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.
Tag: Speculative Fiction
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.
Review: Bitch Planet, Vol 1: Extraordinary Machine – Kelly Sue DeConnick
The digest: An overhyped graphic novel proves to be overhyped. Its execution is severely lacking, meaning that whilst the underlying premise is a decent one, I'd struggle to recommend this graphic novel to anyone.
Review: A Wizard of Earthsea – Ursula K. Le Guin
The digest: I'm so glad to have finally entered into the world of Earthsea. Le Guin's story is fast-paced and splendidly-written, with clear overarching messages and nods towards philosophy throughout. I highly recommend you pick it up if you haven't already.
Review: Vengeful – V.E. Schwab
The digest: For me, Vengeful is an average novel which continually misses the bar set by Vicious. It isn't an awful book, but I wish there hadn't been so much hype around it.
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.
Review: Lumberjanes Volume 1: Beware the Kitten Holy
The digest: A remarkably fun and light-hearted graphic novel with a strong presence of speculative fiction elements. If you are after an easily-digested, fast-paced middle-grade series, Lumberjanes might be just what you are after.
Review: The Gutter Prayer – Gareth Hanrahan
The digest: I cannot recommend this book highly enough to fantasy lovers. It's an immersive, highly detailed, excellent story with almost everything you could want. It is deeply thought-provoking, it is brutal, it is violent, and it is bloody good.
Review: record of a spaceborn few – Becky Chambers
The digest: the final Wayfarers book does not disappoint. With the same high-quality worldbuilding and character development as previous novels, fans of the previous books cannot afford to miss out on record of a spaceborn few.
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