James Nicoll Reviews

1973’s High Deryni is the third and final volume in Katherine Kurtz’s Ruritanian historical fantasy series, The Chronicles of the Deryni. High Deryni is by no means the final Deryni book.

The reign of young King Kelson of Gwynedd may be as short-lived as Kelson is young. Kelson is beset by racist rabble-rousers, fanatical priests, and what amounts to an evil wizard/warlord. Also, recent revelations about Kelson’s heritage suggest that the boy king is as terrible as some of his enemies claim.

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2024’s novella The Brides of High Hill is the fifth volume in Nghi Vo’s secondary universe fantasy Singing Hills Cycle.

En route to Doi Cao, the Pham entourage encounters indigo-robed Cleric Chih while en route to Pham Nhung’s impending wedding. Believing that a cleric would be a propitious addition to a wedding party, Nhung and her parents persuade Chih to accompany them to Doi Cao.

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T. Kingfisher’s 2023 Thornhedge is a stand-alone fantasy novella.

A tower surrounded by thorns and brambles stands in an expanse of desolate former farmland. The fairy Toadling guards the tower. She dreads the day when a curious adventurer finally makes their way past the barriers.

One day, a curious adventurer makes his way past the barriers.

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Aya Tsutsumi’s 2021 Sadako-san and Sadako-chan is a comedic manga set in the Ring horror universe.

Immured alive in a well, Sadako-san imbued a VHS tape with all her rage. Watching the tape ensures a death. While Sadako-san’s fury can be retargeted, it cannot be prevented.

Or so it seemed back in the 1990s. Now Sadako-san’s angry ghost faces an enemy that even her profound powers cannot defeat: technological change.

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1971’s Honky in the Woodpile is the third and final book in John Brunner’s Max Curfew thriller series.

Dr. Aloysius Small, on track to become the first non-white Member of Parliament since Saklatvala, is shot and killed by a sniper firing from the South African embassy. Protests are immediate. So are attacks on protestors from Britain’s thriving racist community. Unable to detain the killer, the British police turn to a show of force. They immediately begin brutalizing protestors, particularly those of sub-Saharan ancestry.

Retired international man of mystery Max Curfew intervenes to save two black men from a skinhead attack. This earns Jamaican-born Max and his new friends a brief stay in a British jail. Max emerges from the experience battered but alive, and with a new mission.

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1980’s Beyond Rejection is the first volume in Justin Leiber’s Beyond trilogy.

Had Ismael Forth perished in the barbaric 20^th century, no doubt he would have remained entirely dead. Thanks to 22^nd century mind-recording technology, he has a chance to live again…

But only a chance.

Spoilers may abound. The book is long out of print and the author is dead. I don’t think anyone should mind.

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Sam Kyung Yoo’s 2024 Small Gods of Calamity is a supernatural thriller novel.

Han-gil is the marvel of the Jong-ro Police Station’s violent crimes unit. His colleagues marvel at Han-gil’s eccentricities. They marvel at the increasing brevity of Han-gil’s partnerships with other police officers. They marvel that Han-gil has not yet been fired.

In other circumstances Han-gil might be an exemplary policeman. In his current circumstances, he is all too distracted by the supernatural.

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R. Garcia y Robertson’s 1991 The Spiral Dance is a stand-alone historical fantasy.

Outraged by Tudor excess, Anne Percy, Countess of Northumberland and her vacillating husband Thomas Percy, the 7^th Earl, launch what will be later known as the Northern Rebellion. Leading a rabble comprised of a poorly organized cross-section of the ungovernable north, the aristocratic couple march south to replace hateful Elizabeth with Mary, Queen of Scots. A great victory is assured!

But first, there’s the matter of the mad woman claiming to be Anne Percy, Countess of Northumberland.

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Akitaka’s Witch Life in a Micro Room, Vol. 1 (Rokujou Hitoma no Majo Life in the original Japanese) is the first tankōbon for Akitaka’s slice-of-life modern fantasy manga. The 2024 English translation is by Abby Lehrke.

Technology has pushed old magic aside… for the most part. A few lucky witches have found ways to parlay their magical knowledge into fame and fortune. Roommates Madge and Lilika are determined to be among that number.

Lamentably for the ambitious pair, Madge and Lilika are c‑grade witches living hand-to-mouth in an absurdly tiny, run-down apartment.

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Jean Mark Gawron’s 1978 Algorithm is a stand-alone science fiction novel.

ASSASSIN! A word that demands all caps and frequent repetition on the Earth of the day after tomorrow.

Who is the assassin? Who is their target? Can the assassin be stopped?

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