Quite possibly, A Darker Shade of Magic is one of the most surprisingly entertaining fantasy novels I’ve read in a while. Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind may be more beautiful, Vyleta’s Smoke more mysterious, and Butcher’s The Aeronaut’s Windlass more adventuresome, but Schwab took me completely by surprise with an even mixture of all […]
Book Review | Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson
2015-12-17 · by ·
I loved Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell. Dark, gritty, and grim, the tone of the story is not my typical fare. And, to be honest, I feel a little guilty admitting how much I enjoyed it–after all, Brandon Sanderson is one of the biggest names in fantasy, and expressing admiration for his […]
Brief Book Review | The Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
2015-08-30 · by ·
Do I need to put a summary? Who hasn’t read it? This certainly isn’t the first occasion I’ve had to read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, but this time I enjoyed it through the eyes of my daughters (7 and 4). It’s almost, but not quite, too old for them, and I’m sure that […]
2015 Hugo Nominee: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
2015-07-22 · by ·
When the Emperor and all of his sons die in a tragic accident, Maia becomes the unexpected heir to the throne Katherine Addison’s The Goblin Emperor. The son of a political marriage, Maia is half goblin, half elf, but more his mother’s son than fathers, and so is more goblin than elf. After years living […]
Book Review: Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #3, Witches #1)
2015-06-11 · by ·
What more can be possibly said about the late and great Terry Pratchett? I’ve yet to open a book bearing his name that I do not like, that does not amuse and delight, and does not leave me thoughtful and wiser. Well, wiser at least in my own estimation. I’m sure Pratchett would have something […]
Review | The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
2015-03-10 · by ·
Set in the late 1800s, The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker is about two characters: Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, born in the ancient Syrian Desert. Chava and Ahmad end up in New York City and try to fit in with their […]
Author Profile: Marissa Meyer, Writer of the Lunar Chronicles
2015-01-29 · by ·
Last night I had the opportunity to hear Marissa Meyer discuss her science fiction/fantasy series, The Lunar Chronicles at The King’s English book store in Salt Lake City, Utah. My time was well spent as Meyer is very charming and funny. Meyer warned that after reading Fairest: Levana’s Story, Meyer’s latest in The Lunar Chronicles series, readers may start to have […]
Why I Read The Hobbit and Philosophy: For When You’ve Lost Your Dwarves, Your Wizard, and Your Way, Edited by Gregory Bassham and William Irwin
2014-12-28 · by ·
I admit that I didn’t quite know what I was picking up when I opened The Hobbit and Philosophy: For When You’ve Lost Your Dwarves, Your Wizard, and Your Way. At the time, I was three quarters of the way through The Hobbit for the umpteenth time, but because I was reading it to my […]
At The Virgin’s Doorstep by David Farland: Just UGH
2014-09-30 · by ·
Ugh. Just Ugh. At The Virgin’s Doorstep by David Farland is just really bad. It starts out as something of a coming of age story, and then, before you know it, you don’t even want to come of age in this world. Who wants to live in a world that kills unicorns? By decapitation? Including baby […]
Meet Dave Butler, Steam Punk/Science Fiction/Fantasy Author Extraordinaire
2014-08-24 · by ·
Dave Butler, the author of steam punk novel City of the Saints, is one of the most interesting authors I’ve had the opportunity to meet in the recent past. And, probably, the less than recent past, as well. I first ran into Dave Butler when he sat on a panel about J.R.R. Tolkien at Salt Lake […]
