Mutt Cafe

Street Freaks by Terry Brooks Grim Oak Press Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 02 Oct 2018 Review Terry Brooks is well known for his beloved Shannara novels. Classic fantasy is his specialty. Street Freaks is his first science fiction novel, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was astounded. Street Freaks is as innovative as Sword of Shannara was, giving readers a story that will appeal to teens and adults alike. On one level it is a story about growing up and finding where you

Ascendant Unrest (Faded Skies #2) Book TWO of the Faded Skies by Matthew S. Cox Curiosity Quills Press Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 24 Jul 2018 Review Matthew S Cox returns to the world he created in Ascendant in his second novel - Ascendant Unrest. His newest novel exceeds the high expectations set by his debut. Ascendant Unrest is a fantastic science fiction novel. Not only is the world rich in detail and history, his characters have emotional depth, and he does a conv

Cross My Path by Clea Simon Severn House Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 01 Jul 2018 Review Clea Simon is an astounding author with a unique talent for capturing the essence of both humans and animals in writing. Since its start, this series has been one of my favorites. The world of Cross My Path is a decaying one. There is limited commerce, and jobs and food are hard to come by. Few are literate, and women and children are always at risk from the more powerful who seek to

The Wild Dead by Carrie Vaughn Houghton Mifflin Harcourt John Joseph Adams/Mariner Books Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 17 Jul 2018 Review I went into The Wild Dead without expectations. What I discovered was a world where little remained of the past, where most lived relatively primitive lives in households along the Coast Road. Quotas are carefully maintained and resources managed. Women are implanted with birth control that is only removed when a household proves it can

IT TAKES DEATH TO REACH A STAR by Stu Jones & Gareth Worthington Vesuvian Books Literary Fiction , Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 22 May 2018 Review It Takes Death to Reach a Star depicts a dystopian future where the last of society is divided between the Graciles, genetically engineered individuals who live in luxury above, and the Robusts, the plague survivors who struggle in the frozen habitats below. The Robust population of Eytom is divided into walled segments according

Vanity in Dust By Cheryl Low World Weaver Press General Fiction (Adult), Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 08 Aug 2017 Review Vanity in Dust is one of the most captivating fantasies that I’ve read in recent months. With its strange politics and Asian feel, it is very different than most dystopian reads. The setting is gorgeous, at once decadent and desolate. Magic is at once ever present and tightly reined in. The Realm is ruled by the Queen, rarely seen but immensely powerful. T

Passion Play By Sean Stewart Dover Publications Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 14 Jun 2017 Review When you consider the current political environment, the rerelease of Passion Play makes all the more sense. In this dystopian version of the US, the government is controlled by ultra conservatives who force their version of Christian Fundamentalism on the public. Vigilantes are prevalent and “sins” are violently punished. Diane Fletcher is an investigator, an empath whose abilitie

Magpie's Song by Allison Pang Indie Literary Fiction , Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 08 Aug 2017 Review Great books linger in your thoughts long after the last page is turned. Magpie’s Song is such a book, and I am eager to read the next book in the series. The world of Magpie’s Song is divided in three. Meridian, the city of luxury and technology flies above. It rules Brightstone, the city below with an iron fist. Brightstone fears the Rot, a flesh eating plague that ran

Gilded Cage by Vic James Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Del Rey Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 14 Feb 2017 Review The hallmark of a good novel is that it lingers in the mind long after the last page has been turned. Gilded Cage is such a novel. It is a dystopian fantasy, but far better than the majority being sold. The characters are captivating, particularly Silyen, the youngest son whose magical gifts far outstrip his family’s. While his father is ruthlessly ambi

The Last Girl By Joe Hart Thomas & Mercer Sci Fi, Mystery and Thrillers Pub Date: March 1, 2016 Review The Last Girl has an interesting premise. Women are scarce and no female babies have been born for almost a generation. Zoey is amongst a small number of young women kept in a fortress and told they are the only hope for the world. Like most dystopian novels, the villains of this piece (the NOA) are the worst of the worst. The girls have scarcely any education, live a pri