James Nicoll Reviews

Some dreams become nightmares …

An invasion is headed for Crosspointe, but three friends will find themselves at war long before the first enemy touches the shore. 

One man will betray her.

Fairlie, a master metalsmith, is discovered to have a rare magical talent that could save Crosspointe from destruction. Against her will, she is forced to make a monstrous sacrifice. What happens next could tear the world apart. 

One man will risk everything to save her

The future hangs in the balance. Everything depends on Fairlie. Driven to the edge of sanity and endurance, she must choose who will live and who will die. 

One man will come face to face with his worst nightmare.

The enemy is coming to Crosspointe, but a worse one lurks within. As secrets get ripped open and truths are revealed, Crosspointe’s future looks ever bleaker. 

Kat Howard has already been called a ​“remarkable writer” by Neil Gaiman and her ​“dark and enticing” (Publishers Weekly) debut novel, Roses and Rot, was beloved by critics and fans alike. 

Now, you can experience her collected shorter works, including two new stories, in A Cathedral of Myth and Bone. In these stories, equally as beguiling and spellbinding as her novels, Howard expands into the enchanted territory of myths and saints, as well as an Arthurian novella set upon a college campus, ​“Once, Future,” which retells the story of King Arthur — through the women’s eyes. 

Captivating and engrossing, and adorned in gorgeous prose, Kat Howard’s stories are a fresh and stylish take on fantasy. ​“Kat Howard seems to possess a magic of her own, of making characters come alive and scenery so vivid, you forget it exists only on the page” (Anton Bogomazov, Politics and Prose). 

“Travel Light is the story of Halla, a girl born to a king but cast out onto the hills to die. She lives among bears; she lives among dragons. But the time of dragons is passing, and Odin All-Father offers Halla a choice: Will she stay dragonish and hoard wealth and possessions, or will she travel light?” — Amal El-Mohtar, NPR, You Must Read ThisFrom the dark ages to modern times, from the dragons of medieval forests to Constantinople, this is a fantastic and philosophical fairy-tale journey that will appeal to fans of Harry Potter, Diana Wynne Jones, and T. H. White’s The Sword in the Stone.“No one knows better how to spin a fairy tale than Naomi Mitchison.” — The Observer“Read it now.” — Ursula K. Le Guin“You will love this book.” — Holly Black“The enchantments of Travel Light contain more truth, more straight talking, a grittier, harder-edged view of the world than any of the mundane descriptions of daily life you will find in … science fiction stories.”— Paul Kincaid, SF Site“A gem of a book.”— Strange Horizons“Every page is full of magic and wonder….well worth seeking out.”— Rambles“Combines the best of Rowling and Pullman, being full of magic and fantasy with the hard edge of reality sharp at its edges.”— The New Review/LauraHird.com

It is the waning days of the Russian monarchy. A reckless man rules the land and his dragons rule the sky. Although the Tsar continues to send his reign of fire to scorch his enemies — Jews and Bolsheviks — instead he lays waste to his entire country. 

Even dragons are cannot quell the conspiracies arising around the Tsar, from the ranks of the oppressed, political operatives, and one nameless functionary watching power slip away. Even the Tsar’s foreign-born wife believes that his tactics are tantamount to evil. 

But revolution is in the air — and the Red Army is hatching its own weapons.