The Gutter Prayer is a somewhat challenging review for me. On one hand, there were tons of things about this book that I adored. The city of Guerdon has been lovingly, hauntingly crafted. Ghouls roam the streets and rule the crypts, slowly growing fat on the souls of the dead, guarding the gates that hold back a tide of shapeless horrors. The Crawling Ones create strange half-lifes for those who choose to give themselves over to the worms. The Stone Men battle against their plague every day, fighting calcification and seeking one more – just one more! – shot of alkahest to keep the stone at bay. And yet, despite all this… it didn’t quite click. I struggled to connect to the characters, rendering major climaxes and gut punches emotionless.
Tag Archives: Review
Ancestral Night by Elizabeth Bear
My first introduction to Elizabeth Bear was on the fantasy side with The Stone in the Skull, which I loved. I came in with high expectations for both prose and character development, and I’m pleased to say that Ancestral Night lived up to all my hopes on both counts! Where The Stone in the Skull had multiple points of view and broad-spanning political themes, Ancestral Night keeps things closer to home by following only one character: a traumatized young engineer named Haimey, who is part of the crew on a space salvage rig with a shipmind AI called Singer, a rather unfairly good-looking pilot, and two absolutely delightful cats named Mephistopheles and Bushyasta.
Christmas Advent: Short Story Edition! (Part 1)
For the month of December, Short Fiction Friday is being upgraded to feature daily stories as part of an advent calendar exchange I’m running with a friend! Every week, Black Forest Basilisks will be shining a spotlight on each of the short stories, novelettes, or flash fics that we exchanged for each day of advent. All of these stories will be available online for free.
The Hanged Man by KD Edwards
You know what’s a great feeling? When you love a book, start up the sequel, and discover that the sequel takes everything you loved in the first book and makes it even better. KD Edwards has nailed his voice in The Hanged Man, and has given us even more and even better character interactions. Brand and Rune are still the ultimate bromance, and Addam is still the kind and caring partner Rune needs and deserves. Max, Quinn, Ciaran… everything you wanted and more. Absolute cinnamon rolls, all of them – and the new characters are similarly great.
The Lie Misses You by John Wiswell
John Wiswell has crafted a careful, delicate vignette of pain, lies, and a parent’s desire to protect their children. A white lie can grow until it becomes reality, until it ultimately becomes a painful reminder to everyone involved that the past is just that: the past.
Among Others by Jo Walton
Among Others is a love letter to books and reading. It’s about the sheer joy and validation in finding people who are like you. Jo Walton thrills in the connectedness of the human experience, finding magic within the threads that bind us all together. This is a cozy, warm tale about finding your home after tragedy. It is not the trip to Mordor; it is the Scouring of the Shire. The Chosen Ones have already won, and the world is saved… so now, it’s time to live.
My Beautiful Life by KJ Parker
My Beautiful Life plays with structure and characters in a way that seems to be slightly divorced from its intended audience. When taken as a writing study, it’s actually quite interesting – how might an author bring about a story wherein the end is revealed at the beginning? Unfortunately, writing studies typically aren’t being published en masse. They’re just studies, meant to hone writing skills. Although this novella nails the tone and characters it seeks to portray, it was very difficult to connect with the story as a reader.
Do Not Look Back, My Lion by Alix E. Harrow
Told in Harrow’s always stunning prose, Do Not Look Back, My Lion tells a heart-rending tale of love and sacrifice. She uses gender, title, and reader expectation to create a society that’s both foreign and familiar. Husband has become a role divorced from gender, even as wife has remained a status limited to women. Women are not only the givers of life, but also the takers.
The Last Sun by K. D. Edwards
The Last Sun is absolutely perfect for anyone who wants a quick-paced read filled with lovable characters. The world is beautifully realized, combining aspects of modern human living with the magic of the Tarot arcana.
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
I read this book shortly after a trip down to visit my parents and step-siblings in Florida. I had thrown a request up on Reddit’s r/Fantasy board seeking a book with a married couple who are just genuinely good to one another, and this absolutely delivered on this front. The Calculating Stars is a reminder to the reader that couples who genuinely care and hold respect for one another do exist, which is just such a lovely thing in a world filled with books focused on strife. It was also lovely to have a book about two people who are truly a team, where they start out together and finish together. This wasn’t a book about dating or will-they-won’t-they. It was a book about two people who are completely in love with each other and want to support each other.
Christine Sandquist 