The Ministry Of Time, by Kaliane Bradley is, of the recent Sword & Laser picks, the most recent one I’ve finished as of this writing. It was an interesting read, but tonally it’s all over the place.
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It’s time for a book vlog for the month – this time a urban fantasy YA novel from a Nigerian-American author, Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Book Review: Akata Witch
I’m finally getting somewhat caught up on some of the more recent Sword & Laser book club picks – this time one of the first YA novels (that aren’t light novels) that I’ve read in a while – Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor.
Continue readingTime to get a review of another Sword & Laser Book Club pick – this time an epic fantasy novel with a very distinct storytelling style.
This week I’ve got a book review of one of the more recent Sword and Laser Book Club picks.
Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett puts a bit of weirdness into the urban fantasy genre. It’s not urban – not even close – it’s a very pastoral story. It’s not contemporary, being set in the 1800s. However, it’s definitely not heroic fantasy or horror, and certainly fits more into some elements of urban fantasy than it does to the other subgenres I’m familiar with. It’s also very enjoyable.
Continue readingIt’s time for another book review – as I take a look at one of the titles that was a recent Sword & Laser Book Club pick.
Book Review: Barrayar
A little bit back I reviewed Shards of Honor, the start of the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold – which was a Swords & Laser book club pick. Well, that’s not exactly correct – it’s half of a Sword & Laser book club pick – it was instead selected as Cordelia’s Honor – a book that combines it with the novel Barrayar, which follows up right after it (and was originally intended to be the same book) – but got a few more passes for a later publication after the Bujold decided to split the two parts up, and which were later recombined. So, now it’s time for the rest of the story.
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Book Review: Shards of Honor
Shards of Honor is the book that kicks off the long-running Vorkosigan series, though this book serves more of a “How I Met Your Mother” story – only in a case where the fact that our two leads will get together is a foregone conclusion strictly because I’m reading this now after there have been a slew of sequels based around their son, Miles. So the question then becomes, “How does this book hold up when you know that there’s only one destination it can arrive at?”
Continue readingTime to get caught up with book reviews again, with my thoughts on the novel Shining Girls.
Book Review: Shining Girls
January’s book pick for the Sword & Laser Book Club, Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes, is almost something that would have worked better as an October book pick. It’s a story that features a serial killer as an antagonist who can move independently of the rest of us in the time stream – only this one can go back and forth, as opposed to only moving forward, never aging, like the killer in NOS4A2. It’s an interesting story though, though I don’t quite know if it’s my cup of tea (though not for reasons I think the author intended).
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Book Review: Kings of the Wyld
December’s Sword & Laser Book Club pick was a Dungeon Fantasy novel, Kings of the Wyld, one that takes a different spin on the “Adventuring Band” concept – treating the “Band” idea like a rock band.
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Book Review: The Mimicking of Known Successes
If you asked me to describe The Mimicking of Known Successes by genre, I’d say it’s a queer science fiction cozy mystery that isn’t quite solarpunk, but I’d almost describe it as solarpunk-adjacent. It’s also a nice, brisk read that doesn’t break 200 pages, so if you’re also looking for a mystery that fits those criteria that you’d like to read when heading out for Thanksgiving (or other upcoming holidays), it’s a good book to pick up.
Continue readingThis week I start getting a little caught up with some of the books I’ve read for the Sword & Laser Book Club, with a look at one of the best-selling fantasy novels of 2023 – Fourth Wing.
Book Review: The Library at Mount Char
The Library at Mount Char was October’s pick for the Sword & Laser book club, as a “Sword” pick (meaning fantasy) and something meant to be mildly horror adjacent (as co-host Veronica Belmont doesn’t handle horror well – which is fine). The book itself is some okay splatter horror with a side of urban fantasy, but it didn’t quite land for me.
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Book Review: China Mountain Zhang
Time to catch up with the book reviews for the Sword & Laser Book Club, with my thoughts on China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh.
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Book Review: Fourth Wing
Unfortunately, I’ve fallen a little behind again on the books covered in the Sword & Laser Book Club, from a review standpoint, so it’s time for me to get caught up with some of the past books that I’ve read and finished. The first of these is Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
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Book (Video) Review: Children of Time
I’m continuing to get caught up with the Sword & Laser podcast books, with Children of Time.
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Book (Video) Review: Under Fortunate Stars
I continue to get caught up with my Sword & Laser picks with Under Fortunate Stars.
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Book (Video) Review: Legends & Lattes
I give my thoughts on a nice cozy little fantasy novel feels like it’s being held back from being as cozy as it wants to be.
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Book Review: Children of Time
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky was this month’s pick for the Sword & Laser Book Club, and it’s a bit of a complicated book. The novel juggles two different kinds of stories, with two different levels of stakes, and which also vaguely intersect until the very end of the story. One of those stories was one which I enjoyed and looked forward to encountering – which was good because it took most of the book. The other kind of just had me on edge and wasn’t exactly a pleasant read.
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Legends & Lattes: Book Review
This month’s pick for the Sword & Laser Book Club, and the winner of their Madness In March Tournament was Legends & Lattes, a book that had been on my recommendations list for quite a bit, so it’s time to take a look at it.
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Under Fortunate Stars: Book Review
A time travel fiction concept that definitely falls under the category of “things I didn’t quite realize was a sub-sub-genre” until recently is the “Don’t Meet Your Heroes” story (with the alternative addendum of “Or do, I’m not your parental figure”). Basically, a story where the main characters travel back in time, either intentionally or unintentionally, and end up meeting someone (whether a singular person or multiple people) who are on the eve of doing some thing instrumental to the timeline, and who one or multiple of the protagonists idolizes, with the grand reveal being that they aren’t quite the kind of person that history has remembered them as being. Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Huchings – March’s Sword & Laser book club pick – is a really great example of this kind of story.
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