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Book Spotlight: Tales From the Storm by C.R. Langille
I’m pleased to celebrate author and friend C.R. Langille’s new short story collection, Tales From the Storm, today. Learn more about the book and the author below! ABOUT THE BOOK The storm rages on, leaving death and destruction in its path. With the chaos comes strange tidings and wicked ordeals. From C.R. Langille, author of…
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Review: Black and Blue (Red and Black #2) by Nancy O’Toole Meservier
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; I received an electronic version of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is very obviously the middle book in a trilogy; at the same time, it does not suffer many of the issues that middle books usually employ. Instead, it works as a solid follow-up…
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Capclave 2019 Schedule!
I’ll be returning to Capclave 2019 this weekend in Rockville, Maryland! Here’s where you can find me. Friday 5:00 PM: Psychos (panel) What is a psychopath and are they really running the world? Do psychopaths have an advantage when it comes to running countries and major corporations? What can we do about it? What if…
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2019 Resolution Project: Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6) by Ilona Andrews
My 2019 Resolution Project over at my other blog, Speculative Chic, is to read the entire Kate Daniels urban fantasy series by Ilona Andrews, finishing up with a first read of the final book in the series. I’ve read this book, Magic Rises, before, but never officially reviewed it. You can find my full review here. An excerpt: “In…
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Review: The Invisible Library (Invisible Library #1) by Genevieve Cogman
This book was filled to the brim with elements that I enjoy in my fantasy writing. Secret societies, parallel universes, dragons, steampunk, and great detectives. Unfortunately, it also relied on a lot of tropes that I’ve become less fond of in my fantasy writing, such as a point-of-view female character surrounded by supporting male roles,…
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Review: Broken News by Sara Dobie Bauer
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; I received an ebook in exchange for an honest review. It’s common to refer to the main characters in a romance story as the heroes, but there are no heroes in this book. Eric West is an unabashed crime lord, and Will fully admits to being a bit…
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Review: Draakenwood (Whyborne & Griffin #9) by Jordan L. Hawk
We’re back in Widdershins for Whyborne & Griffin’s latest adventure, but this time it’s the old families who are the targets. When Whyborne is accused of murder, he and his allies must not only clear his name, but also prevent the rise of a great evil. Plenty of familiar faces appear in this story, including…
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Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
I started reading romance novels in 2016, in large part due to the emotional chaos wrought by the American presidential election. Luckily, judging by McQuiston’s author note at the end of this novel, she saw a need in the general readership and persevered in filling it. This book is exactly what I needed as the…
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September Wrap-Up & October Goals
What’s going on at Casa Siamese this month? My hair is partially purple, I still have no tattoos, and there’s a half-built LEGO set on my dining room table. I’m in the midst of multiple projects, I’m planning multiple trips, and I just ordered a ton of Girl Scout cookies. So, no complaints here. Let’s…
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Review: The Dragon Mistress: Book 3 (Eburosi Chronicles #10) by R.A. Steffan
I burned through all of the books in this series very quickly, then had to wait months for this latest installment. I read it all the evening of the day it was released. It was worth the wait. Like the previous books, Frella’s story contains nonstop action and adventure. Multiple relationships are in play. And…
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Review: The 5th Gender (Tinkered Stars Mystery) by G.L. Carriger
As someone who regularly speaks at writing and fandom conventions about the topic of “genre blending” or “genre blurring” in contemporary writing, I have some pretty strong opinions on the subject. Carriger’s science-fiction/romance/mystery is certainly one that I will now hold up as a great example of how to blend things right. This novel could…
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Review: Winter Tide (Innsmouth Legacy #1) by Ruthanna Emrys
I enjoyed and was intrigued by the original novella that set up this world, but the world created within intrigued me much more than the characters. However, I enjoyed it enough to pick up this novel to get it signed by the author at a convention, and I don’t regret any of the time spent…
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2019 Resolution Project: Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniels #5.5) by Ilona Andrews
My 2019 Resolution Project over at my other blog, Speculative Chic, is to read the entire Kate Daniels urban fantasy series by Ilona Andrews, finishing up with a first read of the final book in the series. I’ve read this companion book, Gunmetal Magic, before, but never officially reviewed it. You can find my full review here. An excerpt:…
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Review: Love Across the Universe by Stars & Stones Books
Disclaimer: I am friends with the majority of the authors in this collection. I won my hardcopy in a raffle basket supporting an academic scholarship. This science-fiction romance collection was an excellent summer read. The stories themselves were a mixed bag for me, with a few being stand-outs. Favorite Stories “The Pirates and the Pacifist”…
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Review: Three-Way Split (Comes in Threes #1) by Elia Winters
I binged this book in one evening with a glass of wine and some cat snuggles. Not a bad way to spend my time, and the book was an easy read that was fun to speed through and enjoy every moment. I was thoroughly invested in the individual and group dynamics of the three characters.…
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Con Report: FanX Salt Lake City 2019
Looking for my alternate history presentation to download? Scroll down! As has become annual tradition, the spouse and I celebrated our anniversary by traveling to FanX Salt Lake City. We had a blast this year, both participating in and attending panels, and my alternate history presentation made a successful reprisal. We flew to Utah last…
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Review: “An Ill-Advised Rescue” (Kate Daniels #5.?) by Ilona Andrews
This short story is included in the back of Kate Daniels Book #6: Magic Rises, and the author note in the front advises the reader to start there before launching into the novel. Since I can’t find a place to review this story on Amazon or Goodreads (indeed, it’s not even listed as part of…
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Review: The Hills Have Spies (Family Spies #1) by Mercedes Lackey
I haven’t been a huge fan of the first two Valdemar collections starring Mags, but I’ll admit that he’s a lot less annoying as an adult. Luckily, his son Perry is completely different and much easier to handle despite his young age. I enjoyed this adventure featuring both characters, especially the parent-child dynamic aspect. Despite…
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Review: The Initiation (Filthy Rich Americans #1) by Nikki Sloane
I picked up this book on the recommendation from a writer that I enjoy, who mentioned that it was not her typical fare but that she’d really enjoyed it. The Initiation was definitely not like any romance book I’ve read so far, and I’d even argue that it’s not really a romance book. There’s plenty…
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August Wrap-Up & September Goals
Some new changes in the format this month! Don’t be scared, all the cool stuff you’re used to is still here. I’ve had a great month, and I’m excited to share all my news with you. The first good news: Steel Shadows has been released into the wild! This is the fifth book in the…
