Previous SFF Author: Jay Posey
The Boy Who Lost Fairyland by Catherynne M. Valente
The Boy Who Lost Fairyland is the fourth in the FAIRYLAND series by Catherynne M. Valente, the second in a row that has been somewhat of a disappointment to me, and the first whose strengths I thought were not enough to fully overcome its flaws.
Valente takes a bit of a risk here in book four, shifting focus from her primary protagonist, September and her friends, to a whole new cast of characters.
May 15th, 2015. Bill Capossere´s rating: 2.5 | Catherynne M. Valente | Children | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Warring States by Aidan Harte
The Warring States is the second book in Aidan Harte’s THE WAVE trilogy, coming after last year’s Irenicon, to which I gave a three-star rating recently. Unfortunately, I’d describe The Warring States as a bit of a step backwards, mostly due to pacing issues.
You can take a look at my review of Irenicon for the detailed back-story.
May 14th, 2015. Bill Capossere´s rating: 2.5 | Aidan Harte | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Philippa Fisher and the Dream-Maker’s Daughter by Liz Kessler
Philippa Fisher and the Dream-Maker’s Daughter is the second book in Liz Kessler’s trilogy about Philippa Fisher, a lonely 11 year old girl with eccentric hippie parents. When we met her in the first book, Philippa Fisher and the Fairy Godsister, she had come to the attention of the fairy godmothers because her best friend had recently moved away and she was sad. A young inexperienced fairy named Daisy was assigned to grant Philippa three wishes.
May 14th, 2015. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3 | Liz Kessler | Audio, Children | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Son of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs
At the conclusion of the third Tarzan novel, 1914’s The Beasts of Tarzan, the Ape Man’s archenemy, Nikolas Rokoff, lies dead (and 3/4 eaten!) beneath the fangs of Tarzan’s panther ally, Sheeta. But Rokoff’s lieutenant, the equally dastardly Alexis Paulvitch, manages to flee into the African wilderness to escape. Needing to know more, this reader wasted little time diving into book #4, The Son of Tarzan. As it had been with the first two Tarzan sequels,
May 14th, 2015. Sandy Ferber´s rating: 3.5 | Edgar Rice Burroughs | SFF Reviews | 4 comments |
When the Heavens Fall by Marc Turner
I was once in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign where the Dungeon Master, a good friend of mine, had grown weary of my bard’s prowess and so decided to try his damnedest to kill him. And so my group eventually ended up inside a large spinning room with a multitude of doors, through which exited a succession of various angry creatures, singly or in large groups. It was fight, momentary rest, fight, momentary rest, fight, mome-, well, you get the idea. That night came back to me while reading Marc Turner’s When the Heavens Fall,
May 13th, 2015. Bill Capossere and John Hulet | Marc Turner | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett
Carpe Jugulum (1998) is book 23 in Terry Pratchett’s DISCWORLD series. Like most of his books, this one could stand alone, but it will be most appreciated by those who are familiar with the Discworld and, in this case, Pratchett’s loveable witches — Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, Magrat Garlick, and Agnes Nitt. I’d advise reading Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies,
May 13th, 2015. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3 | Terry Pratchett | Audio | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
The Chestnut King by N.D. Wilson
In this final installment in N.D. Wilson’s 100 CUPBOARDS fantasy trilogy for children, Henry is living in the world behind the cupboards with his “real” family, but he is still able to get to Kansas to play baseball with his friend Zeke. Henry has a lot on his mind. He’s been having scary visions that seem prophetic and he is worried about the scar that’s growing on his face. It was caused by a drop of the evil witch’s blood and Henry suspects that it will eventually drive him mad and/or give the witch control over him.
May 12th, 2015. Kat Hooper´s rating: 3 | N.D. Wilson | Audio, Children | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Starlady and Fast-Friend by George R.R. Martin
In July 2008 Subterranean published this book containing two novelettes by George R.R. Martin, both of which were originally published in 1976. They are presented in a similar fashion to the Ace Double novels of the 1950s and 1960s. Thus, Starlady and Fast-Friend has two covers and is printed back to back and upside down. I was born too late and on the wrong continent to have been exposed to any of these double novels myself, but I thought it an interesting idea anyway.
May 12th, 2015. Rob Weber´s rating: 4 | George R.R. Martin | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The most recent issue of Beneath Ceaseless Skies, No. 173, dated May 14, 2015, opens with “Out of the Rose Hills” by Marissa Lingen. It starts promisingly, with a merchant’s daughter and her companion coming through the title hills on an unexplained but apparently urgent mission. The first person she sees when she comes out of the hills and into the city asks her if she is the princess, as prophesied for generations. She denies it, but a voice comes from behind her (where there should have been nothing but rose-covered hills).
May 11th, 2015. Terry Weyna | E. Catherine Tobler | Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Aidan Harte’s debut novel Irenicon is a mostly impressive beginning to his WAVE trilogy; its richly detailed world, tense plot, and subtle mix of science and magic offset some issues of pace, structure, and character sufficiently enough that I plan on continuing right on with its sequel The Warring States, which just arrived last week.
Irenicon is set in a somewhat off-kilter Renaissance Italy, where centuries earlier Herod’s slaughter of children actually worked,
May 11th, 2015. Bill Capossere´s rating: 3 | Aidan Harte | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
Previous SFF Author: Jay Posey
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.