A perennial favorite meme in my household—now used as a shorthand in many gift-giving situations—is “I never understood the owls.” Reading The Parliament by Aimee Pokwatka is another perfect application of the meme, since who could ever really understand the sudden appearance of thousands of murderous owls? Yep, owls. The ancient symbols of wisdom that …
One of my favorite things going on right now is sequel books that are better than the first one. I don’t think it’s fair to call it a trend per say, maybe I’m just lucky in my choices or maybe there is some other reason. But whatever the cause for it, 2023 was a year …
It feels cliché to say, even though it rings true, but Tress of the Emerald Sea feels like it’s the Brandon Sanderson remix of William Goldman’s The Princess Bride. Not only will I not be the first to say it, but the author outright says it in the Postscript in a lovely story about how …
It feels often, in fantasy, magic is a blessing. It’s not the magic that makes the arch-typical, the top of the mountain, evil but in how they decide to use it. Not as we know it, Gods of the Wyrdwood by R.J. Barker. In the north of Crua, the land is locked in eternal winter, …
Oh, Murderbot. Truly you are the avatar of our age, unwilling though you may be to serve as a representative of anything human. Less an antihero than an anti-everything-up-to-and-including-heroes, Murderbot is once again in fine form for this seventh installation of its* anti-corporate adventures. Only this time, in Martha Wells’ System Collapse, the corporate system …
Freya Marske’s A Power Unbound is impressive. This is Marske’s third queer historical fantasy romance set in a secret magical society in early 1900s England. Each book has had its own flavor of romance and sex scenes—this time that plot delivers kinky gay erotica. As in her previous entries in the trilogy, Marske delivers a …
System Collapse, the seventh entry into the Murderbot Diaries series that started with All Systems Red, is almost upon us, which means it’s actually a perfect time to get into the series if you haven’t already. Why? Well, for starters: 1. You just want to binge content: If anyone’s going to support you doing nothing …
Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo is, as is usual for any entry in the Singing Hills Cycle, a lot of stories in one story. Usually the interwoven tales are the result of Cleric Chih’s journeys as they collect tales for their abbey, but for this fourth installment, Chih has finally returned home to …
The Blighted Stars by Megan O’Keefe is a mix of the horror of human expansion, the fear of limited resources, and humanity’s resolve. Her characters are engaging with conflicting motivations in a situation where they must work together. The first book in The Devoured Worlds series is full of action and small character moments that …
It’s the kind of book I’ll recommend to everyone to read simply so there are more people to talk to about it.