Witchmark (The Kingston Cycle #1) by C.L. Polk Fantasy 318 pages While social class distinctions are commonly used in the fantasy genres-- daring princesses, spoiled princes, naive farmboys, plucky orphans-- the strict delineations of those classes are often glossed over. In a novel, the plucky orphan can fall in love with the daring princess and … Continue reading Book Review: Witchmark
Book Reviews
Book Review: The Tiger’s Daughter
The Tiger's Daughter (Their Bright Ascendancy #1) by K Arsenault Rivera Fantasy 526 pages Published October 2017, by Tor Books The trope of the teenaged girl who is the best at everything she does is often-- and usually justly-- derided in science fiction and fantasy. While these stories often act as wish fulfillment for both … Continue reading Book Review: The Tiger’s Daughter
Book Review: Labyrinth of Ice
Labyrinth of Ice: The Triumphant and Tragic Greely Polar Expedition by Buddy Levy History 400 pages Expected publication: December 3, 2019, from St. Martin's Press Though we know now what the North Pole is like and have maps that show the shifting-- and melting-- polar ice caps in high resolution, we didn't always know … Continue reading Book Review: Labyrinth of Ice
Book Review: Ninth House
Ninth House (Alex Stern #1) by Leigh Bardugo Fantasy 458 pages Published October 8, 2019, by Flatiron Books Secret societies have fascinated human imagination since we came up with the idea of them ages ago. Whether they are ancient Roman mystery cults or the mythical Illuminati of modern times, such groups attract stories like … Continue reading Book Review: Ninth House
Book Review: The Haunting of Tram Car 015
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark Historical Fantasy 144 pages Published February 2019, by Tor.com Fantasy has long had a history of being influenced by western Europe with its settings, plots, royalty, gender roles, and a host of other story elements. Historical fantasy is not different. It does not take long … Continue reading Book Review: The Haunting of Tram Car 015
Book Review: Snow
Snow: A Scientific and Cultural Exploration by Giles Whittell Science 256 pages Expected publication date November 19, 2019, by Atria Books Though much of the world's population lives in areas that do not receive much, if any, natural snow, the human race has an obsession with the white stuff. We like to slide down … Continue reading Book Review: Snow
Book Review: The Twenty-Ninth Day
The Twenty-Ninth Day: Surviving a Grizzly Attack in the Canadian Tundra By Alex Messenger Memoir 272 pages Expected publication date: November 12, 2019, by Blackstone Publishing At seventeen, Alex Messenger was already an accomplished wilderness traveler. He had hiked and canoed through forests and mountains across the northern United States and into Canada, and so … Continue reading Book Review: The Twenty-Ninth Day
Book Review: Lethal Pursuit
Lethal Pursuit (Barker and Llewellyn #11) by Will Thomas Mystery 320 pages Expected publication November 12, 2019, by Minotaur Books Changes are afoot in the lives of Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewellyn. Barker is still healing from the injuries he received in the previous book and can't pound the pavement like he once did, while … Continue reading Book Review: Lethal Pursuit
Book Review: The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols
The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols: Adapted from the Journals of John H. Watson, M.D. by Nicholas Meyer Mystery 256 pages Expected publication date October 15, 2019, by Minotaur Books A good pastiche is one that captures the spirit of the material it is based upon and then adds to it, as writers like Jo … Continue reading Book Review: The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols
Book Review: A Hero Born
A Hero Born (Legends of the Condor Heroes #1) by Jin Yong, translated from the Chinese by Anna Holmwood Fantasy 416 pages Expected Publication: September 17, 2019, from St. Martin's Press Though it has no specific counterpart in Western writing, the wuxia novel has been part of Chinese literature for centuries. 'Wuxia' literally means … Continue reading Book Review: A Hero Born
