Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo
L. A. Young
There are some genres that are so similar they tend to blur together. However, there are differences that should be noted. For example, horror can be defined as a story…
Tor Books
Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Many space operas revolve around space exploration and warfare within a galactic empire; and many individuals are drawn to them due to the spaceships and the space battles. Some of…
The Empire’s Ruin by Brian Staveley
Each reader experiences a narrative differently. That is to say, while the text is fixed, how the readers read the story varies amongst them. There are cases when such things…
The House of Always by Jenn Lyons
Spoiler Warning: This review contains spoilers for A Chorus of Dragons series. Read with caution if you have yet to finish the books. When a book series begins to approach…
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
JC Kang
Mulan meets Swordsman 2. As a mostly-audiobook consumer with little time to actually read, it had taken me two weeks to finish Nghi Vo’s short novella, Empress of Salt and…
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…
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 Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison
Richard Marpole
It was the name that first attracted me to this book. An angel associated with a pagan symbol of death and mysticism; the possibilities set my mind racing. Then, I…
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…
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…
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
Reviewer’s Note: Upon finishing this novella, which took six days the first time around, I immediately wrote an initial review where I rated it 6/10 stars. Then, I re-read it,…