 | Jon Courtenay (Jonathan) Grimwood | Audio | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
All-Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder, Vol.1 by Frank Miller (author) & Jim Lee (illustrator)
All-Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder, Vol. 1 is the re-telling of how the legendary Dynamic Duo came to be as only Frank Miller has the cahoonas to do it.
About a year before Alan Moore started exploring a realistic approach to superheroes in his famous WATCHMEN series, Frank Miller was delving into the twisted psyche that would drive a playboy millionaire to become a vigilante with his highly acclaimed The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One.
March 23rd, 2012. Greg Hersom´s rating: 4.5 | Frank Miller | Comics | SFF Reviews | 13 comments |
Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti by Genevieve Valentine
Here is how you read Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti:
You open the book, and the first paragraph reminds you, a little, of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, and then a gold and brass hand sprouts from the pages, grabs you by your collar, and drags you headfirst into the book.
(At least, that’s what it feels like.)
Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti is Genevieve Valentine’s first novel,
March 7th, 2012. Marion Deeds and Bill Capossere´s rating: 4, 4.5 | Genevieve Valentine | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
Initiate’s Trial by Janny Wurts
Janny Wurts’s latest novel in the WARS OF LIGHT AND SHADOW, Initiate’s Trial, is another rock-solid installment in what has become one of my favorite series. Janny’s use of the English language, her ability to sculpt characters with concepts and characteristics that make them live and her continuing commitment to solid storytelling make her work some of the best ever. Initiate’s Trial is a perfect example of why her books are always worth the wait.
March 1st, 2012. John Hulet and Stefan Raets´s rating: 4.5, 5 | Janny Wurts | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
The Night Country by Stewart O’Nan
In our Edge of the Universe column, we review mainstream authors that incorporate elements of speculative fiction into their “literary” work. However you want to label them, we hope you’ll enjoy discussing these books with us.
To call The Night Country a ghost story or horror story does a disservice to both the author and the work. It’s like calling The Odyssey a ghost story because Odysseus speaks to the shades.
February 10th, 2012. Bill Capossere´s rating: 4.5 | Stewart O'Nan | Edge | SFF Reviews | no comments |
City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer
What a long strange trip City of Saints and Madmen is! Jeff VanderMeer’s first book about the city of Ambergris is a tour de force of imagination and style.
It’s a hard book to review, though. First of all, what is it? It’s not a novel. Is it a collection of short stories? Maybe, although some of the pieces included in City of Saints and Madmen are not stories, and in some cases,
February 8th, 2012. Marion Deeds´s rating: 4.5 | Jeff VanderMeer | 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.