Jason Derr’s novella, The Boston 395, started off as a very captivating read with sharp wit and vivid details that really piqued my interest. I’ll try to leave out all locomotive puns since the book is about a train, but by the end it had lost a lot of steam for me.
This was pitched as a humorous take on a science fiction story and while parts of it are very funny and have a nice bite to them, the story goes on way too long. I had a lot of trouble finishing the book and put it down several times.
A friend sent me a link to Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Blog, because she wrote a post comparing traditional and indie publishing. She was also mad at her publishers and editors.
In a world where speaking with “wise men” is more like dealing with tech support and romance can be deadly Thursday will have to contend with: the wicked cannibal queen, a zombie grizzly bear, wee werewolves, robot laser-shooting mermaids, a steampunk tortoise, and a Zen archer monkey.
Epic Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Romance. I have been waiting for a chance to read The Fallen Queen for quite some time now. I’ve had the privilege of catching some snippets of the book while playing on Twitter, and the concept intrigued me, so I jumped at the chance to get my hands on an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of the book.
Gundarland, a fantasy land presided over by magical Dwarves, Elves and Humans. They are in the first stages of their own industrial revolution, not very technologically advanced, therefore relying on their magic. The kingdom bathes in relative peace, disturbed only by the Defence Minister and the Secretary of Interior, who have turned the politics of the land into a turmoil of lies, spies and sabotage. They detest each other, the rest of the cabinet members being the only thing stopping them leaping for each others throats.
In life, we are often asked to believe in things that cannot be seen or explained. Our world is filled with unanswerable questions about creation, evolution, death, and the magic that binds us together. Doctors can explain how your heart beats and what part of the brain houses memories, but not why cancer spreads or Alzheimer’s steals away the ability to recognize your child’s face. When a book delves into how characters react when faced with mysteries such as these, you can be sure an adventure is in store. It is human nature to respond to tragedy differently, and Paul H. Deepan beautifully illustrates the tough choices a young hero must make when misfortune and magic collide.
A book’s cover is its calling card and this cover is gorgeous. A lot of times I’ll read a book and go back and look at the cover and realize how the cover didn’t quite capture the story, or how there are bits of the cover which don’t quite fit with the tale inside. But in this case, I couldn’t imagine a more perfect showcase for The Devil’s Garden.
Two millennia after three clans and their leaders go through Eon’s Door to find sanctuary in the world of Erla, a prophecy left to them by the ancients that created the portal is coming true. Shorran, sage to the clans, has stolen the portal’s key and is using the “awesome” power that separated the worlds to tear apart the very soul of Nature. The key must be taken back and Eon’s Door closed before it’s too late.
I won a copy of Emily Veinglory’s book in a give away through her well-known review site, POD People, last year and just got around to reading it. I’m not much for M/M fantasy but since several of my recent reads fell into the supernatural/fantasy genre, I came across Father of Dragons on the book shelf and decided to keep going and read it as well.
