This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi – author of the Shatter Me series – was a quick DNF for me, unfortunately falling into the category of books I shelve under “Interesting Premise, Weak Writing.” I only made a few chapters in, but here are four key issues I would have addressed to make it a …
Continue reading Why This Woven Kingdom Fell Short: 4 Key Issues
Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne was a fun, fast-paced read set in a magical version of Scotland. It follows the misadventures of an endearing curmudgeon and Sigil Agent, Al MacBharrais, who reads like a ready-to-retire Sherlock Holmes who’s just a little bit depressed. Along with his lovably lewd hobgoblin sidekick Buck Foi (yes, really), …
Continue reading Unpacking Ink & Sigil: A Witty, Irreverant Mystery-Action Urban Fantasy
I had such high expectations for this book and was left with very mixed feelings. This was the first book by Martha Wells that I’ve read, but I saw that Witch King had received some great reviews and solid recognition (it won the 2022 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel and was a nominee for …
Continue reading Alternatives to Dual Timelines for Complex Narratives: Witch King Review
What makes a good story? Each book review you'll find here is a case study with examples of creative writing do's and don'ts. I analyze character development, pacing, writing techniques, worldbuilding, and prose with the goal of helping myself, and hopefully others, become a better writer. This is not a “here’s what to read next” …
I recently read the first few chapters of Weyward by Emilia Hart, and it got me thinking about how much the Point of View can impact a story. Hart made an unusual choice to change the Point of View (POV) for each character, and use both present and past tense, so each character’s chapters sound …
Continue reading Exploring the impact of shifting character POVs in Weyward
Do you ever find yourself reading the same book again and again? Maybe not the exact same book, but something in the same genre, with characters and plot twists that are comfortingly familiar? Perhaps a YA fantasy with a strong female lead with a dark past, or a dystopian kingdom with gladiator-esque trials? It turns …
The Book of Dust is a new series by Philip Pullman, and a continuation of another series he completed around 18 years ago called His Dark Materials (you may recognize it by the name of the first book, The Golden Compass which was made into a movie in 2007). La Belle Sauvage (Book of Dust #1) is …
Continue reading Book Review: La Belle Sauvage (Book of Dust #1)
Booklight Reviews 