Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

Rating: 5

Click on stars to FIND REVIEWS BY RATING:
Recommended:
Not Recommended:

Stardust: Full of magic and whimsy

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Go, And Catch a Falling Star…

If you like fantasy stories filled with magic, adventure and romance, but are getting sick and tired of boring, long-winded fantasy epics, then look no further than Stardust. There are no long histories, family trees or endless descriptions of culture, landscapes and back-story. This is just a sweet, simple fairytale told by a great storyteller. Though be warned — the original fairytales were not written for children, and Stardust follows in their literary footsteps,

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is not just for aspiring writers or Stephen King fans. I’m neither, but I was completely entertained by On Writing. The first half of the book is Stephen King’s autobiography of his first 50 years of life. He talks about his family, his childhood adventures with his brother, his relationship with his wife, some of the inspiration and research for his stories, how his alcohol and drug abuse affected his writing,

Red Seas Under Red Skies: Locke and Jean take a cruise

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

Red Seas Under Red Skies is Scott Lynch’s follow-up to his debut fantasy The Lies of Locke Lamora, and the second in the planned Gentlemen Bastard sequence. The first book asked the question: what would happen if all the guys from Ocean 11 were teleported into the usual fantasy setting? Red Seas Under Red Skies asks: what would Brad Pitt and George Clooney do if the rest of Oceans 11 were killed off in movie one?

August 30th, 2007. Bill Capossere, Greg Hersom, Marion Deeds and Skye Walker´s rating: 3.5, 4, 5 | Scott Lynch | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |

Daughter of the Forest: Wonderful

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

In Daughter of the Forest, Juliet Marillier deftly sets the fairy tale “The Six Swans” in dark-ages Ireland; think of the general time period of The Mists of Avalon, when Christian and Pagan, Gael and Briton and Saxon, were fighting and feuding and even sometimes getting along. The tale fits in amazingly well in the setting; the famous fairy tale echoes the Irish legend of Fionnuala and the children of Lir, which predated it.

August 29th, 2007. Kelly Lasiter´s rating: 5 | Juliet Marillier | SFF Reviews | no comments |

The High King: A perfect five stars

The High King by Lloyd Alexander

The High King is the fifth and last book in the truly wonderful Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander, preceded by The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, and Taran Wanderer, all of which are necessary reading if you want to fully understand and enjoy this last installment. The High King,

The Hobbit: Good clean fun

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit is just good clean fun, delightful for children and adults. If you’ve read LOTR and wondered how Bilbo got the ring, here’s the story. I enjoyed Tolkien’s omniscient narrator style in this book — somewhat like Thackeray’s Vanity Fair, and more recently Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell — which I suppose he adopted because he was writing for children. I think it’s charming.

I highly recommend the audiobook,

Mister Monday: Danger, intrigue, invention, surprises

Mister Monday by Garth Nix

Be a Player, Not a Pawn.

Garth Nix’s Mister Monday begins a brand new children’s fantasy epic: The Keys to the Kingdom. This Australian author is fast-becoming one of the biggest names in fantasy with his reinvention of the genre and his intricate, fascinating plots. Unlike other such authors, who place their heroes in a medieval realm of magical swords, horse-back riding and dragons, Nix follows the example of writers such as Philip Pullman,

Alphabet of Thorn: My favourite

Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia McKillip

Once again Patricia McKillip crafts a wonderful story, and although I must admit that I haven’t read all of her novels, I think it’s safe to say that Alphabet of Thorn is one of her best works. Out of her many books I have read, this one is definitely my favourite. Her beautiful language, her startling imagery, her intricate plot, her mind-twisting ideas… all come together in this stunning story.

In a beautiful cliff-top palace by the sea (so high that one cannot hear the ocean from the top) a coronation is taking place for the young and inexperienced Queen Tessera.

The Realms of the Gods: Pierce’s best book to date

The Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce

The Realms of the Gods is the final book in Tamora Pierce’s Immortals quartet, and probably the best. As one can possibly guess, it’s nearly impossible for someone to begin reading this series at this book — you at least have to read Book Three: The Emperor Mage, though ideally you should have all three previous books under your belt: Wild Magic and Wolf-Speaker just to have the complete picture of what’s going on here.

Abhorsen: Explosive ending

Abhorsen by Garth Nix

Abhorsen is the final book of Garth Nix‘s Old Kingdom trilogy, which could basically translate into the second half of Lirael (the first installment Sabriel stands on its own, but its follow-up Lirael needs Abhorsen in order for the story to be completed). In the final chapter of Lirael, our four travelers Lirael, Sameth, Mogget and the Disreputable Dog have found sanctuary (albeit temporarily) at the Abhorsen’s House where further revelations concerning Lirael and Sam’s connection are discovered.

Next SFF Author: Ben Aaronovitch

We have reviewed 8379 fantasy, science fiction, and horror books, audiobooks, magazines, comics, and films.

Subscribe to all posts:

Get notified about Giveaways:

Support FanLit

Want to help us defray the cost of domains, hosting, software, and postage for giveaways? Donate here:

You can support FanLit (for free) by using these links when you shop at Amazon:

US UK CANADA

Or, in the US, simply click the book covers we show. We receive referral fees for all purchases (not just books). This has no impact on the price and we can't see what you buy. This is how we pay for hosting and postage for our GIVEAWAYS. Thank you for your support!

SFF Deals

Recent Discussion:

John Stephen Walsh on The Last Dangerous Visions: DisappointingOctober 24, 2024
As someone who's waited for this book longer than most people seeing this have been alive, it was good reading…
E Guitarist on Dragon Wing: Not very goodOctober 24, 2024
What a strange review! I found this because it's linked on the Wikipedia article for Dragon Wing. Someone who claims…
Top 10 Science Fiction Novels That Will Blow Your Mind – Aesthetic Nooks on The Dispossessed: Not simply an anarchist utopia/capitalist dystopiaOctober 23, 2024
[…] Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness is a groundbreaking novel that explores themes of gender and…
Sensor Sweep: A. Merritt, Magician’s Skull, Russell Kirk, Micronauts – castaliahouse.com on A Night in the Lonesome October: An annual October ritual for fansOctober 21, 2024
[…] (Fantasy Literature): A Night in the Lonesome October (1993) is narrated by the aptly-named Snuff, a dog who is…
Cynthia Tomaski on The King of Ys: I remember Ys, though I have never seen herOctober 19, 2024
I re-read 'The King of Ys' abpout every ten years. The prose is luminous, and the story absorbing. I commend…