posted "Great characters and plot in epic fantasy series" about Between Dark and Light.   May 14

Great characters and plot in epic fantas …
Enter a world of dwarves, ogres and more, of dark powers and light hope, of tortured (sometimes literally) protagonists, politics, rebellion, friends …

posted "Short, sharp and intriguing" about Trilogies: 18 sets of short fiction.   May 14

Short, sharp and intriguing
The stories are short and fun, grouped into intriguing sets of three by location, time, topic and genre; all very organized, like licensing baby-strol …

posted "Macabre interconnected Victorian horror stories" about Mask of the Macabre.   May 06

Macabre interconnected Victorian horror …
Historical London, where King Cholera kills while magicians entertain with imagined death, is the backdrop for these short stories. But there’s …

posted "High elves, high fantasy, and romance" about Sword's Call (The King's Riders).   May 06

High elves, high fantasy, and romance
The sword’s magical, the wolf is delightful, and the woman bravely pursues her valiant quest. When she meets a quiet half-elf her generous natur …

posted "Alternate worlds and teen emotions in a complex mix" about Fields of Elysium.   May 06

Alternate worlds and teen emotions in a …
Moving cross-country can feel a bit like moving between worlds, but the narrator of this novel finds herself accidentally transported through a haze o …

posted "Smalltown magic, mystery and intrigue" about Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective.   May 01

Smalltown magic, mystery and intrigue
With a nicely modern—normal and paranormal—take on the noir detective genre, Christine Amsden sets her novel, Cassie Scott, ParaNormal Det …

posted "Good second book in kids' fantasy series" about The Return of General Drake (Azra's Pith).   May 01

Good second book in kids' fantasy series
Starting right where book one ended, with young Alexander missing in action, his talking frog friend distraught, and the world about to fall apart, El …

posted "Fun fantasy action adventure for boys" about Alexander Drake's Extraordinary Pursuit (Azra's Pith).   May 01

Fun fantasy action adventure for boys
Memories of Gulliver’s Travels and Narnia bubble up as I enjoy this fast-action middle-grade novel of a lonely young man discovering his heritag …

posted "nice fantasy action adventure for girls." about The Chosen.   April 25

nice fantasy action adventure for girls.
Phantasma is in shock and grief after attacks by Prince Gastle. Queen Laurali of the Elves sends her valiant group, including the short, stout and bea …

posted "Curious after dinner conversation while zombies rage" about THE RAPTURE OF WILLARD.   April 19

Curious after dinner conversation while …
Twisting zombie fiction into a curiously different direction, James Paul Caiden's The Rapture of Willard imagines a dysfunctional family, united i …

posted "Well-woven magic, science, action and parallel universes" about The Time Weaver (The Time Weaver Chronicles).   April 14

Well-woven magic, science, action and pa …
   With the same appeal as Stephen Donaldson’s Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, and a thoroughly intriguing premise, Thomas A. Knight ha …

posted "Nice touch of Ray Bradbury or Twilight Zone" about Trilogy: A Collection.   April 14

Nice touch of Ray Bradbury or Twilight Z …
   Smooth, confident, amiably detached prose characterizes Prudence MacGregor’s Trilogy, which perfectly complements the smoothly conf …

posted "Cross Twilight with Inception and enjoy this pleasingly original tale" about AfterLife.   April 14

Cross Twilight with Inception and enjoy …
Cross Twilight with Inception and you’ll approach the intriguing feel of S. P. Cloward’s pleasingly original Afterlife. The newly, but not …

posted "Engaging satire" about Mulogo's Treatise on Wizardry - A Wizard's Guide to Survival in a World Where People Want to Kill You and Take Your Stuff.   March 18

Engaging satire
Occasionally wise in spite of himself, the self-absorbed wizard with the enormously long name offers clever aphorisms on life to the reader while his …

posted "Literary fantasy adventure" about The Toadhouse Trilogy: Book One (Volume 1).   March 18

Literary fantasy adventure
Beautiful descriptions evoke 1930s Alabama in Jess Loury’s The ToadHouse Trilogy. A brother and sister aren’t quite the same as everybody …

posted "The dark side of Touched by an Angel" about Don't Fear the Reaper.   March 05

The dark side of Touched by an Angel
Keely’s twin sister’s dead. Her parents are grieving. And reformed bad-girl Keely has had enough of being left to sorrow alone. Her moods …

posted "Dark, intelligent and scary" about Dreamwatcher.   February 20

Dark, intelligent and scary
   A cleverly unsettling novel, Dreamwatcher by Sylvia Shults slips into the heads of siblings, Ryan and Stephanie, just as their world’s th …

posted "Middle grade fantasy growing up in a dragon's world" about The Dragon Shield.   February 20

Middle grade fantasy growing up in a dra …
They grow up too fast don’t they? At least, that’s what everyone says, and in Dianne Lynn Gardner’s Ian’s Realm trilogy, young …

posted "Classic swords and sorcery short story" about Beginning of the Trail (Blood and Steel: Legends of La Gaul).   February 14

Classic swords and sorcery short story
Swords and sorcery in the style of Michael Moorcock, set in a time before the flood when rumors abound of the world’s imminent demise, Steven Sh …

posted "Nicely balanced fantasy for young teens" about Reuben (The Tale of the Four Wizards).   February 14

Nicely balanced fantasy for young teens
Fourth in the Tale of Four Wizards is Reuben, the tale of the final teen wizard, who chooses his own secret mission as the party falls apart. Reuben’s …

posted "Great character and enjoyable mythology in this short story for middle grade" about Kaempie (The Tale of the Four Wizards).   February 13

Great character and enjoyable mythology …
You don’t have to read the first two parts of the Tale of Four Wizards to enjoy this short story. Author Dianne Lynn Gardner has an enviable ski …

posted "Classic conclusion to epic war and quest" about The Reckoning (The Marenon Chronicles Book 3 of 3).   February 11

Classic conclusion to epic war and quest
Classic quest, betrayal and redemption themes make the finale to Jason D. Morrow’s Marenon Chronicles truly enjoyable. Slow and occasionally rep …

posted "Young love, politics and war plus a hero's journey" about The Gatekeeper (The Marenon Chronicles Book 2 of 3).   February 11

Young love, politics and war plus a hero …
This middle book of the Marenon Chronicles sends Silas off on a classic quest to find the Gatekeeper. Meanwhile politics, war, and deviously devised m …

posted "YA fantasy delivers fascinating plot, great characters and an interesting world" about The Deliverer (The Marenon Chronicles Book 1 of 3).   February 11

YA fantasy delivers fascinating plot, gr …
The Marenon Chronicles begins with the tale of a young teen learning he has a serious destiny to fulfill. But first he has to survive the transition f …

posted "A great short story that will hook you on the series" about Meneka (The Tale of the Four Wizards).   February 05

A great short story that will hook you o …
Meneka, though part of a series, stands alone as the tale of two wizards adrift in world of water and temptation. One will fall and one rise, but whic …

posted "Teen wizards in a pleasingly different adventure" about Silvio (The Tale of the Four Wizards).   February 05

Teen wizards in a pleasingly different a …
A mother sends her son away, giving him only memories and magic to guide him. “Use the magic sparingly” she says, sparing him the destruct …

posted "Thoroughly enjoyable swords, sorcery and dragons (plus computers and high school)" about Deception Peak.   February 05

Thoroughly enjoyable swords, sorcery and …
Dianne Lynn Gardner just might be the next John White, and Ian’s Realm the new Anthropos. With pleasingly consistent writing, enjoyably flawed t …

posted "Increasing danger and excitement in this young teen fantasy series" about Roots of Insight (Dusk Gate Chronicles -- Book Two).   January 29

Increasing danger and excitement in this …
Second in the Dusk Gate Chronicles, Roots of Insight takes teenager Quinn back through a mysterious gateway from modern life into the world of Eirenth …

posted "Intriguing plot, great characters, wonderful writing, and time-sniffing dogs!" about Time Sniffers (Shadow World).   January 29

Intriguing plot, great characters, wonde …
   Blending classics, science and a modern teen voice with the mystery of a poetry-quoting dog and a quest to save the world, C. S. Lakin ha …

posted "Fathers, sons and the scares that bind them" about Progeny.   January 16

Fathers, sons and the scares that bind t …
An intriguing novel of parents and their children, Patrick Greene’s Progeny follows two dysfunctional families and their interactions as reclus …