Book Review: Native Silver by Blake Hausladen This is a sequel to Mr. Hausladen’s Ghosts in the Yew and will contain some spoilers for the earlier work. Prince Barok has brought the sleepy backwater province of Enhedu from a shameful place of exile to a thriving young nation in little over a year with the help… Continue reading Book Review: Native Silver
Tag: fantasy
Manga Review: Sword Art Online: Aincrad
Manga Review: Sword Art Online: Aincrad original story by Reki Kawahara, art by Tamako Nakamura Disclaimer: I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. It is the year 2022, and commercially viable virtual reality equipment is now on the market. Of course, one of the first… Continue reading Manga Review: Sword Art Online: Aincrad
Manga Review: Rin-ne
Manga Review: Rin-ne by Rumiko Takahashi Sakura Mamiya is not quite your normal high school girl. Due to a near-death experience as a child, Sakura can see spirits. One day, she meets the new boy in her class, Rinne Rokudo. She mistakes him for a spirit at first, but the truth is a bit more… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-ne
Open Thread: She’s Back!
Back in the early 1990s, Naoko Takeuchi created a character named “Sailor V.” While mahou shoujo (magical girls) had been around for decades in manga and anime, ever since Bewitched was imported from America, Sailor V was a unique blend of stereotypical girly interests and action heroine. This attracted the notice of Toei Animation, who… Continue reading Open Thread: She’s Back!
Book Review: To Ride Hell’s Chasm
Book Review: To Ride Hell’s Chasm by Janny Wurts The small, isolated Kingdom of Sessalie is about to celebrate a wedding. Princess Anja is about to marry the High Prince of Devall, which is not only politically advantageous, but a love match. But on the eve of the wedding, Anja goes missing. It falls… Continue reading Book Review: To Ride Hell’s Chasm
Anime Review: Urusei Yatsura
Anime Review: Urusei Yatsura Ataru Moroboshi is not precisely your average teenaged boy. For one thing, he’s an incurable skirt-chaser, constantly hitting on any pretty lady who happens by. Also, he’s incredibly unlucky. So unlucky, that when alien invaders declare that a random person from Earth must compete against their champion in a game of… Continue reading Anime Review: Urusei Yatsura
Book Review: Deathless
Book Review: Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente Marya Morevna is not like the other girls in Saint Petersburg/Petrograd/Leningrad. She sees the husbands of her sisters while they are still birds. But times are changing in Russia, now the Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics. The People have no time for magic, and Marya… Continue reading Book Review: Deathless
Open Thread: Minicon 49
This past weekend, I went to Minicon 49 at the RadiShTree Hotel in Bloomington. It’s a book-oriented science fiction convention with an older-skewing crowd, running around 500 people. So it’s not overcrowded and a good place to talk to your once a year friends. This year’s theme was “Pirates and Airships” largely because the… Continue reading Open Thread: Minicon 49
Anime for Speculative Fiction Fans
This last weekend at Minicon 49, I moderated a panel on “Anime for Speculative Fiction Fans.” As is common at this sort of thing, a lot of series and films were mentioned very briefly, and not everyone had the opportunity to write them all down. Therefore, I promised to put up a list. I… Continue reading Anime for Speculative Fiction Fans
Open Post: Top Ten as of Right Now
I’ll be away from my computer for the next little while, so let’s have a Top Ten list post! These are the top ten content posts for the last year. Anime Review: Labyrinth of Magic Manga Review: Vagabond Volume 1 Book Review: Good Advice from Bad People (really rocketed up the charts!) Manga Review: Ayako… Continue reading Open Post: Top Ten as of Right Now