I must admit, I cracked the spine on Pathfinder Tales: Bloodbound with no little trepidation. It was to be my first exposure to the Pathfinder universe, and I had no idea what to expect. While I have fond memories of cutting my genre teeth on the old TSR novels, Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms haven’t stood up well over time. That said, I find I actually appreciate their Ravenloft horror/fantasy world more now than I did back then, so entering into the Pathfinder world with vampires and clerics seemed like a good choice. Having closed the book on my first Pathfinder journey, I’m pleased to say F. Wesley Schneider put together a pretty solid novel that incorporates some of the universe’s overall world-building, but which is still accessible to a new reader. I feel like I came out of it understanding at least one corner of the world, and definitely curious to know more. As for the story itself, this is largely a gothic horror story, within the setting and time period of a pseudo-medieval fantasy. There are so many little elements here that make it all work. The settings include including drafty old castles, sprawling places of worship, and an…

Sometimes you step tentatively into a book, not quite sure where the intersection of your hopes and expectations will lie. Urban Fantasy is not generally a must-read genre for me, but I’ve become a fan of Kristi Charish’s Adventures of Owl. Having said that, however, I know that much of the appeal in that series (for me, at least) is in the archaeology and the mythology. As such, I really wasn’t sure if I was up for a more, for lack of a better word, generic urban fantasy. Well, let me spare you the suspense and declare that The Voodoo Killings marks the start of another fantastic series – one that I wouldn’t have otherwise been drawn to, but which I am very glad I was. It’s a ghost story with a twist, and a voodoo tale with far more depth than even a fan of her work might expect. Strange is a very different sort of heroine than Owl, more likable in personality and more deliberate in her planning, but still just as compelling. Where the book really began to win me over, though, was with our first trip into Seattle’s Underground City – and not the one tourists get to explore. There’s some real world building here, establishing…

Roaring Twenties Chicago.  Prohibition gangsters like Al Capone rule the streets.  Dirty politicians walk the halls of power.  Flappers fill the dance halls.  Model- Ts roar along city avenues.  Radios blare out Jazz music.   Tommie guns bark out street justice.  And the gate between the mortal realm and Feirie lies hidden by it all, guarded by its sixteen hundred year old guardian. This gatekeeper named Nick Medea is a strange, complicated man.  On one hand, he lives a simple, solitary life as an exorcist of sorts.  Only those with real problems with supernatural creatures able to contact him; his fee to rid these individuals of their specters zero.  But his real job is far more serious, more important, more dangerous than hunting ghosts, as he stands alone between the world of Feirie and mankind; his eternal duty to keep the gate closed, because if the magical gateway ever opens it will destroy the modern world, crashing civilization back to the Dark Ages. But Nick isn’t completely alone.  There are a group of near constant companions who aid him along the way. Most of these are outcast Feiries, trapped on the mortal plane.  Fetch is the one who spends the most time…

Monstress is absolutely stunning comic with a dark story and artwork that is simply gorgeous. I really can’t stress enough how much I loved all the imagery. I will readily admit to being a complete novice when it comes to comics, having read pretty much just Saga and Locke and Key, but even as a novice I feel secure in saying that this is one comic that you just can’t miss. Even if you are not into comics, it is worth picking up, maybe discover a love for a different style of story telling.  And, as an added bonus (because quite frankly I would want to read this just for the art), the story is definitely quite intriguing as well. Maika may look human, but there is more to her than originally meets the eye. We are introduced to her as she is being auctioned off as a monster, the auctioneer touting her unique human appearance. The only flaw they mention her missing half an arm. So, we have a beautiful protagonist with a disability, labeled as a monster and a mysterious background! Definitely peaked my interest. In this first issue, we are introduced to a fantastic world that is portrayed…

Last year I had the pleasure of reading Dust and Light by Carol Berg. It was my first experience with her work and I was introduced to the wonderfully enticing world of the Sanctuary Duet. I had a feeling things were just getting started for protagonist Lucian de Remeni, so I’ve been waiting on pins and needles for the sequel ever since. But even though Ash and Silver is the second half of this duology, the story surprised me by taking a much unexpected turn. This book differs from its predecessor in many ways, not least of all because it begins two years after the events of Dust and Light with our main character having forgotten everything about himself. The heartbreaking conclusion of the first book left Lucian with no choice but to leave his old life behind, and he ends up in an isolated stronghold of the Order of Equites Cineré. They wiped his memory so that he doesn’t even remember his name, and now he goes by “Greenshank”, just another loyal follower of the Order. But the last two years of rigorous magical training has served Greenshank well, and the story begins as he prepares to embark on…