Posts tagged with fantasy
Smooth Criminals: Issues 1 & 2, by Kurt Lustgarten and Kirsten "Kiwi" Smith
I had hopes for Smooth Criminals, the second comic from the creators of Misfit City. Unfortunately, there is an art to pacing a comic series that creators Kurt Lustgarten and Kirsten "Kiwi" Smith still haven't mastered, and...
Weekly Book Giveaway: Smooth Criminals: Issues 1 & 2, by Kurt Lustgarten and Kirsten "Kiwi" Smith
Our current Book Giveaway is the first two issues of Smooth Criminals, the second comic by Misfit City creators Kurt Lustgarten and Kerstin "Kiwi" Smith. A full review will follow shortly, but here's a spoiler: they still have some kinks to work out. This giveaway will run through 3/09/19...
The Dark Days Deceit, by Alison Goodman
Maybe this is a sign that I'm thinking too much about baked goods right now, but Alison Goodman's The Dark Days Deceit reminded me very much of one of those professionally decorated sugar cookies—technically impressive, but not that much fun to consume...
Weekly Book Giveaway: The Dark Days Deceit, by Alison Goodman
This week's Book Giveaway is The Dark Days Deceit, the final book in Alison Goodman's ambitious Lady Helen trilogy. Thus far, this has been a series I've admired more than I've loved, but I never count Goodman out—I get distracted by her elaborate plotting and world-building, but her stories can deliver an unexpected emotional punch. A full review will follow shortly...
Archenemies, by Marissa Meyer
Archenemies, the second book in Marissa Meyer's Renegades series, picks up immediately after the events of the first. Heroine Nova Artino is still working as a double agent, torn between her loyalty to the villains who raised her and the morally-questionable “superheroes” who control her city...
Weekly Book Giveaway: Archenemies, by Marissa Meyer
This week's Book Giveaway is Archenemies, the sequel to Marissa Meyer's Renegades. We had some realllly big problems with Renegades, but the sequel, at least at first glance, seems to be looking up. A full review will follow shortly, and this giveaway will run through 11/23/18...
The Highest House: Issue #1, by Mike Carey
I recently asked the owner of my local comic book store if I should buy the new Books of Magic reboot. He hesitated, but then (very diplomatically, I thought) said that while he was pleased the Vertigo reboots were driving traffic into the store, he thought he could recommend some more interesting fantasy titles. I trust his taste, so...
Weekly Book Giveaway: The Highest House: Issue #1, by Mike Carey
It's been quite some time since we've featured a comic book, so this week's Book Giveaway is the first issue of Mike Carey's latest title, The Highest House. A full review will follow shortly, and this giveaway will run through 11/23/18...
An Easy Death, by Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris knows what works for her. All of her books feature working-class protagonists, vividly imagined worlds, and a bizarre notion of romantic chemistry. Her latest effort, An Easy Death, takes those familiar elements in unexpected directions, but her basic formula is still present...
Weekly Book Giveaway: An Easy Death, by Charlaine Harris
This week's Book Giveaway is Charlaine Harris's An Easy Death. I was really into her recent Midnight, Texas series, so I'm excited about this. A full review will follow shortly, and this giveaway will run through 10/26/18...
Priest of Bones, by Peter McLean
Peter McLean's new novel Priest of Bones centers around someone competently handling an unusual job (one of my favorite things to read about!), but features loads of sexual violence (one of my least favorite things to read about!). Your enjoyment of this book will hinge upon your interest in the former, and your tolerance for the latter...
Weekly Book Giveaway: Priest of Bones, by Peter McLean
This week's Book Giveaway is Peter McLean's Priest of Bones, the first installment in his War for the Rose Throne series. A full review will follow shortly, but please note: due to a bunch of overdue postings, this giveaway will run through 10/19/18...
Quite a run
It's the end of an era: NPR informs me that after 40 years of publication, the fantasy comic ElfQuest has come to an end. I had no idea ElfQuest was still running (it was considered pretty dated and hokey, even when I was a kid), but...
Year One, by Nora Roberts
If you've ever thought: Man, The Stand sounds interesting, but I'm just not into Stephen King's writing, congratulations, you're in luck! Year One is The Stand, as written by Nora Roberts...
Weekly Book Giveaway: Year One, by Nora Roberts
This week's Book Giveaway is Year One, the first book in Nora Roberts's Chronicles of The One series. It's dark, gloomy, violent, and full of the word "magick", so it's probably best that we're cruising toward October. A full review will follow shortly, and please note: due to a bunch of overdue postings, this giveaway will run through 10/12/18...
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Graphic Novel), by Ransom Riggs and Cassandra Jean
I rarely read graphic novel adaptations of popular books, because they never look like the stories do in my head. But I was recently given a copy of the graphic novel version of Ransom Riggs's Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and it had two things going for it...
Weekly Book Giveaway: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs and Cassandra Jean
This week's Book Giveaway is the graphic novel adaptation of Ransom Riggs's Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. (I realize the original version of the book was also pretty graphics-heavy, but apparently someone decided to go all the way.) Again, a full review will follow shortly, and please note: due to a bunch of overdue postings, this giveaway will run through October 12th...
In the works
Huh. I had no idea that Ursula K. Le Guin’s work was becoming such a hot commodity: according to io9, there are five Le Guin TV or movie adaptations in some stage of development. Sure, that's not quite Philip K. Dick/Stephen King levels of enthusiasm...
A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness
Nine times out of ten, a book is better than its movie or television adaptation. No matter how talented the filmmaker, the literary medium—which has no need to worry about production schedules or actors' salaries—is usually best. That isn't always true, however, and Deborah Harkness's novel A Discovery of Witches is a prime example...
Weekly Book Giveaway: A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness
We are currently giving away a copy of Deborah Harkness's novel A Discovery of Witches, which the author describes as a book about books. I'm going to post our full review shortly, but: no, it isn't. A.S. Byatt's Possession is a book about books, as are Jasper Fforde's Tuesday Next series and...
A Barrel of Laughs, a Vale of Tears, by Jules Feiffer
In a world bursting with children's stories that feel like they were designed by an algorithm to appeal to the widest possible audience, Jules Fieffer's A Barrel of Laughs, a Vale of Tears stands out. It's a genuinely weird book, and I'd bet cash money it never would have found a publisher had it been written by a less well-known author...
Grey Sister, by Mark Lawrence
Grey Sister, the second book in Mark Lawrence's Book of the Ancestor series, combines the magical schools and super-powered children of Harry Potter, the mystical sisterhood of Dune's Bene Gesserit, and more violence and looming ice than Game of Thrones. The various elements don't fuse together perfectly, but there are some A+ ideas in play...
Weekly Book Giveaway: Grey Sister, by Mark Lawrence
This week's Book Giveaway is Mark Lawrence's Grey Sister, the second installment in his Book of the Ancestor series. I was unexpectedly impressed by the first book in this series (so good, despite a lot of stomach-churn-y bits), so I'm looking forward to this sequel. A full review will follow shortly...
The Sky is Yours, by Chandler Klang Smith
I picked up Chandler Klang Smith's novel The Sky is Yours for two reasons: I liked the cover art, and several reviewers compared it to a Jane Austen novel. I still like the cover art, but the Austen comparison is a total bait-and-switch. Both novelists touch on similar issues—sex, marriage, social position—but they're about as similar as cherry cough syrup and an actual cherry...
Weekly Book Giveaway: The Sky is Yours, by Chandler Klang Smith
This week's Book Giveaway is Chandler Klang Smith's debut novel The Sky Is Yours, which I fully admit I picked due to its awesome cover art. Of course, I've been burned by seductive covers in the past, but hope springs eternal. A full review will follow shortly...
Burn Bright, by Patricia Briggs
Burn Bright is the fifth entry in Patricia Briggs' Alpha and Omega series, a spin-off from her popular Mercy Thompson books. The series centers around Charles and Anna, a mated werewolf pair. Anna is an Omega wolf, blessed (or cursed) with the ability to calm other werewolves. Charles, the son of the world's most famous werewolf, has spent countless years as his father's in-house assassin...
Weekly Book Giveaway: Burn Bright, by Patricia Briggs
This week's Book Giveaway is Patricia Briggs's latest Alpha and Omega novel, Burn Bright. I'm hoping this cover art isn't literal, because the idea of being tangled up in thorns is legit creepy. A full review will follow shortly...
Weekly Book Giveaway: Giles, Issues 1 & 2, by Erika Alexander and Joss Whedon
Continuing our (unplanned) month-long streak of graphic novel and comics reviews, this week's Book Giveaway is the first two issues of Giles: Girl Blue, a spin-off from the popular Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic. The title is written by Erika Alexander and Joss Whedon, and illustrated by Jon Lam. A full review will be posted shortly...
Weekly Book Giveaway: Rivers of London: Body Work, by Ben Aaronovitch
This week's Book Giveaway is Body Work, the first graphic novel spin-off from Ben Aaronovitch's highly entertaining (if occasionally problematic) Rivers of London series. Body Work is co-written by Aaronovitch and Andrew Cartmel, and illustrated by Lee Sullivan. A full review will be posted soon...
Tricks for Free, by Seanan McGuire
This is a unusual thing to say about the seventh book in an ongoing series, but Seanan McGuire's Tricks for Free surprised me. This story is much different in tone and content from McGuire's previous installments, but plenty entertaining in its own right...