Review | Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
At first blush, Warbreaker recycles a lot of elements from Brandon Sanderson’s previous works: a precocious princess à la Elantris and an all-powerful god-king à la Mistborn, to name but two. As Sanderson himself has said in interviews, though, Warbreaker ends up being more a response to his previous books. As the title implies, the novel is concerned not with waging a war, just or otherwise, but with stopping one. The book also features another of Sanderson’s signature magic systems, possibly his most inventive yet. Solid plot and characterization round out an excellent novel that most fantasy fans will en

Review | The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Part coming-of-age story, part Ocean’s Eleven heist, unfolding in a city somewhat resembling Renaissance-age Venice, The Lies of Locke Lamora is a stunning debut effort from Scott Lynch. With intricate world-building, a colorful writing style, and a unique interlocking structure, the novel is satisfying even at its weaker moments. The Lies of Locke Lamora By Scott Lynch; Read by Michael Pag

Review | Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
Odd and the Frost Giants was released almost a year ago, and even before then I’d followed its inception and creation on Neil Gaiman’s blog. Needless to say, I rejoiced at its recent North American release. It’s always a pleasure delving into a Neil Gaiman book, and yet a pleasure tinged with a hint of trepidation. Can Gaiman live up to his superb track record, or will I for once come away disappointed. After reading, or rather listening to, Odd and the Frost Giants, I’m pleased to report that my faith in this master storyteller has remained int

Review | The Merchant of Death by D. J. MacHale
A while back, Audible.com offered a free download of The Merchant of Death, the first in D. J. MacHale’s ten-volume Pendragon series. I had nought but the name to go on, but it sounded enticing enough, and the price was right. Recently, I took the time to find out just what I’d downloaded. Aimed at young readers, The Merchant of Death offers up likable protagonists, exciting action, and a sprightly writing style. Thin world-building and an absence of depth, however, relegate the novel to little better than popcorn reading.

Review | Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Recent announcements about upcoming releases for Emma and the Vampires and Wuthering Bites prompted from me a Twitter rant on this new trend in speculative fiction. Shouldn’t writers create their own characters, worlds, and stories instead of tampering with tried-and-true classics? But then I realized I was engaging in contempt prior to investigation. So, in an attempt to either give my contempt a solid basis in experience or overturn it altogether, I picked up the audio version of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. While in theory my criticisms levelled against the “supernatural classics” genre still stands, in practice