April 24, 2020
Editor’s Note 6/22/2020: At the time of the original posting, Speculative Chic was unaware that author Paul Krueger had harassed various people in the publishing industry. We do not condone harassment, and we stand with those people who’ve been harmed as a result of his actions. Speaking up is one of the bravest things they can do, and we thank…
December 26, 2019
Wonder Woman, Vol. 1: The Just War (2019) Written By: G. Willow Wilson Illustrated By: Cary Nord, Xermanico, Emanuela Lupacchino, Jesús Merino Genre: Superhero Pages: 192 pages (Trade Paperback) Publisher: DC Comics Why I Chose It: I’m a big fan of Wonder Woman, but haven’t really connected to her main comic in years. Fortunately, I am also a huge fan…
November 21, 2019
Feast of the Mother (2019) Written by: Miranda Honfleur, Nicolette Andrews Series: Witch of the Lake #1 Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult Pages: 308 (Paperback) Publisher: Self-published Why I Chose It: Earlier this year, I read and enjoyed Miranda Honfleur’s fantasy romance, No Man Can Tame. When the sequel was delayed, I decided to check out her other work and eventually settled…
October 24, 2019
Spin the Dawn (2019) Written by: Elizabeth Lim Series: The Blood of the Stars #1 Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult Pages: 392 (Hardcover) Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers Why I Chose It: The pitch for this book was “Project Runaway meets Mulan.” Plus, the cover art is so lovely! How could I not read it? The premise: Maia Tamarin…
September 26, 2019
Jade War (2019) Written by: Fonda Lee Series: Jade City #2 Genre: Fantasy Pages: 590 (Hardcover) Publisher: Orbit Why I Chose This: For my 2019 Resolution Project I decided to tackle my fear of long books by reading three super-sized sequels to books I already enjoyed. Jade War is the final of these three books. The Premise: On the island…
August 22, 2019
Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider, vol 1: Spider-Geddon (2019) Written By: Seanan McGuire Illustrated By: Rosi Kampe and Takeshi Miyazawa Genre: Superhero Pages: 112 pages Publisher: Marvel Comics Why I Chose It: Spider-Gwen is a character that I’ve been meaning to get back into, so a new writer seemed like a great place to start. The premise: Gwen Stacy makes her sensational…
July 25, 2019
Covering paranormal investigations to Y2K, this year’s Hugo nominees for Best Graphic Story feature work by some of the best writers and artists today. All titles have their strengths, but which will emerge victorious? In this column I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the impressive slate and talk about each of their chances of bringing home the rocket.
June 27, 2019
Zero Sum Game (2018) Written by: S.L. Huang Series: Cas Russell Book 1 Genre: Science Fiction (Audio Book) Length: 11 hours 43 minutes Publisher: Tor Why I Chose This: I originally read Zero Sum Game back in 2014 when it was a self-published e-book, and I remember finding it a real page-turner. Earlier this year, the book was revised and…
May 24, 2019
European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman (2018) Written by: Theodora Goss Series: The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club #2 Genre: Fantasy/Gothic Horror Pages: 720 (kindle) Publisher: Saga Press Why I Chose This: My 2019 Resolution Project is to tackle three super-sized sequels to books that I really enjoyed. European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman is the second of those three books.…
April 25, 2019
The Poppy War (2018) Written by: R.F. Kuang Genre: Fantasy Pages: 549 (Kindle) Series: Book One of The Poppy War Publisher: HarperCollins Why I Chose It: I had heard a lot of positive buzz about The Poppy War, but it was ultimately its Nebula Award nomination that convinced me to give it a chance. The Premise: When Rin aced the Keju…