A- Reviews / B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Readsboarding school / British Indian main character / class differences / competition / diversity / Fantasy / friendship / high school sweethearts / joint review / magical powers / magical school / Naomi-Novik / POC / prickly heroine / prophecy / students / survival / YA / YA fantasy30 Comments
Jennie: Janine, Sirius, and I reviewed the first book in the Scholomance series (originally slated as two books; now a trilogy). Sirius gave it a C- and said she wouldn’t be reading this sequel, but Janine and I, though we had some reservations, ended up liking A Deadly Education quite ... more >
A- Reviews / B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / C- Reviewsboarding school / British Indian main character / class differences / competition / diversity / Fantasy / friendship / joint review / magical powers / magical school / Naomi-Novik / prickly heroine / prophecy / students / survival / YA / YA fantasy13 Comments
Jennie, Sirius and I (along with Jayne), reviewed Naomi Novik’s last book, Spinning Silver, together. Our roundtable discussion was a lot of fun and the three of us decided to reunite for Novik’s recent release, the first book in her Scholomance series, A Deadly Education. –Janine. Janine: A Deadly Education ... more >
Book Reviews / Recommended Reads / Top Ten ListsAlternative Reality/Horror / Best of 2018 / best of list / Essays / Fantasy/Fairytale / historical romance / Recommended Reads10 Comments
This is a short list because I decided to confine myself to A category books only. Usually I’ll include at least B+s, but looking at my log this past year I really do think these five represent the best of what I read in 2018. Bed of Flowers ... more >
Need A Rec! / Reading Lists / Recommended Reads / Top Ten Lists#ownvoices / African American / Alpha & Omega / Asperger's / Best of 2018 / best of list / California / class-difference / Contemporary / Doctor / Eastern Europe / econometrician / escort / Fantasy / India / Italy / journalist / LGBTQIA characters / magic users / moneylender / monsters / Native Americans / Ocean changelings / Paranormal / POC / police / Psy-Changeling Series / queen / Rivers of London / The Founders Trilogy / thief / turn of the century / Urban-Fantasy / Washington DC / werewolves15 Comments
I love end-of-year reading lists so I hope our readers share their own favorite books of 2018 in the comments. Here are the 2018 releases I enjoyed most: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik Naomi Novik’s fantasy novel is the story of three young women’s quest for empowerment — a Jewish ... more >
A Reviews / A- Reviews / B Reviews / Book Reviews / D Reviews / DNF Reviews#ownvoices / Eastern Europe / joint review / Judaism / magical powers / moneylender / winter / YA fantasy19 Comments
I believe this is our first four-person review here at DA. Sirius, Jennie, Jayne and myself review Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver with reactions that run the gamut from “Loved it!” to “Couldn’t finish it.” We hope you’ll enjoy our review. –Janine Janine: Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik’s standalone follow-up to the ... more >
Book ReviewsReading lists8 Comments
I think it was Lois McMaster Bujold who said that “if romances are fantasies of love, and mysteries are fantasies of justice, F&SF are fantasies of political agency.” That may partly explain why I’ve been turning to F&SF lately. Uprooted by Naomi Novik Published in 2015 and awarded the Nebula ... more >