When I was younger, I had to develop a system with my family in order to take a bath. I had to let them know when I was going in, and I had to respond to knocks on the door by shouting “still alive!” at various intervals because I stayed in until my finger prunes …
Jenn Lyon’s debut The Ruin of Kings is one of the best books of 2019, and now, not even a year later, we’re getting the second installment, which is another contender for the “best of” list in its own right. We had the good fortune of grabbing some of Lyons’ time to discuss her spectacular …
It’s not easy handling multiple identities at once and it’s even less simple to put it on the page, but Candice Montgomery does it with style and grace in her sophomore novel, By Any Means Necessary. Torrey McKenzie is a first generation college freshman at San Francisco State University. After learning the apiary (bee farm) …
B. Mure’s third volume in the world of Ismyre is out, and we were able to grab a little time with him to discuss his art, writing, and new book The Tower in the Sea. How did you develop the world of Ismyre? I had this idea about a fantasy city that was beautiful but …
If you’re itching for more heist or gangster YA à la Ace of Shades or Six of Crows, then Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo is here to provide you with all the scams and schemes you’ve been missing. Tavia is a street performer and confidence woman in Creije, a city that traffics in …
Everyone knows good things come in threes, and the most recent example is the comics by B. Mure in the Ismyre series. The third installment is immanent, and there’s no better time than now to start reading this sincere, lovely, and meaningful trio of comics. The wobbly, sketchy style combined with a bit of a …
In a slightly surprising turn of events, Game of Thrones took Outstanding Drama but didn’t sweep all the Emmy categories as predicted. I’m glad the lackluster final season didn’t get rewarded for being famous, but I am sad for the actors who did the best with what they were given–and for the show itself, which …
Rat. Crow. Dog. Metal. Long ago, the four nations lived in harmo—wait. Something’s off. Oh, right, this is the book Steel Crow Saga by Paul Krueger. And though it rises from a slew of homages, epic fantasy has its own unique charms and presence to warrant committing to its heft and promised future volumes. There …
The Monster of Elendhaven reminds me of a lot of things, but nothing so much as a cup of tea, unmitigated by milk or sweetness, perfectly bitter, so strong that it makes you rush and jitter to drink it to the dregs in one go. And at the bottom, vague portents spelled out in the …
It’s been a while since we heard from M. H. Boroson, but his debut The Girl with the Ghost Eyes made such a strong impression that I had no issues jumping back into what is now a planned trilogy. His alternate universe San Francisco is a magical place, and I was beyond excited to resume …