C. J. Daley
I received this novella to judge for the SFINCS semi-finals. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I wish this was available in paperback!
This is a sapphic vampire novella that features a likable, yet somewhat despicable main character. Anna is a vampire, over 500 years old, and she finds it best to salve her hunger with the blood of truly despicable people. Her infiltration of CEO Peter Beyer’s company has led her to an employee retreat. She doesn’t intend to let them leave.
I really enjoyed this. It is both a new take on vampires while still holding onto that classic feel. Vampires are day-walkers, the nocturnal antics only a rumor put out to confuse. So Anna sunbathes while reading a book by the pool, yet she still feels like a classic vampire stalking her prey.
For me, I would say this is horror first, with its graphic violence and descriptions. And honestly this just read as really grounded for a huge chunk of it. Anna’s choices in dinner felt kind of like Dexter meets vampirism. But with the vampire heightened strength and speed, as well as the hunters, it still has that urban fantasy feel to it.
The sapphic angle shows Anna finding herself propelled towards Saira. There is in-scene explicit ‘spice,’ which you may know is not my cup of tea, but with the heightened senses and lust, I did feel like it read as warranted for this one. The two of them together feels real, the author does a great job making the reader feel how drawn to each other they are and honestly, I didn’t even think far enough ahead to see the twist.
Overall, this was fast, fun, and a bloody good time. Anna’s use of someone else’s arm as not only a weapon, but a shield in some causes was my favorite part. Personally a 4.5/5*
I received this novella to judge for the SFINCS semi-finals. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I wish this was available in paperback!
This is a sapphic vampire novella that features a likable, yet somewhat despicable main character. Anna is a vampire, over 500 years old, and she finds it best to salve her hunger with the blood of truly despicable people. Her infiltration of CEO Peter Beyer’s company has led her to an employee retreat. She doesn’t intend to let them leave.
I really enjoyed this. It is both a new take on vampires while still holding onto that classic feel. Vampires are day-walkers, the nocturnal antics only a rumor put out to confuse. So Anna sunbathes while reading a book by the pool, yet she still feels like a classic vampire stalking her prey.
For me, I would say this is horror first, with its graphic violence and descriptions. And honestly this just read as really grounded for a huge chunk of it. Anna’s choices in dinner felt kind of like Dexter meets vampirism. But with the vampire heightened strength and speed, as well as the hunters, it still has that urban fantasy feel to it.
The sapphic angle shows Anna finding herself propelled towards Saira. There is in-scene explicit ‘spice,’ which you may know is not my cup of tea, but with the heightened senses and lust, I did feel like it read as warranted for this one. The two of them together feels real, the author does a great job making the reader feel how drawn to each other they are and honestly, I didn’t even think far enough ahead to see the twist.
Overall, this was fast, fun, and a bloody good time. Anna’s use of someone else’s arm as not only a weapon, but a shield in some causes was my favorite part. Personally a 4.5/5*
I believe this is one of the first books released in the same style as the Christopher Tolkien ones post his death. Which of course, still features massive contributions from his life’s work.
In the same vein as Christopher’s work, this sets out to give a straight-forward linear storyline for the falling of Númenor. It also does a really good job taking the reader through the early history of Sauron. It does not seek to overwrite, or undo previous works. As with the other works taken from The Silmarillion and Appendices, it does read similarly to a textbook in places, but doing audio from Brian Sibley and Samuel West made it very digestible. Personally for me, hearing pieces from each that are featured elsewhere just really helps my understanding, as it can be really dense.
This has a beautiful wrapped artwork for the dust jacket (Alan Lee of course), a ribbon bookmark, beautiful interior artwork as well as some nice smaller chapter headers and footers. It has a great quality naked hardcover wrap too, a fantastic edition for a Tolkien collector.
One thing I’d love to highlight is how perfectly this cover matches the depiction shown in The Rings of Power show…I mean spot on. Obviously it comes from the text itself anyway, but when so much else gets changed…it’s just cool. The storyline really goes to show just how much they could do with the show itself. There’s so much going on in the appendices and this edition is the proof.
I believe this is one of the first books released in the same style as the Christopher Tolkien ones post his death. Which of course, still features massive contributions from his life’s work.
In the same vein as Christopher’s work, this sets out to give a straight-forward linear storyline for the falling of Númenor. It also does a really good job taking the reader through the early history of Sauron. It does not seek to overwrite, or undo previous works. As with the other works taken from The Silmarillion and Appendices, it does read similarly to a textbook in places, but doing audio from Brian Sibley and Samuel West made it very digestible. Personally for me, hearing pieces from each that are featured elsewhere just really helps my understanding, as it can be really dense.
This has a beautiful wrapped artwork for the dust jacket (Alan Lee of course), a ribbon bookmark, beautiful interior artwork as well as some nice smaller chapter headers and footers. It has a great quality naked hardcover wrap too, a fantastic edition for a Tolkien collector.
One thing I’d love to highlight is how perfectly this cover matches the depiction shown in The Rings of Power show…I mean spot on. Obviously it comes from the text itself anyway, but when so much else gets changed…it’s just cool. The storyline really goes to show just how much they could do with the show itself. There’s so much going on in the appendices and this edition is the proof.
I saw a fellow FanFiAddict reviewer post this one and saw the Josh Malerman’s Bird Box comparison. So I was incredibly excited to start it when I was approved through NetGalley for the audiobook. The narration by the author is pretty perfect honestly.
This story has many threads that can be drawn to the Covid pandemic, however, it is taken a step further in almost every aspect, so as to be it’s own thing. (Don’t worry Covid novel haters, it’s really not one!).
It is however, featuring a mysterious virus that seemingly turns normal, everyday humans, into angry, murderous versions of who they once were. Women, men, and children of all varieties fall victim to the virus. Wives, husbands, sons and daughters. Moms and dads. Coworkers and strangers. All they seem to know is that it spreads through eye contact. It has broken down society in every form.
I will say the audiobook version says, “The Last of Us meets Bird Box,” which maybe they meant the violence of TLOU, but it made me think (fungal-)zombies instead, which this is not. And although Bird Box is most definitely a good comparison, I didn’t find this one to hit its stride in the same way BB does with suspenseful-ness. However this one is a novella, not a full length novel.
Riley has survived. She lives in a somewhat secluded area, ordering what she needs, and always has it set to contactless delivery. Even though these are becoming less and less frequent, so far she’s made do, for years. But when a new neighbor, Ellis, introduces himself, her entire world has to shift. He wants to be friends, he doesn’t stay away, and seemingly worst of all, he makes her comfortable.
As their relationship and their visits continue, Riley finds herself unraveling—spiraling as she has to wonder just what it would be like to look. The more tempting it gets, the more unhinged she becomes. This was a good examination of isolation, especially when it hinges on the unknown and fear. Personally a 4/5*
I saw a fellow FanFiAddict reviewer post this one and saw the Josh Malerman’s Bird Box comparison. So I was incredibly excited to start it when I was approved through NetGalley for the audiobook. The narration by the author is pretty perfect honestly.
This story has many threads that can be drawn to the Covid pandemic, however, it is taken a step further in almost every aspect, so as to be it’s own thing. (Don’t worry Covid novel haters, it’s really not one!).
It is however, featuring a mysterious virus that seemingly turns normal, everyday humans, into angry, murderous versions of who they once were. Women, men, and children of all varieties fall victim to the virus. Wives, husbands, sons and daughters. Moms and dads. Coworkers and strangers. All they seem to know is that it spreads through eye contact. It has broken down society in every form.
I will say the audiobook version says, “The Last of Us meets Bird Box,” which maybe they meant the violence of TLOU, but it made me think (fungal-)zombies instead, which this is not. And although Bird Box is most definitely a good comparison, I didn’t find this one to hit its stride in the same way BB does with suspenseful-ness. However this one is a novella, not a full length novel.
Riley has survived. She lives in a somewhat secluded area, ordering what she needs, and always has it set to contactless delivery. Even though these are becoming less and less frequent, so far she’s made do, for years. But when a new neighbor, Ellis, introduces himself, her entire world has to shift. He wants to be friends, he doesn’t stay away, and seemingly worst of all, he makes her comfortable.
As their relationship and their visits continue, Riley finds herself unraveling—spiraling as she has to wonder just what it would be like to look. The more tempting it gets, the more unhinged she becomes. This was a good examination of isolation, especially when it hinges on the unknown and fear. Personally a 4/5*
I received this novella to judge for the SFINCS semi-finals. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I did also happen to purchase this in paperback, as I prefer to read physical, and I liked the cover.
This is a scifi/fantasy novel that features a war between humans, an alien race, and AI-led humanoids. Within that, two of our main characters, Ren and Izuna, come to blows over questioned honor drawn from their Japanese heritage. They meet throughout the Far West in space and come to continuous blows in katana led-combat. Through the years, each see various wins and setbacks, which does nothing but spur on their rivalry. Ren even has an true obsession with her and their ability to continue fighting.
Outside this rivalry, the world is interesting and unique. The characters feel real. Even though Ren misses out on other parts of life, his obsession with their rivalry brings something to life within him that he so often lacks: choice. They choose to fight, to risk harm. They choose to be this way. So when Izuna is in danger, Ren immediately volunteers to help…he can’t risk losing their fights, their chances to feel alive.
There is a setting with carriages that does feel very fantasy western, but with the samurai references, and katana fights, I feel like mentally I leaned more into that aspect.
I will say, there was definitely an explicit scene that I would label as sexual assault. I can’t really think of why this would have added to, or aided, the story, so it was very jarring to the experience, outside of which was quite enjoyable. Personally a 3/5*
I received this novella to judge for the SFINCS semi-finals. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I did also happen to purchase this in paperback, as I prefer to read physical, and I liked the cover.
This is a scifi/fantasy novel that features a war between humans, an alien race, and AI-led humanoids. Within that, two of our main characters, Ren and Izuna, come to blows over questioned honor drawn from their Japanese heritage. They meet throughout the Far West in space and come to continuous blows in katana led-combat. Through the years, each see various wins and setbacks, which does nothing but spur on their rivalry. Ren even has an true obsession with her and their ability to continue fighting.
Outside this rivalry, the world is interesting and unique. The characters feel real. Even though Ren misses out on other parts of life, his obsession with their rivalry brings something to life within him that he so often lacks: choice. They choose to fight, to risk harm. They choose to be this way. So when Izuna is in danger, Ren immediately volunteers to help…he can’t risk losing their fights, their chances to feel alive.
There is a setting with carriages that does feel very fantasy western, but with the samurai references, and katana fights, I feel like mentally I leaned more into that aspect.
I will say, there was definitely an explicit scene that I would label as sexual assault. I can’t really think of why this would have added to, or aided, the story, so it was very jarring to the experience, outside of which was quite enjoyable. Personally a 3/5*
I received this one from NetGalley and this is actually one of two mammoth cloning books coming out this year!
This starts as a pretty typical eco-thriller, at least from my experience, but when the book has the elements of scifi mixed in, things truly take off. In a not-so far off future, computers can make a copy of your brain and conscious. One such conscious is the late expert in elephant behaviors, Dr. Damira Khismatullina. Not just a doctor, but a strict protector of the remaining elephant population, readers have to understand just how far some people will go to protect them. And when Russias newly cloned mammoths end up more like blubbering, stagnant copies then re-evolved miracles, they have to ask if they can imbed the doctor’s conscious into one of the mammoths in the hopes that she can teach them to survive and have future generations be born with intact instincts.
All of the above alone should be enough to entice a scifi or eco reader to grab at this one. But unfortunately for me, the other parts of the book were kind of a confusing blend of “what?” That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this, because I did enjoy more than I disliked, I just found there to be issues.
To be honest, I did start this one on a long drive right after finishing a much longer story that I really loved. As a novella, this one didn’t last long enough for me to connect past that initial changing of setting and characters. So the “tense eco-thriller” promised in the blurb didn’t hit for me, as I really didn’t find this thrilling.
The messages behind the not-so distant future worked for me, as well as the continued greed of humanity with high priced mammoth hunting, but there was a decent amount that was simply flat for me. Personally a 3/5* for me.
I received this one from NetGalley and this is actually one of two mammoth cloning books coming out this year!
This starts as a pretty typical eco-thriller, at least from my experience, but when the book has the elements of scifi mixed in, things truly take off. In a not-so far off future, computers can make a copy of your brain and conscious. One such conscious is the late expert in elephant behaviors, Dr. Damira Khismatullina. Not just a doctor, but a strict protector of the remaining elephant population, readers have to understand just how far some people will go to protect them. And when Russias newly cloned mammoths end up more like blubbering, stagnant copies then re-evolved miracles, they have to ask if they can imbed the doctor’s conscious into one of the mammoths in the hopes that she can teach them to survive and have future generations be born with intact instincts.
All of the above alone should be enough to entice a scifi or eco reader to grab at this one. But unfortunately for me, the other parts of the book were kind of a confusing blend of “what?” That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this, because I did enjoy more than I disliked, I just found there to be issues.
To be honest, I did start this one on a long drive right after finishing a much longer story that I really loved. As a novella, this one didn’t last long enough for me to connect past that initial changing of setting and characters. So the “tense eco-thriller” promised in the blurb didn’t hit for me, as I really didn’t find this thrilling.
The messages behind the not-so distant future worked for me, as well as the continued greed of humanity with high priced mammoth hunting, but there was a decent amount that was simply flat for me. Personally a 3/5* for me.
I received this novella to judge for the SFINCS semi-finals. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I did also happen to purchase this in paperback, as I prefer to read physical, and I liked the cover.
I want to start with what stuck out to me. My main point of contention is that one of the two mains is referred to as ‘girl’ for the entire opening. The boy even saying that they were going to pull a ‘little girl’ out of her house. But then you find out that she’s actually about 19, older than the boy, so it was just confusing wording and stuck out to me as jarring.
With that being said, throughout the story they remain girl and boy. I thought it was a nice decision, because as monsters, their life is basically forfeited the moment they’re found out. Therefore, their true selves, their chances, their mistakes and hopes, cease to be. Their families even do away with them.
The opening of this was incredible. Fast, mysterious, dangerous, daring. There’s a need to escape and the reader can feel it immediately. Such a quick hook into the reader. I was a little surprised at the lack of chapters, but it doesn’t really take anything away. For me, the opening with its sort of mutilation and animal horror, was the perfect blend of horror and fantasy notes.
I believe this was a well done examination on the loss of hope, and what happens when those that have lost it see a spark of it returning. It is quite bleak, but there are glimpses of warmth and happiness that carry the reader through. By the end you really do end up feeling so much for the two of them and what they’ve gone through.
Personally a 4/5*
I received this novella to judge for the SFINCS semi-finals. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team. I did also happen to purchase this in paperback, as I prefer to read physical, and I liked the cover.
I want to start with what stuck out to me. My main point of contention is that one of the two mains is referred to as ‘girl’ for the entire opening. The boy even saying that they were going to pull a ‘little girl’ out of her house. But then you find out that she’s actually about 19, older than the boy, so it was just confusing wording and stuck out to me as jarring.
With that being said, throughout the story they remain girl and boy. I thought it was a nice decision, because as monsters, their life is basically forfeited the moment they’re found out. Therefore, their true selves, their chances, their mistakes and hopes, cease to be. Their families even do away with them.
The opening of this was incredible. Fast, mysterious, dangerous, daring. There’s a need to escape and the reader can feel it immediately. Such a quick hook into the reader. I was a little surprised at the lack of chapters, but it doesn’t really take anything away. For me, the opening with its sort of mutilation and animal horror, was the perfect blend of horror and fantasy notes.
I believe this was a well done examination on the loss of hope, and what happens when those that have lost it see a spark of it returning. It is quite bleak, but there are glimpses of warmth and happiness that carry the reader through. By the end you really do end up feeling so much for the two of them and what they’ve gone through.
Personally a 4/5*
This is book five of The Inheritance Cycle, however it is not the book five that the author previously had in mind as one day coming out (aka hell yeah there’s still more). This also features the same story shown in The Fork, just from Murtagh’s perspective.
It’s only been a year since the end of the fourth book, and yet so much has happened and so many things are going on. Murtagh and Thorn are desperately searching for a path forward, in desperate need of figuring out who they are without the traumatic hand of Galbatorix overseeing them. Neither are sure if word has spread of their hand in bringing about the king’s end, so they travel on the very outskirts of society, camping out at night and constantly traveling. Murtagh keeps up his false identity we met in The Fork, but he just can’t help getting involved when things happen. This need, this desire to be good, this curiosity, is the impetus for everything that follows.
Paolini really pulled back the curtain with this one. Murtagh was the jaded, traumatized bad boy long before it was cool. And he doesn’t shy away from telling the reader just how horrible his time at Urû'baen was. From the memories of him as a child, living under the temperamental (at best) Morzan, to being bullied and overshadowed during court life, to his captivity and subsequent torture with Thorn. All while they were forced under oath. And don’t forget that Murtagh is only twenty at the end of the series! They really are just damaged boys. Beat down and trapped over and over again.
Sadly, for most of this new novel, that truth doesn’t change. Perhaps that’s just their lot in life (and Paolini does enjoy torturing us readers too). I will say again, kind of like my recently re-shared ‘review’ of Inheritance and the series in general, there was a part in this new one that involves a fish that had me shaking my head and wondering why I was reading about it. But again, the author reels it in and by the end you’re left not feeling like you’ve had enough. Each trial takes Murtagh and Thorn back through something that triggers a trauma, reliving the worst of their lives. And each time they must adapt, persevere, and fight back. They consistently claw their way out of the trouble they’ve walked into, and both end up way more dynamic for it.
Murtagh’s curiosity leads them down a path that involves a witch and her unruly cult. More than once they question if they should contact Nasuada, Eragon, or Arya so that they aren’t alone. Part anti-hero rashness, and part not knowing if they’ll be accepted by the others, they push on alone. This does not go well for them. There is even a part where Murtagh pushes a healing charm to Thorn’s nose that I could feel actual tears brewing. This witch makes a lot of heavy claims. Whether or not she’s telling the truth, or if those things come to pass, we may get to experience some things that make us say, “Galbatorix who?”
I really enjoyed that Paolini only has Murtagh use a handful of spells in the ancient language. He tends to get whatever he needs done, somehow, but it’s pointed out how he has quite large gaps in his education (unlike Eragon) and I felt like this was actually one of the author’s subtle ways of showing it. I feel like this book is half “Eragon ain’t the only dragon rider, I don’t need him,” and half “oh damn, we really should have called Eragon.” It’s hard to be the older brother.
I think it’s obvious that Paolini has clearly grown and learned a lot. The writing is powerful and each word is packed with meaning. Not only are his characters growing, but he has as well. His style still feels well within the world of Alagaësia, however I really wouldn’t tag this one as young adult at all. The themes are dark, the descriptions are brutal, and they have grown out of adolescence themselves. This was absolutely incredible, and I’m so excited that he’s stated he’s not running out of ideas anytime soon. Personally a 5/5*
This is book five of The Inheritance Cycle, however it is not the book five that the author previously had in mind as one day coming out (aka hell yeah there’s still more). This also features the same story shown in The Fork, just from Murtagh’s perspective.
It’s only been a year since the end of the fourth book, and yet so much has happened and so many things are going on. Murtagh and Thorn are desperately searching for a path forward, in desperate need of figuring out who they are without the traumatic hand of Galbatorix overseeing them. Neither are sure if word has spread of their hand in bringing about the king’s end, so they travel on the very outskirts of society, camping out at night and constantly traveling. Murtagh keeps up his false identity we met in The Fork, but he just can’t help getting involved when things happen. This need, this desire to be good, this curiosity, is the impetus for everything that follows.
Paolini really pulled back the curtain with this one. Murtagh was the jaded, traumatized bad boy long before it was cool. And he doesn’t shy away from telling the reader just how horrible his time at Urû'baen was. From the memories of him as a child, living under the temperamental (at best) Morzan, to being bullied and overshadowed during court life, to his captivity and subsequent torture with Thorn. All while they were forced under oath. And don’t forget that Murtagh is only twenty at the end of the series! They really are just damaged boys. Beat down and trapped over and over again.
Sadly, for most of this new novel, that truth doesn’t change. Perhaps that’s just their lot in life (and Paolini does enjoy torturing us readers too). I will say again, kind of like my recently re-shared ‘review’ of Inheritance and the series in general, there was a part in this new one that involves a fish that had me shaking my head and wondering why I was reading about it. But again, the author reels it in and by the end you’re left not feeling like you’ve had enough. Each trial takes Murtagh and Thorn back through something that triggers a trauma, reliving the worst of their lives. And each time they must adapt, persevere, and fight back. They consistently claw their way out of the trouble they’ve walked into, and both end up way more dynamic for it.
Murtagh’s curiosity leads them down a path that involves a witch and her unruly cult. More than once they question if they should contact Nasuada, Eragon, or Arya so that they aren’t alone. Part anti-hero rashness, and part not knowing if they’ll be accepted by the others, they push on alone. This does not go well for them. There is even a part where Murtagh pushes a healing charm to Thorn’s nose that I could feel actual tears brewing. This witch makes a lot of heavy claims. Whether or not she’s telling the truth, or if those things come to pass, we may get to experience some things that make us say, “Galbatorix who?”
I really enjoyed that Paolini only has Murtagh use a handful of spells in the ancient language. He tends to get whatever he needs done, somehow, but it’s pointed out how he has quite large gaps in his education (unlike Eragon) and I felt like this was actually one of the author’s subtle ways of showing it. I feel like this book is half “Eragon ain’t the only dragon rider, I don’t need him,” and half “oh damn, we really should have called Eragon.” It’s hard to be the older brother.
I think it’s obvious that Paolini has clearly grown and learned a lot. The writing is powerful and each word is packed with meaning. Not only are his characters growing, but he has as well. His style still feels well within the world of Alagaësia, however I really wouldn’t tag this one as young adult at all. The themes are dark, the descriptions are brutal, and they have grown out of adolescence themselves. This was absolutely incredible, and I’m so excited that he’s stated he’s not running out of ideas anytime soon. Personally a 5/5*