This is our blog — NOT our website

Welcome to our blog, an addendum to the Fantasy Literature website. Here we post news, interviews, and teasers for our newly-posted reviews. Teasers link back to the website — we post them here so we can easily produce an RSS feed and email newsletter, and post automatically to Twitter and Facebook. Feel free to comment here, but most readers comment on the author pages.

At the Fantasy Literature website, you’ll find our menu which links to individual pages for over 840 fantasy authors. On each author page, you’ll find novel synopses, cover art, and reviews from our team of hand-picked reviewers. We add new authors and reviews almost daily. Life’s too short to read bad books!

Vicious Circle

The bare bones of this story will be familiar to urban-fantasy devotees: Werewolves, vampires, faeries, and witches all exist and have become public knowledge in recent years. Girl, tough and feisty, takes it upon herself to dispense justice in a supernatural murder case. Girl is chosen against her will to play a major role in paranormal affairs. Girl is wooed by attractive werewolf and attractive vampire. I was worried Vicious Circle would be just like a hundred other novels with a similar premise, but Linda Robertson does some really interesting things to make her story stand out.  READ THE REST OF KELLY’S REVIEW.

In A Time of Treason

As much as I enjoyed David Keck’s debut, I admit that it was a flawed effort so I was quite happy to see how improved the writing was in In A Time of Treason. Namely, the prose was more elegant, the descriptions better expressed, there was a lot more background information without the author relying on shameless infodumping, and overall Mr. Keck just displayed greater confidence as a writer. Even so, the writing wasn’t perfect. There are still passages that are confusing and may require a re-read or two, the limiting third-person narrative is still in effect, and the plotting is a bit uneven.  READ THE REST OF ROBERT T.’S REVIEW.

Someplace to be Flying

…. Charles de Lint’s story-telling capabilities shine in Someplace to be Flying and this book deserves an extra star for the creation of the Crow Girls, two of the most memorable, quixotic, original characters I’ve ever read. They add a fascinating touch of dark whimsy to the story. De Lint treats the Native American mythology with respect, while still creating a compelling urban fantasy novel. I highly recommend Someplace to be Flying to all readers. READ THE REST OF RUTH’S REVIEW.

Hunter’s Run

Hunter’s Run is somewhat interesting in that it’s a collaboration novel that you can’t really tell is a collaboration and a science-fiction novel that relies surprisingly little on science fiction. And these are by no means complaints. The collaboration’s seamlessness speaks to the craft and professionalism of the three writers while the lack of reliance on science fiction allows for a fine mix of quick-paced adventure and character introspection.

Don’t get me wrong — the science fiction elements are essential to the plot: space-faring races, a planet being colonized (slowly) by humanity who have become seemingly the general laborers of this universe, a high-tech blaster. You need the sci fi to get the story going. But once it does get going, the sci-fi elements fade discreetly into the deep background. What you’re left with is a three-layered novel…. READ THE REST OF BILL’S REVIEW.

The Night World: Volume 2

…. The Night World series shouldn’t be mistaken for anything other than light reading for young teenagers, but there is a certain weight and gravitas to Smith’s stories that lift them above your standard vampire/supernatural/romance fare (or maybe that’s just the nostalgia talking). In either case, the series goes from strength to strength, as by the next omnibus, things get even darker for our assorted heroes. The female characters are intelligent, self-sufficient, and never wait around for their boyfriends to come save them, and the stories themselves are brisk, interesting, and build on a solid-gold premise of mystery and danger. READ THE REST OF REBECCA’S REVIEW.

Changeling

…. Delia Sherman’s Changeling is a simple and cozy little story chock full of humor and sticky situations. It’s is a fun-filled wild ride of a story from beginning to end. It’s not complex, but it still manages to surprise. Changeling is a cute book — entertaining to the very end, but not much more than that.  READ THE REST OF CAITLINN’S REVIEW.

Worldbinder

… I really wanted to like Worldbinder and, while the book showed flashes of what made the original Runelords series so enjoyable, compared to previous installments, Mr. Farland’s latest falls well short of its mark. That said, I strongly believe that if I was back in middle school I would really enjoy this book. After all, it reads very quickly, is full of nonstop action, has both valiant heroes and ruthless villains, terrifying but cool monsters, and lots more to make a young fantasy lover happy. For the more seasoned fantasy reader though, you’ll probably want to pass on Worldbinder unless you’re a diehard David Farland admirer. I could also see fans of Terry Brooks, David Drake, and James Clemens enjoying the book, but for the most part, Worldbinder is recommended for the younger generation.  READ THE REST OF ROBERT T.’S REVIEW.