Elisabeth Ring

In ‘Linghun,’ Ghosts Haunt More than Houses

In Linghun, the refusal to grow after tragedy is almost tangible, bringing with it cascading tragedies. There is no happy ending with a setup like that, but there is one that is as tender as it is tough to swallow.

‘How to Be Eaten’ A Fairy-Tale Feast

Although most of the stories don’t involve talking furniture or little, burger-scented men falling from air vents, seeing stories about strangers warping and reshaping around us in ways that may or may not be true is a fact of daily life.

‘Build Your House’ Rewards Patience

There are no twists of the traditional sort in Violet Kupersmith’s debut novel, Build Your House Around My Body, but there are a stack of stories that weave themselves around each other before ultimately tying a knot that can only truly be appreciated on the reread.

‘Spear’ Hits Its Mark

If you have the least bit of interest in swords or knights or daring deeds, you can’t miss with Spear.

‘Puppets’ a Refreshingly Light Read

Part reverse-Pinocchio, part science-fiction Stardust, Puppets is another entry into the growing cozy SFF genre that is a welcome change from the usual fare.

‘Gentrifier’ Asks Tough Questions Wrapped in Cozy Experiences

Whether she is the gentrifier or isn’t, the perception stubbornly remains that the presence of “[her] whiteness” is linked to upward mobility for the neighborhood by many.

‘Wives’ a Strange Tale of Love and Sea Monsters

Our Wives Under the Sea is a fantastical, but uncomfortably grounded, metaphor of what happens when things don’t go as planned.

Banter in ‘Rivals’ Brings Sparks and Magic

The back-cover copy of a book is supposed to give a reader an idea of what’s in store. To set a few expectations early on. To whet the appetite. In the case of Rebecca Ross’s latest novel, Divine Rivals, the blurb on the cover does nothing to set expectations. If anything, it obscures just howContinue reading “Banter in ‘Rivals’ Brings Sparks and Magic”

‘Fool’ a Formulaic but Fun Mystery

Genre comes with its own expectations, including, in the case of mystery, red herrings and, often, chases or peril near the end. Chern knows the tropes, and when to follow and subvert them.

‘Bones’ a Disturbing, Enlightening Account of Violence and Injustice

Kimmerle doesn’t dwell on the violence; her focus is on telling the story without elaboration or obfuscation to best communicate her belief that every scoop of dirt contributes to long-overdue restorative justice for the dead, the broken, and their families.