Synopsis Murderbot meets Redshirts in a delightfully humorous tale of robotic murder from the Hugo-nominated author of Elder Race and Children of Time. To fix the world they must first break it, further. Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service. When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into its core programming, they […]
Book Review
REVIEW: Mushroom Blues (The Hofmann Report #1) by Adrian M. Gibson
SYNOPSIS ENTER THE FUNGALVERSE. BEAT THE WINTER BLUES. Blade Runner, True Detective and District 9 meld with the weird worlds of Jeff VanderMeer, Philip K. Dick and China Miéville in Adrian M. Gibson’s hallucinatory, fungalpunk noir debut. Two years after a devastating defeat in the decade-long Spore War, the island nation of Hōppon and its capital city of Neo Kinoko […]
REVIEW: Face the Night by Alan Lastufka
SYNOPSIS She has an eerie gift for drawing faces. Will one terrifying vision tear apart everything she loves? Ohio, 1987. Adriana Krause hasn’t slept in weeks. Desperate for work to keep her three-year-old son out of her powerful father’s controlling clutches, her vivid illustrations land her a job as a police sketch artist. But the […]
Book Review: The Thirteenth Hour (The Cruel Gods #1) by Trudie Skies
TL;DR Review: Magic-based steampunk with a colorful cast of characters, wicked gods, and a lovely slow-burn romance. Synopsis: WHEN THE SAINTS FAIL, THE SINNERS STEP UP.Cruel gods rule the steam-powered city of Chime, demanding worship and tribute from their mortal subjects. Kayl lost her faith in them long ago, and now seeks to protect vulnerable […]
Review: When Shadows Grow Tall by Maressa Voss
Come for the cosy, stay for the being burned alive Synopsis In the Grasp, a realm on the threshold of enlightenment, the dactyli guard the fading embers of their ancient brotherhood, dedicated to the pursuit of absolute truth. Lovelace and Gunnar are rangers, two of the orders’ last who find themselves on the precipice of […]
REVIEW: Cicada (Killer VHS Series #4) by Tanya Pell
SYNOPSIS Ash is stranded at a rural horror film festival about a giant killer cicada and can’t decide what’s worse, the movie or her idiot boyfriend, until she realizes she’s starring in the bloody sequel when people start dying and the locals won’t let them leave. REVIEW For the fourth time, the Killer VHS Series, […]
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
Synopsis Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz―a magically sentient spider plant―have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite. When a revolution begins and the library goes up […]
Review: The Ministry of Time (#1) by Kaliane Bradley
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK “This summer’s hottest debut.” —Cosmopolitan • “Witty, sexy escapist fiction [that] packs a substantial punch…It’s a smart, gripping work that’s also a feast for the senses…Fresh and thrilling.” —Los Angeles Times • “Electric…I loved every second.” —Emily Henry “Utterly winning…Imagine if The Time Traveler’s Wife […]
Book Review: Purgatory (Rogue Stars #1) by Jaime Castle
TL;DR Review: Prison Break meets space marines…with a hint of Avatar thrown in for good measure. Synopsis: A fight for survival at the edge of the galaxy. In the depths of space, far from the watchful eyes of Lenzaaban government, lies Prison Station 12, or as it’s fearfully known, Purgatory. It’s here that Commander Predaxes, […]
Jade War (The Green Bone Saga #2) by Fonda Lee
Synopsis In Jade War, the sequel to the World Fantasy Award-winning novel Jade City, the Kaul siblings battle rival clans for honor and control over an Asia-inspired fantasy metropolis. On the island of Kekon, the Kaul family is locked in a violent feud for control of the capital city and the supply of magical jade that endows […]
Review: The Hunter’s Gambit by Ciel Pierlot
The Hunter’s Gambit is cathartic as hell and an excellent read. There’s more blood and gore spilled than a lift in the Overlook Hotel.
Book Review: The Never Wars by David Pedreira
TL;DR Review: Rainbow Six-level action with a delightful Suicide Squad flavor. Military sci-fi with all the science you could ask for. Synopsis: From the author of Gunpowder Moon—a Library Journal Best Debut Novel—comes The Never Wars, a mind-bending mix of Interstellar and The Expanse in which a group of disgraced Special Forces are given one chance to redeem themselves. The question is whether […]