Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

Rating: 4

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The Whisperers: A solid entry in the Charlie Parker series

The Whisperers by John Connolly

The Whisperers is Irish writer John Connolly’s eleventh CHARLIE PARKER thriller. The books are set for the most part in the USA, mostly in Maine, where Parker, the ex-cop turned private-eye turned something-more makes his home.

Underlying the plot of The Whisperers is a current theme, the question of how wounded soldiers returning home are treated by the government that put them in harm’s way. In this book, a group of Iraq war veterans is smuggling looted antiquities across the Canadian border.

Low Town: A strong, confident debut

Low Town (The Straight Razor Cure) by Daniel Polansky

FORMAT/INFO: Low Town is 352 pages long divided over 49 numbered chapters. Narration is in the first person, exclusively via a thirty-five year old crime lord/drug dealer/junkie named the Warden. Low Town is self-contained, but is the first volume in a series. August 16, 2011 marks the North American Hardcover publication of Low Town via Doubleday. The UK edition will be published by Hodder & Stoughton on August 18,

August 12th, 2011. Robert Thompson, Stefan Raets and Kat Hooper´s rating: 4 | Daniel Polansky | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |

Bloodlands: Pulled the rug out from under me

Bloodlands by Christine Cody

This is a crow-eating review. Or, considering the kind of carrion eater that lives in Christine Cody’s post-apocalyptic world, a giant-gargoyle-bird-eating review. I had a terrible time getting into Bloodlands, it took me several weeks to read it, and I fully expected this to be a negative review. Instead, I’m pleasantly surprised. It’s been a while since a book pulled the rug out from under me so satisfyingly.

Bloodlands is set in the American West of the near future,

August 8th, 2011. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4 | Christine Cody | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |

Icefire: Older, darker, more complicated

Icefire by Chris d’Lacey

Icefire is Chris d’Lacey’s second book in the Last Dragon Chronicles, following up on The Fire Within and continuing the story of David, the Pennykettles (Liz and Lucy), and the clay dragons that are much more than they appear. The Fire Within seems a wholly different construct from the succeeding novels — simpler, lighter in tone, feeling a bit younger in terms of target audience. Icefire begins the shift toward older,

The Best of Stephen R. Donaldson: The shorter works of a masterful author

The Best of Stephen R. Donaldson by Stephen R. Donaldson

Stephen R. Donaldson will probably always be best known for his novels: the epic fantasy series THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT, the wonderful fantasy diptych MORDANT’S NEED, and — my personal favorite — the dark science fiction GAP CYCLE. However, Donaldson has also produced a number of great short stories and novellas throughout his career. So far, these could mainly be found in his two collections, Daughter of Regals and Other Tales (1984) and Reave the Just and Other Tales (1999),

Ghost Story: You have to read The Dresden Files

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

Writing this review is going to be impossible without spoiling some of the series for those who have not read through Changes, just a little warning. The title of this book, Ghost Story, does a pretty good job of revealing the entire premise of the story: Harry is a ghost. Like all ghosts he has a task that must be completed in order to be at peace. A lot of what was planted in Changes bears fruit in Ghost Story.

August 4th, 2011. Justin Blazier and Kat Hooper´s rating: 4, 4.5 | Jim Butcher | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |

Revenge of the Witch: Terrifying children’s fantasy

The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney

Thomas Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son. Therefore, his mother has always planned to apprentice him to the Spook — the traveling exorcist who services the surrounding villages, ridding them of ghosts, witches, ghasts, boggarts, and other troublesome creatures. The Spook performs a nasty, dangerous, and necessary job for the community, and he’s well respected, but his line of work makes him an outsider — people just aren’t comfortable around him. Thomas doesn’t want to become the next Spook — the Spook’s life is hazardous and lonely — but as the seventh son,

Horses of Heaven: Historical fantasy with an unusual setting

Horses of Heaven by Gillian Bradshaw

Gillian Bradshaw’s Horses of Heaven is a historical fantasy set in a place and time far from fantasy’s beaten path: central Asia in 140 B.C. It takes place in the kingdom of Ferghana, which was once on the eastern fringe of Alexander’s empire. Now, Alexander is long dead and Ferghana is an uneasy mix of Greeks and native Sakas. The widowed King Mauakes makes a political marriage with a Greco-Bactrian princess, Heliokleia, but he is abusive toward her and their marriage is a disaster from the start.

Shadowflame: Moves the series away from paranormal romance

Shadowflame by Dianne Sylvan

Shadowflame is a book that will polarize readers. The previous Shadow World novel, Queen of Shadows, was classified as urban fantasy but also worked as a romance. Having read Shadowflame, I think I may have lead some readers astray by calling Queen of Shadows a romance. Thinking of this series as romance may cause disappointment in Shadowflame.

July 29th, 2011. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4 | Dianne Sylvan | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |

The Native Star: Steampunk, Western fantasy, historical romance

The Native Star by M.K. Hobson

The Native Staris a fantasy set in a West that never quite was: the West of tall tales, dime novels, and cheesy patent-medicine ads. M.K. Hobson realizes this mood perfectly, peoples the setting with memorable characters, and spins a compelling and well-thought-out plot.

When we first meet the heroine, Emily Edwards, she’s preparing a love spell to ensnare a local lumberman. The new patent-magic companies have cut into Emily’s business as a witch, and she can see no other way but marriage to keep herself and her father afloat.

July 23rd, 2011. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4 | M.K. Hobson | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |

Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

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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.