spoiler-free book reviews every other saturday
I was actually anticipating this book since the beginning of 2019. Once I heard about it I knew it was for me: Mayan and Mexican mythology and history, the jazz age, gods and creatures, adventure. When it first came out I heard a few mixed reviews, but I eventually had to read to it anyway.…
It is Black History Month, but how long ’til Black Future Month? N. K. Jemisin’s The Broken Earth trilogy is one of my favorite fantasy series of all time. I’ve been slowly making my way through her other books and series, and I’ve honestly liked or loved everything, so I decided to pick up her…
A thousand years in the future, humanity has emerged from hiding beneath the Earth to avoid destruction and is slowly rebuilding. Advanced technology and strong laws have given the residents of Cutta a relatively safe and happy life, and although not everyone is satisfied with this life, dissenters are severely punished. Nate Anteros, despite his…
This is the sequel to Kuang’s The Poppy War that many readers (myself included) fell in love with. Released in August of 2019 (in the U.S.), The Dragon Republic follows Rin after she survives the Poppy War and is on the run. The warlords’ loyalty has splintered, and a civil war may be brewing. Rin…
Everyone knows that you are born with a hundred crystals, and as you age, become injured or get sick, your crystal count depletes. Well, everyone in the small town believes this, but in the city things are… different. There is a general distrust between the “backwards” town and the modern city, but each day the…
In the fall I like to read Gothic tales and historical fiction– things that are a little gloomy and brooding. The Gloaming by Kirsty Logan fits this mood as well. If you recall my review of The Gracekeepers by the same author, The Gloaming is supposed to be a “spiritual prequel,” though it has little…
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. I am tired of white-bread, European/Medieval fantasy. So, any time a fantasy novel comes out that is a little different, I have to try it. And fantasy novel based on Chinese history and mythology? Yes, please! The Poppy War, as the author puts it in…
