James Nicoll Reviews

Some people are born boring. Some live boring. Some even die boring. Fred managed to do all three, and when he woke up as a vampire, he did so as a boring one. Timid, socially awkward, and plagued by self-esteem issues, Fred has never been the adventurous sort. 

One fateful night – different from the night he died, which was more inconvenient than fateful – Fred reconnects with an old friend at his high school reunion. This rekindled relationship sets off a chain of events thrusting him right into the chaos that is the parahuman world, a world with chipper zombies, truck driver wereponies, maniacal necromancers, ancient dragons, and now one undead accountant trying his best to ​“survive.” Because even after it’s over, life can still be a downright bloody mess. 

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Marie Brennan’s Turning Darkness Into Light is a delightful fantasy of manners, the heir to the award-winning Natural History of Dragons series, a perfect stepping stone into an alternate Victorian-esque fantasy landscape. ​“Overwhelmingly fun.”― io9 on The Tropic of Serpents
**

As the renowned granddaughter of Isabella Camherst (Lady Trent, of the riveting and daring Draconic adventure memoirs) Audrey Camherst has always known she, too, would want to make her scholarly mark upon a chosen field of study. When Lord Gleinheigh recruits Audrey to decipher a series of ancient tablets holding the secrets of the ancient Draconean civilization, she has no idea that her research will plunge her into an intricate conspiracy, one meant to incite rebellion and invoke war. Alongside dearest childhood friend and fellow archeologist Kudshayn, must find proof of the conspiracy before it’s too late. 

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What would happen if the Federation in Star Trek was broke?

That’s the basis for two new M‑SPACE titles written by Mike Larrimore (author of last years excellent Agony & Ecstasy for Mythras). Instead of a prosperous mega-government, as in Star Trek, the focus in Elevation is a tiny NGO — aptly named Elevation — running solely on the devotion of its members. Its goal is to find new life and new civilisations. 

The problem is, it only succeeded once and now funds are running out. They are in desperate need of new heroic recruits.

But competition from greedy corporations, pirates, aggressive aliens and convoluted bureacracy is literally deadly. The race for new discoveries is on.

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June

21 books read. 12 by women (57%), 9 by men (43%)

Works by POC: 8 (38%)

Year to Date

124 books read. 69.75 by women (56%). 52.25 by men (42%). 2 by an author whose gender is unknown (2%).

Works by POC: 50.75 (41%)

And now for the meaningless, outdated chart.

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