Review: The Djinn Falls in Love edited by Mahvesh Murad and Jared Shurin
Reviews / April 24, 2017

When Allah created man out of clay, he created djinn out of fire. Ephemeral spirits that tempt us, trick us, and sometimes grant our wishes, these creatures of folklore take centre stage in excellent Mahvesh Murad & Jared Shurin’s anthology, The Djinn Falls in Love. With contributors from all around the world, this collection of short stories is as remarkable for its variety as it is for its quality. Murad & Shurin have given their contributors an open brief, and the results are dazzling. Some (try to) cleave to settings and stories located in times and places traditionally associated with these smoky spirits; others explore what the djinn might become in locations as disparate as modern day Los Angeles to rural Pakistan. One depicts a future where roles are reversed, in which now-corporeal djinni struggle to live alongside a crafty humanity always on the look out for a twist of fate in their favour. This is a showcase of authorial skill – delicious prose and well-crafted narratives bending themselves around their chosen theme. Particular favourites for me include a number of authors new to me – one of my many reasons for loving anthologies. I shall certainly be watching out for these names…

Upcoming Releases: January 29 – February 4, 2017
Upcoming Releases / January 28, 2017

Here’s a rundown of the books we think you should look out for in coming in the week. See any that you are really looking forward to? Find any you had not heard of yet? Know of books we missed? We know we don’t have everything and would love to hear what you feel we may have overlooked.   FANTASY          URBAN FANTASY           SCIENCE FICTION   FANTASY       URBAN FANTASY   SCIENCE FICTION         FANTASY          URBAN FANTASY           SCIENCE FICTION   The Hanging Tree Ben Aaronovitch 1/31/2017 The Ghoul Vendetta Lisa Shearin 1/31/2017 Six Wakes Mur Lafferty 1/31/2017 Binti: Home Nnedi Okorafor 1/31/2017 Caraval Stephanie Garber 1/31/2017 Crossroads of Canopy Thoraiya Dyer 1/31/2017

Upcoming Releases: May 1 – 7, 2016
Upcoming Releases / April 30, 2016

Here’s a rundown of the books we think you should look out for in coming in the week. See any that you are really looking forward to? Find any you had not heard of yet? Know of books we missed? We know we don’t have everything and would love to hear what you feel we may have overlooked.   FANTASY          URBAN FANTASY           SCIENCE FICTION           HORROR FANTASY                   URBAN FANTASY     SCIENCE FICTION                 HORROR         FANTASY          URBAN FANTASY           SCIENCE FICTION           HORROR   The Chimes Anna Smaill 5/3/2016 Quercus To Kill a Kettle Witch : A Novel of the Mist-Torn Witches Barb Hendee 5/3/2016 Roc The Lost Stars: Shattered Spear Campbell, Jack 5/3/2016 Ace Night Shift Charlaine Harris 5/3/2016 Ace Star Wars: Bloodline Claudia Grey 5/3/2016 Del Rey Warrior Witch Danielle L. Jensen 5/3/2016 Angry Robot Admiral Danker, Sean 5/3/2016 Roc The Jewel and Her Lapidary Fran Wilde 5/3/2016 Tor.com The Map of Bones Francesca Haig 5/3/2016 Gallery…

Review: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
Reviews / November 26, 2015

Binti is the story of a young Himba woman whose life and clan revolve around math and engineering. Her people never leave their home, so the news of her acceptance into Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy, is bittersweet. Binti loves learning, and the opportunity to participate in a program with such a fabulous reputation is of course very exciting. However, that means leaving her home, her family, her friends, everything she has known. It also means that her people will not necessarily see her the same way, as they don’t believe their people should leave. I really liked this element of the story. Binti is trying to do something she loves, learn as much as she can, but cultural tradition and expectations force her to feel like she is not just journeying to a far away school, but abandoning protocol in a way that will alienate her from everything she has ever known forever. That is a very hard choice to make! Binti herself, as a character? What can I say? She is a woman who loves math. As a person who took 400 level math classes for fun in college, this immediately endeared…