“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” This famous Sherlock Holmes quote is the impetus which drives this intelligent, inventive, and at times irreverent compilation of Sherlock Holmes stories written in the last few decades. As John Joseph Adams explains in his introduction, his aim in compiling these [...]

I read this book several weeks ago. I’ve been hesitant to review it, mostly because Aidan over at A Dribble of Ink wrote a fantastic review that expresses my feelings about the book far more eloquently than I could.
The Magicians
By Lev Grossman; Read by Mark Bramhall
Audible Download – 17 hours 24 mins [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Penguin Audiobooks
Published: [...]

At first blush, Warbreaker recycles a lot of elements from Brandon Sanderson’s previous works: a precocious princess à la Elantris and an all-powerful god-king à la Mistborn, to name but two. As Sanderson himself has said in interviews, though, Warbreaker ends up being more a response to his previous books. As the title implies, the [...]

Part coming-of-age story, part Ocean’s Eleven heist, unfolding in a city somewhat resembling Renaissance-age Venice, The Lies of Locke Lamora is a stunning debut effort from Scott Lynch. With intricate world-building, a colorful writing style, and a unique interlocking structure, the novel is satisfying even at its weaker moments.
The Lies of Locke Lamora
By Scott Lynch; [...]

Odd and the Frost Giants was released almost a year ago, and even before then I’d followed its inception and creation on Neil Gaiman’s blog. Needless to say, I rejoiced at its recent North American release. It’s always a pleasure delving into a Neil Gaiman book, and yet a pleasure tinged with a hint of [...]

A while back, Audible.com offered a free download of The Merchant of Death, the first in D. J. MacHale’s ten-volume Pendragon series. I had nought but the name to go on, but it sounded enticing enough, and the price was right. Recently, I took the time to find out just what I’d downloaded. Aimed at [...]

Recent announcements about upcoming releases for Emma and the Vampires and Wuthering Bites prompted from me a Twitter rant on this new trend in speculative fiction. Shouldn’t writers create their own characters, worlds, and stories instead of tampering with tried-and-true classics? But then I realized I was engaging in contempt prior to investigation. So, in [...]

A haunting mystery with a healthy dose of romance and a liberal dash of the supernatural, A Harvest of Bones will satisfy fans of almost any genre. Though it’s the fourth in Yasmine Galenorn’s Chintz ‘n’ China Mystery Series, familiarity with the previous novels isn’t necessary.
A Harvest of Bones
By Yasmine Galenorn
Mass Market Paperback – 277 [...]

After Audible Frontiers published the entire collection of Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories, I eagerly listened to the first volume, Swords and Deviltry. I enjoyed the stories, but not enough to rush headlong into the rest of the series. Recently, however, I’ve returned to the world of Nehwon, the fictional setting for [...]

The second season of HBO’s True Blood, based on Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels. The show’s first season very loosely followed the first novel in the series, Dead Until Dark, while the second season made significant departures from the second novel, Living Dead in Dallas. Hoping to garner some clues about the show’s third season, [...]