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Goddess of Spring by P.C. Cast
I hesitated to read Goddess of Spring. I never did really get into P.C. Cast‘s first novel, Goddess by Mistake, and I love the Persephone myth and didn’t want to be disappointed. But finally I decided to read Goddess of Spring — and liked it!
Lina, a baker from Tulsa, needs a miracle to save her bakery. She finds it in the form of a mysterious, mystical cookbook,
March 27th, 2008. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4 | P.C. Cast | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Joining the ranks of comic fantasy authors like Terry Pratchett, Robert Asprin, Esther Freisner, and Piers Anthony is relative newcomer Jim C. Hines. His dungeon delving novel, Goblin Quest, brings a jovial and ironic spirit to the ranks of fantasy fiction.
Jig, a young, scrawny, and near-sighted goblin is content to work with muck. It keeps him out of the way of the rougher, tougher goblins,
March 26th, 2008. John Ottinger (guest)´s rating: 4 | Jim C. Hines | Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Shadow in the Deep by L.B. Graham
The third book by L.B. Graham, a Christian and Covenant Seminary grad, is probably one of the most wonderful books I have ever read. Shadow in the Deep picks up where Bringer of Storms left off after the destruction of Col Marena by Malek’s followers. The prophet Valzaan is dead, and Benjiah must take his place. Aljeron must lead the people of Werthanin to safety across the sea to Cimaris Rul while the Bringer of Storms continues to use his powers to manifest rain across over Kirthanin.
March 25th, 2008. John Ottinger (guest)´s rating: 4 | L.B. Graham | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Neil Gaiman+ Lenny Henry = Twice the Entertainment
I like Neil Gaiman’s style — his writing is easy, intelligent, well-edited, dryly humorous, and just plain charming.
Anansi Boys is no exception, and it’s especially charming in audio format, thanks to Lenny Henry, an English stand-up comedian whose deep rich voice and character comedy is absolutely perfect for this novel which is based on the African/Caribbean mythology of the trickster spider god Anansi (introduced in American Gods). Henry’s voices are brilliant (especially the old Caribbean women) and he had me literally smiling nearly all the way through the story.
March 25th, 2008. Kat Hooper´s rating: 4 | Neil Gaiman | Audio, Mythopoeic Award, Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | no comments |
There’s nothing I love so much as sinking into a big fat book that combines the sweep of history with a dash of magic. This book is an adaptation of The Aeneid, from the point of view of the Sybil who, in the poem, guides Aeneas through the underworld.
She’s a lot more fleshed out here. Her name is Gull, later known as Linnea and as Pythia, and jumps off the page from the very beginning of chapter one with a self-introduction that reminded me a bit of Phèdre’s at the beginning of Kushiel’s Dart.
March 23rd, 2008. Kelly Lasiter, Ruth Arnell and Terry Weyna´s rating: 4, 5 | Jo Graham | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
As always, E.E. Knight brings us an action/adventure story filled with everybody’s favorite fantasy creature: dragons.
One thing I have especially enjoyed about The Age of Fire is that you can pick up any of the novels and completely enjoy it as a stand-alone novel. Each of the books begins at the exact same time and location, yet each follows a different dragon. In Dragon Outcast, we learn the story of the Copper, Auron and Wistala’s sibling who was denied the egg shelf.
March 15th, 2008. John Ottinger (guest)´s rating: 4 | E.E. Knight | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Out of Avalon: An Anthology of Old Magic and New Myths by Jennifer Roberson
Out of Avalon: An Anthology of Old Magic and New Myths is an anthology for everyone who loves re-takes on the Arthurian legends, and especially those readers who loved The Mists of Avalon and are seeking more of the same sort of retellings, laced with gender politics, religious issues, and romance.
As in all anthologies, some of the stories are to my taste, some aren’t, and there is probably something for everyone.
March 5th, 2008. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 4 | David Farland, Diana Gabaldon, Jennifer Roberson, Judith Tarr, Katharine Kerr, Kristen Britain, Laura Resnick, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Michelle Sagara West, Mike Resnick, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Rosemary Edghill | Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Swords Against Death by Fritz Leiber
After a self-imposed exile, our heroes — the legendary Fafhrd and Gray Mouser — are back to their old shenanigans in the sinful city of Lankhmar. Shortly after their return, they find themselves hypnotically drawn across Newhon’s Outer Sea to lands unknown, only to have to survive a perilous journey to again get back to Lankhmar — the closest thing they have to a home. Along with their other misadventures, they finally come to terms with the deaths of their true-loves.
As stated on the book’s back-cover,
March 3rd, 2008. Greg Hersom, Kat Hooper and Stuart Starosta´s rating: 4 | Fritz Leiber | Audio | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
THE VIEW FROM THE MIRROR by Ian Irvine
I wonder how much of an abstract autobiography this tale is. The main character shares a name very similar to that of the author (Ian and Llian) and his occupation is that of a chronicler and teller of tales. In other words, he is the rough equivalent of an author and researcher with a Ph.D. Ian Irvine earned a doctorate in environmental sciences before becoming an author, the former probably accounting for his excellent ability to create believable races and places.
Anyhow,
February 26th, 2008. Guest´s rating: 4 | Ian Irvine | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Acacia by David Anthony Durham
David Anthony Durham‘s Acacia has some of elements of epic fantasy we’ve all seen before: a large empire, a resentful race, a king’s children scattered and forced to grow into previously hidden strengths, a near-ritualized style of sword fighting, political intrigue, large battle scenes, and a few others. But anyone thinking to write off Acacia as simply another cookie-cutter fantasy would be missing a highly rewarding read — for Durham gives us these familiar set-ups only to repeatedly yank them out from under our feet.
February 20th, 2008. Bill Capossere, Kevin Wei and Stefan Raets´s rating: 2.5, 3, 4 | David Anthony Durham | SFF Reviews | no comments |
It would give me very great pleasure to personally destroy every single copy of those first two J. J. Abrams…
Agree! And a perfect ending, too.
I may be embarrassing myself by repeating something I already posted here, but Thomas Pynchon has a new novel scheduled…
[…] Tales (Fantasy Literature): John Martin Leahy was born in Washington State in 1886 and, during his five-year career as…
so you're saying I should read it? :)