James Nicoll Reviews

Kundo Wakes Up is the second volume in Saad Z. Hossain’s The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday series. 

One year and two hundred and thirty-six days ago, artist Kundo’s wife vanished, leaving a note informing him that she was leaving. Kundo did not handle the news at all well. Now, six hundred and one days later, he wakes from his daze and resolves to look for his wife. 

Read more ➤

1984’s Dragons of Autumn Twilight is the first volume in Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman’s Dragonlance Chronicles. Curiously for a trilogy, the Chronicles comprise but three volumes. 

Tanis Half-Elven (bastard half-elf)¹, Sturm Brightblade (a would-be knight), Caramon Majere (fighter), Raistlin Majere (magic user and Caramon’s sickly brother), Flint Fireforge (dwarf grognard), and Tasslehoff Burrfoot (kleptomaniac hobbit kender) reunite in the Inn of the Last Home to regale each other with tales of the adventures each has had in the five years since they last met. 

One Companion is missing. Kitiara Uth Matar, Caramon and Raistlin’s half-sister and future villain, sends a note saying that she will not attend. Flint proclaims this development bad luck. This pessimistic proclamation is too optimistic by half.

Read more ➤

Hiromu Arakawa’s Yomi no Tsugai (Tsugai of the Underworld ) began serialization in late 2021. 

Unlike certain other Arakawa protagonists, Yuru lives in a peaceful rural village. Deep in the mountains, the community is little troubled by mundane affairs. While some leave to work in the lowlands, as the outside world is called, Yuru wants only to hone his hunting skills so that he will be too useful to the village to send away. In this way, he can remain close to his sister Asa, whose duties keep her confined to the village prison. 

“Ah!” you say. ​“No doubt this will be a gentle, life affirming slice of life story like Arakawa’s Silver Spoon!”

Not as such, no.

Read more ➤

Knot of Shadows is the eleventh volume in Lois McMaster Bujold’s Penric and Desdemona series, which takes place in her Five Gods secondary fantasy universe. 

Drownings are not rare in Vilnoc, a port. Drowned men who stand up and try to escape the morgue, on the other hand, are unusual. Clearly the ambulatory corpse is a matter for a sorcerer. Physician Tolga asks Penric and his demon Desdemona to help.

Read more ➤

Nghi Vo’s 2022 Siren Queen is a stand-alone novella.

A Chinese-American girl passes by a moving picture theatre, the Comique, as she walks from home to school and back. This is her first exposure to the magic of the movies, still in their infancy. Presented with the opportunity to work in film, if only as an extra, she jumps at the chance. 

Movie magic is very literal magic. It can cost movie folk everything, even their birthname (as is the case with the protagonist). But the actress the world came to know as Luli Wei was willing to risk everything to become a star.

Read more ➤

Barry B. Longyear’s 1980 Manifest Destiny is a fix-up collecting four Quadrant Universe stories, as well as ancillary material. 

Legislative Assembly Resolution 991

4 September 2032 A.D.

Adopted without Dissent

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:

That the Legislative Assembly of the Government of the United States of Earth, in all related matters that shall come before it, will decide all such matters in accordance with the Manifest Destiny of Man, that He shall reign supreme in this and in any and all other galaxies of the Universe.

And what glorious future do Earth’s star ship troopers spin from that resolve? It is one of endless war, conquest, and occasional genocides.

Read more ➤

Kingsley Amis’ 1976 The Alteration is a stand-alone alternate history novel. 

King Stephen III of England, is dead! Long live King William V, whose reign begins in the Year of Our Lord 1976. Gathered for Steven III’s funeral: many of Europe’s most prestigious figures. It will be a grand occasion. 

Young Hubert Anvil is to sing at the funeral. This is a great honour, but it leads to a demand that he does not want to accept but doesn’t see how to refuse.

Read more ➤

Natsu Hyuuga’s 2015 The Apothecary Diaries: Volume 4 is yet another volume in her secondary world mystery series. Volume 4’s illustrations are by Touko Shino. The 2021 English translation is by Kevin Steinbach. 

Apothecary Maomao is painfully aware she has, thanks to the revelations of Volume 3, become someone who knows too much about high-ranking eunuch Jinshi. Thus, when a fellow servant enlists Maomao’s help in a mundane matter, Maomao welcomes the distraction. This is an error of judgment. 

Read more ➤

1975’s Orbit 16 is the 16^th volume in Damon Knight’s original SF anthology series. 

Read more ➤

1978’s Quag Keep is the first volume in Andre Norton’s Quag Keep duology. Set in the world Gary Gygax’s Greyhawk^tm roleplaying game, it has the distinction of being the first Dungeons and Dragons novel. 

Impressed by his gamemaster’s new miniatures, Miles touches one of the small gaming figurines. No sooner does he do this but he and his fellow roleplayers are transported to a tavern in the fantastical city of Greyhawk^tm.

Read more ➤