James Nicoll Reviews

2021’s Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom is the first of Sangu Mandanna’s Kiki Kallira middle-grade modern fantasy novels.

Anxious eleven-year-old Kiki Kallira is plagued by obtrusive thoughts, nightmare scenarios she cannot ignore no matter how absurd or unlikely. Otherwise enjoyable activities are routinely spoiled as Kiki involuntarily dwells on implausible possibilities.

At least Kiki has her art to comfort her. Too bad her drawings may well have doomed the world to apocalyptic tyranny.

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Raquel Vasquez Gilliland’s 2023 Witch of Wild Things is a modern fantasy romance novel.

Temple University budget cuts provide one department head with the opportunity to shed himself of a lover whose services he no longer requires. Thus, silversmith/adjunct Sage finds herself unemployed and forced to return to Cranberry, Virginia, and a family she has been avoiding for years.

But first! The tragic backstory!

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P. Djèlí Clark’s The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is an upcoming secondary-universe fantasy novella¹.

Death proved a passing malady for Eveen. Reanimated by Aeril, goddess of assassins², Eveen is a holy assassin, one of Baseema’s posse of Dead Cat Tail Assassins. The price of resurrection is two-fold: comprehensive amnesia concerning her life before resurrection and a century of service to Aeril. Thanks to certain well-intended transgressions, Eveen owes Aeril two centuries.

As Eveen will discover, there are much worse punishments than an extended service contract.

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2017’s Rupert Wong and the Ends of the Earth is the second volume in Cassandra Khaw’s Gods and Monsters Trilogy.

Cannibal chef¹ Rupert Wong may make his living doing appalling things in service to reprehensible monsters, but at least he has some excuse: massive debts. He also has distractions: mounting trans-pantheon theological and legal problems.

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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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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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Darcie Little Badger’s 2024 Sheine Lende is modern fantasy novel. Sheine Lende is a prequel to her 2020 Elatsoe.

Shane and her mother Lorenza Solé may not be formally credentialled, but they are both experienced at search and rescue. Not only do mother and daughter bring exemplary skills to the task, but the Lipan Apache pair possess certain magical assets. Thus, one of the dogs that accompany the pair is a ghost.

Shane will need all the advantages she can muster.

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Yangsze Choo’s 2024 The Fox Wife is a historical fantasy novel.

1908: the Qing Empire’s decline is going from gradual to rapid. It is a time of chaos, a time of opportunity and danger.

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2024’s Fathomfolk is the first entry in Eliza Chan’s Drowned City secondary-fantasy-world series.

Mixed-race Mira is all siren in the eyes of the humans who run the semi-submerged city Tiankawi; she’s also permanently second-class thanks to her Fathomfolk blood. A career spent proving herself to the humans earns historical recognition: Mira is promoted to captain of the border guard, the first Folk to be deemed worthy of such a rank.

The rank comes with unpleasant baggage, not least of which is the fact that her job will consist almost entirely of keeping her fellow Folk in line.

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Mariely Lares’ 2023 Sun of Blood and Ruin is an alternate historical fantasy.

Decades after Hernán Cortés invaded, Mexico is still divided. In the regions under Spanish rule, the largely indigenous population is subject to inflexible Spanish law and custom. Outside those regions, rebellion is rife.

Lady Leonora de las Casas Tlazohtzin’s position is an uncomfortable one. Her late father was Viceroy of New Spain. Her late mother, to whom the Viceroy was not wed, was indigenous. How to reconcile her two lineages?

By becoming the closest thing to a superhero New Spain has.

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