The Centaur’s Wife by Amanda Leduc My rating: 3 of 5 stars If you’re looking for a post-apocalyptic, nature-takes-revenge on humans, with a fantasy overlay novel which represents disability rights, then The Centaur’s Wife is your ticket. Amanda Leduc presents a dark, relentless story in which a group of survivors takes refuge in the remains of a city which sits at the foot of a mystical mountain. And the mountain is in turn the refuge…
Thraldom: A History of Slavery in the Viking Age by Stefan Brink My rating: 5 of 5 stars Stefan Brink’s book about slavery in the Viking Age is a dense, academically focused tome, and also a fascinating read if this is a subject you find of interest. Certainly I do, mostly because of research with which I’m involved. Having said that, even if you aren’t involved in research, Brink’s book illuminates another aspect of human…
Well colour me tickled Imagine my delight when fellow author, Louise Spilsbury, wrote this review of my fantasy novel, From Mountains of Ice. If you enjoy stories with rich characterization and intricate world-building, told in leisurely, lyrical prose dense with imagery, “From Mountains of Ice” is for you. I love stories that immerse the reader in moment-by-moment action, and this story doesn’t disappoint. I especially love the story’s celebration of honour and integrity; these are…
The Warrior Who Carried Life by Geoff Ryman My rating: 2 of 5 stars I have to admit being disappointed in Geoff Ryman’s The Warrior Who Carried Life. Unlike much of his later work, especially The King’s Last Song, I very much felt The Warrior Who Carried Life demonstrated a writer finding their way in their art. There were long passages which were clumsy in execution, too much exposition, in my opinion, and a lack…
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh My rating: 3 of 5 stars Emily Tesh’s World Fantasy Award-winning Greenhollow Duology, which begins with Silver in the Wood, is a gorgeously told novella which digs deep into legends of the fae. Her writing is reminiscent of both Guy Gavriel Kay and Robert Holdstock, and I very much found myself hearing echoes of Holdstock’s Mythago Wood series. This is a beautifully told tale of transformation and love,…