Graphic Novel Review: RED SONJA VOL. 1 QUEEN OF THE PLAGUES by Gail Simone and Walter Geovani

Chainmail bikinis are a faux pas. Except they’re not when they’re worn by a barbarian woman wielding a bastard sword, then they become appropriate for all kinds of reasons. Such as, she looks badass. Or… actually I can’t think of a good reason for a woman or a man to wear so little armor, it […]

Book Review: THE CRIMSON CAMPAIGN by Brian McClellan

I originally read Promise of Blood, book one of The Powder Mage trilogy by Brian McClellan, because other fantasy authors I enjoyed recommended it. Despite some misgivings, I liked it enough to anticipate the release of book two, The Crimson Campaign. I’m more than glad I stuck with the series. Most people struggle with a […]

Book Review: HONOR AMONG THIEVES: STAR WARS (EMPIRE AND REBELLION) by James S.A. Corey

Star Wars was showing its cracks long before George Lucas sold the franchise and all its intellectual property to Disney. Many who have read the expanded universe will recognize the failings as the stories shifted from focused adventures to galaxy-threatening apocalypses with every book. The early books by Timothy Zahn or Michael A. Stackpole had […]

Book Review: VEIL OF THE DESERTERS by Jeff Salyards

Veil of the Deserters has made Jeff Salyards’ Bloodsounder’s Arc one of the best Fantasy series out there. As the story has progressed, I’ve become more impressed with his gifts and convinced that anyone who enjoys Fantasy needs to treat themselves with Jeff’s books. The story is about an archivist who has nothing and no […]

Review: Lightspeed Magazine 48, ed. John Joseph Adams

Though this is the first issue of Lightspeed I’ve read, there’s no question in my mind that it’s easily the equal, in terms of content, of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction although, to be fair, not all of the stories here are originals. I’ve listened to the podcast, too, but it’s a treat to read […]

Book Review: BLACKDOG by K.V. Johansen

Silk Road fantasy is something special. It’s moving beyond the English-speaking world’s preoccupation with Anglo-Saxon mythological derivatives to show a broader spectrum of what is possible on this planet or one like it. That is why Blackdog by K.V. Johansen is such a treat, as it is a world steeped in lore ever as deep […]

Review + Giveaway: The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year Volume 8, ed. Jonathan Strahan

When it comes to anthologies, it’s almost unheard of that I enjoy every story. So it was an enormous pleasure and surprise to find that this was the case with The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume 8. And if my review seems like a rave, number 1 with a bullet, chart […]

Book Review: SALT: A POST APOCALYPTIC THRILLER by Colin F. Barnes

Colin F. Barnes begins a new series with SALT: A POST-APOCALYPTIC THRILLER, and I have to say, he really scratches my itch for apocalyptic settings. The title is apt: while the world has ended, this is a thriller down to its bones, and the book’s best and worst aspects are a direct result of this. ***Giveaway […]

Book Review: CALIBAN’S WAR by James S.A. Corey

Caliban’s War, the second book in James S.A. Corey’s The Expanse series is at times the best Space Opera I’ve read, and in others hard to keep reading. It took me ten months to finish. Part of that could be that the ending was partially spoiled, another because it is a big book to lug […]

Book Review: THOSE POOR, POOR BASTARDS (Dead West #1) by Marquitz, Martin and Soward

I love when I find a publisher who consistently delivers a professional, entertaining story. It makes picking up unfamiliar authors and genres so much easier. With all the books I’m trying to read, I tire starting ones that end up putting down, so thank you to Ragnarok Publications for making my life easier and giving […]