Fantasy Book Reviews

The book reviews are alphabetical by author and subdivided via genre.  In cases where more than one of an author's works are reviewed, they are listed in order of publication.  Some of these reviews were written by other people back when the Sci-Fi Fan Letter was an in store newsletter at the World's Biggest Bookstore.  With one exception, they were all WBB bookstore employees (and the exception was an Indigo bookseller from another Toronto store).  Their pseudonyms in no particular order are: Mel, Cat, Sheila, DG-88, Leeman, Chud, James Duncan, Sandra, Rose, Gord, Kat & James Bernard.  They helped me make the newsletter a success for the 19 monthly issues it ran before I switched over to more regular and varied blog posts.  Their reviews are all credited to them, and shown on this page in brackets as guest reviewers.  As to my own reviews, it took some time before I'd devised my current format (with pros/cons) so go easy on my beginner work.

 Fantasy
The Dragon's Path - Daniel Abraham
Shadow and Betrayal Omnibus (A Shadow in Summer, A Betrayal in Winter) - Daniel Abraham
The Blade Itstelf – Joe Abercrombie
Before They are Hanged – Joe Abercrombie
The Last Argument of Kings – Joe Abercrombie
The World House - Guy Adams
Children of Blood and Bone - Tomi Adeyemi
Throne of the Crescent Moon - Saladin Ahmed
The Alchemist - Paolo Bacigalupi (novella)
The Magicians and Mrs. Quent– Galen Beckett
City of Stairs - Robert Jackson Bennett
City of Blades - Robert Jackson Bennett
City of Miracles - Robert Jackson Bennett
Foundryside - Robert Jackson Bennett
Shorefall - Robert Jackson Bennett
The Tainted Cup - Robert Jackson Bennett
 Archon - Sabrina Benulis
Transformation – Carol Berg
Breath And Bone – Carol Berg
Dust and Light - Carol Berg
Ash and Silver - Carol Berg
Sebastian – Anne Bishop
City of Broken Magic - Mirah Bolender
A Natural History of Dragons - Marie Brennan
The Tropic of Serpents - Marie Brennan
Voyage of the Basilisk - Marie Brennan
Doppelganger – Marie Brennan
The Warded Man– Peter V. Brett
Desert Spear– Peter V. Brett
The Daylight War - Peter V. Brett
The Skull Throne - Peter V. Brett
The Core - Peter V. Brett
Barren - Peter V. Brett
 The Great Bazaar and Brayan's Gold - Peter V. Brett
Armageddon's Children – Terry Brooks
Farlander - Col Buchanan
The Executioness - Tobias Buckell (novella)
Paladin of Souls – Lois McMaster Bujold
Snowspelled - Stephanie Burgis
The Vanished Queen - Lisbeth Campbell
Spellwright – Blake Charlton
The Unbroken - C. L. Clark
The Faithless - C. L. Clark
 The Armored Saint - Myke Cole
The Queen of Crows - Myke Cole
The Killing Light - Myke Cole
Ironskin - Tina Connolly
Copperhead - Tina Connolly
Saint Death's Daughter - C. S. E. Cooney
 A Turn of Light - Julie Czerneda
The Dragon Book– Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois, Ed.
The Adamantine Palace– Stephen Deas
Servant of the Underworld - Aliette de Bodard 
Mystic - Jason Denzel
Merlin Dreams - Peter Dickinson (short story collection)
 The Traitor Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
The Tyrant Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
 The Perfect Assassin - K. A. Doore
The Legions of Fire - David Drake
Out of the Waters - David Drake
Phoenix Unbound - Grace Draven
Servant Mage - Kate Elliott
Gardens of the Moon – Steven Erikson (Guest Reviewer)
Halls of Law - V. M. Escalada (aka Violette Malan)
A Gift of Griffins - V. M. Escalada (aka Violette Malan)
A Darkness Forged in Fire – Chris Evans
The Light of Burning Shadows– Chris Evans
Ashes of a Black Frost - Chris Evans
The Oversight - Charlie Fletcher
Three Parts Dead - Max Gladstone
Two Serpents Rise - Max Gladstone
Full Fathom Five - Max Gladstone
Last First Snow - Max Gladstone
Dead Country - Max Gladstone
The Fallen Blade - Jon Courtenay Grimwood
Steeplejack - A. J. Hartley
Firebrand - A. J. Hartley
Guardian - A. J. Hartley
The Assassin King – Elizabeth Haydon (Guest Reviewer)
Armed In Her Fashion - Kate Heartfield
The Girl From Everywhere - Heidi Heilig
Goblin Quest – Jim C. Hines
Stepsister Scheme – Jim C. Hines
The Mermaid's Madness– Jim C. Hines
Red Hood's Revenge– Jim C. Hines
The Snow Queen's Shadow - Jim C. Hines
The Left Hand of God– Paul Hoffman
The Mirror Empire - Kameron Hurley
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms– N. K. Jemisin
Dreams of Inan: Stealing Life – Antony Johnston
Desert of Souls - Howard Andrew Jones
Under Heaven– Guy Gavriel Kay
Nettle and Bone - T. Kingfisher
Shades of Milk and Honey - Mary Robinette Kowal
Glamour in Glass - Mary Robinette Kowal
Without a Summer - Mary Robinette Kowal
Valour and Vanity - Mary Robinette Kowal
Of Noble Family - Mary Robinette Kowal
The Poppy War - R. F. Kuang
Among Thieves - M. J. Kuhn
Green - Jay Lake
Dragonfall - L. R. Lam
Charming - Jade Linwood
 The Summer Dragon - Todd Lockwood
Alchemist of Souls - Anne Lyle
Merchant of Dreams - Anne Lyle
Mirror Prince – Violette Malan
Shadowlands - Violette Malan
Sleeping God – Violette Malan
Soldier King– Violette Malan
Storm Witch – Violette Malan
Path of the Sun - Violette Malan
The Godstone - Violette Malan
The Summoner - Gail Martin, 2007 review
The Blood King - Gail Martin
Dreamsongs vol. 1 – George R. R. Martin (Guest Reviewer)
The River Kings' Road - Liane Merciel
Torn - Rowenna Miller
Fray - Rowenna Miller
Rule - Rowenna Miller
City of the Beast – Michael Moorcock
Resenting the Hero - Moira Moore
The Hero Strikes Back – Moira Moore
Heroes Adrift – Moira Moore
The Beautiful Ones - Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The Sevenfold Spell - Tia Nevitt
The Skewed Throne – Joshua Palmatier
Firebrand - Gillian Philip
Hogfather – Terry Pratchett (Guest Reviewer)
The Waking Fire - Anthony Ryan
The Legion of Flame - Anthony Ryan
The Empire of Ashes - Anthony Ryan
Elantris – Brandon Sanderson
The Last Wish – Andrzej Sapkowski
Lamentation - Ken Scholes
Canticle - Ken Scholes
Antiphon - Ken Scholes
Requiem - Ken Scholes
Hymn - Ken Scholes
The Bone Season - Samantha Shannon
Black Dog Summer - Miranda Sherry
Summers at Castle Auburn – Sharon Shinn
The City of Dusk - Tara Sim
Poison Study – Maria Snyder
A Touch of Magic - Maria Snyder
The Deep - Rivers Solomon
The Emperor's Blades - Brian Staveley
The Providence of Fire - Brain Staveley
The Last Mortal Bond - Brian Staveley
Skullsworn - Brian Staveley
Dracula: The Undead – Dacre Stoker and Ian Holt
Empire in Black and Gold - Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Conjurers - David Waid
Way of Shadows – Brent Weeks
Dragons of the Dwarven Depths – Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (Guest Reviewer)
Dust City - Robert Paul Weston
For the Wolf - Hannah Whitten
 The Emperor's Knife - Mazarkis Williams
Knife Sworn - Mazarkis Williams
The Tower Broken - Mazarkis Williams
Shadowplay – Tad Williams (Guest Reviewer) 
Lord of the Fading Lands – C.L. Wilson
Lady of Light and Shadows – C.L. Wilson
King of Sword and Sky – C.L. Wilson
Crown of Crystal Flame - C. L. Wilson
The Bird King - G. Willow Wilson
The Rage of Dragons - Evan Winter
Hurricane Heels - Isabel Yap
The Godforsaken - Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Kids/Teen Fantasy
The Fledging of Az Gabrlielson – Jay Amory (Guest Reviewer)
The Summoning – Kelley Armstrong
Dark Eden - Patrick Carman
Graceling– Kristin Cashore
Seeker - Arwen Elys Dayton
Traveler - Arwen Elys Dayton
Mystic - Jason Denzel
The Tale of Despereaux – Kate DiCamillo
Little Red Wolf - Amelie Flechais (picture book)
Stardust – Neil Gaiman (Guest Reviewer)
Eon - Alison Goodman
Eona - Alison Goodman
Seer and Sword – Victoria Hanley
Seraphina - Rachel Hartman
Shadow Scale - Rachel Hartman
The Devouring– Simon Holt
Soulstice – Simon Holt
The Afterward - E. K. Johnston
Hunger - Jackie Morse Kessler
Rage - Jackie Morse Kessler
Meridian - Amber Kizer
The Diamond in the Window - Jane Langton
Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine
Ogre Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine
Incarnate - Jodi Meadows
Asunder - Jodi Meadows
Infinite - Jodi Meadows
Eclipse – Stephanie Meyer (Guest Reviewer)
The Hammer of Witches - Shana Mlawski
Beka Cooper: Terrier – Tamora Pierce (Guest Reviewer)
The Perilous Gard – Elizabeth Marie Pope
The Alchemyst – Michael Scott (Guest Reviewer)
The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick
The Door in the Mountain - Caitlin Sweet

Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance / Historical Fantasy
Omens - Kelley Armstrong
Waking the Witch – Kelley Armstrong
Borderline - Mishell Baker
Bespelling Jane Austen – Mary Balogh, Coleen Gleason, Susan Krinard and Janet Mullany
Iron Kissed – Patricia Briggs
Mooncalled – Patricia Briggs (Guest Reviewer)
The Plucker – Brom
Between Two Fires - Christopher Buehlman
Ill Wind – Rachel Caine (Guest Reviewer)
Marked – P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast (Guest Reviewer)
A Master of Djinn - P Djeli Clark
 The Invisible Library - Genevieve Cogman
Mind Games – Carolyn Crane
The Book Eaters - Sunyi Dean 
Unshapely Things – Mark Del Franco
 The Hanged Man - P. N. Elrod
Los Nefilim - T. Frohock
Where Oblivion Lives - T. Frohock
A Song With Teeth - T. Frohock
 Halfway to the Grave – Jeanine Frost (Guest Reviewer)
American Gods - Neil Gaiman (reviewed by me)
American Gods – Neil Gaiman (Guest Reviewer)
The Conductors - Nicole Glover
The Undertakers - Nicole Glover
 Something From the Nightside – Simon Green
For a Few Demons More – Kim Harrison (Guest Reviewer)
Becoming Crone - Lydia M. Hawke
Armed in Her Fashion - Kate Heartfield
The Embroidered Book - Kate Heartfield
 Silver - Rhiannon Held
Libriomancer - Jim C. Hines
Roses and Rot - Kat Howard
Spells of Blood and Kin - Claire Humphrey
Passing Strange - Ellen Klages
Ghost Talkers - Mary Robinette Kowal
Babel - R. F. Kuang
A Wild Light – Marjorie Liu (Guest Reviewer)
Night Watch – Sergei Lukyanenko
Twilight Watch – Sergei Lukyanenko
Out of Tune - Jonathan Maberry, Ed.
Esperanza - Trish MacGregor
Deadly Curiosities - Gail Martin
The Falconer - Elizabeth May
Every Heart a Doorway - Seanan McGuire
Down Among the Sticks and Bones - Seanan McGuire
Beneath the Sugar Sky - Seanan McGuire
In An Absent Dream - Seanan McGuire
Mislaid in Parts Half-Known - Seanan McGuire
Delia's Shadow - Jaime Lee Moyer
A Barricade in Hell - Jaime Lee Moyer
Against A Brightening Sky - Jaime Lee Moyer
Between Two Thorns - Emma Newman
A Forgery of Roses - Jessica S. Olson
Poltergeist – Kat Richardson (Guest Reviewer)
The Alloy of Law - Brandon Sanderson (audiobook, read by Michael Kramer)
Shadows of Self - Brandon Sanderson
The Bands of Mourning - Brandon Sanderson
The Thirteen Hallows - Michael Scott and Colette Freedman (audiobook, read by Kate Reading)
Strange Practice - Vivian Shaw
Nightlife – Rob Thurman
Madhouse – Rob Thurman
The Silver Bough – Lisa Tuttle
Night Terrors - Tim Waggoner

Magic Realism
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
Paradise - Koji Suzuki

Historical Fiction
The Malice of Fortune - Michael Ennis
Saga: A Novel of Medieval Iceland – Jeff Janoda
The Apprentice's Masterpiece - Melanie Little
Company of Liars – Karen Maitland
Germania - John Wilson
 
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