The Slantwise Histories by Alix Harrow

 

I first heard of Alix Harrow when her short story “A Witch's Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies” was nominated for a Hugo Award. I read it, and I loved it. When her first novel came out, The Ten Thousand Door of January, I read it right away, and was a little disappointed. The book felt disjointed, and I didn’t care for the protagonist or her struggles very much. I felt like the author didn’t successfully make the leap from short story to novel.  I read Ms. Harrow’s two fractured fairytale Novelas when they were nominated for the Hugos and I enjoyed them, although they felt a bit glib (I think I’m part because I’m getting a little tired of the hard-drinking, Devil-May-care protagonist trope). 

Starling House, however, was a massive leveling up - one of the absolute best books I read the year it came out. I loved it so much!!! And The Everlasting was also a stunner. It really cemented Alix Harrow as a major talent and a must-read author for me. 

So of course I was excited when the publisher and NetGalley granted me an audio eARC of Slantwise Histories, a collection of short stories by Ms. Harrow in exchange for an honest review. I adored this book. It included the aforementioned A Witch's Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies”, which I loved, as well as “The Knight and the Butcherbird”, a wonderful post apocalyptic short story about the lies we tell ourselves and the choices we make to survive. It was wonderfully engrossing, as were most of the works in this book. The final story in particular was achingly good. What a treat! 

God's Junk Drawer by Peter Clines

I often check out new books by authors I have never read before based on Seanan McGuire’s recommendations on social media. She posted that she loved this book and wished she had written it, so I requested an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

After reading it, I too wished she had written it, because I didn’t love the way Peter Clines handled this story. It is, in effect, a grown-up version of Land of the Lost - it is supposed to be a realistic take on what would’ve happened if some people went on a rafting trip and ended up in a world with dinosaurs. 

This book had a lot of grief in it, which was handled well, for the most part, and it had dinosaurs and a fun robot.  But it also split its focus between too many characters, many of whom were just sketches with little to no depth. The solution to the final mystery was disappointing. This book was fine but not the tour de force I was led to believe it would be. 

Ignore All Previous Instructions by Ada Hoffman Audiobook

Tachyon has become one of the publishers I seek out work by - they have a really good track record of publishing books I enjoy. Now, I hadn’t heard of the author Ada Hoffman before, but I was perusing Tachyon’s offerings on NetGalley and I was intrigued by this book. I’m a sucker for a story set on a Jovian moon so I requested a copy of the audiobook  in exchange for an honest review. Boy was I glad I did! This book was wonderful and powerful and sad and kind in so many ways! The protagonist is a neurodivergent woman who works as a script supervisor for an AI generated tv show and she gets caught up in her ex’s heist hijinks when he comes back into her life.  There is humor and love and pathos and sadness and I just could not put this book down. I am so glad I read it and I know you will be too. The narrator did a great job. I listened to this at 2x speed. 

The Henchperson's Guide to Unionizing by Marshall J. Moore

Hench is such a delightful word. I enjoy superhero stories, and sidekicks and henchmen are often my favorites. I have always loved Robin and Batgirl more than Batman, and I think giving Joker the henchwoman Harley Quinn in BTAS was one of the best additions to canon that came out of that wonderful show. I adored the book Hench, and so I was instantly drawn to The Henchperson's Guide to Unionizing by Marshall J. Moore based on the title alone, and I was very appreciative when I got an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher. 

This book was delightful! All of the classic monster archetypes are here with their henchpeople - a mad scientist’s Igor, a witch’s familiar, and a vampire’s spawn - and all of them, like Harley Quinn, go on a journey of discovery as they learn to stand on their own feet in spite of the domineering and degrading treatment they receive. I predicted the twist with the graveyard attendant and was so happy when I was right! This book was fun from beginning to end. 

Children of Strife by Adrian Tchaikovsky

I have said in the past that I used to think I didn’t like Adrian Tchaikovsky’s books. I mean, I was told that I SHOULD like them since I’m a big fan of Peter F. Hamilton’s space opera doorstoppers. But when I tried to read one of his books a few years ago I rage-quit it like 12% of the way through. (I don’t remember exactly why now. Maybe I should try it again?)

But then when his novella Elder Race was nominated for a Hugo, I read it and enjoyed it. I also read Ogres when it was nominated, and it wasn’t half bad. I enjoyed Service Model when the publisher and NetGalley gave me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. My main complaints were too many pop culture references and some incoherent worldbuilding. His other big novel from that year, Alien Clay, really didn’t do much for me. I hated the protagonist and felt it was dreary. 

So I was optimistic when I got a copy of Children of Strife from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It is as far a you can get from being a standalone - it is his fourth book in his series about uplifted spiders and cephalopods in the distant future living in harmony with the last dregs of humanity. I really enjoyed the first book in the series.  I can remember being genuinely surprised at the way the first book ended and how humanity ended up surviving. The second and third books were enjoyable, but not nearly as engrossing.  The more remnants of humanity that are found amongst the stars, the more unlikely the entire story seems to feel. 

I liked this book better than book 3, but not nearly as much as book 1. 

Legends & Lattes: The Graphic Novel by Travis Baldree

I first heard about Travis Baldree’s Legends and Lattes from Seanan McGuire’s Twitter account. She often would talk about upcoming books that she loved, and she described it in such a way that I was very much looking forward to reading it. 

It didn’t disappoint- it was a very nice, sweet, cozy story, and I really enjoyed it. It might have bordered on being too twee, and the inventions of cinnamon rolls and other coffee shop staples felt a tad too convenient at times, but that didn’t detract from the joys of the book. 

So I was overjoyed when the publisher and NetGalley gave me an eARC of the graphic novel version of the same story. It had everything that made me love the original book all gussied up with delightful artwork. Couldn’t recommend more!

A Wall is Also a Road by Annalee Newitz

Annalee Newitz is a favorite author of mine - I have enjoyed both their fiction and nonfiction in the past, going back to their io9 days, and I also enjoyed their podcast with Charlie Jane Anders. 

I thought they did a masterful job creating the robot protagonist Paladin in their debut novel Autonomous, and I adored Automatic Noodle, although I didn’t enjoy Terraformers nearly as much. I figured that maybe I just prefer their robot stories. 

So I was intrigued when I received a copy of their new book A Wall Is Also A Road from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not disappointed - instead I was bowled away. 

I hadn’t read any blurbs or other reviews before I started reading this book so I was surprised and delighted when I found out when and where it was taking place. The protagonist is a unicellular graduate student in a far part of the galaxy.  As part of their field research, they end up SPOILER ALERT in Pompeii a few years before Vesuvius erupts. It is clear that the author used a great deal of the research they did for their ancient cities non-fiction book in crafting a vibrant, lived in Pompeii. 

This is not one of those books about having to outrace lava flows or stop the eruption. This is a book about growing up and growing into yourself and learning about who you are when you learn about the world.  I savored every moment of it and will put it on my Hugo ballot next year for sure. 

Bromantasy by Máire Roche

Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover! I saw this book cover and booked title on NetGalley and smashed the request button rapidly. I never read romance novels in the past, but I have really begun to enjoy the cozy vibes of romantasy. Some T. Kingfisher books I think fit into that category, as do some Sarah Beth Durst novels I have enjoyed, so I was primed to pick up what Bromantasy was laying down. Were there tropes? Of course. But they were done really really well! The characters were fun and delightful and I’m so happy I got to enjoy it!

Tales from the Territory by Travis Baldree

 

I first heard about Travis Baldree’s Legends and Lattes from Seanan McGuire’s Twitter account. She often would talk about upcoming books that she loved, and she described it in such a way that I was very much looking forward to reading it. 

It didn’t disappoint- it was a very nice, sweet, cozy story, and I really enjoyed it. It might have bordered on being too twee, and the inventions of cinnamon rolls and other coffee shop staples felt a tad too convenient at times, but that didn’t detract from the joys of the book. 

I enjoyed the other two books in this universe to varying degrees, and I was really delighted by the graphic novel version of the first book. 

So I was pleased when the publisher and NetGalley gave me an advance copy of Tales from the Territory, a collection of short fiction set in the same world. Some of these pieces provide backstory for some of the characters, and the final story moved the overall story of Viv forward a bit. That one was clearly my favorite, but I enjoyed each of them.  It’s always fun to go back to this cozy world.

Letters from an Imaginary Country by Theodora Goss

I have repeatedly said that I much prefer single author short story collections to anthologies because, among other things, the quality of the work is usually more consistent and there’s less tonal whiplash. However, even in the best collections, there are often stories that are weaker or don’t work as well for an individual reader.  But sometimes, once in a blue moon, you get a collection where every story is amazing. Letters from an Imaginary Country by Theodora Goss is one of those rare collections. 

I first encountered Theodora Goss with her Athena Club series, which I adored. I still remember the first time I read them, rocking my baby to sleep in a beachside hotel and then sneaking out to the terrace to read and listen to the ocean. 

The tales in this short story collection felt magical in just the same way. The final story was mesmerizing and haunting and I absolutely adored the footnotes.  Highly recommended!

I received an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Forged in FIYAH Anthology

I don’t always love anthologies. The tonal shifts can cause whiplash and I always prefer single author short story collections. But I was intrigued when I saw the Forged In FIYAH anthology on NetGalley because I had never read the magazine but I had heard lots of good things about it and knew it had been nominated for the Hugo Award several times (and won once). I was happy to get an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

At first I really thought I didn’t like this book - the first several stories were not enjoyable, with too many uses of the n-word and too much drug use for my taste. There were also some protagonists I didn’t care for; in one story the protagonist entered someone’s mortuary smoking MJ with an unleashed dog, for example. But I kept reading and later stories in the book were excellent- there was a fascinating vampire story that I keep thinking about. All in all, an interesting read. 

Seasons of Glass and Iron By Amal El-Mohtar

 

I really enjoyed This is How You Lose the Time War (I read it when it came out, years before Bigolas Dickolas) so I was excited when I heard that Amal El-Mohtar had her first short story collection coming out. I have often said that I much prefer single offer short story collections to anthologies because, among other things, the quality of the work is usually more consistent and there’s less tonal whiplash. 

This collection was delightful and very enjoyable. Some of the stories were not to my taste, but on the whole I would recommend this collection to anyone who enjoyed her last book, The River Has Roots. 

I listened to this book at 2x speed. 

The Dragon Has Some Complaints by John Wiswell

 

I fell in love with John Wiswell’s writing when I read his story “Open House on Haunted Hill”, which blew me away. The past two years, I was thrilled when I got eARCs of his novels Someone to Build a Nest In and Wearing the Lion. I loved both of them so I was  very happy to get an eARC of his latest book, The Dragon Has Some Complaints, in exchange for an honest review. 

I enjoyed this book a bunch, but not quite as much as the author’s previous two novels. I understand what he was trying to do, to show the grumpy primary dragon head’s shift in attitude from the beginning to the end of the novel, but I felt it was too abrupt a transition- so much so that I thought it was an act at first. But I did enjoy the macro and micro stories and thought the romance was sweet. 

The Feywild Job by C. L. Polk

 

When I was younger, I read a lot of tie-in fiction. I became a huge Star Trek fan in the late 80s, and once I was all caught up on TOS and TNG, I turned to the novels. I read all the ones that had existed at that point and then bought them when they got released. That is how I found authors like Diane Duane and Peter David. I also loved the Dragonlance books. When they started coming out with D&D novels in other campaign settings, I bought the spelljammer and Ravenloft books too. So I was excited when I saw that there was a new D&D tie in novel available on NetGalley, and I was happy that I got an eARC of the Feywild Job in exchange for an honest review. 

This book was fine! It didn’t blow me away, but I really enjoyed the way the book used spells and warlock mechanics not just as window dressing but also to advance the plot. I felt like the characters were a tad boring, however. I wasn’t invested in the romance and I felt like there were a few too many tropes employed. This was a fun read but won’t be something I come back to. 

A Divided Duty by Seanan McGuire

 

A very enjoyable installment of one of my favorite serieses (series? Series’s?).  

I love Seanan McGuire’s body of work. (Note: I review a bunch of her books so I am copying part of some of my other reviews here to save time.). She has quickly become my favorite living writer and I feel very lucky that she is so prolific. I was first introduced to her work when her book Parasite, written as Mira Grant, was nominated for a Hugo Award. I loved it and quickly devoured the Newsflesh series before I realized that Mira Grant and Seanan McGuire were the same person. 

I started reading her works under her own name, starting with Sparrow Hill Road, which is amazing, but I picked it because I was intimidated by her long running October Daye series. I had read some Urban Fantasy before, and I fondly remember Mercedes Lackey’s Diana Tregarde books, but my tastes run more to science fiction and then secondary world fantasy, so I was hesitant to dive into such a long series. I picked up the first book, Rosemary and Rue, when it was on sale as a kindle daily deal, and I found it somewhat disappointing compared to her other work. I reminded myself that it was her first published novel, so I cut it some slack. Then Incryptid was nominated for the Best Series Hugo in 2018 and I dove into that instead. I loved it! So I vowed to give Toby another chance. And I was so glad that I did! It is now one of my favorite series. 

October Daye is perpetually on the top of my best series Hugo ballot - she deserves to win. This type of excellence in a long running series is what this award was designed for and none of the other nominees come close.

I was overjoyed when Tor and NetGalley awarded me an eARC of their next October Daye book.

 

This book picks up several months after the end of the last one. It felt a little bit like when your favorite sitcom picks up after summer break and the characters tell you that not much has happened in the past few months. Toby is settling in to life as a sleep deprived mother to a young baby and trying to keep her liege’s daughter in her home to allow her to heal after her trauma in previous books. 

Of course, like many of these books, there is a kidnapping and Toby has to go on a quest back to Blind Michael’s lands by the light of a candle. It was fantastic to return to this locale and to think on how much Toby has grown since the last time. 

My one big complaint in this book is how the author deals with Toby’s new motherhood (I have other complaints about how the author deals with Toby’s relationship with her first daughter, Gillian, but that’s a discussion for a different book). Ms. McGuire’s books are usually so well researched and well thought out, so I was surprised at how unrealistically she treated Toby’s breastfeeding. (Perhaps she has had no close friends, editors, or beta readers with this experience?) Basically, Toby is gone for hours/days on an adventure while the baby is at home drinking previously pumped milk. That’s all well and good, but during that time she doesn’t pump, has no pain or even discomfort, and no leakage. Even in a fantasy world of fairies and monsters this is too hard to swallow. It really took me out of the story. 

But that is a minor quibble. This book was a fun page turner from beginning to end. 

Star Trek: Red Shirts by Christopher Cantwell

 

My first ever comics were Star Trek comics. I loved superheroes when I was a kid, of course, still do, but what I knew of them came from Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and the Superfriends and the Super Powers action figures (which did have mini-comics, (as did He-Man figures, but I digress in this double paranthetical)).  When I fell in love with Star Trek in 1988, I couldn’t get enough of it. So in addition to watching the show and reading the novels, I picked up Star Trek comics at a convention and eventually subscribed to get the TNG comic from DC in the mail. 

Although I fell off reading Trek comics for a while, I recently have started reading more of the IDW Star Trek comics. I enjoyed Godshock and I LOVED Ryan North’s Lower Decks miniseries and his graphic novel Warp Your Own Way) and his two Shax/Lower Decks tie in issues. So when I got an eARC of the original series-era Red Shirts miniseries I went into it with an open mind and positive expectations. 

Sadly, this book felt both boring and unnecessary. It didn’t say anything about Star Trek or being a disposable security officer that hasn’t been done much better elsewhere, and I didn’t appreciate the use of romulans at this point in the timeline. I also didn’t care for the art. Overall this is quite skippable. 

Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky

 

I have said in the past that I used to think I didn’t like Adrian Tchaikovsky’s books. I mean, I was told that I SHOULD like them since I’m a big fan of Peter F. Hamilton’s space opera doorstoppers. But when I tried to read one of his books a few years ago I rage-quit it like 12% of the way through. 

But then when his novella Elder Race was nominated for a Hugo, I read it and enjoyed it. I also read Ogres when it was nominated, and it wasn’t half bad. I enjoyed Service Model when the publisher and NetGalley gave me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. My main complaints were too many pop culture references and some incoherent worldbuilding. His other big novel from last year, Alien Clay, really didn’t do much for me. I hated the protagonist and felt it was dreary. 

So I was optimistic when I got a copy of Green City Wars from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It is a standalone (as far as I know) with an interesting concept - noir mystery with uplifted animals. 

Sadly, the concept was the best part of this book. I didn’t love the characters of the plot. The world building was fine but it was not an enjoyable enough or interesting enough world to want to spend a novel’s amount of time in. I would have enjoyed it more as a short story or novella. 

Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher

 

In the past 5 years or so, I have become a HUGE fan of T. Kingfisher (a/k/a Ursula Vernon). 

Ms. Vernon is the author of the Hamster Princess books, which both of my daughters have enjoyed (as have I!). Those books were my introduction to her, along with her social media presence, which I found through Seanan McGuire. 

Ordinarily, I don’t like horror. I never wanted to watch scary movies as a kid. I got nightmares from E.T.  But based on recommendations I read the Twisted Ones and The Holllow Places and I realized that I loved Ms. Vernon’s writing and I could make it through the scary parts unscathed with her as my guide. 

I started devouring her back catalog and putting all new releases on hold at the library.  I have subscribed to her Patreon and I convinced my wife to read Nettle and Bone, which she loved (as did I). I even backed the kickstarter for the rerelease of Digger, which was wonderful.  Her Paladin books are my absolute favorites, but I also very much loved Swordheart, so I was thrilled when I found out her contract with Tor included not only reprinting Swordheart but also the two long promised sequels starring the other two people bound into swords. 

I was delighted when I got an audio eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

This book was fabulous! I had reread Swordheart before listening to this book, but I hadn’t reread the Clocktaur War duology, so I didn’t remember every detail about Learned Edmund when he showed up in the first chapter but I quickly realized how much I loved him. And the Dervish was everything I hoped for! But my heart belongs to Large Francis, who does not eat human meat. The only thing I disliked about this book was that it had to end! Very satisfying!

Radiant Star by Ann Leckie

I loved Ann Leckie’s writing from the first time I read Ancillary Justice (which I have reread and listened to the audiobook of several times). I so enjoyed the Imperial Radch universe and adored each book in that trilogy. Provenance surprised me by being so different while still being in that universe and being so wonderful. And Translation State felt like a book of my heart - I loved it so much! So I was utterly delighted when Orbit and NetGalley gave me an eARC of Radiant Star in exchange for an honest review. 

I bounced off the first chapter the first two times I tried to read this book. But then I remembered how all of Ann Leckie’s prior books had a barrier to entry, and once I broke the meniscus I could dive right in and never look back. (Provenance is a particular example of this.) So I tried it again a few days later and I fell in love with the narrator - the pointed commentary and little asides felt like reading a book from the 1800s in the best possible way. This was a standalone book while also slightly advancing the storyline of the fracturing empire. I do hope that the next book gives us more insight into what is going on with that story, but that is not to denigrate this book at all. My one complaint about this book is the multitude of point of view characters made it hard for me to sink my teeth into the book - whenever I got invested in a person things shifted. But all in all I really enjoyed this. 

Kill All Wizards by Jedediah Berry

 

Sometimes you pick up a book because the cover is cool and the premise sounds interesting. Sometimes you are rewarded. Sometimes you are not. I got an audio eARC of Kill All Wizards from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review because it had a great title and a neat cover. Sadly, after finishing it, the title and cover were the only things I enjoyed about it.  While individual sentences were well crafted, I found the book boring from beginning to end.  Not for me! 

The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

 

A while back, I got a eARC of Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and I really enjoyed it! Before that, I’d seen her name around on best of lists and upcoming books to look forward to, but it wasn’t until the Hugo nomination for the Daughter of Dr. Moureau that I decided it was time to put her to the top of my to-read pile. I enjoyed it and also really enjoyed Silver Nitrate and The Seventh Veil of Salome, so I happily requested and received an eARC of her newest novel, The Beautiful Ones, in exchange for an honest review. 

This book was the first book by Ms. Moreno-Garcia that I read that was a disappointment. It is a very light fantasy romance novel set in a regency-esque time frame. I say “very light” because both the story and the amount of magic in this world is slight. Some people have a spot of telekinesis, but it has had no effect on society.  The story is of a young girl who falls in love with a man who it turns out had, a decade ago, been engaged to her cousin’s now-wife. The romance felt strained and unbelievable and the cousin-in-law cartoonishly villainous. I’d skip this book in favor of her earlier work. 

Under the Falls by Richard Russo

As I have mentioned before, I have loved everything Richard Russo has written in the past.  I first learned about him when looking for a birthday present for a friend.  I saw Empire Falls in paperback in a Boston Barnes and Noble in like 2003 or so and it looked so good, I bought two copies - one for him and one for me.  (I think this was before it had won the Pulitzer Prize. ) I found it unputdownable.  His characters were so real and relatable, and the world was so perfectly drawn. My only complaint there was the time jump. 

I went back and started reading his entire back catalog and loved it all (though a few of his other books also used a time jump to skip past difficult parts). I was very excited to see that he had a new book out this summer and I eagerly requested an advanced reader copy from the publisher. I also shared the physical advanced reader copy that I got with my mother, who also has loved Richard Russo’s books in the past.

She returned the copy to me unfinished. She couldn’t get into it, and when I read it, I see why. In a huge contrast to most of Mr. Russo’s earlier work, the characters are flat and not believable.  Their motivations are weak and not fully explored and scenario is frankly ludicrous. There are a few kernels of good ideas in here and the way that Mr. Russo writes about men longing for the close friendship of their youth reminded me a bit of some of the parts of Bridge of Sighs (which I really should re read) but all in all this book was a huge disappointment. 

In the acknowledgments, Mr. Russo admits that this book started out as a TV pilot. That Genesis does, I think, explain many of my problems with this short novel. It seems like streaming TV these days often requires broader characters with more outlandish set ups and plots to entice a jaded viewer.  I can picture in my head, The 60 second ad for this show on Paramount +, and I would want to watch it just as much as I would want to recommend this book - not very much.  I may go back and reread one of Mr. Russo‘s older books to get the taste out of my mouth.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.