SciFi / Fantasy / Horror
Plot/Idea: A lighthearted space adventure full of swagger, Hidden Planet tells the story of a small crew from Earth, complete with a two foot sentient spider, marooned on a mysterious planet in a distant galaxy. Full of clever ideas, humor, and action, the novel features a complete plot arc as the crew uncovers the secrets of the planet in order to try and make their way home, and at the same time serves as a launch point for an exciting fictional universe full of promise.
Prose: Hidden Planet is well-paced, and the writing is enjoyable. A consistent and engaging voice conveys plenty of action and humor, and economical prose serves as effective worldbuilding without long expositional passages.
Originality: This book does an excellent job of adding creative twists to genre tropes, resulting in an absorbing and entertaining read. Readers in search of an escapist adventure will not be let down.
Character/Execution: The primary crew as well as supporting characters are multidimensional and likable. Dialogue relays personalities and enhances the relationships that help drive the plot, and the protagonists' unique talents add to the narrative's appeal.
Plot/Idea: Staked is a well written and enlightening vampire novel that emphasizes the power of love and perseverance. The engaging story moves at a brisk pace, with well structured flashback sequences revealing an engrossing backstory.
Prose: Kim Catanzarite's text is sharp and acutely observed, the evocative atmosphere positively dripping from the pages like drops of fresh blood. The exploration of Gregorie's senses as he hungers for his next taste is exquisitely conveyed by an author who clearly possesses a deep understanding of the horror genre.
Originality: Staked is a consistently engaging take on the vampire genre. Catanzarite's poetic language is gripping and illuminating, serving up a veritable feast for the senses, while the interaction between characters is often witty and entertaining.
Character/Execution: Protagonist Gregorie Babin's journey is magnificently rendered by Catanzarite. The supporting cast of characters are likable and well rounded, with the author's obvious love for vampire lore shining through.
Blurb: A fresh and powerful take on the vampire story.
Plot/Idea: A short, tightly plotted political thriller, A Brief History of Olivarra relates the history of a fictional European nation through the lens of a man who uncovers some documents lost in Nazi invasion, and uncovers a personal connection to the country's royal lineage at the same time.
Prose: The writing is strong and economical. The framing device of Michael’s story serves the plot well, and narrative movement between the 70s and the 40s is well-crafted. Descriptive and figurative language is excellent and makes for a very enjoyable read with some adventuresome elements.
Originality: The premise is unique and clever. The author seamlessly weaves a fictional country into contemporary history.
Character/Execution: The protagonist Michael is skillfully developed and his personality is clearly and thoughtfully depicted through actions and dialogue alike. Supporting characters are also provided sufficient development to service the plot and enhance Michael’s characterization while feeling organic to the setting and narrative.
Plot/Idea: Earthweeds takes its time revealing its greatest twists and surprises, keeping readers on their toes while developing the one-of-a-kind dystopia that has taken hold of Earth. This is definitely not your average apocalyptic novel.
Prose: With ominous and atmospheric prose, Earthweeds creeps, scares and excites–but also never sacrifices key character moments.
Originality: Earthweeds spins the apocalyptic dystopian genre on its head, foregoing zombies for man-eating lizards, intelligent, sentient spiders, and a couple of super-humans to boot. Sam’s origin story is a particular highlight.
Character/Execution: Earthweeds cleverly subverts the trope of the typical, dystopian despot antagonist with a third-act reveal. However, a lack of relationship development between the main ragtag team at the Lodge leaves the readers wanting more, especially during the novel’s lowest moments.
Plot/Idea: Of Friction is a fast-paced military adventure set in a future where the impacts of climate change has split an adapted species of the human race apart, resulting in a tense political scenario that underpins the book’s plot. The character-focused story builds to a climax that will leave readers eager for more.
Prose: The writing is consistent and well paced, seamlessly pulling readers into the book's creative worldbuilding. Characterization is strong, rendered through vivid description and dialogue.
Originality: The scenario is creative and the characters are unique and dynamic. Lee successfully sets the stage for future installments.
Character/Execution: Of Friction renders a large and likable cast whose rapport and camaraderie really come off the page well, leading to a very fun read and setting up for a gratifying emotional punch in the entry’s final pages.
Plot/Idea: The Reset dives right into a complicated, epic narrative involving temporal shifts and resets. The near-future sci-fi story can be difficult to follow, particularly for readers who haven’t read the first two installments of the series, but readers are richly rewarded for their efforts.
Prose: The book primarily follows two narrative presents, labeled along with the setting as “pre-reset” and “post-reset” although the book will occasionally jump to other times quite rapidly, though again (albeit labeled clearly to help orient readers). The book also utilizes frequent Japanese words, especially in dialogue, as well as classical music references. These, along with references to key plot ties to previous installments in the series, are supported with footnotes that help readers keep bearing. At a sentence level, the writing is clean and consistent in tone and diction.
Originality: The book is clever and inventive, with a tangled narrative readers will delight in unraveling. The author takes great care to connect the book to the larger series arc.
Character/Execution: The characters are depicted with depth and nuance and their relationships are integral to the work as a whole. Individually, they accentuate the themes and tone, propelling readers' interest toward the next installment.
Plot/Idea: This creative interstellar sci-fi thriller is rich with lore and atmosphere. The novel presents a compelling plot, told through the perspective of multiple characters, that digs into deep social and political issues in its strongly-realized Venusian setting.
Prose: Rapture of the Deep features strong writing, with descriptive passages that bring the settings to life and dialogue that feels natural to the story's culture and world building.
Originality: Dainton uses common sci-fi tropes, such as a society guided by AI, colonial oppression on a foreign planet, and prospective futuristic earth geopolitics in novel ways, effectively blending ideas into a cohesive and believable world that readers will find both familiar and unique.
Character/Execution: The cast is well-rendered and fits effectively into the novel's setting. Dainton makes an effort to develop a strong atmosphere, and embeds the characters naturally into the narrative, gifting them a sharp sense of belonging that will appeal to readers.
Plot/Idea: Dr. Elizabeth "Lisa" Sapphire, a 26th-century professional time traveler and dynamic temporal scientist, is working on a secret groundbreaking discovery that could alter the nature of time travel forever when tragedy strikes. This is a rollicking tale that's clever, creative, and engaging.
Prose: Sinclair's prose is fast-paced and decidedly elevated-especially for a sci-futuristic thriller. Both science and worldbuilding are detailed and believable. Overall, a well-written, well-crafted roller coaster ride.
Originality: Timewrecked provides a nuanced and imaginative take on tropes, and particularly well-established insight on temporal dynamics.
Character/Execution: Though Lisa Sapphire is an enigmatic, confident, brilliant, kickass heroine, she is also flawed; she experiences doubt and uncertainty despite her 26th-century upgrades and scientific know-how, she's both familiar and a mystery--i.e. she's human, in the best possible (fictional) way. As for the supporting cast: good guys and villains alike are imaginative and, even in the smallest roles, an intrinsic part of the plot, adding depth to an already layered narrative.
Plot/Idea: Wayfarers tells of a plucky group of Jewish refugees traveling across a dystopian America—where religion in any form has been outlawed—in a short, exciting adventure story that is at once somber and hopeful.
Prose: The writing is consistent in voice and tone, with strong descriptions balancing tight dialogue and economical expository passages.
Originality: The characters and scenario are original and well realized. While the book leans on established genre tropes, its emphasis on identity and religion gives it an original twist to a trusted formula.
Character/Execution: The characters are sufficiently developed and dynamic enough to build the band of travelers into a believable social unit, whose cooperative survival in a treacherous setting form the crux of the conflict engine. The book's broader theme of cultural survival buoys this nicely.
Plot/Idea: This third book in Dahlstrom's Drakonia, Dragon World series continues the epic battles and intense worldbuilding that fans have come to love. The plot brims with imagination, from shapeshifters to visions to incredible magic skills, and readers will relish this as a standalone or a treat for return fans.
Prose: Dahlstrom invents creative language to enhance Thief of Destiny's unique world, and her well-crafted descriptions elicit delightful imagery for readers.
Originality: Thief of Destiny combines science fiction and fantasy in a distinctive world that builds from the first two novels in the series to a crescendo of ambitious quests and unbridled magic.
Character/Execution: Dahlstrom concocts witty but logical characters, determined to protect their destiny regardless of what stands in their way. Mo's struggles to come to terms with her particular talents are both entertaining and endearing, leaving readers cheering her progress throughout this riveting story.
Plot/Idea: Koziniac Dynasty is a bold and intriguing fantasy novel which neatly balances nautical adventure with political intrigue. Grant's storyline is finely crafted, bolstered by a well orchestrated cast of characters and a beautifully wrought atmosphere that emphasizes themes of power, loyalty, and unfulfilled ambition.
Prose: Grant's text is full of breathtaking landscapes which delicately evoke atmosphere, such as the hustle and bustle of the city of Shaara. The chapters are short, succinct, and dynamic, imbibing the book with a propulsive, galloping rhythm that makes for addictive reading.
Originality: Koziniac Dynasty is a fresh and compelling fantasy adventure novel that features well written characters and an invigorating atmosphere. The structure of short, punchy chapters gives the book a sense of verve and style that is often lost in other fantasy tales of its ilk.
Character/Execution: Grant's protagonist, Prince Tonare, is riddled with personal demons and driven by obsession in a game of political intrigue. Furthermore, the well crafted cast of secondary characters help embellish the story with dynamism and gravitas.
Blurb: A striking fantasy epic.
Plot/Idea: Caution Earth is a wildly inventive and humorous sci-fi adventure story which centers on a group of aliens attempting to save the planet (and their favorite TV show).
Prose: Gary R Beebe Jr's text features top notch, creative worldbuilding combined with consistently witty and imaginative writing skills. The attention to detail is fantastic throughout, with passages that are literally bursting with creativity and ideas.
Originality: Caution Earth is heavily indebted to the world of Douglas Adams, with strong tips of the hat to his celebrated Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. Beebe Jr's pertinent observations on social interaction and technological obsessiveness shine through in a highly recommended sci-fi comedy.
Character/Execution: Beebe Jr expertly orchestrates a maverick group of aliens in a preposterous and unconventional fashion that fits perfectly with the zany plot and crackling atmosphere. The boundless energy of the character interactions is infectious as observations on the human condition are subtly explored in a colorful and vibrant manner.
Blurb: A highly imaginative sci-fi comedy romp.
Plot/Idea: Crazy Hawk is a tense and involving post-apocalyptic mystery thriller with an intriguing and captivating storyline. In a world plagued by death and disease, Stewart's vision of a fractured society is spearheaded by the emotionally complex character of Deirdre Buford as she seeks to overcome brutal tribes and traffickers in a bid to find her kidnapped sister.
Prose: Stewart's text benefits from meticulous description which effectively transmits the atmosphere and personality of his characters and setting. His incredible attention to detail emphasizes the desolate imagery of a crumbling Southern California landscape as well as the characters' unique character traits and idiosyncrasies.
Originality: Crazy Hawk is a riveting post-apocalyptic mystery thriller with well rounded characters and a keen eye for detail. It features several scenes of gripping and powerful dramatic tension from the very start and rarely takes it foot off the gas.
Character/Execution: Stewart's characters are diverse and convincing, particularly protagonist Deirdre Buford, as she traverses an intimidating apocalyptic landscape in search of her kidnapped sister. The characters have real emotional depth and their interactions are bolstered by sharp and dynamic dialogue.
Plot/Idea: The Upright Tower is a tense, quick-moving thriller focused on a police officer and a female stranger who find themselves thrown together in a small, seemingly deserted Louisiana town. Eubanks will keep readers on their toes through unexpected developments and a lurking sense of dread.
Prose: Eubanks writes cleanly and fluidly with a fine blend of light description, dialogue, and exposition. The author effectively establishes the circumstances while maintaining mystery and uncertainty.
Originality: The Upright Tower captures readers through the sense of mystery that pervades the storytelling. Initially about an officer spending time at a fellow-officer's remote vacation home following the capture of a killer, the work soon changes course with the arrival of a stranger.
Character/Execution: Alex is an appealing central character who emerges clearly on the page. Jessie, initially shadowy, comes into focus along with the story's mysteries.
Plot/Idea: Fanning Fireflies is a compelling romantic supernatural drama set in Harrisville in 1944 featuring an impressive storyline full of twists and turns. Delorme's haunting and powerful depiction of love, race relations, and the supernatural in mid-20th century America is excellently rendered and will leave readers eager for more.
Prose: Delorme's text benefits from a meticulous attention to detail that deftly captures the hatred manifesting itself in 1940s Harrisville. The convincing, naturalistic, and absorbing dialogue helps emphasize the time and place of the events, imbuing the percolating atmosphere with rich and vibrant plot and character development.
Originality: Fanning Fireflies is book 3 in Delorme's The Limerent series, and further entries in the series will surely be eagerly anticipated. Paranormal elements are brilliantly weaved into Fanning Fireflies, creating an unnervingly haunting atmosphere that is compelling to experience.
Character/Execution: Delorme's strong protagonist, Veronica Crane, is a tense and involving character who is consistently engaging. There is an abundance of excellent character development throughout the novel, particularly in the love story that develops between Veronica and Lazlo, a relationship filled with nuance, detail, and wonder.
Blurb: An absorbing supernatural romance novel.
Plot/Idea: The Dark Forever is a mysterious sci-fi novel set in the near future with various characters forced to reevaluate their life choices. Gorsky excellently coordinates the team's expedition to The Hive planet, enabling a tense and gripping atmosphere to permeate as the plot unfolds.
Prose: Gorsky's text is clearly written in an accessible and straightforward manner, The Dark Forever's simplicity and sharp attention to detail work in its favor, allowing the tense and thrilling story to unravel naturally.
Originality: The Dark Forever is a fairly conventional sci-fi thriller, but strong writing and an intriguing exploration of concepts in physics make the reading experience consistently engaging. The characters in the crew, who are from various ethnic backgrounds, are expertly observed and presented.
Character/Execution: Lucy Howard is The Dark Forever's enigmatic protagonist, spearheading an eclectic range of characters. The characters are all well rounded with interesting and detailed backstories that enhance the overall arc of the plot.
Blurb: A tense and well orchestrated sci-fi thriller.
