The Light of the Midnight Stars by Rena Rossner
L. A. Young
When an author writes their second book, fans of the first wonder whether or not the next will be similar to its predecessor. In most cases, the themes and the…
L. A. Young
Tower of Mud and Straw by Yaroslav Barsukov
When a book is said to be “buzzworthy,” there is a combination of curiosity and skepticism that comes with it. Readers and critics ask themselves, “should I read this book?”…
First, Become Ashes by K.M. Szpara
Trigger Warning for First, Become Ashes: This books (not this review) contains explicit sadomasochism and sexual content, as well as abuse and consent violations, including rape. An individual carries their…
His Dark Materials: Season Two – TV Series Review
Over the years, fans of media adaptations of books had to learn to live with the possibility the sequels and/or the follow ups to TV shows and/or movies would never…
The Memory of Souls by Jenn Lyons
Epic stories—especially epic fantasy (the term “saga” is used for science fiction)—are known for their long narration. Epic fantasy stories consist of a slew of characters, layered and complex plots…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…