12/31/23 - Paz Pardo's debut novel, The Shamshine Blind, is a combination of noir-detective story and alternate world scenario, one in which Argenitina is now the leading world power. Weird, but good, and recommended.

12/26/23 - Another Ray Nayler story, a novella this time, one I read in advance of its publication on January 16. The Tusks of Extinction may be set in the same future as his novel, or maybe not. It involves the cloning of mammoths, as well as the resurrection of a human consciousness. Another strong story, recommended.

12/26/23 - Ray Nayler's debut novel, The Mountain in the Sea, won a Locus Award for Best First Novel, and was a Nebula finalist. Very good, with great world building, intriguing characters and scenarios, with deep insight into human and animal consciousness. Highly recommended.

12/20/23 - Last month I read the first novella in a series, now follow that up with the second and third. Since I made edits to the original review, this link is for the first three stories in Run With The Hunted by Jennifer R. Donohue.

12/19/23 - I have now read all of the available Andrea Cort stories by Adam-Troy Castro, even though not always in chronological order of her life or by publication date. The last two (for now) are set earlier in her career, and like the others, Tasha's Fail-Safe & The Coward's Option are good and recommended.

12/17/23 - Some brief comments about the second book in Nicola Griffith's mostly fictional look at the woman who would later be known as Saint Hilda of Whitby. But I also re-read the first book, and made some edits to those comments, so this link is for both of The Hild Sequence.

12/8/23 - Another in the PM Press Outspoken Authors series, Carter Scholz's Gypsy contains the novella of that title, two other stories, one essay, an interview, and bibliography. I realize the title is problematic, and I'm sure the author was aware of it too, but the story is still very good.

12/6/23 - Shadows is the last novel Robin McKinley has published, ten years ago. It is the tenth of her novels I have read, along with two story collections. I have liked all of them to various degrees. This one has similarities to my favorite, Sunshine, still enjoyable if not quite up to that level.

12/3/23 - At this time, Knot of Shadows is the last of Bujold's Penric & Desdemona stories. No word on if she intends to continue, start another series, or retire. If she does write again, I will read it, and I need to go back and read her earlier fantasies, The Spirit Ring, and Sharing Knife.

12/1/23 - "Hiding Place" is another Andrea Cort novella, as far into her life as Castro has written so far. He has said if he continues beyond that, the next will have to be another novel. If he ever writes it, I will read it.

11/17/23 - War of the Marionettes is the third, and at this time the last novel in Adam-Troy Castro's Andrea Cort series, as much a sequel to the Marionettes novellas I reviewed last month as it is for the previous novels. It is well-written and exciting, but also bleak and foreboding most of the time. I will read a novella next month that follows this book, as far into Andrea's life as he has written so far.

11/12/23 - A Stab of the Knife is another novella by Adam-Troy Castro which features Andrea Cort, but also characters from other stories I haven't read yet, but may soon in the case of one of them. Another intriguing mystery with lots of action, as well as character introspection. It is set between the second and third novels, the latter being my next read.

11/12/23 - The only novel length Penric & Desdemona story (so far), and at this time the penultimate tale, The Assassins of Thasalon sees Penric travel to Cedonia for the third time, his task to help right the wrongs that had forced his brother-in-law to flee his native country after being falsely branded a traitor. Another exciting adventure with nary a wasted page. Recommended.

11/7/23 - Robin McKinley's Chalice is another well-written fantasy, without a lot of details of the history of the land. But it has a great central character in Marisol, the Willowlands new Chalice, second in importance in the demesne to its Master. Recommended.

11/2/23 - Run With The Hunted is the first novella in a series that has extended to five more titles so far. The author, Jennifer R. Donohue, says it is cyberpunk, and that may be more evident in later stories, but even though it is near future and there is a lot of high tech, nothing seemed out of the realm of current tech. Fast-paced and exciting. Recommended.

11/1/23 - The second story Silvia Morena-Garcia has published as an Amazon Original, The Lover is somewhat a variation on Red Riding Hood, but there are other elements, and other surprises. Recommended.

10/31/23 - Roger Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October is a book very appropriate for Halloween. The events depicted are told in 32 chapters, the first being the exception of being titled by the date, the others go from October 1 through the 31st. Multiple recognizable characters (and a few I haven't figured out) come together for a mystical ceremony under a full moon on Halloween night. Very good and recommended.

10/30/23 - Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (a pseudonym of Ursula Vernon) is the latest novel to win a Hugo. It is a dark fantasy, a revenge tale. I liked it, and can recommended it, although there were quite a few other books that would have been my preference this year.

10/24/23 - Exit Ghost is Jennifer R. Donohue's debut novel, but don't let that, or the fact it was self-published, dissuade you from giving it a chance. Very well written, intriguing characters, magical overtones, in a story that has a bit of Shakespeare's Hamlet in its makeup. Highly recommended.

10/10/23 - Stories that are connected to those of Andrea Cort, and which lead up to the events in the third novel, are the Marionettes Novellas, the third of which was written many years ago, but not published until recently, included with the e-book of the second novel. Weird and mysterious aliens, perhaps even weirder humans. Recommended. If you can find them, since the first two are not in print or e-book at this time.

10/6/23 - Another Penric and Desdemona story, The Physicians of Vilnoc sees our favorite sorcerer battling a serious epidemic in multiple locations around Vilnoc, with Nikys and their young daughter at home and worried about his fate. As with all the other Penric tales, it is recommended.

10/5/23 - Sunshine is my favorite Robin McKinley book so far. A strong, first-person narrative of a woman who may know a little bit of magic, but is it enough to battle the Others? Highly recommended.

9/30/23 - Returning to the Andrea Cort stories page, I take a look at two of her earlier adventures, "Burning the Ladder" and "With Unclean Hands."

9/28/23 - Mammoths at the Gates is the fourth novella in Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle. Another introspective look at memory, loyalty, friendship, and tradition. Recommended.

9/22/23 - The second novel in the Andrea Cort series by Adam-Troy Castro is The Third Claw of God. An intriguing mystery, multiple possible suspects, tense action sequences, but probably too much tell rather than show. Lots and lots and lots of dialog.

9/16/23 - Robin McKinley's Deerskin is a more mature story than the others I've read so far. I had to be vague about some things, without cautionary notes, since even a minor hint could be a spoiler. It started off slow for me, and at one point I thought I might not finish, but I'm glad I continued. The latter half is much better written than earlier. Recommended.

9/10/23 - A second review today, another Penric & Desdemona novella. The Orphans of Raspay sees Penric in peril, but he's not alone. He also has to safeguard two orphan girls. Another recommendation.

9/10/23 - S. L. Huang's latest book, The Water Outlaws, is a gender-swapped adaptation of what is considered to be one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature. It is very good, but also very violent at times. Recommended.

8/31/23 - Emissaries From the Dead is the second story, and first novel, featuring Andrea Cort, an investigator in the future. As intriguing as the mystery in this story, Andrea may be the biggest puzzle of all. Recommended.

8/26/23 - Along with other books, I will devote the next few months reading novels and shorter works by Adam-Troy Castro, the central character being Andrea Cort, an investigator of murders (and perhaps other crimes) in the future on other planets and habitats. Her first appearance came in the 2002 novella "Unseen Demons."

8/24/23 - Starting a third page for the adventures of Penric & Desdemona by Lois McMaster Bujold, the first story of which is Masquerade in Lodi. Enjoyable, although I figured out part of the mystery long before Penric did.

8/22/23 - The Robin McKinley book for this month is The Outlaws of Sherwood. I can't give it a strong recommendation, but it's not a waste of time, especially if you are a fan of other tellings of the Robin Hood legend.

8/19/23 - Again, compared to the first book in the sequence, I did not like The Blue, Beautiful World as much, but I still recommend the series. Other readers might like the second and third books more than I did, might not like the first as much. The only way to know is to read them.

8/13/23 - The second of Karen Lord's Cygnus Beta novels is The Galaxy Game. I created a new page rather than combine it with the previous review, since most of the action takes place other places besides Cygnus Beta, and the third book, which I've already started, is in another location as well, at least in the beginning. I didn't like Galaxy Game as much due to my confusion on multiple things, but I tried to avoid spoilers. Not sure I succeeded.

8/11/23 - I re-read a book and made very minor edits to the review, but included new information and cover images. Karen Lord's second novel, The Best of All Possible Worlds, was published in 2013, and I first read it in January of 2018. It was reissued last month with new cover art, along with another book which will be my next review. A third book in the sequence comes out later this month, and I have an advance review copy of it.

8/2/23 - Her Husband's Hands is a collection of eight stories by Adam-Troy Castro. Grim, gruesome, horrific, no feel-good stories here. But they are well written and compelling. Recommended.

7/24/23 - Africa Risen is a thirty-two story anthology by African and African Diaspora writers. I didn't go into details about specific stories, since I don't think I could do them justice. They all deserve to be read without further comment from me, other than giving it the highest of recommendations.

7/11/23 - A Knot in the Grain is a short story collection by Robin McKinley. Only five stories, less than two hundred pages, but all are good, the title story being as good, if not better, than anything else I've read of hers so far. Recommended.

7/9/23 - Continuing with the adventures of Penric & Desdemona, we come to the sixth novella I've reviewed, the third in the second omnibus. The Prisoner of Limnos sees Penric still with Nikys, attempting to rescue her mother from incarceration in a very formidable island complex. Recommended.

7/6/23 - The Deep Sky, the debut novel from Yume Kitasei, presents some interesting characters and scenarios, but it is hampered by not enough background information, and a lot of the science is wonky.

6/28/23 - Silvia Moreno-Garcia's new novel is a bit deceptive, with Silver Nitrate seeming to be more like one of her mainstream mysteries, then the fantastical elements ramp up toward the end. Not without its faults, but still a very exciting narrative.

6/24/23 - I continue with Bujold's Penric & Desdemona series with Mira's Last Dance, which is a direct sequel to Penric's Mission. Another good look at Penric's talents, as well as the myriad possibilities if he utilizes all the other personalities that make up Desdemona.

6/23/23 - The conclusion(?) of the NeoG series is The Ghosts of Trappist, which is exciting and multi-layered, but there are hints of possible future events. I will want to read further adventures with these characters if Wagers decides to write them.

6/16/23 - The second NeoG book is Hold Fast Through the Fire. A new mystery, one which threatens to tear the NeoG apart, or at least significantly limit their effectiveness. Still a lot of emphasis on character, which is the better part. Recommended.

6/11/23 - A Pale Light in the Black is the first book in K. B. Wagers' NeoG series, that standing for the Near Earth Orbital Guard. Equivalent to our Coast Guard, although its reach has expanded to wherever humanity has set foot across the solar system, and beyond. I can recommend it, although I have reservations about how much time was devoted to one aspect instead of the major mystery.

6/4/23 - The Hero and the Crown is generally regarded as the second book in Robin McKinley's Damar series, but since it's a prequel maybe it should be #1 instead, or perhaps .5, and why wasn't it "Heroine" of the Crown? A slow start, redeemed by a dynamic second half. Recommended.

5/31/23 - The Wild Girls by Ursula K. Le Guin was the sixth volume in the PM Press "Outspoken Authors" series. The title story, originally in Asimov's in 2002, was revised for this book, but I'm not sure by how much. Hard to say how to classify it; not exactly fantasy, but maybe horror? Two essays, five poems, an interview, a bibliography, and a short biography fill out the volume. Recommended.

5/29/23 - A stand-alone novel from Ursula K. Le Guin, 1980's The Beginning Place is a portal fantasy, but different from most any other I've read. It's short, too short perhaps, but still recommended.

5/25/23 - Robin McKinley's second novel, The Blue Sword, was the first in the Damar series. It's Young Adult, coming-of-age, as well as a chosen one epic. Interesting, but not as good as it could have been if she had been writing for a more mature audience. I'll give it a reserved recommendation.

5/17/23 - Starting a new page for the Penric & Desdemona series, the first story being Penric's Mission. The longest of all the novellas, probably close to novel length, and so far my favorite of the series.

5/15/23 - Francesco Verso's The Roamers is the English translation of just the first part of a 2018 book originally in Italian. Some interesting concepts, but hard to believe within the very near future timeline, and there were characters I didn't care for. I hate to say not recommended, but I would also hesitate to say the opposite.

5/11/23 - Sue Burke's fourth novel, Dual Memory, is the first of hers I have read, but it won't be the last. Equal parts post-apocalyptic tale showing the ravages of climate change, refugees displaced from their homelands due to wars and private vendettas, but also the emergence of independent A.I.s, and the consequences of bringing alien life back to Earth. Lots to pack into just 350 pages, but Burke does it exceptionally well. Recommended.

5/7/23 - Premee Mohamed's first story collection, No One Will Come Back For Us, will be published next week but I got an advance digital review copy. Lots of Lovecraft inspired stories, but also enough variety to please most readers with several others. Recommended.

4/30/23 - The conclusion of Charlie Jane Anders' Unstoppable series, Promises Stronger Than Darkness, is filled with darkness, but also hope, compassion, and cooperation. Things are left hanging at the end, and I would welcome further exploration of the situations and characters, particularly a certain "princess." Recommended, with a few caveats.

4/24/23 - After a re-read of the first book I now add comments about the second of Charlie Jane Anders' Unstoppable series, Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak. This one is in third-person instead of first, with the various characters taking different paths, although the majority get back together at the end. But still more adventures to come in the third book, which I've already started.

4/18/23 - Hanna Alkaf's fourth novel, Hamra and the Jungle of Memories, is a twist on Red Riding Hood infused with many Malaysian legends. It's directed toward Middle Grade readers, but I loved it. Highly recommended.

4/16/23 - Continuing with Bujold's Penric & Desdemona series, I now review the third novella, in character chronology that is, even though it was the fifth published. Penric's Fox is better than the previous two, and I look forward to more.

4/15/23 - There are four stories in Robin McKinley's The Door in the Hedge, although none of them have that title. It is used more as a metaphor, as a transition from one reality to another.

4/12/23 - Tananarive Due's new story collection is The Wishing Pool and Other Stories. Ghost stories and other horror elements abound, most tied to recurring fears in the lives of black people. Very good.

4/4/23 - Victor LaValle's new novel Lone Women is a mixture of alternate history, creepy folktale, with a dash of horror. Just remember, not all monsters look like monsters on the outside.

4/1/23 - The second of Kate Elliott's Sun Chronicles is Furious Heaven. Much longer than the first book, but also better in both action and character development. A grand space opera, highly recommended.

3/19/23 - Unconquerable Sun is the first book in Kate Elliott's space opera trilogy, The Sun Chronicles, the publisher's blurb for which is "a gender-swapped Alexander the Great in interstellar space." The gender-swap fits, not so sure about Alexander. Lots of action and intrigue, fast paced, with some interesting characters, even though some of them are also frustrating. I have an advance copy of the next book, due out in a month.

3/12/23 - Arkady Martine's Rose/House is a novella coming out at the end of the month. Is it a murder mystery, a haunted house tale, or an examination of artificial intelligence? Yes. All of the above. And it's very good. Recommended.

3/11/23 - Robin McKinley's Spindle's End is the third novel generally grouped with two others as Folktales, although looking ahead to some of her other books, almost all could be described in that way. We shall see. As for this one, it's a remarkably different retelling of Sleeping Beauty, wherein almost everything has been changed from any other version you may have read or seen. Very good, and highly recommended.

3/4/23 - The second of Bujold's Penric and Desdemona stories is Penric and the Shaman, which takes place four years after the first novella.

3/4/23 - I'm including a link to one of today's reviews here and on the non-fiction page. Norman Spinrad's Raising Hell includes one story, and one essay, both of which hinge on a similar topic. There is also an interview with the author, and a bibliography of his work up to 2014.

2/25/23 - I will be reading all of the Penric and Desdemona stories by Lois McMaster Bujold, one a month through the rest of the year. Since there are currently ten novellas and one novel, I'll create different pages, the first of which begins with Penric's Demon, which was a Hugo and Locus finalist.

2/21/23 - The Mimicking of Known Successes is a new novella from Malka Older. A sequel due about this time next year has already been announced, but a collective name for the series hasn't been decided yet. If that happens I can change the URL for the page. I am very interested in following the adventures of Mossa and Pleiti (which might end up being the collective title).

2/18/23 - Rose Daughter is the second of Robin McKinley's Folktales, but I had a mistaken notion it would be about Briar Rose, aka Sleeping Beauty, but it is like the novel I reviewed last month, another version of Beauty and the Beast. There are enough differences to make it interesting, and I'd say it's better than Beauty in several ways.

2/11/23 - Meru is S. B. Divya's second novel, and the first in a new series called the Alloy Era. It started slow for me due to several confusing concepts, some for which I originally had a mistaken notion. That soon passed, and I enjoyed this unique new space opera very much. Recommended.

1/31/23 - It has been several years since I've read Le Guin, and this time is another re-read. I highly recommend her first standalone novel, The Lathe of Heaven.

1/27/23 - I normally like to read a book before its film or TV adaptation, but I watched the first couple of episodes of the Prime series first, then stopped to read William Gibson's The Peripheral, which I liked but also have some reservations about.

1/22/23 - Annalee Newitz'a third novel, The Terraformers, comes out at the end of the month, but I received an advance ebook from Edelweiss. It is a good example of the necessity of employing the "suspension of disbelief." Many of the events and characters may seem preposterous, but considering the timeframe involved the reader should be able to understand and accept them.

1/15/23 - The Hallowed Hunt is the third novel in Lois McMaster Bujold's World of the Five Gods series, or the first since it is a prequel to the other two. At this time I'm thinking I like it best, but a re-read might change that opinion, but who knows when that might happen.

1/6/23 - Robin McKinley is the most recent honoree for SFWA's Grand Master Award. I'm sure I had not read her before, so decided to start with her first novel, Beauty, which is also the first of three Folktales.

1/1/23 - New Year, new review. This time I talk about four different stories, two novellas, one novelette, one short story, all the latest in Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series, the last of which may be my favorite among all ten so far.

12/27/22 - It is said that Octavia E. Butler was the first black woman to write science fiction. Not sure if that is completely accurate, but she was certainly the first prominent one, and the most influential. However, she also said her second novel was fantasy. The time travel element in Kindred was not the result of any machine or scientific principal. Doesn't matter, it's very good, and recommended, but with the caveat that it is often gruesome and depressing, but I'm not sure how it could have been otherwise.

12/21/22 - Five years after New Sun concluded Wolfe wrote an afterword, or in essence the point of the entire series. The final book is The Urth of the New Sun. Even if you've read the previous sections of the review you might want to scroll up to the top of the page and read it all again, since I have made some edits. And I wouldn't doubt I'll edit it again in the future.

12/11/22 - The Book of the New Sun ends (but not really) with The Citadel of the Autarch. Severian talks about a task ahead of him, but it took another five years for Wolfe to complete that book, which I am re-reading now.

12/4/22 - Continuing with Gene Wolfe's New Sun series, the third novel is The Sword of the Lictor. Still fascinating, but also still puzzling about a number of things.

11/30/22 - The second book in the New Sun series is The Claw of the Conciliator, but the update today starts with discussion of the essay collection The Castle of the Otter.

11/25/22 - Among the first pages when the site went live in 2000 was a profile article on Gene Wolfe. In it I devoted several paragraphs to The Book of the New Sun, but now I've started a re-read, and created a new page - New Sun - with comments only for the first book so far. I will update that page as I finish each book.

11/19/22 - Some scholars consider Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to be the first true SF novel. Not sure I agree with that, but it is a seminal work worthy of study. Just not one most modern readers would enjoy.

11/15/22 - What I thought was going to be a trilogy turned out just a duology. N. K. Jemisin's The World We Make completes the Great Cities series in dynamic fashion. Highly recommended.

11/11/22 - Even Though I Knew The End by C. L. Polk is a detective noir set in 1941 Chicago, with supernatural elements, and a beautiful romance. I hope they write more stories about these remarkable characters. Highly recommended.

11/10/22 - The third entry in Nghi Vo's Singing Hills series is the shortest, but it is still full of insight as to this world's customs and traditions. Into the Riverlands sees Cleric Chih traveling along the Huan River, where they meet several colorful characters, and get into, and out of, some dangerous trouble.

11/9/22 - Totalitopia by John Crowley is another in the Outspoken Author series from PM Press. Short, but oh so fruitful in ideas and speculation, both the fiction and non-fiction. Recommended.

11/6/22 - Red Unicorn by Weston Ochse shares a few plot elements with his previous Bone Chase, but they are not directly connected. It's a fast-paced combo of action/adventure with a supernatural horror overtone. Violent at times, even occasionally repellent, but exciting from beginning to end.

11/1/22 - John Crowley's fourth novel won World Fantasy and Mythopoeic awards, and was finalist for many others. Little, Big is a beautiful, lyrically told tale of magic and wonder among multiple generations of an eccentric family. It's not all neat and tidy, there are many diversions and frustrations within, but I still recommend it.

10/21/22 - John Crowley's first three novels were published separately, later collected in the omnibus Otherwise. It is not a trilogy, each are standalones. The individual titles are The Deep, Beasts, and Engine Summer. All are short, all are good, with Beasts probably the most accessible for most readers.

10/12/22 - A few brief words about Memory's Legion, the collection of short fiction in The Expanse book series. I had mentioned it before, but this update is serving two purposes. There has been an upgrade in the PHP file the site uses, supposedly controlled by the hosting service, but they said problems might arise, and if so I'd have to drop back down to the previous version. Updating regularly is supposed to be best to see if it sticks, and it was going to be several days before my next review would be ready. We'll see how it goes.

10/10/22 - It took a very long time to read Ken Liu's Speaking Bones, the conclusion of the Dandelion Dynasty, but since I couldn't think of much to say about it without spoilers the review is very brief. Bottom line: Lots of it is good, some parts are superfluous and rambling, even tedious.

9/25/22 - I believe that Mary Robinette Kowal's new novel is a standalone, but even if its the beginning of a series The Spare Man is a complete and satisfying story on its own. A locked spaceship mystery set aboard a cruise vessel heading to Mars. Recommended.

9/19/22 - Silvia Moreno-Garcia's debut novel, Signal To Noise, has been reissued with some content edits, so I had to read it again. For the fourth time. Yes, it's that good. Music and mayhem in Mexico, as Meche and her friends try to control their life through magic. Highly recommended.

9/16/22 - I assume Tade Thompson's The Legacy of Molly Southbourne is the conclusion of the story, although a few minor plot threads are left dangling, or else I missed the clues while reading. Recommended.

9/10/22 - R. F. Kuang's fourth novel, Babel, is the best I've read this year, and perhaps for several years. A multi-faceted plot, great characters, a fascinating look at academia and the joy of learning, but also an indictment against colonialism. I say, without hyperbole, it is a staggering work of genius.

9/4/22 - Unfortunately, I can not recommend my latest read, Neon Yang's The Genesis of Misery.

9/3/22 - Two years ago I reviewed a novella by Aliette de Bodard. It was a spin-off from one of her novel series. Now there is a sequel so I have combined them on one page with a different URL. The collective title is Dragons and Blades. They are recommended, and I hope there are more in the sequence one of these days.

8/26/22 - I remember reading somewhere that Alix E. Harrow said her Fractured Fables series would be just a duology. I can't find that source now, but the second novella, A Mirror Mended has a satisfactory ending, if not a definitive one.

8/24/22 - Thirty-two years after publication, and at least fifteen since I bought it, I finally got around to Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. I liked it quite a bit, but maybe not as much as its reputation led me to expect. Still recommended, and a review of the Amazon Prime show might be just over the horizon.

8/20/22 - The second book in Becky Chambers' Monk & Robot series, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, is every bit as good as the first one. I give it the highest of recommendations, and hope there are many more stories in the future about Sibling Dex and Splending Speckled Mosscap.

8/17/22 - Those who read and enjoyed The Sparrow will want to read it's sequel, Children of God. I didn't like it as much, others might like it more. It was worth reading for insightful comments about religious and secular matters. Your enjoyment might hinge on your level of faith, or your lack of it.

8/8/22 - Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow is an example of the best of literature, regardless of genre. Insightful examinations of human nature, realistic and believable characters, even when they are not sympathetic, spiritual and secular contemplations. Highly recommended.

7/26/22 - For at least the first half of the book I was thinking the review would go in the Non-SF section, but then a few supernatural elements were introduced. Those elements didn't necessarily make Gabino Iglesias's The Devil Takes You Home any more brutal, but they definitely made it weirder. Strong stuff, very violent, not to everyone's taste I'm sure, not even my usual taste. I'm still recommending it.

7/21/22 - Some might find it hard to believe this is the first Harry Turtledove novel I've read. I would have enjoyed Three Miles Down more if he had wrapped up the story in this volume, but it is the beginning of a new series, with a huge cliffhanger at the end. If the second book was ready now I'd read it, but my interest will probably fade over time.

7/18/22 - I'm not giving this a strong recommendation, but I'm not saying it won't appeal to some. Eddie Robson's third novel, Drunk On All Your Strange New Words is a mystery with SF trappings. I'm not sure which type of reader it will appeal to most, but it's short and not boring, but also not without a few faults.

7/13/22 - Another Moreau inspired story, this one quite a bit different than the one reviewed yesterday. Daryl Gregory's novella, The Album of Dr. Moreau, is a finalist for a Sturgeon Award (short speculative fiction) and an Edgar (mystery). The hybrids here are members of The WyldBoyZ, the second most popular boy band in the world, whose manager has been murdered.

7/12/22 - Silvia Moreno-Garcia is in grand form in her latest novel, an alternate version of a H. G. Wells book. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau has a different setting, Silvia's native Mexico, and includes a few historical people and events. But the true star is Carlota, another in a long line of strong-willed women Silvia always includes. Highly recommended.

7/7/22 - Robert Holdstock's Mythago Wood began as a novelette in 1981, then expanded to novel length three years later. Many printings over the years, including a new one from Tor Essentials coming out next week. It's very good. Highly recommended.

6/27/22 - Robert Jackson Bennett's Founders Trilogy comes to a (somewhat) satisfactory conclusion with Locklands. I'm pleased with some things, frustrated about others. The trilogy as a whole is still recommended.

6/18/22 - The opening chapters of Michael Bishop's 1979 novel Transfigurations are from a previously published novella, although I'm not sure if they were edited or revised. It's anthropological SF, with aliens that are truly alien, as repellent as they are fascinating. Recommended.

6/8/22 - Mammoths of the Great Plains is a novella by Eleanor Arnason, finalist for several awards, included in a short book in the PM Press Outspoken Author series. Along with the novella, I mention an essay she wrote, along with an interview by series editor Terry Bisson. The story is very good, the other commentary interesting, even if I might not agree with several things.

6/7/22 - Eleanor Arnason's A Woman of the Iron People is an exciting first contact story, in which the aliens probably have as much to teach the humans as the other way around. Highly recommended.

5/30/22 - Samit Basu's The City Inside is not a new novel. It was published two years ago in India under the title Chosen Spirits. Since it is several years old, and I can't find any info on a potential sequel, my frustration with the book is strong. Interesting characters, all too believable scenarios, but hardly any resolution to multiple story lines.

5/24/22 - Up Against It was published in 2011 under the pseudonym M. J. Locke, but has recently been reissued under the author's real name, Laura J. Mixon. I read the original, which is very good and recommended, but I don't know how many revisions the new edition might have had.

5/12/22 - The concluding volume of Premee Mohamed's series that began with Beneath the Rising is in some ways better than what came before, although the ending of The Void Ascendant was not what I expected. Still highly recommended, which applies to the whole series, and I can't wait to see what Premee creates next.

4/26/22 - Nghi Vo's second novel, Siren Queen, comes out May 10, but I got an ARC from Edelweiss. I loved it, and it gets a very enthusiastic recommendation.

4/10/22 - It's difficult to know where and when the myths of King Arthur began. Each version has cribbed notes from earlier ones, sometimes names and events are slightly different. I haven't read that many of them, but I'm assuming some of Nicola Griffith's new novel, Spear, comes from research for this story, as well as her earlier novel Hild, and its upcoming sequel. I think it's safe to say the main character here is her own invention. Beautifully lyrical prose, intricately described action, a strong and resilient protagonist. Excellent all around.

3/29/22 - The second book in Sylvain Neuvel's Take Them To The Stars series is better than the first. Until the Last of Me was published today, but I finished it last night, thanks to an ARC from Edelweiss.

3/17/22 - The Expanse book series is complete. The final novella, The Sins of Our Fathers, is set immediately after the main action from the previous novel, but long before its epilogue. The entire series is still highly recommended.

3/13/22 - Delany's The Atheist in the Attic is non-SF, although one part of it relates to the genre. Short but powerful, and recommended.

2/28/22 - Samuel R. Delany's The Fall of the Towers trilogy has a long history, with multiple revisions through many editions. It comprises the second-fourth of his books ever published. Beginning in 1963 with a short novel (or novella) that was later expanded and retitled. Each has been published separately, but the trilogy is still short by most standards. It has some interesting parts, but is ultimately disappointing.

2/13/22 - Reclaim the Stars is an orignal anthology edited by Zoraida Córdova, who also contributes a story. All the authors are Latin American, either still living in their native countries, or part of the diaspora. Zoraida was born in Ecuador but currently lives in Queens, New York. I was not familiar with most of them, but their work is recommended.

1/31/22 - Gene Wolfe's third novel, The Devil in a Forest, would be a good introduction for most readers. It has minimal fantastic elements, and is basically a juvenile tale set in medieval Europe, although some of the characters may be based on English stories.

1/28/22 - Tochi Onyebuchi's first adult novel is good, but also confusing, and also brutal and traumatic at times. Goliath came out this past Tuesday, although I started it before then since I got an ARC from Edelweiss. Recommended, but with caveats.

1/22/22 - Gene Wolfe's second novel, Peace, is exceptionally better than his first. It has more in common with Cerberus, but only in style, not content. It can be read as a straight memoir, or if you look hard enough you can see a bit of fantasy, possibly horror. Still confusing on the third reading, but still highly recommended.

1/13/22 - Compared to Operation ARES, the three linked novellas in Wolfe's The Fifth Head of Cerberus read as if by a completely different writer. Still one of my favorites, and very highly recommended.

1/9/22 - To put it bluntly, Gene Wolfe's first novel, Operation ARES, is not recommended.

1/3/22 - Becky Chambers' To Be Taught, If Fortunate is a mix of the best of old style Hard-SF, blended with the compassion of new sensibilities. Plenty of scientific rigor, but more character development than what most Golden Age authors gave us. Highly recommended.

1/1/22 - The first review of the new year is another by Nicola Griffith. Hild was a finalist for a Nebula, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, but it is not fantasy, and certainly not science fiction. It is speculative fiction though, since almost all of the events in the life of Hild was a fabrication of the author. It's very good.

12/18/21 - Nicola Griffith's Ammonite is one of the best debut novels I've ever read. While it is reminiscent of Le Guin in both style and content, it is still uniquely its own. Highly recommended.

12/6/21 - Back in July I reviewed two novellas I got through a Neon Hemlock Press Kickstarter campaign. Two more were published at the end of October, and I finally got to them. The better of the two is & This Is How To Stay Alive by Shingai Njeri Kagunda. The other is a gothic tale set in 1920s Oregon, The Secret Skin by Wendy N. Wagner, which is better in its prose style than its overall story.

12/3/21 - Over the last eleven months I have re-read all of the Expanse novels, novellas, and short stories, in preparation for the "finale" Leviathan Falls. The quotes indicate this is the end of the main story, but there will be another novella next March. There is an epilogue to the novel, set many years after the main action, so I have no idea what to expect from the novella tentatively titled "The Sins of Our Fathers." In spite of a few weak spots, I am satisfied with the conclusion, which in retrospect is exactly what should have been expected.

11/22/21 - The third book in Ken Liu's Dandelion Dynasty is The Veiled Throne. A very long book, with lots of good things to recommend it, but also many places where editing would have helped.

11/13/21 - Weston Ochse's A Hole in the World is another action packed military/supernatural adventure. A previous character recurs, and since this is apparently the start of another series, I gave the page the name of Preacher's Daughter (Saves the World).

11/10/21 - Unfortunately, I was disappointed with Tade Thompson's latest novel, Far from the Light of Heaven.

11/7/21 - Even Greater Mistakes is Charlie Jane Anders' second story collection, which includes three that had appeared in her first, very short collection in 2017. A lot of varied themes, but with similarities, with protagonists struggling against almost insurmountable odds in a chaotic world. Recommended.

10/31/21 - The Wall of Storms is the second book in Ken Liu's Dandelion Dynasty series. Longer than the first, it might have been better to split it into two books, if not more. I still think it's slightly better than the first book.

10/18/21 - Originally published in Spanish in 1994, Elia Barceló's Natural Consequences finally gets an English translation. It's marketed as a feminist story, and in some ways it is, in others I'm not sure she accomplished what she intended. I'll leave it to women to judge.

10/16/21 - Premee Mohamed's new novella, The Annual Migration of Clouds, is another post-apocalyptic tale, but as far as I could tell it's not connected to any of her others that I have read. No alien invasion, no cosmic horror, just the aftermath of climate catastrophe, with the added peril of an invasive parasite.

10/12/21 - It has been over five years since I first read and reviewed Ken Liu's The Grace of Kings. At that time I wasn't sure I wanted to continue the series, but I've changed my mind, although I'm not certain that was the right decision. I'll reserve judgment on that for now. I've re-read it, and created a new page under the banner of the collective name for the series, The Dandelion Dynasty.

10/5/21 - Cassandra Khaw's new novella, Nothing But Blackened Teeth, is a modern day haunted house story with ancient Japanese roots. As much a character study as a horror story, but it works as both, my only complaint being it's too short.

10/4/21 - Jennifer Marie Brissett's sophomore novel, Destroyer of Light, could be considered a sequel to her first book, but there's enough difference in the way the aliens are described to make it an alternate take. The first book was set on Earth, this is on another planet the remnants of humanity have fled to. It's complicated and confusing, told in a non-linear fashion, but if you have the patience you'll be rewarded with a powerful story of perseverance and hope.

9/29/21 - Alix E. Harrow's new novella, A Spindle Splintered, is the first in a series with the collective title Fractured Fables. Slightly predictable, but still enjoyable reworking of Sleeping Beauty. Recommended.

9/21/21 - An update on a previously reviewed book series, as far as I know nothing new added, but the Tensorate series, four different novellas, still available on their own, now gets an omnibus edition. I also needed to update the cover images, since the author has changed their publishing name to Neon Yang (formerly JY Yang).

9/19/21 - I finally caught up with the most recent book in S. L. Huang's Cas Russell series, published almost a year and a half ago. Critical Point is another fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled adventure with the specially talented (in more ways than one) 'retrieval' expert, tasked with solving the kidnapping of her sometimes partner, ex-cop Arthur Tresting. Recommended.

9/14/21 - All the various elements in Light From Uncommon Stars might not have worked from another author, but Ryka Aoki pulls them all together in remarkable fashion. A mix of science fiction, fantasy, a bit of horror, combined with ruminations on music, fate, and responsibility to oneself and to others. Highly recommended.

9/10/21 - Black Stars is a group of six Amazon Original Stories, available only for Kindle at this time. Not an anthology per se, since they are available separately, either free for Prime readers, or 99¢ each for everyone else. They do share a theme though; Black people confronting society, the world, all of space and time, to combat ever-present oppression. They range from good to excellent, and I'm not sure I could pick an overall favorite. Recommended.

9/7/21 - Cadwell Turnbull's sophomore novel, No Gods, No Monsters is the beginning of a new series, so I gave the review page the collective name, the Convergence Saga. Recommended.

8/29/21 - Cassandra Khaw's debut novel, The All-Consuming World, is a fast paced blend of cyberpunk and space opera. Interesting concept, but confusing and unsatisfactory exposition. It's like a high speed auto chase, except it's not firing on all cylinders.

8/22/21 - Jennifer Marie Brissett's debut novel, 2014's Elysium, can be interpreted different ways. It's either a corrupted computer sequence relating events of an alien invasion of Earth, or it could simply be a series of dreams. Either way, it's very good, while still confusing and challenging. Recommended.

8/8/21 - Tade Thompson's Wormwood Trilogy comes to a satisfactory conclusion in The Rosewater Redemption. I'll be thinking about it a long time, including some scenarios that could happen in this world's future, even though I doubt the author will revisit it. Highly recommended, and that goes for the complete series.

8/3/21 - Report From Planet Midnight is a too-short collection from Nalo Hopkinson. Part of PM Press's Outspoken Author series, the non-fiction is even more important than the fiction, just two stories, both of which appeared in a later collection.

8/2/21 - Zen Cho's Black Water Sister is set in Penang, Malaysia, and based on common religious customs there. Tense, exciting, informative, with a great lead character, struggling to find her way in the world.

7/28/21 - Shelley Parker-Chan's debut novel, She Who Became the Sun, is a well-written, exciting historical fantasy, based on the beginnings of the Ming Dynasty, but with a twist beyond the fantasy elements. It's the first in a proposed duology knows as the Radiant Emperor. I liked parts of it, but grew discouraged by all the ruthless machinations by almost everyone, and even those who weren't ruthless went along with those who were.

7/23/21 - Two reviews of new novellas today, both from Neon Hemlock Press. Premee Mohamed's And What Can We Offer You Tonight, and E. Catherine Tobler's The Necessity of Stars. Both are recommended.

7/22/21 - The conclusion to the Bitch Queen series, The Dragon of Jin-Sayeng, was a disappointment, but that may have more to do with epic fantasy just not being my thing rather than the quality of the book. As in all things, YMMV.

7/15/21 - The second book in K. S. Villoso's Chronicles of the Bitch Queen is The Ikessar Falcon. Not as good as the first, but mainly due to issues of pacing and repetitive action. Still good.

7/9/21 - Nalo Hopkinson's first story collection was 2001's Skin Folk. Three of the stories were award finalists on their own, the collection winning the World Fantasy Award and the Sunburst. I would have arranged them in a different order, saving the best for last, but other readers might like some that didn't have as much of an impact on me. Regardless of the order, it's still a powerful collection, highly recommended.

7/5/21 - The conclusion of the Protectorate trilogy is Catalyst Gate. Not as good as the second book, but its faults are more about the execution and pacing rather than the plot. The whole series is still highly recommended.

6/30/21 - The second book in Megan E. O'Keefe's Protectorate trilogy is Chaos Vector. It's twice as good as the first book, one of the best SF adventures I've read in quite a while.

6/21/21 - Silvia Moreno-Garcia's latest is The Return of the Sorceress, a sword and sorcery novella. It was announced for June 30, but Subterranean Press shipped early. E-books will be available at the end of the month. Recommended.

6/19/21 - Becky Chambers starts a new series with the novella "A Psalm for the Wild-Built." The series name is Monk and Robot. I recommend it, and I look forward to more adventures with Sibling Dex and Splendid Speckled Mosscap.

6/18/21 - Nalo Hopkinson's most recent novel, 2013's Sister Mine, won the Andre Norton Award for Best Young Adult Novel, although it has several adult themes. It is very, very good. Highly recommended.

6/12/21 - I cannot recommend Rosel George Brown's Sibyl Sue Blue, originally published in 1966, but getting a reprint this year. Her life story is intriguing enough that I may be reading some of her short stories, and if so I may review them too. I have no idea when that might happen though.

6/10/21 - Jeff VanderMeer's latest novel, Hummingbird Salamander, follows several of his frequent interests, the most prominent being environmental activism. Instead of the hallucinatory nature of the Southern Reach or Dead Astronauts, this is more of an eco-thriller, although it's not straight-forward. The narrator is the quintessence of unreliability, and so is the person who sends her down the rabbit hole.

5/31/21 - C. L. Polk's The Midnight Bargain is up for a Nebula. Unfortunately, I don't think it's worthy of that honor.

5/29/21 - Katherine Addison's The Witness for the Dead is billed as a stand-alone sequel to The Goblin Emperor. I think it can be appreciated by those who haven't read the previous book. I liked it, and can recommend it, whereas my opinion of Goblin is far less positive than the consensus.

5/19/21 - Soulstar concludes C. L. Polk's Kingston Cycle. It's another complicated, multi-layered mystery, laced with political chicanery and magic. I'd welcome a return to this world, but all the major issues are resolved. Highly recommended.

5/16/21 - I finally got around to the second book in C. L. Polk's Kingston Cycle. I re-read the first one and made a few minor edits to that review, so the link is for both. The conclusion will be my next read.

5/12/21 - Nalo Hopkinson's fifth novel, The ChaOs, is a lot like a fever dream, or a bad acid trip. As with a lot of dreams, events are interesting while they are happening, but they don't make much sense, and they don't leave a lasting impression.

5/9/21 - S. B. Divya's debut novel, Machinehood, is a fast-paced adventure in a near future transformed by advanced robotics and bio-engineering. The technology is just the icing; as with a lot of the best SF, it's the characters that make the story. Highly recommended.

5/6/21 - In year's past, Nghi Vo's debut novel, The Chosen and the Beautiful, would have been considered fan fiction. But The Great Gatsby is now in the public domain, and this might be just the first of many other writers' take on the characters and themes. I don't care what you think of Fitzgerald's book, this is much, much better.

4/29/21 - I'm not the sort to say all characters have to be sympathetic, but it doesn't help when the main character continually does and says things that are objectionable. She's not completely unredeemable, and I did like a lot of other things about Nalo Hopkinson's The New Moon's Arms.

4/26/21 - As many times as I've said I prefer standalone novels, or at least not long series, I am truly sorry that The Galaxy, and the Ground Within is the last of Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series. Four books, each unique, with different characters and different settings, but all combine into a comprehensive look at a complex construct of multi-species cooperation (and sometimes conflict). Highly recommended.

4/23/21 - Sarah Pinsker's second novel, We Are Satellites, is good, but not as good as her first. The concept is not that unique, there are some interesting characters, but too many plot holes and things left unresolved for a book I assume was intended as a standalone.

4/20/21 - A Master of Djinn is the first novel from P. Djèlí Clark, a return to his alternate history of Cairo in 1912 that began with the 2016 novelette, "A Dead Djinn in Cairo." A fascinating multi-layered mystery. Highly recommended.

4/16/21 - Rivers Solomon's third book, Sorrowland, is a combination of many genres; gothic thriller, horror, fantasy, science fiction, etc, etc. It begins with a fifteen-year-old runaway from a religious cult giving birth to twins in remote woods. After four years alone in those woods Vern decides it's time to venture back into the wider world. Their journey is fraught with peril, pursuit never far behind, but also with occasional allies. One thing this story is NOT is predictable. Recommended.

4/4/21 - Sarah Gailey's The Echo Wife is about more than just cloning. Identity and memory, the nature/nurture debate, and psychological and physical abuse. It's good, and I give it a reserved recommendation, in spite of several lapses in logic.

3/31/21 - Martha Wells returns to novella length for the latest Murderbot adventure, Fugitive Telemetry. Another mystery that taxes Murderbot's considerable talents, but it proves it is a thorough investigator. Recommended.

3/29/21 - It seems Premee Mohamed's debut novel, Beneath the Rising, was not a stand-alone after all, but I feel confident the story concludes in its follow-up, A Broken Darkness. If not, a third book should prove as unpredictable as the first two.

3/21/21 - I'm decades past the target demo for Charlie Jane Anders' new YA space opera, Victories Greater Than Death, but I still enjoyed it a lot. There is tragedy, death, destruction, but also hopeful optimism, in a story that might remind you of Guardians of the Galaxy, The Last Starfighter, or the Wayward Children book series by Seanan McGuire. Recommended.

3/11/21 - Nalo Hopkinson's third novel, The Salt Roads, was a multiple award finalist. If follows the plights of three women in different eras and locales, all of whom are struggling towards freedom. The prose is more direct, less of the Haitian Creole dialect than in her first two, and as such perhaps more accessible. Recommended.

3/6/21 - Alejandro Jodorowsky's Where the Bird Sings Best might be considered a memoir, a history of his family, but it has to be mostly fictional. And surreal. And violent. The latter is the reason I can't recommend it, although there are some good things about it.

2/22/21 - Becky Chambers' third Wayfarers novel, Record of a Spaceborn Few, continues the character-driven, contemplative narrative, this time from the perspective of several characters within the Exodus Fleet. I loved it, another 5 star read, highly recommended.

2/16/21 - The second novel by newly named SFWA Grand Master Nalo Hopkinson was Midnight Robber from 2000. As with her first, I originally had trouble with the Creole patois, but found reading out loud helped a lot. It's one that may have worked better in audio form. It is recommended, but comes with trigger warnings for physical and emotional abuse, and rape.

2/9/21 - Premee Mohamed's These Lifeless Things is the first novella from the new Solaris Satellites imprint from Rebellion Publishing. It's good, recommended, but also a bit confusing. It's possible the narrator(s) are unreliable. I need to read it again as soon as possible.

2/7/21 - I re-read last year's Hugo winner, A Memory Called Empire, which I consider a brilliant novel. That might be why I didn't like the second in the series as much, but A Desolation Called Peace is still very good.

1/29/21 - I should have been able to finish Aliette de Bodard's new novella, Fireheart Tiger, in just a few hours, but I kept finding other things to do besides read. It's the first of her stories to disappoint, although I know it will appeal to many other readers.

1/25/21 - The second book in the Wayfarers saga is A Closed and Common Orbit, which I had previously reviewed four years ago. I edited that to correct some statements I had made without knowledge of the first book. I liked it just as much, maybe more, the second time. Highly recommended.

1/20/21 - The first three books in Becky Chambers' Wayfarers won the Best Series Hugo in 2019. I had read the second book out of sequence when it was a Hugo finalist on its own in 2017. I finally got around to the first one, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, and have deleted comments on the second book for now, pending edits after a re-read, which I started last night. I plan to read the third one next month, and the fourth, reportedly the conclusion, will be out in April.

1/15/21 - Another instance of a book taking much longer than it should have, and for the same reasons. The Best of R. A. Lafferty is a relatively short book, 22 stories in less than 300 pages, but it seemed so much longer. Some very good stories, some very frustrating ones too.

1/8/21 - Entirely too long since the last book review, even beyond how long it took to re-read the first Expanse novel. But a lot has been going on in the world and personal life to distract me, and it didn't help that I didn't like Sylvain Neuvel's A History of What Comes Next as much as I'd hoped. The beginning of yet another series, but my interest in the sequels is low at this time.

12/26/20 - The Vanished Birds is the debut novel from Simon Jimenez. It starts off brilliantly, but there are a few later disappointments, which would involve spoilers to explain. It gets a reserved recommendation.

12/22/20 - Susanna Clarke's second novel, Piranesi, is quite different from her first, but no less fascinating. I "read" it in audio format, but I wish I had it in print because I'd like to re-read right away. Highly recommended.

12/20/20 - José Luis Zárate's The Route of Ice & Salt was originally published in 1998, in Spanish by a small Mexican press hoping to establish a market for native speculative fiction authors. That effort was not successful, and while the story later got a French translation, this is its first appearance in English, thanks to an Indiegogo campaign spearheaded by Silvia Moreno-Garcia for her independent Innsmouth Free Press. It's a retelling of Dracula's journey to England on the Demeter, full of literary metaphors and queer desire.

12/19/20 - Nnedi Okorafor's Remote Control is another novella from Tor, a combination of science fiction and fantasy set in near-future Ghana. A young girl is infected with a substance from an alien artifact, and the powers she manifests inspires her nickname, the "Adopted Daughter of the Angel of Death." It's possible there will be more stories in the sequence, but it's complete enough to stand on its own.

12/18/20 - Across the Green Grass Fields is the sixth story in Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series, but it could easily act as an introduction. It follows one girl into her portal world, which is sort of a cross between Wonderland and Oz, with no mention of Eleanor West's school or any of the other children we've met so far. It also ends abruptly as Regan returns to her old house. I'd welcome further stories about her. Recommended.

12/15/20 - Kim Stanley Robinson's The Ministry for the Future is among the best I've read this year, although I acknowledge its appeal will be limited.

12/8/20 - Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle continues in the second novella, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain. The title refers to the legendary Ho Thi Thao, a shape-shifting tiger who falls in love with a human woman. The woman reciprocates. Beautiful, lyrical, heart-warming, but not without a few chills and frights along the way. Recommended.

12/6/20 - Come Tumbling Down is the fifth novella in Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series. Unfortunately it is my least favorite so far, but that doesn't mean I'm not recommending it, since I'm sure it could be someone else's favorite. As in all things, YMMV.

12/5/20 - According to available information, Leigh Brackett was the first woman to be a finalist for a Best Novel Hugo, for 1955's The Long Tomorrow. It's a decent novel with a few limitations, but infinitely better than her recent Retro Hugo winner.

12/2/20 - I started on the Vorkosigan Saga in January. Sixteen novels, five novellas, and one story/essay collection later, I come to the end (for now) with my thoughts on Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen. As happened a few other times, it wasn't necessarily the book I wanted to read, but I still enjoyed it, and until she writes anything else, I can entertain my own thoughts about adventures left to be explored.

11/28/20 - Leigh Brackett's Shadow Over Mars won the 1945 Retro Hugo for Best Novel, presented this year, 75 years after it would have been eligible if the Hugos existed when it was published. It's bad, really, really bad. Don't bother with it. The Kindle book was just 99¢ and that was too much.

11/26/20 - Starting a new page with the fourth of Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children stories, In an Absent Dream. Very good and recommended.

11/22/20 - The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a novella by Nghi Vo, set in a land reminiscent of imperial China, although I can't say what era or dynasty it might be based on, or if it's completely original to the author. There will be at least one sequel, due in two weeks, and the collective title is The Singing Hills Cycle

11/22/20 - Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell won the Hugo and a raft of other awards, and was finalist for many more. It is very long, very complex, very, very good. Highly recommended.