Book Reviews
Review: “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” by Jennifer Rardin
If you take a little Stephanie Plum and add a cup full of supernatural and a dash more sarcasm you might describe this book. Jaz is funny with her self-depreciating inner dialogue and is totally believable. Vayl is mysterious and sexy and yet unbends just the right amount as the story progresses.
Review: “Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel”
A steampunk-mystery-romance (it certainly spans multiple genres); Phoenix Rising is a light-hearted confection of a novel. The novel features the pairing of Eliza D Braun and Wellington Books* leading to the duo of Books and Braun.
Review: “Daemon” by Daniel Suarez
The story of how Suarez’s novel went from a self-published story to a major book contract and potential movie deal is one that will give hope to every aspiring writer out there. Suarez got his book into the hands of a target audience and created a buzz for himself that it was impossible for a conventional publisher to ignore. But the thing is–if “Daemon” weren’t a good book, no one would be talking about it. And “Daemon” is that good.
Review: “S.” by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst
The novel S. is less of a conventional story written using words than it is an experience using the book as an object that mystifies the reader into a multi-layered tale of intrigue, young romance, and mystery. S. is told through the imaginary novel, Ship of Theseus, written by a Kafkaesque V.M. Straka whose real identity is unknown.
Review: “River of Stars” by Guy Gavriel Kay
Guy Gavriel Kay is famous for his historical fantasy novels, one of the rare group of fantasy authors whose books regularly cross over to mainstream reading lists and awards. River Of Stars is his second book using Chinese history; this time the Song Dynasty as a jumping off point for another wonderful novel.
Guest Review: “The Traveler” by John Twelve Hawks
The first words that come to mind are speechless and breathtaking. I lose all sense of almost any vocabulary when trying to define the experience while reading The Traveler. The imagery and realism with which Hawks so cunningly captures in his words are profound and exhilarating.
Review: “No Dominion” by Charlie Huston
The book is marvelously written and very heavy on dialogue and vivid, yet dark, descriptions. Twists and turns abound, unfolding the story at a steady pace. It is also written as a first-person, present tense story, a style that I usually find jarring and unbelievable.
Review: “Lord of the Changing Winds” by Rachel Neumeier
What is refreshing about Lord of the Changing Winds is that it presents a refreshingly new adaptation of griffin lore. When neighboring kingdom Casmantium begins to threaten their desert with ice, the Griffins are forced to flee, taking their desert with them. Griffins are so intimately bound with the element of fire, it has become their own life essence, their spirit.
