Reviews

Sci-fi Fantasy Novel Review: The Siege of the Burning Grass by Premee Mohamed

This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Siege of the Burning Grass will be released on March 12, 2024. I’ve been hearing a whole lot about Premee Mohamed for a few years now, and while I’ve tried a handful of… Continue reading Sci-fi Fantasy Novel Review: The Siege of the Burning Grass by Premee Mohamed

Reviews

Sci-fi Novel Review: Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson

This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Those Beyond the Wall will be released on March 12, 2024. Almost three years ago, I was absolutely stunned by Micaiah Johnson’s debut novel, The Space Between Worlds. So even though her standalone sequel… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson

Reviews

Sci-fi/Fantasy Collection Review: Lost Places by Sarah Pinsker

I first read Sarah Pinsker when “Two Truths and a Lie” was a Hugo Award finalist for Best Novelette in 2021 (it won). Three or four stories later, she’d become one of my absolute favorite short story authors, and picking up a copy of her second collection, Lost Places, was an easy decision.  Lost Places… Continue reading Sci-fi/Fantasy Collection Review: Lost Places by Sarah Pinsker

Reviews

Sci-fi Novella Review: Nothing But the Rain by Naomi Salman

February is always a great month for catching up on stories—especially relatively short ones—from other people’s favorites lists, and while I had heard almost no buzz about Nothing But the Rain by Naomi Salman, a book club friend had it atop their 2023 novella list, so I thought I’d give it a try. Guess what?… Continue reading Sci-fi Novella Review: Nothing But the Rain by Naomi Salman

Reviews

Horror Novel Review: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

I tend to be a bit squeamish about horror, but I’ve dipped my toe into the genre a couple times and have found things to like there. Because of said squeamishness, I don’t know much about the genre classics apart from whatever has filtered down through the general culture, but when one of r/Fantasy’s many… Continue reading Horror Novel Review: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Reviews

Sci-fi Novel Review: Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice

This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Moon of the Turning Leaves has been released in paperback and will be released as an ebook on February 27, 2024. I’ve had Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice on the vague… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice

Reviews

Sci-fi Novel Review: Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

While Chain-Gang All-Stars doesn’t seem to be generating much buzz in genre-centric circles, it seems that one can hardly read a “Best of 2023” list in more literary-leaning outlets without seeing it listed as an absolute must-read. Throw in a couple recommendations on social media and my own penchant for survival games, and Nana Kwame… Continue reading Sci-fi Novel Review: Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Reviews

Fantasy Novel Review: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

This review is based on an eARC (Advance Reading Copy) provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Tainted Cup will be released on February 6, 2024. Robert Jackson Bennett’s acclaimed Divine Cities trilogy came out shortly before I returned from a school-induced genre hiatus, and ever since, he’s been one… Continue reading Fantasy Novel Review: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Magazine Review

Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Four): Reviews of Clarkesworld, GigaNotoSaurus, Asimov’s, and Analog (January 2024)

After a year of reading three magazines cover-to-cover, I’m going to scale back a little bit in 2024. It was a good experience overall, but life is getting more complicated, I have a lot pressing for my reading time, and I want to make sure this stays a hobby and doesn’t turn into a job.… Continue reading Tar Vol Reads a Magazine (or Four): Reviews of Clarkesworld, GigaNotoSaurus, Asimov’s, and Analog (January 2024)