Browsing all articles by L. A. Young.
The Name of All Things by Jenn Lyons
Many fantasy stories tend to focus on a set of characters within one central setting. Then, there are the stories that take place across generations and various locations. The former follows a story that can end within one book, and the latter can result with either a saga, or a series. Jenn Lyons does the […]
The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons
Stories are told as entertainment, and we all become familiar with certain tropes: the lost heir, the fulfillment of the prophecy, the quest for a mythical sword, etc. Nowadays, some of these stories twist readers’ expectations of these tropes to the point where one cannot predict what will happen next. Then, there are the stories […]
The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
Dragons are one of the most familiar—and overused—tropes in fantasy. These mystical beings intrigue and fascinate all who have heard of them. However, since oral tradition, dragons were either an Eastern or a Western entity. This is strange because if most dragon species can fly, then why could they be found in just two regions […]
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
Inspiration and influence comes from anything from an ephemeral moment to a persistent belief; from one line in a song to a passage in a story to a scene from a movie. The Birth of a Nation remains as one of the most infamous films ever made. Praised for its cinematography and belittled for its […]
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
When an author has an impressive debut year—as in being nominated for and winning several literary awards: the Hugo, the Nebula, etc.—the question is can the author go further and beyond with their stories and their writings after a strong debut? The answer is, yes! And several authors have managed to do this with their […]
The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell
2020 continues to present books by debut authors, which continues the expansion of speculative fiction canon. Several works by new authors remind readers the genre is influenced by more than just fantasy and science fiction. Nick Martell’s debut—The Kingdom of Liars, the first book in The Legacy of the Mercenary Kings—is part epic fantasy and […]
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
Speculative fiction is a term used when the common themes found in fantasy, science fiction and horror overlap while incorporating at least one of the many subgenres into the narrative. Add themes of race, sex, religion, family, and revenge, and you have a story that reflects any era in human history. The Year of the […]
Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi
The 21st Century has seen a slew of diverse authors writing and releasing stories that have expanded the speculative fiction canon. Not only have these authors written stories for readers like them, but also presented a deeper look into issues—both past and present—that affect their represented groups. Themes of oppression, slavery, colonialism, poverty, and genocide […]
Recommendations for SFF Authors of Various Identities
Today’s society claims to be “woke” when it comes to the need for diversity, except we all know that isn’t true. The prejudice and bigotry presented on the news and in other media continues to reflect similar issues seen within the publishing industry. While movies and television have made visual strides to present more diverse […]
The Nine Realms by Sarah Kozloff – Series Review
Robert Jordan, Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Brent Weeks, Samantha Shannon, Haruki Murakami and Robin Hobb. These names go with epic fantasy, or any fantasy story that has multiple characters, amazing worldbuilding, complicated yet believable plots, and over 600 pages of content. Many people, including other readers, are amazed at how their fans […]
Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor
What if space travel, other planets and prestigious interstellar universities in neighboring galaxies existed within our lifetime? If everything related to space travel and outer space was an everyday practice, then how would all beings coexist with each other? How would humans live on Earth with these opportunities? Would they take advantage of it, or […]
The Shadow Saint by Gareth Hanrahan
The hype surrounding a debut novel can be anxious for positive and negative reasons. This is because the author is waiting to find out what readers and critics thought of the book. The success of the book can put the author on a spectrum ranging from bad to cult fandom to excellent to classic. Yet, […]
