February 4, 2020
Hi! Venessa here. You might recognize my name from my monthly column here at Spec Chic, where I talk a little bit about books, television shows, and lot about conventions, including my Convention Life series and Con Season on a Budget. I also do some behind-the-scenes stuff for the My Favorite Things column too. In my “other” life, I’m a…
January 1, 2020
Ninth House (2019) Written by: Leigh Bardugo Genre: Urban Fantasy/Horror Pages: 480 (Hardcover) Publisher: Flatiron Books Why I Chose It: Because it’s been on my radar for some months now, after reading a sample somewhere on the web. Because I love secret magical societies in university settings. Because the premise was compelling. Because the cover was slinky and pretty. The…
December 30, 2019
Every year, we invite our contributors to challenge themselves with the Resolution Project — a special event where our writers sift through all things speculative and settle on something worthy of personal conquest. The sky’s the limit when it comes to choices, whether it’s knocking through a back catalog, revisiting a popular franchise, or embarking on something totally new; whether…
December 3, 2019
Magic Triumphs (2018) Written by: Ilona Andrews Series: Kate Daniels #10 Genre: Urban Fantasy Pages: 439 Publisher: Ace Books Why I Chose This: My 2019 Resolution Project for Speculative Chic is to read the books in the Kate Daniels series and finish up with a first read of the final book. This is my first time reading this title. The Premise: Kate has…
November 5, 2019
Iron and Magic (2018) Written by: Ilona Andrews Series: Iron Covenant #1 (Kate Daniels #9.5) Genre: Urban Fantasy Pages: 406 (Kindle) Publisher: NYLA Why I Chose This: My 2019 Resolution Project for Speculative Chic is to read the books in the Kate Daniels series and finish up with a first read of the final book. This is my first time reading this title.…
October 18, 2019
Magic Binds (2016) Written by: Ilona Andrews Series: Kate Daniels #9 Genre: Urban Fantasy Pages: 342 (Paperback) Publisher: Ace Why I Chose This: My 2019 Resolution Project for Speculative Chic is to read the books in the Kate Daniels series and finish up with a first read of the final book. I first read Magic Binds in 2017 and reviewed it at my own blog.…
September 20, 2019
Magic Shifts (2015) Written by: Ilona Andrews Series: Kate Daniels #8 Genre: Urban Fantasy Pages: 375 (Paperback) Publisher: Ace Why I Chose This: My 2019 Resolution Project for Speculative Chic is to read the books in the Kate Daniels series and finish up with a first read of the final book. I first read Magic Shifts in 2016 and reviewed it at my own blog.…
September 17, 2019
The Journey thus far….. In our quest for urban fantasy, we have hitherto journeyed only through the realm of fairy and its migration into the cities of Minneapolis and Newford. But how did we arrive in St. Louis? Well, the master of the city, Jean-Claude, invited us, we gave consent, and followed him and his lover, Anita Blake down from…
August 23, 2019
Welcome to the first post in a series in which I will be examining vampire fiction — novels, film, and TV shows — through the lens of identity politics. Specifically, I’ll be looking at the concepts of white privilege and racial identity/representation in popular vampire fiction and discussing why certain tropes are problematic. As a woman of color who has…
August 16, 2019
Magic Breaks (2012) Written by: Ilona Andrews Series: Kate Daniels #7 Genre: Urban Fantasy Pages: 381 (Paperback) Publisher: Ace Why I Chose This: My 2019 Resolution Project for Speculative Chic is to read the books in the Kate Daniels series and finish up with a first read of the final book. I first read Magic Breaks in 2015 and reviewed it at my own blog. The…