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Dead Witch on a Bridge by Gretchen Galway Kobo Writing Life Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 15 Jan 2019 Review I wasn’t sure what to expect from Gretchen Galway’s debut paranormal mystery. I was decidedly impressed. Not only did the mystery keep me guessing, but it applied magic in a creative way. I absolutely loved Random, Alma’s dog, and found Alma’s empathy for others believable. The only weakness was that some characters were less developed than others. Some characters were

Death Be Blue by Katie Epstein Katie Epstein General Fiction (Adult) , Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 29 Sep 2017 Review My initial thoughts on Death be Blue were mixed. I thought it would be your run of the mill urban fantasy mystery. Once I got past the introduction, however, the novel improved immensely. The plot became more complex and the characters had more depth. Portiside City exists on a plane adjacent to earth. Here the fae, shifters, gifted humans and other being

Night and Silence by Seanan McGuire Berkley Publishing Group DAW Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 04 Sep 2018 Review Seanan McGuire continues to be one of the foremost authors of fae-centered urban fantasy. Her novels are unique in that her portrayals of the many kinds of fae and changeling are deeply rooted in folklore and legend. Her characters are simultaneously more real and more magical for their depth and complexity. Readers are not simply viewing a new world, they are

The Lost Child of Lychford By Paul Cornell Macmillan-Tor/Forge Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 22 November 2016 Review The Lost Child of Lychford is a good short fantasy novel, but it assumes that readers are already familiar with the main characters and their role in protecting the village. You will still enjoy the novel if you jump straight in, but you may want to consider reading Witches of Lychford first. Christmas is approaching, along with all that entails. As Reverend, Lizz

Mad God Walking Walking Sideways by Connor Drexler City Owl Press Romance, Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 04 Oct 2016 Review I wanted to like Mad God Walking. I loved the book's description so my expectations were high. I was disappointed. It isn't that Mad God Walking is bad. Parts are very good. They are simply outnumbered by the parts best described as "meh". The story progresses slowly, with a lot of time spent on the small and inconsequential. Admittedly Damon is not e

Hound's Bite by E.J. Stevens Sacred Oaks Press Mystery & Thrillers, Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 12 Jul 2016 Review Hound's Bite is a solid urban fantasy that swiftly moves from one action sequence to the next. Although it relies on readers' familiarity with the characters from previous novels, Hound's Bite is still easily accessible to newcomers. The central characters are boldly drawn - Ivy Granger the daughter of Mab and Will'oWisp newly come into her immense powers, Ceff t

Wrong Side of Hell The DeathSpeaker Codex, Book 1 by Sonya Bateman General Fiction (Adult), Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 23 Jan 2016 Review Urban Fantasy is a bit like fast food. While it isn’t haute cuisine, it is fast, and if well done can be quite tasty. Sonya Bateman isn’t the next Neil Gaiman, but she is a good storyteller, able to put a slightly different twist on the human vs other scenario. One nice difference is that she uses a male lead. Gideon has an amiable nature

Roses and Rot by Kate Howard Saga Press Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date: May 17, 2016 Review Be careful what you wish for, for those with the power to grant those wishes can be capricious and cruel. Roses and Rot is a book for those who love fairy tales. Not the simple ones with happy endings, but the older kind, where the kindly folk are rarely kind and beauty deceives, where the only tools one has against their power are creativity and determination. This is a tale of magic, of

Borderline by Mishell Baker Saga Press Sci FI & Fantasy Pub Date: March 1, 2016 Review Some books make you stand up and take notice. They grab you and don’t let go. Borderline is an unforgettable piece of urban fantasy, distinct and innovative. As leads go Millie is far from the norm. She is a paraplegic who lost her legs in a failed suicide attempt. She contends daily with her borderline personality disorder. Millie is cynical and damaged, but she is also a survivor. W