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Women to Read: September 2020
Women To Read is a regular column from A.C. Wise highlighting female authors of speculative fiction and recommending a starting place for their work. Welcome to another edition of Women to Read! If you’re new to the series, with each column, I recommend four women you should be reading, and point to a specific place to start with their work. This column also has a sibling-series, Non-Binary Authors to Read, packed with even more reading recommendation goodness. I would say I’m on a horror kick as Autumn slowly approaches, but let’s be honest – I’m always on a horror kick. That being the case, I have two horror novels, and two horror/dark short stories to recommend this time around. As the weather (again, slowly) starts to cool and the leaves start to turn, it’s the perfect excuse to grab your favorite warm beverage, curl up somewhere cozy, and enjoy some chilling reading. Jennifer McMahon is a Vermont-based author with multiple novels to her name, and my recommended starting place for her work is the New York Times bestseller, The Invited . The set-up is a familiar one: couple Nate and Helen move to a remote location with the intention of […]
Book Review: A DEADLY EDUCATION by Naomi Novik
Naomi Novik is back with a brand new series, and dear readers, I am hooked. Title: A Deadly EducationAuthor: Naomi NovikGenre: FantasyPublisher: Del ReyPublication Date: September 29, 2020Hardcover: 336 pages Lesson One of the Scholomance: Learning has never been this deadly. A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets. There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate… or die! The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere. El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students. Stand alone or series: Book 1 of the Scholomance Series How did I get this book: Purchased Format: Hardcover Review Galadriel–El to […]
A scattered journey through Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
You thought you were prepared for this book. You were, and I can’t stress this enough, not. You loved Gideon the Ninth. In fact, you may have uttered words like “best book of 2019”, “genius” and “most fun I ever had reading a book in decades” and also “this book eviscerated me from inside like lyctor soup”. So coming to Harrow the Ninth with your SOUL eviscerated by the previous book, dehydrated from sobbing your heart out and grieving but with your feelings and your memory somewhat dulled by time and by pretending things would be ok, you realise something very soon into the narrative that… This is not Gideon the Ninth. Because there is NO GIDEON. At least, not in a certain way. You thought you may have been prepared for that given the end of the first book. The joke is on you, silly knuckle. This new rollercoaster is a feverish dream of an unreliable second person narrative that does the UNPARDONABLE sin of rewriting memory and erasing a certain personage from most of the narrative. You do however, love unreliable narratives and narrators and this one is so cleverly done. It is unpardonable though because it hurts […]
Book Review: MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
In 1950s Mexico, a headstrong socialite embarks on an adventure to save her cousin from a questionable marriage, a potentially haunted gothic mansion, and some twisted family secrets. (And also a lot of mushrooms.) Title: Mexican GothicAuthor: Silvia Moreno-GarciaGenre: Fantasy, HorrorPublisher: Del ReyPublication Date: June 30, 2020Hardcover: 320 pages An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . . From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes “a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror” (Kirkus Reviews) set in glamorous 1950s Mexico. After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region. Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, […]
X Marks The Story: April 2021
Finding excellent short SFF can often feel like hunting for buried treasure. Sometimes it takes a guide to help fill in the map, connecting readers with fantastic fiction and showing where X Marks The Story–a monthly column from Charles Payseur. April is dead. Long live May! X-cept, well, before turning fully toward the promise of May and its bright flowers, let’s look back a minute on what April had to offer. Because while the rainiest month might seem to some a bit glum, a bit dreary, the stories on offer from April are anything but, and bring a raw defiance and energy to the season. Like a renewing and invigorating rain, the stories breathe life back into a landscape left harrowed by winter, just recovering with the touch of spring. These stories are bracing and strong, featuring people reaching for something affirming, something warm, something beautiful. So make sure you packed your poncho and boots and follow me on an adventure to map out some X-cellent short SFF! “The White Road; Or How a Crow Carried Death Over a River” by Marika Bailey (Fiyah #18) What It Is: Broadfeather is a crow living on a small island—one split by a […]
Book Review: KINGDOM OF SOULS by Rena Barron
The daughter of two powerful magic-users in a long legacy of witchdoctors strugglers with her lack of power–especially when the fate of the world is at stake. Title: Kingdom of SoulsAuthor: Rena BarronGenre: Fantasy, YAPublisher: Harper TeenPublication Date: September 3, 2019Hardcover: 496 pages A girl with no gifts must bargain for the power to fight her own mother’s dark schemes—even if the price is her life. Crackling with dark magic, unspeakable betrayal, and daring twists you won’t see coming, this explosive YA fantasy debut is a can’t-miss, high-stakes epic perfect for fans of Legendborn, Strange the Dreamer, and Children of Blood and Bone. “Magnetic and addictive. This book is black girl magic at its finest.”—New York Times bestselling author Dhonielle Clayton Heir to two lines of powerful witchdoctors, Arrah yearns for magic of her own. Yet she fails at bone magic, fails to call upon her ancestors, and fails to live up to her family’s legacy. Under the disapproving eye of her mother, the Kingdom’s most powerful priestess and seer, she fears she may never be good enough. But when the Kingdom’s children begin to disappear, Arrah is desperate enough to turn to a forbidden, dangerous ritual. If she has no magic of her own, […]
Grishaverse Re-Read: SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo
In preparation for the Netflix show, Thea is re-immersing herself in Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse and rereading the Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows books! Today, she tackles the book that started it all: Shadow and Bone. Title: Shadow and BoneAuthor: Leigh BardugoGenre: Fantasy, Young AdultPublisher: Square FishPublication Date: June 5, 2012Paperback: 358 pages Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the […]
A New Book by Zen Cho? Hell yes! Announcing: Black Water Sister - due out May 2021
Hello everybody and we have Most Excellent news to share! Zen Cho – author of SORCERER TO THE CROWN, THE TRUE QUEEN and more recently, THE ORDER OF THE PURE MOON REFLECTED IN WATER – has a new book coming out in May next year and we have the full scoop, with the author herself telling us allll about BLACK WATER SISTER. Ah Ma may be dead, but she’s not done with life yet . . . When Jessamyn Teoh starts hearing a voice in her head, she chalks it up to stress. Closeted, broke and jobless, she’s abandoning America with her parents, bound for Malaysia – a country she left as a toddler. She soon learns the new voice isn’t even hers, it’s the ghost of her estranged grandmother. Ah Ma was a spirit medium, avatar of a mysterious deity called the Black Water Sister. Now Ah Ma’s mission is to deal with a gang boss who offended her goddess, and she’s decided Jess will help her – whether she wants to or not. Drawn into a world of gods and ghosts, Jess finds that making deals with capricious spirits is a dangerous business. As Jess fights for retribution […]
Grishaverse Re-read: SIEGE AND STORM by Leigh Bardugo
In preparation for the Netflix show, Thea is re-immersing herself in Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse and rereading the Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows books! Today, she tackles the second full-length novel in the original trilogy: Siege and Storm. Title: Siege and StormAuthor: Leigh BardugoGenre: Fantasy, Young AdultPublisher: Square FishPublication Date: June 4, 2013Paperback: 435 pages Darkness never dies. Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long. The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her—or risk losing everything […]
Awards Season 2021: Announcing the Hugo and Ignyte Finalists
It is that time of year again, folks–awards time! We are thrilled to share with you the news of two exciting speculative fiction awards: The Hugo Awards and the Ignyte Awards. The Hugo Awards are one of the longest-running SFF awards, distinguished from all other major speculative fiction awards in that it is voted on by fans who are members of the World Science Fiction Convention. Each year, Hugo Award winners (and associated Not-A-Hugo-Awards, like the Lodestar and Astounding Awards) are announced at WorldCon. This year’s WorldCon will be in Washington D.C., though unlike previous years the ceremony will take place December 15-19, 2021. A reminder for everyone interested: even if you are not attending WorldCon 79, note that ANY SFF fan can sign up for a supporting membership ($50) which gives you the right to vote for your favorites to win the Hugo Award. The 2021 Hugo Award Finalists This year’s finalists are absolutely awesome. Check out the full list below! Best Novel Black Sun, Rebecca Roanhorse (Gallery / Saga Press) The City We Became, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit) Harrow the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir (Tor.com) Network Effect, Martha Wells (Tor.com) Piranesi, Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury) The Relentless Moon, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor […]
Holy Guacamole: WE WON A HUGO AWARD?!
We are speechless. After multiple nominations and losses, starting back in 2014–we were like, the Leo Dicaprios of the Hugo Awards–THE BOOK SMUGGLERS WON A HUGO AWARD FOR BEST FANZINE LAST NIGHT! WHAT AN ACHIEVEMENT! WHAT A DELIGHT! (Yes, we know that rhymes.) We are overwhelmed, incredibly touched, and hugely thankful to everybody who voted for us. This means a lot to the both of us. However we must say it has also been a bittersweet win in many aspects. We are far away from each other, our celebratory hugs and high fives were granted virtually–which is awesome, and necessary, given the global pandemic. Above all, in spite of our personal happiness and being thrilled for all the amazing winners, we are deeply unsettled with many aspects of the awards ceremony. (We do appreciate all of the effort that went into making a completely virtual awards show happen, which is a thankless and doomed-at-the-outset endeavor.) Technology issues aside, many parts of the show were uncomfortable, and downright enraging, to watch. George R.R. Martin was the host this year and in between his pre-recorded messages and his live performance, he sadly managed to somehow be simultaneously boring, infuriatingly oblivious (we are […]
HAUNTED HEROINE: SARAH KUHN ON INSPIRATIONS AND INFLUENCES
Hello everybody! We have Sarah Kuhn back to the blog today to talk about the fourth HEROINE novel, the inspirations and influences behind it and what it means to go back to the start and write again from the perspective of the first heroine in the series plus… how it all connects to The Baby-Sitters Club and a carpet ball. Four years ago, I visited you here at the home of the illustrious Book Smugglers to talk about my debut novel Heroine Complex. Today I’m visiting you to talk about the fourth book in the series—and the start of a brand-new trilogy—Haunted Heroine. No matter how many times I type those words, they do not seem real. My Asian American superheroine book that became a trilogy has now become a full-on series! There’s continuity and timelines and stuff! People have favorite characters and ’ships! I actually have to remember what I wrote in the first book, because it matters for something that’s happening now! I’d always wanted to write a series, but I have to admit that once it became a reality…I realized there were things I absolutely did not think about when I was creating the world of put-upon […]
Hugo Award Packet 2020
Hello, friends! We are pleased to announce that The Book Smugglers are finalists for the 2020 Hugo Award for Best Fanzine! Every year, the Hugo Awards are administered and voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon). The Hugos are typically presented at the end of Worldcon weekend in late August–though this year, of course, things are a little different. The 2020 Worldcon, CoNZealand, scheduled for 29 July – 2 August 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand, has announced that they will be a “virtual online convention” without a physical convention this year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic (and we Smugglers respect and understand the decision from the CoNZealand committee–stay home, stay safe, wash your hands, and wear a mask, people!) We are thrilled to be included in the roundup for this year’s finalists for Semiprozine–which includes Galactic Journey, Journey Planet, Quick Sip Reviews, the Rec Center, and Nerds of a Feather Flock Together. It’s tradition for Hugo Finalists to provide sample work in the year’s Voter Packet–this year, we’ve selected some of our favorite reviews. Whether or not you’re a voting member of Worldcon, we hope you’ll enjoy the selection of content we’ve put together below. […]
Book Review: NEAR THE BONE by Christina Henry
A young woman finds out the truth about her past and escapes a monster in Christina Henry’s newest novel, Near the Bone. Title: Near The BoneAuthor: Christina HenryGenre: Horror, ThrillerPublisher: BerkeleyPublication Date: April 13, 2021Paperback: 336 pages A woman trapped on a mountain attempts to survive more than one kind of monster, in a dread-inducing horror novel from the national bestselling author Christina Henry. Mattie can’t remember a time before she and William lived alone on a mountain together. She must never make him upset. But when Mattie discovers the mutilated body of a fox in the woods, she realizes that they’re not alone after all. There’s something in the woods that wasn’t there before, something that makes strange cries in the night, something with sharp teeth and claws. When three strangers appear on the mountaintop looking for the creature in the woods, Mattie knows their presence will anger William. Terrible things happen when William is angry. Stand alone or series: Standalone novel How did I get this book: Purchased Format: Paperback CW: implication of rape, child abuse, and other abuse Review On a winter’s day like so many others, Mattie awakens and goes about her chores. Her husband, William, […]
Book Review: CHOSEN ONES by Veronica Roth
Veronica Roth is back with an adult(ish) SFF offering, taking the Chosen One trope to the next level. Title: Chosen Ones Author: Veronica Roth Genre: Speculative Fiction/Science Fiction Publisher: John Joseph Adams / Houghton Mifflin HarcourtPublication Date: April 2020Hardcover: 432 pages The first novel written for an adult audience by the mega-selling author of the Divergent franchise: five twenty-something heroes famous for saving the world when they were teenagers must face even greater demons—and reconsider what it means to be a hero . . . by destiny or by choice. A decade ago near Chicago, five teenagers defeated the otherworldly enemy known as the Dark One, whose reign of terror brought widespread destruction and death. The seemingly un-extraordinary teens—Sloane, Matt, Ines, Albie, and Esther—had been brought together by a clandestine government agency because one of them was fated to be the “Chosen One,” prophesized to save the world. With the goal achieved, humankind celebrated the victors and began to mourn their lost loved ones. Ten years later, though the champions remain celebrities, the world has moved forward and a whole, younger generation doesn’t seem to recall the days of endless fear. But Sloane remembers. It’s impossible for her to forget when […]
Non-Binary Authors to Read: December 2020
Non-Binary Authors To Read is a regular column from A.C. Wise highlighting non-binary authors of speculative fiction and recommending a starting place for their work. Welcome to the December 2020 edition of Non-Binary Authors to Read. It’s been quite the year, hasn’t it? Despite everything though, reading has remained a comfort for me, and I hope it has for you as well. To that end, I have four stories to offer up as recommendations. They are stories of longing, bittersweet relationships, but also hope. I wish you all a restful end to the year, and may 2021 bring you many more delightful books and stories to read. P.H. Lee is an author with multiple short stories to their name, however my recommended starting place is “Distant Stars” published at Clarkesworld in April 2020. Struggling with grad school and finding a job is the final straw that leads Sarah’s marriage to fall apart, with her wife Martha getting custody of their son. Fast forward several years – Sarah is about to receive a Nobel Prize, Martha is remarried, and their son is about graduate high school. A scientist in Taiwan contacts Sarah, intrigued by her theories about Dark Energy, and while Sarah […]
X Marks the Story: March 2021
Finding excellent short SFF can often feel like hunting for buried treasure. Sometimes it takes a guide to help fill in the map, connecting readers with fantastic fiction and showing where X Marks The Story–a monthly column from Charles Payseur. The snow has finally melted from my yard! For most of the Northern Hemisphere, that means Spring is in the air! Plants are sluggishly trying to poke up, the squirrels are incredibly chonky, and the fiction is…well, complicated and wrenching and so so beautiful. And this month there’s some interesting and innovative flourishes as well. From interactive fiction to stories framed as wiki entries with annotated song lyrics, the stories I’m rounding up today show how varied and how creative short SFF can be, while losing nothing in power or impact. So grab your compass and your map and let’s get to it! “Diamonds and Pearls” by JL George (Fireside Magazine #88) What It Is: Language is quite literally tied to gems in the world of this story, where as people learn words, they cough up different kinds of gemstones. And Osian grows up learning to covet diamonds, for the language of the common tongue, rather than pearls, which only […]