An extremely interesting and timely read. The main character, Adam, is a young Syrian man living in Malaysia. He watches in horror as his country implodes, and has to deal both with his disagreement with the positions of his friends and family, and the racism and anti-Syrian prejudice he experiences from others. The narrative jumps […]

Read more "“An Ishmael of Syria” by Asaad Almohammad"

I think that, like a lot of readers, I didn’t quite know what to make of this book. Is it a brilliant examination of sexuality and gender, or a highly disturbing portrayal of rape fantasies? The answer is probably: both. In any case, it will certainly make you think hard about sex, gender, and consent. […]

Read more "“The High Couch of Silistra” by Janet Morris"

Following the success of the Stephanie Plum series (of which I am a huge, huge, HUGE fan!), there has been an explosion of what you might call “sassy/cozy” mysteries and thrillers. This book follows (closely) in Plum’s footsteps, but it’s managed to carve out a unique niche for itself, both because of the setting (Texas […]

Read more "“The Trailer Park Princess and the Middle Finger of Fate” by Kim Hunt Harris"

The comparisons with Dick Francis are going to be inevitable with this book, so I’ll just get them out of the way right off the bat. This isn’t Dick Francis, but as a huge Francis fan I still found it very enjoyable. It’s similar in many ways but with a distinct romance angle to it […]

Read more "“Jockeys and Jewels” by Bev Pettersen"

So, first things first: there is a total absence of sex in this story. Yes, it’s set in a sex club, but it turns out that the aliens are there for something else entirely. This is actually a really beautiful story about a far future when the earth has been completely polluted. Suki, the main […]

Read more "“The Alien Club” by JC Andrijeski"

In “The Wishsong of Shannara,” we see Brooks continue to evolve as an author. Most notable for me in this book are the character depictions: each character is clearly and distinctly defined. Brin is haunted and conflicted, stalked by premonitions that read like depression; Rone is bold and eager, but blind to the problems of […]

Read more "“The Wishsong of Shannara” by Terry Brooks"

“Abiku” is the story of Dayo, a young biracial Nigerian-German woman who discovers she is able to see into the world of the gods. Soon she is caught up in relationship with a god, and discovers that she is more than who she thought she was… This story deserves major props for its concept, which […]

Read more "“Abiku” by Elizabeth Salawu"

In “The Elfstones of Shannara” we see the maturation of Brooks’s talent. While “The Sword of Shannara” is impressive largely because of the position it occupies in the development of epic fantasy, reading as an early, if talented, effort, “Elfstones” is a thrilling fantasy tale with developed thematic motifs, characters that stand out as individuals, […]

Read more "“The Elfstones of Shannara” by Terry Brooks"

“Everything Stolen” is a tightly written, solidly plotted erotic thriller with a twist–actually, a couple of twists. Jeremy wakes up from a 4-year coma, only to discover that the woman he loves has had his child–and married someone he’s always disliked as well. Sylvie is torn between the life she’s built since Jeremy’s disappearance, including […]

Read more "“Everything Stolen” by Sophia Scarlet–Currently 99c!"

How to review “The Sword of Shannara”? How does one even give it a star rating? It bestrides the genre of epic fantasy like a Colossus and yet, in my opinion, is considerably weaker than Brooks’s later work, even as it broke new territory for fantasy and formed the basis for one of the most […]

Read more "“The Sword of Shannara” by Terry Brooks"