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TV Episode Review: “His Dark Materials”: “The Break”

Will travels with Iorek and Balthamos to where Mrs. Coulter is keeping Lyra. They find a girl named Ama who knows about Lyra and Mrs. Coulter. Ama almost fell for Mrs. Coulter’s lies, but then she saw the way she treated her daughter. Ama knows about plants, especially edible ones. Will finds Lyra and confronts… Continue reading TV Episode Review: “His Dark Materials”: “The Break”

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TV Episode Review: “His Dark Materials”: “The Enchanted Sleeper”

Season Three, after a year hiatus due to Covid-19, opens with an explanation of the previous war amongst the angels. For those of you who do not know, His Dark Materials is Philip Pullman’s retelling of the epic, Paradise Lost. So yes, this series is and is not influenced by Christianity. The beings Lord Asriel spoke to at… Continue reading TV Episode Review: “His Dark Materials”: “The Enchanted Sleeper”

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Why You Need to Read: “The Empire of Gold”

The Daevabad Trilogy, #3: The Empire of Gold By: S.A. Chakraborty  Published: June 30, 2020 Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction             Daevabad, in all its glory and infamy. The mighty brass walls embellished with the facades of its founders, her ancestors. The crush of ziggurats and minarets, temples and stupas; the dizzying array of clashing architecture and eras—each… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Empire of Gold”

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TV Episode Review: “His Dark Materials”: “The City of Magpies”

Season Two immediately picks up where Season One left off. Lyra Silvertongue has crossed the bridge into a new world. A world that is devoid of people, except for one. Will Parry has found himself in the same world, and Lyra is the first person he’s seen since arriving there. However, both children soon learn… Continue reading TV Episode Review: “His Dark Materials”: “The City of Magpies”

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Why You Need to Read: “The Year of the Witching”

The Year of the Witching By: Alexis Henderson Published: July 21, 2020 Genre: Dark Fantasy/Occult Fiction             Immanuelle had always felt a strange affinity for the Darkwood, a kind of stirring whenever she neared it. It was almost as though the forbidden wood sang a song that only she could hear, as though it was daring… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Year of the Witching”

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Why You Need to Read: “Middlegame”

Middlegame By: Seanan McGuire Published: May 7, 2019 Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction/Metaphysical             Dodger was never going to be a linguist, any more than Roger was going to be a mathematician, but they could cope, which was more than some of their fellows ever learned. They balance each other, (Variation).              Seanan McGuire is an author whose books you’ve… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “Middlegame”

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Why You Need to Read: “Realm of Ash”

The Books of Ambha: #2: Realm of Ash By: Tasha Suri Published: November 12, 2019 Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fiction/Coming-of-Age NOTE: Some minor spoilers from Empire of Sand. You have been warned.              “My blood—my Amrithi blood in this loyal Ambhan body—is part of the curse. But it’s also part of the cure. I just don’t know how. But the… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “Realm of Ash”

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Why You Need to Read: “Riot Baby”

Riot Baby By: Tochi Onyebuchi Published: January 21, 2020 Genre: Speculative Fiction/Contemporary             The look on her face, that’s what people told me today wasn’t no kind of victory. That when people joke and call me Riot Baby for being born when I was, it ain’t with any kind of affection, but something more complicated. The… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “Riot Baby”

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Why You Need to Read: “The Rage of Dragons”

The Burning #1: The Rage of Dragons By: Evan Winters                                               Audiobook: 16 hours, 15 minutes Published: July 16, 2019                                    Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi Genre: Fantasy/Military/Historical Fiction/Folklore             And if Tau didn’t feel better, it had to be because there was still so much to do. He needed to go to Kigambe and test to become an Ihashe. Then he’d… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Rage of Dragons”

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Why You Need to Read: “The Queen of Raiders”

The Nine Realms #2: The Queen of Raiders By: Sarah Kozloff Published: February 18, 2020 Genre: Fantasy             I could lend my Talent to (the) Raiders. I could attack the Oros in their lair, (Chapter Thirteen, Slagos to Alpetar).             The wait between books in a series are often long. There are times when the book comes out the next… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Queen of Raiders”