(I received a free digital ARC in exchange for honest feedback.) So, I read Julie Leong’s cozy fantasy The Teller of Small Fortunes early this year and wanted to do a book review for it, but never managed to find the words for it. This second book, set in the same world, and seemingly shortly…
Category: Book Reviews
Book Review: Sunward by William Alexander
(I received a free ARC in exchange for honest feedback) Cozy fantasy has been all the rage since 2020. Cozy sci-fi seems to have had a harder time getting off the ground (punintended), despite the ultra trendy solar-punk aesthetic being ready made for that exact purpose. (Why aesthetic and not genre? Check out my two…
Book Review: The Ellyrian Code by B.F. Peterson
Before I begin, I need to give a few disclaimers. I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for honest feedback, and I went into the book with a negative perception because the book was labelled as being perfect for readers who loved Fourth Wing. I did not like Fourth Wing, to the extent that…
Book Review: The Last Vigilant by Mark A. Latham
For someone with a master’s degree in fantasy, a blog themed around fantasy, and a major writing project focused on fantasy, I really haven’t talked about fantasy at all here, have I? Well, we can change that here. I received a free ARC in exchange for honest feedback, and I’m excited about this one. It’s…
Book Review: Vanguard Strike by Jarom Strong
In this military space opera thriller, we follow a genetically and cybernetically enhanced super soldier after he was discharged, imprisoned, and then rescued to join a crew to pull off one last big job. Lackan VanDunn, nicknamed Lax, was sold by his parents to the Paragon government and their Divinity corporate backers, as a child…
Kitemaster by Jim C. Hines
(I received a free copy in exchange for honest feedback to the publisher) Kitemaster is, pardon the pun, a breath of fresh air in plot, worldbuilding, and style. It starts out with our protagonist-narrator, Niall, trying to finish the spirit kite for her deceased husband after the traditional year of mourning. That alone creates a…
Goodbye Dolly by E.J. Lake: A Dieselpunk Love Letter to Aviation
I have a fondness for aviation and naval stories, especially in dieselpunk. So when I saw a cover of a World War II B-17 shredding a German ME-262 while approached by two World War I biplanes, I was intrigued. In many ways, I’d call this an aviation-focused version of The Final Countdown. A B-17 crew…
Book Review: The Price of Redemption by Shawn Carpenter
If you liked Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series but wanted more magic, this is the book for you. That pretty much sums up the entire review, honestly, although this is very much a work of nautical fiction. While the details and jargon are not as complex as Patrick O’Brian’s work, there’s still to get lost in….
Worship the Image: Woodrow Bell’s New Cyberpunk Novel
(I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for honest feedback) I freely admit that I am not usually a cyberpunk fan. In the past, it all felt dated to me, as if the authors were so enamored with the ’80s and ’90s style that they never updated it. Worship the Image did not have…
Reflections on The Art of Insubordination
So. Protests, civil disobedience, and acts of “disorder” are once again on the public’s mind. And that brings me to this book which I first saw randomly on my library shelves and was very curious- both by the title and in the incongruous cover art. So, after simmering for a while, I eventually borrowed the…










