Tag Archives: fantasy

Deborah Hewitt’s debut novel 'The Nightjar' imagines “another London, a magical world hidden behind the bustling modern city we know.” This world draws on the folkloric tradition of the “soul-bird” that carries the souls of the dead to the Underworld. But I struggled throughout to connect the book’s real-world setting and characters with the mythological elements that form the foundation of this otherwise entertaining fantasy novel.

Are you interested in reading a 20-page sex scene between an angel and a merman? If your answer is no, this is not the book for you.

Still going strong at age 78, Peter S. Beagle's version of fantasy is a whimsical one, though he never descends into farce. He takes his characters seriously, even if the reader cannot help but chuckle at their misadventures. Beagle’s charms have not worn off.

V.E. Schwab returns to form in the third book of her Shades of Magic series. A Conjuring of Light picks up at the cliffhanger ending of A Gathering of Shadows (2016). I was a little let down by the slow pace, light tone and abrupt end to Gathering, but Conjuring recaptures the, ahem, magic from series debut, A Darker Shade of Magic (2015).

'The Twilight Zone' proves to be an unexpected but rich sourcebook of life lessons. Author Mark Dawidziak has done a splendid job of distilling those lessons in this entertaining, illuminating book.

The fight to assert one's humanity drives the narrative in 'The Obelisk Gate.' It is not merely a political aspiration but a deeply personal one, making the 'Broken Earth' series never feel polemical. N.K. Jemisin’s characters aren’t symbols; they are complex and conflicted human beings who want only to live in peace. But in the Stillness, as in the real world, sometimes you have to fight for peace.

The prolific Jo Walton returns with a sequel to 'The Just City' and 'The Philosopher Kings.' 'Necessity' completes the saga of gods and philosophers seeking to make Plato’s 'Republic' a reality. While it has an entertaining storyline, it is a missed opportunity in an otherwise exemplary and thought-provoking trilogy.

As with any anthology, the quality of the stories in 'Dead Letters' is uneven, and there are some flubbed endings. But on the whole, the all-star writers who contributed to this volume do indeed deliver.

I have been waiting with anticipation for the follow-up to Rjurik Davidson’s strikingly original debut, Unwrapped Sky (2014), and The Stars Askew does not disappoint. The “young master of the New Weird” fleshes out his wonderfully bizarre world, a world that blends familiar elements of history and mythology in unique ways.

'Game of Thrones' has an element of cultural and political subtext that’s one of the main elements that make the show so great and why it’s such a timely and relevant parable in this era of ours.

The pace of 'A Gathering of Shadows' is slow up until the final pages when we get, in V.E. Schwab’s words, “the dreaded cliffhanger.” This makes it difficult to assess 'A Gathering of Shadows' for we won't know whether Schwab succeeded or failed until (at least) the third book in the series. But I’m certainly going to read it to find out.

My ability to recommend 'The Final Programme' is dependent on your familiarity with Michael Moorcock’s work. If you already know Elric of Melniboné or Duke Dorian Hawkmoon, you’ll enjoy analyzing Jerry Cornelius as another aspect of the Eternal Champion. But if this is your first visit to the Multiverse, start with Melniboné first.

'All the Birds in the Sky' features compelling characters working through complex problems and emotions. Charlie Jane Anders sometimes struggles to find the right tone, and the novel’s sillier parts feel out of synch with the apocalyptic conclusion. But on the whole, this is a thought-provoking marriage of fantasy and science fiction that sheds light on the real-world problem of environmental degradation.

Despite some flaws, 'Sword Coast Legends' is one of the funnest RPGs to be released of late and provides an immersive D&D experience. It won't (and can't) replace your tabletop sessions, though.

In 'Star Wars Psychology,' Travis Langley and the PsychGeeks use the Lucas/Disney franchise to shine some light on the human mind's dark side. And the light.