Blood of the Mantis by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Things begin to slow down some in Blood of the Mantis (2009). The third book in the SHADOWS OF THE APT series is the smallest, and yet took the longest for me to read. Adrian Tchaikovsky maintains the same level of writing established in the first two, but seems to be struggling a bit with middle-book syndrome. The events in book 3 are too important to completely leave out of the story, it’s too long to be split between other books,
January 12th, 2016. Justin Blazier and Kevin Wei´s rating: 3.5 | Adrian Tchaikovsky | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Dragonfly Falling by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Between introducing the uniquely imaginative concept of ‘Insect-kinden’ and showcasing a well-rounded display of characterization, world-building, story, pacing and prose, Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Empire in Black and Gold was not only an impressive debut, it was also a memorable start to an exciting new fantasy series. A direct continuation of Empire in Black and Gold, Dragonfly Falling is basically more of the same, just on a larger and more entertaining scale.
January 6th, 2016. Robert Thompson, Justin Blazier, Terry Weyna and Kevin Wei | Adrian Tchaikovsky | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Kitty Goes to Washington by Carrie Vaughn
Kitty Goes to Washington, by Carrie Vaughn, is the second book in the long-running Kitty Norville series. I enjoyed the first book, Kitty and the Midnight Hour, enough that I read the second at the first opportunity. Kitty Goes to Washington picks up immediately after the events of book 1, when Kitty gets a subpoena to appear before a congressional committee that is investigating a government program for paranormal research.
December 30th, 2015. Justin Blazier´s rating: 3.5 | Carrie Vaughn | Audio | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky
If all I had to go by was the cover art (Tor 2008 edition), the title of the book and the synopsis, I probably wouldn’t give Adrian Tchaikovsky’s debut a second glimpse. After all, the artwork fails to capture the eye, the book title is bland, and the summary makes the novel sound formulaic. I mean how many times have authors written about a powerful ‘Empire’ bent on conquering the world and the unlikely heroes determined to stop them? For that matter,
December 29th, 2015. Robert Thompson, Justin Blazier, Terry Weyna and Kevin Wei´s rating: 4 | Adrian Tchaikovsky | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn
Kitty Norville is a radio DJ that hosts a late night talk show about various paranormal topics. She often gets strange calls from the very subjects she talks about. She usually ends up giving out advice to these callers since they have very few options for advice available to them. As a werewolf herself, Kitty is in a unique position to dispense helpful information to those that need it. Her show became popular and that did not sit too well with some key players in her life.
July 7th, 2015. Justin Blazier´s rating: 4 | Carrie Vaughn | Audio | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Schemers by Robin D. Laws (editor)
Schemers is a collection of short stories by an excellent list of authors: Jesse Bullington, Tobias Buckell, Ekaterina Sedia, Jonathan L. Howard, Nick Mamatas, Elizabeth A. Vaughan, Tania Hershman, Kyla Lee Ward, Robyn Seale, Laura Lush, Molly Tanzer, John Helfers, Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan, and Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer. These are stories of complex plans and gut wrenching betrayals. It is a great theme for a collection of short stories.
September 26th, 2014. Justin Blazier´s rating: 4 | Ekaterina Sedia, Elizabeth Vaughan, Jesse Bullington, Jonathan L. Howard, Nick Mamatas, Tobias Buckell | Short Fiction | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
The Keeper’s and Investigator’s Guides for Achtung! Cthulhu by Modiphius Games
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a character in your favorite story? I think everyone has wondered this at some point. Using the imagination to transport you to a place that doesn’t exist in the real world is one of the fundamental reasons we read speculative fiction. It’s a chance to escape reality for awhile. You can take your imagination a step further by actually playing the role. I’m talking about Role Playing Games — games in which you become the character you’re reading about and partake in pseudo-imaginary adventures with your peers.
April 12th, 2014. Justin Blazier´s rating: 4.5 | H.P. Lovecraft | Games | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Gen Con, which I attend nearly every year, is the largest RPG/Gaming convention in the world. For the last few years I have gone primarily as the eyes and ears of FantasyLiterature.com. The fantasy genre and game playing have been hand in hand since the 70’s, and maybe even further back if you count the various forms of story-based play acting and parlor games that have been played over the centuries. Gen Con is the culmination of all things Fantasy and game related. There are bigger conventions out there, such as Dragon Con and Comic-Con,
October 4th, 2013. Justin Blazier | Margaret Weis, Patrick Rothfuss, Tracy Hickman | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Extinction Point by Paul Antony Jones
Emily Baxter is a news reporter for a large paper in New York City. Emily loves being in the city, surrounded by people, and finds the hustle and bustle to be comforting. Then, one morning she is sitting in a cafe writing her next article when the red rain begins. Within a few hours, everything Emily loves about the city is gone. Everyone is dead, and not only is she now totally alone, but the Earth is changing. The plague brought on by the red rain is all-consuming.
July 29th, 2013. Justin Blazier´s rating: 3.5 | Paul Antony Jones | Audio | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
The Folly of the World by Jesse Bullington
In a flooded 15th century Holland there are very few opportunities available. Jan may have an amazing opportunity at a life full of riches, but it’s hidden somewhere at the bottom of a flooded town. To reach his greedy goal in the dark moldy depths, Jan enlists the help of a wild young girl with a knack for swimming. Add Jan’s slightly psychotic but ever-faithful partner Sander to the mix and you have yourself a watery adventure with a cast to remember.
December 19th, 2012. Justin Blazier´s rating: 5 | Jesse Bullington | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Just saw you like Jack Vance. Me too. Surely he offends you somewhere though?
Words fail. I can't imagine what else might offend you. Great series, bizarre and ridiculous review. Especially the 'Nazi sympathizer'…
"Nor Iron Bars a Cage by Kage Harper" Freudian slip there. ;)
[…] (Fantasy Literature): In 1957, Hammer Studios in England came out with the first of their full-color horror creations, […]
I'm going to have to find these and read them.