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Tag Archives: Fiction
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.
‘Archive’ Alternates Between Magical and Heartbreaking
The Archive is a novel, but its parts, while interconnected, are fit together in such a way that they can be separated from each other. But all of these parts, though excellent on their own, come together to make a whole far grander than their sum.
‘Babel’ a Fascinating Course in Linguistics and Labor
Although Babel takes place in the first half of the nineteenth century, the message about colonialism and a supposed superiority of one country or race is one for today. So is the eventual turn toward solidarity among the outcasts and the working class.
‘Darkness’ Blooms with Strong Concept, Just Don’t Look Too Deep
This is a book that leans heavily into concept and character, handwaving over details that don’t serve those ends. But the concept and character are strong, so if that will sustain you, Where Darkness Blooms might be your kind of book.
‘Wildblood’ Picks Inconvenient Times for Romance
The concept of Wildblood takes the stories of ye olde expeditions of the Victorian era and flips them right on their pith-helmeted heads, but its intricate scaffolding is hidden behind a romance as subtle as one of those giant stuffed bears holding a glittering heart between its paws.
‘Reaper’ Brings More Gore to ‘Chainsaw’ World
Don’t Fear the Reaper is like an increasingly passionate correspondence with a long-distance lover. Also, the ink is blood and the paper is made from crushed-up bones.
‘Nickel Boys’ is Brutal but Necessary Reading
Though difficult, The Nickel Boys sheds light on an issue that may be in the past but whose roots still survive—and thrive—today.
‘Kaiju’ Highlights Fun in Scalzi’s Latest
Literature can be so many things, and The Kaiju Preservation Society reminds us in the best way that one of those things is entertainment.
Ring Reads 