Review of: The Last Dragoners of Bowbazar

On July 29, 2023July 29, 2023 By Carol RylesIn Fantasy, Reviews By Me

A Novella by Indra Das

I absolutely loved this novella. Ru comes from nowhere, but maybe from somewhere in Calcutta. His mysterious beginnings shape his way of seeing in ways he can barely comprehend. His path to understanding is thwarted when his eccentric parents regularly feed him a tea of forgetfulness. He is not quite an outcast in the world he inhabits, and barely belongs to another world that may or may not exist.

The gorgeous cover was enough for me to pick up this novella, even before I’d read the equally gorgeous sample chapter. Rich and poignant prose, along with a wonderfully slow burn about queerness, difference, growing up, falling in love, and the yearning for a reality that is more complex than it seems. Adding to the beauty – and also blurring the boundaries between the impossible and the real – are dragons!

Published June 2023 by Subterranean Press. Details here.

Review of Thieves’ Gambit

On July 23, 2023July 23, 2023 By Carol RylesIn Reviews By Me, YA

A new novel by Kayvion Lewis, (Simon & Schuster, October 24, 2023)

Seventeen-year-old Roslyn (Ross) Quest hails from a family of high-end professional thieves, and has been groomed since birth to follow in their footsteps. Although amazingly proficient at her job, her dream is to attend university and train as a gymnast. All too soon, her meticulous plans are thwarted when a rival faction kidnaps her mother. Ross’s only chance of saving her is to compete against eight equally-proficient teens in the Thieves’ Gambit, a notorious competition where murder is a permissible strategy to win. To complicate things even further, Ross has been taught to trust no one outside of her family, but when the handsome Devroe offers the affection and support she deserves, what is she to do?

This is a fast-paced read about heists that are as much fun as thrilling; and who doesn’t love heists? I cared about the characters from the start, and continued to be emotionally invested in their successes and failures, especially when they face choices that go against everything their parents have taught them. As the competition progresses, and the heists become more and more complicated, the tension ramps up, and the teens must try to cooperate with each other, while at the same time, both predict and take advantage of the probability of betrayals. When lives are at stake and morality enters the mix, which will win: nature or nurture? Needless to say, every adult in this entire novel is beneath contempt for forcing teenagers into situations that encourage physical and emotional abuse.

Social commentary aside, if you love heists and lots of action that keeps you guessing, along with a group of teens who are audaciously resourceful, this YA novel is for you. Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending this book for review consideration.

Review of “Traitor’s Run” by Keith Stevenson

On July 16, 2023 By Carol RylesIn Reviews By Me, SF

Space Opera with a Twist

The Hegemony is a human-led federation of worlds that safeguards its dominance by subjugating potential opponents. When the insular Kresz – a crustacean/insectile humanoid species – refuses to join, the Hegemony treats them as a threat. The subsequent drama unfolds from mostly two points of view: Rhees Lowrans, a talented albeit disgraced human pilot who blames herself for the death of a loved one; and Udun, a Kresz who prefers to live offworld, a rare trait amongst his species. As each is drawn into separate conflicts – ones that threaten their lives and challenge their beliefs – they are forced to make choices that were previously unthinkable.

There is much to like about this novel, including the representations of good and evil in both humans and aliens, and also the strong female characters working in institutions that, thus far, appear to be dominated by males. The novel’s strengths lie with Stevenson’s thoughtful and intelligent depictions of various aliens and their cultures, particularly the worldview, religion and social mores of the empathic Kresz. The narrative voices are successfully character specific, though can be dry at times and often remained so during weapon-to-weapon conflict and scenes of emotional turmoil. Readers looking for classic space opera with a twist will enjoy this novel. I will certainly be looking out for Book 2. Thank you Net Galley and coeur de lion for sending this book for review consideration.

Release Date: October 1, coeur de lion Publishing

Review: “Bitters” by Kaaron Warren

On July 13, 2023 By Carol RylesIn Horror, Reviews By Me

Literary Horror at its finest.

An enormous metal man has stood in the town for over a thousand years. McNubbin’s job is to climb the 400 steps to the top, and tip freshly deceased bodies into its mouth. The result is a much-needed tonic that is delivered through a tap in the man’s toe and sold to visitors from far and wide. When McNubbin begins to receive the bodies of broken girls, he must step outside of what is expected of him and risk upsetting his comfortable status quo.

Multi-award winning Australian writer, Kaaron Warren, has that perfect knack of making the impossible believable, the horrifying compelling, along with well-written characters who keep me reading. This novella is highly recommended if you are a fan of horror and dark fiction.

Bitters was published by Cemetery Dance, May 2023.

CAROL RYLES

Month: July 2023