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Why You Need to Read: “The Weight of Blood”

The Weight of Blood By: Tiffany D. Jackson Published: September 6, 2022 Genre: Horror, Young Adult, Retelling             …“the Bloody Prom,” when a girl named Madison Abigail Washington nearly burned down her entire town, killing two hundred people, including the majority of her senior class, at their first racially integrated prom, (Two).             Identity is one of… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Weight of Blood”

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Why You Need to Read: “Giving the Devil His Due”

Giving the Devil His Due: A Charity Anthology by The Pixel Project Edited by: Rebecca Brewer Published: May 25, 2022 Genre: Short Stories, Horror, Magic Realism, Science Fiction, Thriller It’s time to stop violence against women. Together. –Regina Yau, Founder and President, The Pixel Project.             Stories exist for multiple reasons, from sharing knowledge to providing a form… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “Giving the Devil His Due”

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Why You Need to Read: “The Fires of Vengeance”

The Burning, #2: The Fires of Vengeance By: Evan Winter                                                                     Audiobook: 15 hours 32 minutes Published: November 10, 2020                                              Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi Genre: Epic Fantasy/Military Fantasy ***WARNING: This review contains some minor spoilers from the previous book in this series.                            You have been warned.             You call me a monster because I won’t let you treat me like… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Fires of Vengeance”

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Why You Need to Read: “Black Sun”

Between Earth and Sky, #1: Black Sun By: Rebecca Roanhorse Published: October 13, 2020 Genre: Fantasy/Folklore/Historical Fantasy             This year, the solstice will be marked by the rarest of celestial occurrences. As the year divides into old and new, so also will the earth, sun, and moon align in the Convergence. Over our very heads, we will… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “Black Sun”

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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: “The Shadow Saint”

The Black Iron Legacy: Book 2: The Shadow Saint By: Gareth Hanrahan Published: January 7, 2020 Genre: Fantasy, Grimdark             Ten months ago, at the height of what some call the Crisis and others the Gutter Miracle, a new city exploded into being within Guerdon, (Chapter 2).             When you read a book that becomes one of your favorite… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Shadow Saint”

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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…My Selections for Best Speculative Fiction Books of 2019

2019 was an amazing year for everyone involved with speculative fiction. Picking up where 2018 left off, there were plenty of books released when caused our TBR piles to increase even more. It is unfortunate that more books were published than there are days in a year, but that means we always have something available… Continue reading Why You Need to Read…My Selections for Best Speculative Fiction Books of 2019

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Why You Need to Read: “Holy Sister”

Book of the Ancestor: Book Three: Holy Sister By: Mark Lawrence Published: April 9, 2019 Genre: Fantasy, Grimdark, Trilogy             Lessons were over. The closed world of the convent was about to be broken open. The endgame had arrived, (Chapter 9).              Any literary series—whether or not they’re duologies, trilogies, quartets, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 15 books—follow… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “Holy Sister”

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Why You Need to Read: “The Dragon Republic”

The Poppy War: #2: The Dragon Republic By: R.F. Kuang Published: August 8, 2019 Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Grimdark, Folklore, Military  WARNING: The following contains minor spoilers from both The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic. You have been warned.              She didn’t care about anyone’s visions for the future. She’d stopped wanting to be great, to carve out… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Dragon Republic”