Review: The Ocean at the End of The Lane – Neil Gaiman

The digest: some of the best magical realism awaits you in Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane - a novel which follows a grieving man's exploration of a childhood he had forgotten.With simply amazing worldbuilding and storytelling, this novel is one that I think everyone should read.

BC: October 2019 TBR

Here's a rather optimistic (if loosely-planned) TBR for OCtober 2019. Please point me toward your own TBRs for this month - I've been slacking a bit on the blogging

Review: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld – Patricia A. McKillip

208 pages | Gollancz | Fantasy, SFF The digest: a true modern classic. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld should be every fantasy fan's next novel. It's emotive, enthralling, and massively enjoyable. This book is what I would call 'pure' fantasy - it tells a story quite unlike anything else I have read and reminds me of how I used to romanticise the genre - but this time I think the hype is justified. In the same breath, it is both innovative and familiar and I cannot overstate how much I enjoyed this novel.

Review: Fallen Empire – Keith McArdle

The digest: a  heavily simplified fantasy novel with interesting ideas that just about misses the mark. If you don't mind extraordinarily fast character progression and a simplified plot, then you might enjoy this one.

Review: The Sleeping Dragon – Jonny Nexus

The digest: The Sleeping Dragon is a much-needed break from usual fantasy fare. It is an uncomplicated, engaging novel which I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looking for a less strenuous fantasy story. Expect laughs and tears alike.

Review: The Wolf in the Whale – Jordanna Max Brodsky

The digest: A thought-provoking myth-retelling which I encourage you all to pick up. If you like how meticulous Gaiman's research and writing is, then you will be right at home here!

Review: Straight Outta Fangton – C.T. Phipps

The digest: A highly entertaining paranormal urban fantasy showing the less glamorous side of vampiric life. This is not a serious tome focusing solely on vampirism and all it entails - though you will find gruesome and gritty elements here in heaps. It's a pop-culture referencing, smoothly written, funny, easily digestible, and highly recommended break away from both the overly-serious Dracula tales and the flowery Twilight books.

BC: February 2019 TBR

I'll keep this short and sweet 🙂

TBR BC: The Next 5 Female-Authored Books I’m Reading in 2019 (#1)

In order to try and maintain a 50/50 split of male to female authors this year, I'm going to be periodically making posts like this, where I discuss the next five books from female authors that I want to read. I think that breaking goals down into smaller chunks makes them easier to manage, and…

Review: Never Die – Rob J. Hayes

The digest: Never Die provides a much-needed break from your typical fantasy fare. The novel is a tale of retribution and atonement, our characters led by a servant of a shinigami, fighting humans and yokai alike through a variety of traditional and magic-imbued techniques. Fans of shonen manga/anime will absolutely love Never Die.