Book Review: The Kheld King by L.L. Stephens Genre(s): Epic Fantasy Book Synopsis: The King is dead.Long live the Kheld King The Triempery lies crippled, its godborn princes slaughtered by treachery, its ruling houses desperate to maintain their monopoly of the god-machine Entities. In the aftermath of the slaughter, Stefan Stauberg-Randolph inherits his grandfather’s throne. […]

Book Review: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang Genre(s): Fantasy Book Synopsis: When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, […]

Book Review: Sordaneon by L. L. Stephens Genre(s): Epic Fantasy Book Synopsis: Dorilian is blood bound to the Rill, a quasi-living artifact that spans continents and empowers a privileged few to reap the riches of an entire civilization. The problem is, decades after seizing control of the remaining god-machines, those privileged few aren’t willing to […]

Book Review: Pretty/Ugly by Jennifer Anne Gordon Genre(s): Dystopian Fiction Book Synopsis: Omelia fills the empty place in her heart with Instagram clicks, likes, and subscribes, hiding the scars of grief under a mask of makeup, cloaked in an online personality. She yearns to be someone new: a girl in a magazine, a character in […]

Book Review: The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern Genre(s): Fantasy / Speculative Fiction Book Synopsis: Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a […]

Book Review: When We Come Back by D.H. Schleicher Genre(s): Fiction / Short Stories Book Synopsis: WHEN WE COME BACK is the startling new collection where D. H. Schleicher explores both recent history and visions of the future through literary and speculative fiction. Some stories traverse how everyday people are impacted by events like the […]

Book Review: Ladybirds by R. Raeta Genre(s): Romance Book Synopsis: Miracles don’t come free and words are binding… His miracles have a cursed edge, but he’s not the villain Sara expected. Still, she’s not exactly thrilled about being stuck with a centuries old ghost with a flair for the dramatic and a nasty habit of […]

Book Review: Banished by Lou Yardley Genre(s): Dark Fantasy / Horror Content warning: There are numerous scenes with gore, several murders/deaths, mutilation, public execution, undead, and cannibalism (kind of – it’s zombies?) mentioned in this book. Elkbury is a quiet village, off the beaten path. Life seems good there—no one dies of illness or old […]

Book Review: H.H. Holmes: The True Story of the White City Devil by Adam Selzer Genre(s): Non-fiction / True Crime H.H. Holmes is best known for his role in the “murder castle” of Chicago, but this book explores his entire criminal career – from cons and insurance fraud to outright murder. I’ve watched a few […]

Book Review: The Last Gifts of the Universe by Rory August Genre(s): Science fiction Scout is an archaeologist and archivist tasked with uncovering knowledge caches around the universe. Every planet with data they locate once held advanced civilizations, many space-faring, but every civilization is long dead. Scout refers to wider space as “the graveyard.” It […]