Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Reviews

THE ENGINE WOMAN’S LIGHT by Laurel Anne Hill
FICTION & LITERATURE
Released: Jan. 12, 2017

"A coming-of-age story that thoughtfully blends mysticism and adventure."
In this dystopian YA novel set in an alternate, steampunk-y version of California, a teenage girl gets mystical visions of tasks that she must perform to save her people. Read full book review >
THE WOLVES WITHIN OUR WALLS by L.E. Flinders
FICTION & LITERATURE
Released: July 11, 2017

"An absorbing story of the end of civilization relayed through a handful of tortured characters."
Life in a post-apocalyptic community may be just as harrowing as that in the devastated outside world in Flinders' debut dystopian novel. Read full book review >

THE GADLIN CONSPIRACY by Kaz Lefave
FICTION & LITERATURE
Released: July 7, 2017

"An elaborate, futuristic tale that will draw in new readers with its keen characterization."
In the second installment of Lefave's (The Epoch of Redress, 2017) sci-fi series, twins try to prevent the extermination of a people blamed for child abductions and a viral epidemic.Read full book review >
THE EPOCH OF REDRESS by Kaz Lefave
FICTION & LITERATURE
Released: July 7, 2017

"A smart, ambitious dystopian tale that teases the protagonists' epic genesis but saves most of the details for later volumes."
Government types and a mysterious figure pursue a girl and her twin brother in this debut sci-fi novel and series opener. Read full book review >
THE STARGAZER'S EMBASSY by Eleanor Lerman
FICTION & LITERATURE
Released: July 18, 2017

"An unfortunately muffled novel about coming to terms, on various levels, with one's place in the universe."
A novel that combines the looming shadow of an unhappy mother-daughter relationship with breathless accounts of alien abduction. Read full book review >

FALLOUT by Harry Turtledove
FICTION & LITERATURE
Released: July 19, 2016

"Though the Korean War hasn't generally been regarded as a major departure point in human history by alternate-world theorists, Turtledove's surmise reminds us just how dangerously unpredictable the nuclear option remains."
Second part of the alternate-world-war trilogy (Bombs Away, 2015) whose entirely plausible conjecture was: what if President Harry Truman had used nuclear weapons during the Korean War? Read full book review >
AGE OF SWORDS by Michael J. Sullivan
FICTION & LITERATURE
Released: June 20, 2017

"This novel has a refreshing, if somewhat dated, feminist ethos: 'a handful of women and a few young girls' emerge as the newfound font of cultural strength in a changing society and are the heroes of this otherwise derivative tale."
Although Raithe the God-Killer had shown humanity that the magical Fhrey are mortal and not mythic gods, open conflict remains between the two nations; with the balance of power tipped toward the advanced weaponry of the Fhrey, Rhune chieftain Persephone must undertake a quest of wit and wisdom, rather than brawn, to give humanity a fighting chance to win. Read full book review >
ARMISTICE by Harry Turtledove
FICTION & LITERATURE
Released: July 18, 2017

"Though there are a few historical missteps, readers who savor the patient accumulation of detail around each scenario will by now be thoroughly addicted."
Wrapping up the author's latest alternate-history trilogy (Fallout, 2016, etc.), in which he explores the question: what if Truman had used nuclear weapons in the Korean War? Read full book review >
BL!NK by Mark Lingane
FICTION & LITERATURE
Released: April 27, 2017

"Sci-fi readers must brave a steep learning curve to venture down this series that promises black holes and dark matter (in every sense)."
Military madmen, freedom fighters, and superpowered children contend with the fulfillment of an apocalyptic prophecy on an Earth warped by alien attacks. Read full book review >
THE FALL OF LILITH by Vashti Quiroz-Vega
FICTION & LITERATURE

"A well-written, descriptive, and dark creation story."
Fallen angels battle for survival in Quiroz-Vega's (The Basement, 2013) fantasy novel. Read full book review >
THE LAIRDBALOR by Kathleen Kaufman
SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY
Released: Oct. 10, 2017

"Best suited for those readers who turn to Nietzsche and Hesse for pleasure. (Horror. 14-adult)"
Seven-year-old Jamie falls down a "very long hill" into a dimension of nightmares. Read full book review >
RINGER by Lauren Oliver
SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY
Released: Oct. 3, 2017

"Speculative fiction at its core, Oliver's novel is also a reflection on the nature of humanity as explored through the dualities of life/death, autonomy/ownership, truth/lies, and good/evil. (Science fiction. 15-adult)"
It has been three weeks since the Haven Institute fell, but it still has subjects Lyra and Gemma in its insidious grip. Read full book review >
Kirkus Interview
Katey Sagal
author of GRACE NOTES
April 10, 2017

In her memoir Grace Notes, actress and singer/songwriter Katey Sagal takes you through the highs and lows of her life, from the tragic deaths of her parents to her long years in the Los Angeles rock scene, from being diagnosed with cancer at the age of twenty-eight to getting her big break on the fledgling FOX network as the wise-cracking Peggy Bundy on the beloved sitcom Married…with Children. Sparse and poetic, Grace Notes is an emotionally riveting tale of struggle and success, both professional and personal: Sagal’s path to sobriety; the stillbirth of her first daughter, Ruby; motherhood; the experience of having her third daughter at age 52 with the help of a surrogate; and her lifelong passion for music. “While this book is sure to please the author’s many fans, its thoughtful, no-regrets honesty will no doubt also appeal to readers of Hollywood memoirs seeking substance that goes beyond gossip and name-dropping,” our critic writes. “A candid, reflective memoir.” View video >
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