August 9, 2017
Labyrinth Lost (2016) Written by: Zoraida Córdova Genre: YA/Urban Fantasy Pages: 340 pages Series: Brooklyn Brujas, Book 1 Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire Why I Chose This: I saw this cover while browsing my local bookstore and immediately fell in love. Magic, mayhem, a world of monsters and gods? I was sold straight away. The premise: The only way to get her family…
August 8, 2017
Welcome back to Sound Off!, a semi-regular column where members of Speculative Chic gather together to chat about the latest BIG THING in entertainment. This time, aim with your eye and discuss The Dark Tower, which premiered in the United States on Friday, August 4, 2017. Sound Off! is meant to be a reaction, but not necessarily a review. After all, while we…
August 8, 2017
It is 1983, and I am thirteen and hunting for dragons, on a winter Boulder, Colorado day with crystalline skies so clear that I know it is below freezing outside. But I brave the elements anyways, for I want dragons, and I have five dollars and some change earned from household chores. I take the RTD bus 204 downtown, and…
August 7, 2017
They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome to back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we sit down with Carrie Vaughn, author of Bannerless, a murder-mystery set in a dystopian…
August 4, 2017
Two episodes left. Oh dear god, how are we supposed to deal with all that’s come before? How are we supposed to deal with the end? At this point, what will the end even be? In “Gag or Throttle,” I’d gotten my wish for a Rachel-centric episode. In “Guillotines Decide,” I got my wish for Felix’s Art Show featuring all…
August 4, 2017
Dear Sherry, I hear people talk about writing exercises all the time. They say it’s a good way to warm up the brain and help focus on the writing tasks, especially for those of us who tend to get distracted by the internet. What do you think? Worth it or not? I’m afraid it might be a source of distraction…
August 3, 2017
The Curse of Chalion (2001) Written by: Lois McMaster Bujold Genre: Fantasy Pages: 502 (Mass Market Paperback) Series: The World of the Five Gods Book 1 Publisher: Harper Voyager Why I Chose It: The World of Five Gods was first brought to my attention about ten years ago when I decided that reading the Hugo Winners list would be a…
August 3, 2017
There exists the old adage: Don’t judge a book by its cover. This is quite true, as the inside of a book can be excellent but the cover doesn’t do the story justice. Yet at the same time, having a good book cover is very important. It doesn’t matter if you’re with a big publishing company or self-published; a top…
August 2, 2017
Clariel (2014) Written By: Garth Nix Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Pages: 419 (Trade Paperback) Series: Old Kingdom (Book 4) Publisher: HaperCollins Why I Chose It: I read Sabriel, the first in the Old Kingdom series, back when I was a teenager, and it quickly became one of my favorites, full of unique magic, truly scary bad guys, and even a…
August 2, 2017
I love the idea of a Hugo Award for a series. It feels past due. For me, this award covers a slew of books that might otherwise fall through the cracks. As a matter of personal taste, I rarely vote for award for books that are past #1 in a series. It feels odd to reward a random book in…