Best Reads of 2018 (“Let’s Time Travel Back 6 Months, Shall We?” Edition) – Awards Feat. Art, Balloons, and Some Very Special Guests

[Note: This is a LONG intro, so feel free to scroll down to the actual list portion! But if you've snuck a peek and are wondering why there are photos of janky art underneath the gorgeous book covers, then read on] Yup, I see you squinting at the title! And I'm here to tell you …

Fantasy Books & Games for Mental Health Awareness Month (Why I Need More Mental Health Rep in Adult Fantasy)

  May is Wyrd & Wonder and mental health awareness month, so it only makes sense to celebrate the 31st by smooshing them together into one post. I meant to write this on Wednesday for Top 5 Wednesday, but I've been zonked out on allergy meds all week (one day the pharmaceuticals will develop a …

Review: Nevernight – Nevermore Will I Give into Hype

Title: Nevernight (Nevernight Chronicle 1) Author: Jay Kristoff Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books Release Date: August 6th, 2016 Genre(s): Fantasy Subjects and Themes: Fantasy School, Assassins, Revenge Page Count: 448 (hardback) Rating: 6.0/10 In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who …

Double Reviews: The Guildmaster and All the World Between Us – Water-themed Romances

One book has pirates. The other has swimming. Both involve water. (And I'm a sucker for themes) Let's get to it.   The Guildmaster (Vanguards of Viridor 3) by T.S. Cleveland Having helped foil the attempt to kill Viridor’s queen, Merric’s return to the Guardians’ Guild should have been celebrated. Instead, his support of elementals …

Top 5 Wednedsay – BFFs in Fantasy (plus musings about intimacy, societal expectations, and friendships in western vs eastern media)

The prompt for this week is actually BFFs in SFF, but since this is Wyrd and Wonder month, I figured I'd just stick to fantasy. Also, a special shout-out to Locke Lamora and Jean Tannen who totally would have made the list, but things were turning into a bit of a sausage fest so I …

Top 5 WedTuesday – Disappointing Books of 2018 That I Still Appreciate

"Kathy. I think it's time for an intervention." "Uh, I have no idea what you're talking about. As usual." "'Top 5 WedTuesday'? Published one day before the next Top 5 Wednesday?" "Oh, get off my back. You make it sound like I do this every other week. This is literally the first--" "And speaking of …

Review: The Gutter Prayer – A Dark, Imaginative Debut

Title: The Gutter Prayer (The Black Iron Legacy 1) Author: Gareth Hanrahan Publisher: Orbit Release Date: January 17th, 2018 Genre(s): Epic Fantasy, Steampunk Subjects and Themes: Deities Page Count: 544 Rating: 8.0/10     The city of Guerdon stands eternal. A refuge from the war that rages beyond its borders. But in the ancient tunnels …

Review: The Monster Baru Cormorant – A Chess Game, A Lesson in Economics, And a Masterclass in Character Work

Title: The Monster Baru Cormorant (The Masquerade 2) Author: Seth Dickinson Publisher: Tor Books Release Date: October 30th, 2018 Genre(s): Epic Fantasy Subjects and Themes: Politics, Economy, LGBTQIAP+ Page Count: 464 (hardback) Rating: 9.0/10 As the long-awaited sequel to Traitor Baru Cormorant, Monster was one of my two most anticipated releases of 2018 and I …

September 2018 Wrap-Up & October TBR Update

Yes, we're now in the latter half of October. Yes, these are getting later and later. I'm starting to suspect that a part of me likes posting these late. The contrary part, that is. The responsible part has packed its bags, donned a Hawaiian shirt, and put up a sign saying "Gone on (Indefinite) Vacation." …

Review: The Phoenix Empress (Their Bright Ascendancy 2) – Toppling into the Ashes

Title: The Phoenix Empress (Their Bright Ascendancy 2) Author: K. Arsenault Rivera Publisher: Tor Books Release Date: October 9th, 2018 Genre(s): Epic Fantasy, Romance Subjects and Themes: LGBTQIAP+ Page Count: 544 (paperback) Rating: 3.5/10       The Phoenix Empress picks up where The Tiger's Daughter left off, with Shizuka and Shefali reunited after eight …