With my permission, Fantasy Literature (FanLit) is republishing some of my reviews for books that their regular reviewers haven’t covered. Here’s the latest.
Originally shared by Fantasy Literature (FanLit)
Pratchett’s Women: An interesting perspective on a fantasy legend
A good start for 2016: the first book I’ve finished this year earns five stars and the “well-edited” tag.
If you’re up for beautifully written YA with a wonderful character voice, an author who really understands chronic illness, skyships, bird people, a suspenseful plot and fantastical worldbuilding, here it all is.
Having a nostalgic blogwander, and found this post, which I wrote nearly 10 years ago and still, in large part, agree with. It’s a rambling reflection that starts with John Barthes, continues through Gene Wolfe, and concludes that the problem with both modernism and postmodernism is not that they are empty, but that they’ve been emptied, in a baby-with-the-bathwater sense.
Well, 2016 has arrived where I am, so it’s time for my now-annual post summarising the books I read last year.
I read more 5-star books and fewer 3-star books than in 2014, with about the same number of 4-star books, so the trend is good.
Both Lisa Cohen and S. A. Hunt make the top 15, Lisa repeating her 2014 achievement with another in the same series.
I read Jenni Wiltz’s book, and it was hilarious. The flatulent boxer alone is worth the price of admission.
Also, the asskicking ex-librarian confronting the mob guy with a knife. And sending him away terrified.
Action, humour, romance. And beautifully well edited, to boot.
I’m sharing this because of the author’s classy and professional response to my comments on the editing. He’s let me know that it’s now had another go-over, and that he’ll be taking extra care in future, getting an independent proofreader as well as his editor to look through it.
On top of the fact that this is a well-written, thoughtful, witty and hard-hitting satire, that’s an indicator that he’s taking his craft seriously and wants to improve what he’s offering to the public. It’s already very good.
I’ve been meaning to read Herland for a while, and when I found it on Project Gutenberg I decided the time had come.
It’s a well-written feminist utopia, not too preachy or infodumpy, and with some excellent sociological observation (as you’d expect, given that the author was a sociologist).
I’m not a big fan of hard SF. It needs character and plot as well as setting for it to work for me.
The Martian worked for me, really well.
“Will appeal to fans of The Dresden Files” is, in my experience, usually a marketing lie. Not in this case, though. The main character is even a PI in Chicago, though it’s the Chicago of Al Capone – with the difference that the Fae are around, and the detective is one of them.
Simultaneously good noir and good urban fantasy.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18339939-hot-lead-cold-iron
It’s right there on the cover: “The sequel to the award-winning…” That’s a challenge for the author. How do you do a Book 2 that won’t be a disappointment after Book 1 won every award going?
I think Ann Leckie rose to that challenge and wrote an immaculate book with a great deal of depth, though I did feel that clearer story stakes would have made it more gripping.
Full review behind the link.