This week, Legolas and Gimli reach Randland.

fantasy book reviews science fiction book reviews Legolas: Journal Entry 4858307: This week, we arrived in another new country. I’m beginning to think we are the fools of fate in this one particular way, and we’re doomed never to reach the Undying Lands. Nevertheless, Gimli and I dutifully got ashore at the harbor to resupply. The locals were Men, ordinary enough, save that they did not seem to know what their continent was called. “This is Andor!” said one, but as it turned out, that was only the name of the country. The word “Randland” was tossed around, but honestly nobody seemed to really know, which was most strange. Then somebody called the Dragon Reborn came down to see us, with a lot of pomp and melodrama. I can only assume they were speaking figuratively in regard to his name, because he didn’t look a single thing like a dragon, or act much like one either. Most of the dragons I’ve heard of have been rational (wicked, but rational). This fellow was clearly a few arrows short of a quiver, talking to empty air and arguing with himself over whether someone called Taim would betray him (from an association of three minutes, I can answer that yes, emphatically, Taim will betray you, you dolt). Anyway, as the Dragon-who-wasn’t-a-dragon seemed to be in charge, Gimli and I thought it wise to be on our way as quickly as possible, not knowing which way his mood might turn next. Before we went, though, we had to politely but firmly get rid of a number of women who had shown up to advise us on how we’d get lost without a woman onboard the ship, due to the woolly wits of men. We responded that neither of us was a Man, at which point the women got very disbelieving and tried to spank us. Or maybe get us to spank them. There was a lot of potential spanking going around, at any rate. These countries just keep getting stranger.

Bill: This week I read another look at superhero comics,  Chris Gavaler’s thoughtful examination of the genre entitled, appropriately enough Superhero Comics. I also finally got around to Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale, which had some issues but was wonderfully wintry. Finally, I read a quirky little graphic entitled The Creeps, a wide-ranging look in tone and subject at some potential human fears, written and drawn by Fran Krause.

Jana: This week I tried catching up on writing some reviews (and reading some of my TBR stack), and was kind of successful. For FanLit, I read Provenance, a really good stand-alone novel in Ann Leckie‘s ANCILLARY JUSTICE universe, and I started That Inevitable Victorian Thing, an alt-future YA novel by E.K. Johnston. For myself, I read Marta McDowell’s The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder, which explores the plants and animals (with an emphasis on plants) mentioned in Wilder’s various novels, articles, and letters. It’s inspired me to add a few prairie wildflowers to next year’s garden, which isn’t the worst side-effect of reading a book. In other news, autumn is here — hooray! — and I have a lot of projects to finish up before winter pokes its head around the corner. With any luck, I’ll actually get them accomplished in between work and reading.

Kat: Tantor Audio sent me a copy of Robert Asprin‘s Phule’s Company and, I’m surprised to say, I enjoyed it and will give the second book a try. Review coming soon. I am trying to finish Mercedes Lackey‘s MAGE WINDS trilogy this week. She’s not making it easy on me. These books are pretty dull and the only reason I’m reading them is because I already own them at Audible.

Ryan: Star Trek Star Trek Star Trek Star Trek Star Trek.

Tim: This week, I’ve been listening to THE COMPLETE SHERLOCK HOLMES on audio, which has taken some time. I’m also reading a little bit of  Son of the Black Sword by Larry Correia, but it’s coming slowly so far. To be honest, I’m just waiting and salivating for October, when a deluge of exciting fantasy works should be arriving. So many pre-orders. So many.