March 3, 2020
I’ve been a fan of Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville series for years, and I’ve always enjoyed her take on certain urban fantasy tropes. I was completely satisfied by how the primary series wrapped up, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t jump at the chance to revisit the world and learn more about one of my favorite secondary characters. The Immortal…
October 1, 2019
The Rampant (2019) Written by: Julie C. Day Genre: YA Fantasy/Horror Length: 138 pages (Novella) Publisher: Aqueduct Press Disclaimer: I received a copy of the novella for free in exchange for an honest review. Why I chose it: I’m new here at Speculative Chic, and I’m trying to find my groove. Figure out where I fit in. As a reader…
September 10, 2019
The Infinite Noise (2019) Written by: Lauren Shippen Genre: YA Fantasy Pages: 329 (ARC) Publisher: Tor Teen Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review. The Premise: Caleb Michaels is a sixteen-year-old champion running back. Other than that his life is pretty normal. But when Caleb starts experiencing mood swings…
July 30, 2019
Invisible Chains (2019) Written by: Michelle Renee Lane Genre: Fantasy Pages: 337 (ARC) Publisher: Haverhill House Publishing Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review. Premise: Jacqueline is a young Creole slave in antebellum New Orleans. An unusual stranger who has haunted her dreams since childhood comes to stay as…
July 9, 2019
Gather ye round, one and all. Your Auntie Casey is here today to discuss something that we’re probably all aware of, but perhaps hadn’t given a great deal of thought. I will do my level best to stay off of the soap box, but I make no promises. We’re here today to discuss the real-world consequences of pirating a book.…
July 2, 2019
I’m fond of Lovecraftian fiction, as you can see from my thoughts on Ruthanna Emrys’s fiction here and here. So when Mira Grant announced that her latest Subterranean Press novella was her first dip into actual Lovecraft territory, I might have squealed a little inside. The fates, and the publisher, smiled upon me and granted me access to an eARC…
February 22, 2019
(If the review title is puzzling, read on.) Folks, I’m not always the brightest of bulbs. I miss things. It took me three books with Antimony Price before it clicked where the inspiration for the titles was coming from. Dire Straits, anyone? I sort of thought about it after Tricks For Free, but when I saw the title That Ain’t…
January 24, 2019
Ninth Step Station (2019) Written by: Malka Older, Fran Wilde, Jacqueline Koyanagi, Curtis C. Chen Genre: Science Fiction, Police Procedural Length: the ARC I received did not have a page count attached. This is a fiction serial of ten episodes Series: Book #1 of Ninth Step Station Publisher: Serial Box Disclaimer: I received a copy of Ninth Step Station for…
December 4, 2018
Do you enjoy a side of complicated social questions with your fiction? Do you have an opinion on the ongoing issues of the anti-vaccination movement? Are you a reader of medical thrillers? Have I got the book for you! Kingdom of Needle and Bone (2018) Written by: Mira Grant Genre: Sci-fi/thriller/horror (don’t look at me like that, they all apply)…
November 15, 2018
I have been following Catherynne M. Valente’s writing career literally since it began. We were LiveJournal acquaintances ages ago, and I remember being delighted for her when she announced the publication of her very first novel, The Labyrinth. I remember reading about the then-fictional Fairyland books in Palimpsest, one of the most beautiful and unusual novels that I’ve ever read.…