ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit Books—in exchange for an honest review.
Cover art designed by Tommy Pocket
The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: Standalone
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Cyberpunk
Pages: 514 pages (ARC Edition)
Published: 5th May 2026 by Orbit Books
The year is off to an explosive start. The Last Contract of Isako is the best science fiction standalone novel I’ve ever read. …
Cover art designed by Micaela Alcaino
Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: The Shattered Sea (Book #1 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Post-Apocalypse
Pages: 416 pages (Paperback Edition)
Word Count: 81,000 words
Published: 3rd July 2014 by Del Rey and Harper Voyager
I shouldn’t have worried. Half a King is a fine example of Young Adult epic fantasy done right.
“… Never worry about what has been done. Only about what will be.”
Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
I received an advance review copy of this novel from the publisher, Tordotcom. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
One of the highlights of my reading year always comes right on the heels of Christmas, when I snuggle in and read the newest Wayward Children novella right ahead of its release. Through Gates of Garnet and Gold is the eleventh installment in the series, and marks the eighth year of this tradition I always anticipate.
“We can mourn the winter when the thaw comes, but without it, the spring will not return. It’s all right to grieve. It’s all right to mourn what’s missing. Spill your sorrows on the ground, and let the joy flow home.”
Cover art illustrated by Gary Ruddell
Endymion by Dan Simmons
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Series: Hyperion Cantons (Book #3 of 4)
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Pages: 578 pages (Kindle Edition)
Word Count: 198,000 Words
Published: 1st January 1996 by Spectra
I am conflicted. There were some great moments and incredible world-building in Endymion, but this penultimate installment of the Hyperion Cantos is not up to the high standards of the first two Hyperion books.
“The shortest route to courage is absolute ignorance.”
ARC provided by the publisher—Harper Voyager—in exchange for an honest review.
Cover art illustrated by Patrick Arrasmith
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: Standalone
Genre: Fantasy, Dark Academia
Pages: 540 pages (Hardcover Edition)
Word Count: 160,000 Words
Published: 26th August 2025 by Harper Voyager
At this point, it is safe to say Katabasis by R.F. Kuang has an assured path to take the bestseller spot in many outlets around the world. That being said, can this relatively bizarre novel win the reader’s heart?
“How wonderful, truly, to have a friend whose silence you adored.”
Isles of the Emberdark by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Sometimes the only path forward is costly. We must travel it regardless.”
Isles of the Emberdark is a story I’ve been both excited and nervous to experience. Getting a new novel in Sanderson’s Cosmere is always an amazing feeling, but I always have this small sense of trepidation when approaching a new world, a fear that I might not love it as much as I’ve loved those onto which he’s already invited me. He’s never let me down so far, and Emberdark didn’t break that trend. I loved this new world, and I loved seeing how the technological development of these fantastical worlds is making the Cosmere smaller in a sense. The opening, in which a young Dragon is finally getting her draconian form, delighted me. It was a sweet, lovely, joyful way to start a story. From there, we shift to a place and people wholly different. It was interesting to see how the two disparate parts of the story interact. Starling, the young Dragon, and Sixth of the Dusk, an Eelakin trapper on the isle of Patji, on the world First of the Sun. …
The Restitching of Camille DuLaine by Lindsay A. Franklin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received an advance digital copy of this novel from the publisher, Enclave. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine was one of my favorite reads of 2024, so to say that my expectations for its sequel, The Restitching of Camille DuLaine, were high would be an understatement. I can happily report that every one of those expectations and hopes were met. The Restitching of Camille DuLaine is a brilliant sequel, building on the beautiful foundation laid for it by its predecessor. If you’re a lover of story, specifically the stories that have shaped and continue to shape our culture and our world, the charming portal fantasy that is the Rivenlea Sphere duology was crafted with you in mind. This is a love letter to so many of the books that I loved as a child, and to those I have come to love as an adult, while still being its own wonderful, unique story. …
Fawkes by Nadine Brandes
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!
I’ve always been fascinated by Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. This is due in large part to my deep and abiding affection for the film adaptation of V for Vendetta, which has been my favorite movie for well over a decade, which helped popularize the famous poem quoted above. And yet, I’ve never read any fiction inspired by the actual historical events. I’m happy to have now rectified this oversight in my reading life. Fawkes is a fantastic, fantastical reimagining of one of the most famed failed plots in history. …
Glass Across the Sea by Sara Ella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Light always finds a way to break free.”
Cinderella has never been one of my favorite fairytales. But after reading Glass Across the Sea, my opinion has radically shifted. This YA fantasy reimagining of “Cinderella”—with nods to The Count of Monte Cristo mixed in—did a beautiful job of paying homage to the original tale while still being very much its own wonderful, compelling story. Ella did a brilliant job of portraying Noelle, her Cinderella, as selfless, kind, and strong in ways that retroactively improved my opinion of the literary figure who served as her inspiration. This is a truly lovely novel, one that stands strong on its own while still leaving me hungry for whatever comes next in the series. …
Singularity by Shannon McDermott
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
While Singularity is the second half of the Eternities duology, there is no cohesive plot linking this book to The Time Door While both novels take place in the same world, sharing a speculative history and technology and certain characters, each book is entirely its own self-contained story. I loved The Time Door, and found it one of the strongest works of science fiction I’ve read in years. While Singularity was still tense and thought-provoking, it didn’t entrance me in quite the same way, or to the same intensity, as its predecessor. …
