Book Review: DEVICES AND DESIRES by K.J. Parker

“The quickest way to a man’s heart,” said the instructor, “is proverbially through his stomach. But if you want to get into his brain, I recommend the eye-socket.” So begins Devices and Desires, the first novel in K.J. Parker’s masterful Engineer Trilogy. (It also happens to be the opening lines of Evil for Evil, and […]

Book Review: EARTH STAR by Janet Edwards

Earth Star is Janet Edwards‘ second book about teenage wonder girl, Jarra, and had a lot going for it in the beginning. Jarra’s first-person narration has wonderful style, some world building elements are intriguing enough that I wanted to know more, and Jarra’s handicap–an immune system unable to function on any other planet besides Earth–creates […]

Book Review: THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES by Scott Lynch

The Republic of Thieves, Book Three of Scott Lynch’s Gentlemen Bastard sequence, is a worthy addition to the story of roguish conmen, Locke Lamora and Jean Tannen. This installment was a long time coming and well worth the wait. Lynch does not disappoint. He continues to find new and interesting ways in which to expand […]

Book Review: THE THOUSAND NAMES by Django Wexler

Flintlock Fantasy is one of those new terms genre fans are hearing a lot of these days. It’s one sub-genre this reader happens to like very much. Django Wexler’s debut, The Thousand Names: Book One of The Shadow Campaigns, is a fine addition to the growing number of Fantasy novels mixing magic and Napoleonic-era technology. […]

Short Story Review: “The Girl of Hrusch Avenue” by Brian McClellan

It is a sure bet that fans of Brian McClellan’s Epic Fantasy debut, Promise of Blood, are wanting to sate their thirst for more Powder Mage awesomeness. The Crimson Campaign, (Book Two in the Powder Mage Trilogy), doesn’t hit shelves until February, 2014, but a new short story, titled, “The Girl of Hrusch Avenue”, will give […]

Book Review: NO RETURN by Zachary Jernigan

 Zachary Jernigan’s debut novel, No Return, is a refreshing blend of literary science fiction and fantasy sure to engross readers of genre fiction. If you are looking for something challenging and original, look no further. No Return’s characters resist archetypes. The story refuses to fall into familiar tropes. Jernigan’s use of lyrical prose and imagery […]