The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer is a fantasy adventure novel. What if there was a magical realm ruled by a queen and her attending valkyries? What if lost boys and girls aren’t really lost? Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia, this also reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. Why? Because not …
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark is a fantasy novella about a group of undead assassins. And no, they aren’t cats. And no tails, either! The premise? In exchange for your memories and servitude (as an assassin), you can live (as a zombie) forever. This is a quick read. While I …
Ann Liang’s A Song to Drown Rivers is an emotional exploration of sacrifice and revenge. Xishi is an unparalleled beauty who lives in a remote Yue village, terrorized by nightmares of her younger sister’s murder at the hands of Wu soldiers. Enter Fanli, a famous military advisor to the …
Real Americans by Rachel Khong is a multi-generational novel that centers on American identity and the theme of nature vs. nurture. The novel starts with Lily Chen and tells the meet cute story of how she meets and falls in love with Matthew. I found this part of the novel the most enjoyable. …
Chris Panatier’s The Redemption of Morgan Bright is a fantasy-horror novel with a patriarchy reminiscent of The Handmaiden’s Tale. In a world where men can have their wives admitted for psychiatric care against their will, all under the guise of “domestic psychosis,” Morgan …
Mirrored Heavens is the fabulous conclusion to the Between Earth and Sky trilogy by Rebecca Roanhorse. With fantastic world building, magic, and intrigue, the Between Earth and Sky trilogy is on par with some of my other favorite fantasy series, such as the Broken Earth, and Inheritance trilogies …
The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby tells the story of five Black ballerinas, and their time with the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH). Predominately a character study, and a recount of the triumphs and trials of the featured five Black ballerinas, Swans also touches on history, racism, and AIDS. DTH …
Empire of the Damned, by Jay Kristoff is the second novel in the Empire of the Vampire series. I have always loved vampire novels, ever since reading Interview with the Vampire. Empire has all the qualities that I loved from that series: a tortured main character with a sordid past, interesting …
Given that I’ve been thinking about how to expand my career options beyond the traditional tech job, when I saw Succeeding as a Solopreneur: Six Keys to taking the Leap, Winning Clients, and Building Wealth by Liz J. Steblay offered by NetGalley, it seemed very timely. Overall, it was a …
“Once upon a time, in a magical city on a distant shore, lived Ever Everly.” The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers is a fast-paced fantasy novel that centers around a family curse, magic, fairytales, and monsters. On the surface, The City of …