Tag Archives: Fantasy

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake

British Literature April 11, 2009 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: Titus Groan, the 77th Earl of Gormenghast, heir to a decidedly odd fortune, is born amidst violence and intrigue of a most peculiar time. Review: I was captivated by the prose in Titus Groan, the first book in Mervyn Peake’s decidedly unique Gormenghast trilogy. Peake was also an illustrator, and his writing is exceptionally visual in the way that he describes his characters. He comes up with the most idiosyncratic quirks I’ve ever encountered, for characters named things like Prunesquallor and Sourdust and Steerpike.…

The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett

American Literature, Australian Literature March 10, 2009 Superfast Reader 12 Comments

Synopsis: At night, the demons rise, terrorizing humanity for centuries until three grown orphans dare to fight back. Review: Warning: freak-out coming… THE WARDED MAN ROCKED ROCKED ROCKED. I mean, seriously. I am losing my mind over how good this book was. Why oh why oh why am I going to have to wait all the way until the end of the year to read the next book? I haven’t been this insane about a book since I read Assassin’s Apprentice. I was so sucked…

Point of Hopes by Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett

American Literature February 16, 2009 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: A host of missing children prompts an investigation led by Adjunct Pointsman Rathe, in a world reminiscent of 17th Century Europe where astrology is the governing religion and worldview. Review: Point of Hopes was a refreshing change of pace from the fantasy I’ve been reading lately. Instead of an epic tale spanning the whole of the human experience in the midst of catastrophic upheaval, Point of Hopes is a simple police procedural set among the ordinary middle class. Within the genre, it’s a fairly…

Feast of Souls by CS Friedman (The Magister Trilogy)

American Literature January 29, 2009 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: In a world where the price of magic is human life, one woman dares transgress against the prevailing power structures even as an ancient enemy threatens humankind. Review: Man, I hate synopsizing epic fantasy. The premises always end up sounding so silly. That’s a shame, because Feast of Souls actually really intrigued me with its central idea. Basically, there can be no magic without a human life force as fuel. Women who can control the life force become witches, but every act of magic…

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

American Literature January 13, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Orphaned Kira is tapped to continue her mother’s work as a weaver with mystical powers, but her glimpses into the world lead her to question everything she’s ever known. Review: Gathering Blue is Lois Lowry’s follow-up to The Giver, her dystopian look at a world without pain. Gathering Blue is a much lighter work, and feels like a bridge to the next book in the trilogy, Messenger. I wasn’t really blown away by this book so I’m not going to say much, other than…

The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe

American Literature November 24, 2008 Superfast Reader 10 Comments

Synopsis: In which a journeyman in the guild of torturers becomes ruler of the world. Review: I should have reviewed this book in two parts, because it’s published that way, as Shadow and Claw and Sword and Citadel. Perhaps I would be less intimidated by the prospect of discussing what ended up being an immense, sprawling, daunting work if I took smaller bites. Too late now. The Book of the New Sun is an epic fantasy with science fiction elements, or perhaps it is the…

Cyndere’s Midnight by Jeffrey Overstreet (The Auralia Thread)

American Literature October 7, 2008 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Auralia and her colors are missing and the beastmen are amassing an army, while bereaved ruler Cyndere dreams of transforming the world. Review: So tough to do a one-liner of a fantasy series installment. My review of Cyndere’s Midnight will go up at The Curator next week. In the mean time, just go read the book, willya? I am such a fan!

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

American Literature October 3, 2008 Superfast Reader 16 Comments

Synopsis: A young woman discovers that she is cursed to go mad on the birth of her first child unless she can complete three impossible tasks. Review: Woven from the lyrics of the ballad Scarborough Fair, made famous by Simon and Garfunkel, Impossible successfully places a fairy tale in the context of modern life without sacrificing any magic at all. Lucy Scarborough was raised by foster parents after her mother, Miranda, went mad on Lucy’s birth. Now Lucy finds herself pregnant at 17, and discovers…

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments, Book 1)

American Literature September 17, 2008 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: A teenage girl discovers that she comes from a lineage of demon hunters, and finds herself drawn into the ongoing battle between good and evil. Review: I picked up City of Bones after reading a rave review of the next book in the series on the Queens Public Library’s email newsletter for YA picks. It sounded like a fun read, and I was not disappointed. I just got a book light so I can read in bed while Superfast Baby snoozes in her crib…

Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay

Canadian Literature June 24, 2008 Superfast Reader 8 Comments

Synopsis: Tigana is a country that has been obliterated by magic, down to its very name, yet a small group of rebels who remember decide to spark civil war to reclaim the honor of their homeland. Review: I wanted to love Tigana, I really did. Guy Gavriel Kay is a beautiful writer, excelling in exploring complex emotions and motivations within scenes that are startlingly original. There are scenes in Tigana that are achingly lovely without sacrificing dramatic impact. However, the overall story just never clicked…

reading is my superpower

i read all the books