Book #168 of 2019: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (Simon Snow #1) In Rainbow Rowell’s 2013 novel Fangirl, her protagonist writes an extensive fanfiction called “Carry On, Simon” about Simon Snow, a popular Harry Potter-esque fantasy series that did not, at that time, actually exist. Rowell later released this follow-up, which is decidedly not that …
Tag Archives: fantasy
Book Review: The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
Book #156 of 2019: The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials #2) I really like how this sequel deepens the worldbuilding of the original His Dark Materials book, expanding the action from the alternate reality of that story into a universe more like our own and one other besides. And the character moments …
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Book Review: Dragon Haven by Robin Hobb
Book #151 of 2019: Dragon Haven by Robin Hobb (The Rain Wild Chronicles #2) In my review of the first book in this Realm of the Elderlings quartet, I complained, “Not much happens, and then it just continues not happening right through the end.” Yet compared to this sequel, that original novel was action-packed. At …
Book Review: Pennyroyal Academy by M. A. Larson
Book #143 of 2019: Pennyroyal Academy by M. A. Larson (Pennyroyal Academy #1) This middle-grade fantasy novel keeps its heroine a cipher for far too long, and when readers finally learn her peculiar backstory, it doesn’t really track with what we’ve seen or elucidate her driving goals. (Why does she want to be a warrior …
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Book Review: Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix
Book #141 of 2019: Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix A lightweight Regency romp with a sprinkling of fantasy elements. I’d like to see more of how the magic works — especially coming from Sabriel author Garth Nix — but that fuzziness doesn’t get in the way of the quick-paced story Nix is telling. His tale …
Book Review: Jade City by Fonda Lee
Book #138 of 2019: Jade City by Fonda Lee (The Green Bone Saga #1) Let me start with the good and say that I love the setting of this book. It doesn’t offer the most fleshed-out worldbuilding, but it’s the rare fantasy story told in a place that’s not our own yet has comparable levels …
Book Review: Witchmark by C. L. Polk
Book #134 of 2019: Witchmark by C. L. Polk (The Kingston Cycle #1) A charming story, both for its Edwardian-flavored fantasy setting and for the tender gay romance at its heart. The worldbuilding details of bicycle traffic and early electric lights stop just short of twee, but my favorite is possibly that there’s no signs …
Book Review: The Binding by Bridget Collins
Book #133 of 2019: The Binding by Bridget Collins There’s a decent gay love story somewhere in here, but overall this is a real mess of a novel. The entire arc of the first third is just an ignorant protagonist gradually becoming more informed about the magic of the setting, which is frustrating since it …
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Book Review: Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb
Book #130 of 2019: Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb (The Rain Wild Chronicles #1) The fourth series in Robin Hobb’s larger Elderlings saga starts out pretty slowly (and doesn’t improve much on that front, if memory serves). That’s a common fault in the author’s works, but it’s so aggravated in this initial Rain Wilds novel …
Book Review: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Book #128 of 2019: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials #1) Another old favorite that I’m revisiting, this time in anticipation of the upcoming TV adaptation. This trilogy ultimately goes in some odd directions (and I was underwhelmed by its recent prequel), but the first novel is a masterful piece of fiction, …
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