Ilona Andrews’s This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is a portal fantasy about a 21st-century woman named Maggie who goes to sleep one night and inexplicably wakes up in the kingdom of Rellas, the setting of her favorite fantasy series. Having read the unfinished series obsessively while she waited for the third novel to be […]
My wife is a librarian, so one of her great joys is finding new books to recommend to people. And she’s damned good at it. She reads widely and has developed a canny ability to internalize someone’s preferences and point them in the direction of something new that they will most likely enjoy. Usually her […]
Brandon Sanderson’s Rhythm of War is the fourth book in his Stormlight Archive series. As the war between the humans and the forces of Odium rages, Sanderson’s worldbuilding continues to evolve, along with his deep and varied cast of characters. The result is a sprawling narrative that offers exciting new insights and developments, but that […]
Brandon Sanderson’s Oathbringer is the third installment in his Stormlight Archive series. It continues the story of Dalinar, Kaladin, and Shallan, along with an enormous and ever-expanding cast of supporting characters. In Oathbringer, as a new Desolation dawns, Dalinar’s attempt to unite all the nations of Roshar against their common enemy takes center stage, along […]
I first read The Way of Kings, the opening book in Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive, way back in 2015. I had a mixed reaction and decided not to continue with the series. Then, as Sanderson published subsequent installments over the next decade, several friends whose reading preferences overlap strongly with mine began to rave about […]
At some point in our lives, most people begin to dream of finding their forever home. We think about what it might look and feel like, how we will arrange the space, how we’ll entertain loved ones, and how we will create a safe haven from which to launch ourselves out in the world when […]
Summary: Joe Abercrombie’s Last Argument of Kings is the third and final book in The First Law Trilogy. As the Union’s war in the north continues to rage, Logen Ninefingers is reunited with the Dogman and his other companions, who have joined forces with Collem West. Meanwhile, intrigue in Adua heats up as a new king is crowned and […]
Summary: Joe Abercrombie’s Before They Are Hanged is the middle book in The First Law Trilogy. As Collem West enters a bitter war in the north for the Union’s holdings in Angland, Sand dan Glokta is sent to the southern port of Dagoska to root out a conspiracy and coordinate the city’s defense against the Gurkish Emperor’s […]
Summary: The Blade Itself is the seductive and brutal opening act of Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law Trilogy. Set in a vast fantasy world of kingdoms vying for power in an ever-shifting geopolitical landscape, Abercrombie introduces a host of characters from different regions who appear to have nothing in common. He then proceeds to slowly draw them together, […]
Summary: Well over a century since its original publication, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a classic that stands the test of time. This captivating epistolary novel tells the tale of a small group of people who encounter a mysterious and daunting horror. Throughout their harrowing adventure, these heroes leverage their capacities for friendship, love, cooperation, courage, and loyalty […]