The Fantasy Café Patreon account has a reward tier for voting on a poll determining the content of a blog post for the following month. (In most cases, this will be a review of a book that is not currently being discussed all over the blogosphere.) Since April will be the fifth annual Women in SF&F Month, I’m announcing the April book selection a little early. Also due to April being an especially busy month, the April book is a novella. It is…
Bone and Jewel Creatures by Elizabeth Bear
Dark magic is afoot in the City of Jackals…
Eighty years Bijou the Artificer has been a Wizard of Messaline, building her servants from precious scraps, living with the memory of a great love that betrayed her. She is ready to rest.
But now her former apprentice, Brazen the Enchanter, has brought her a speechless feral child poisoned by a sorcerous infection. Now, Messaline is swept by a mysterious plague. Now the seeping corpses of the dead stalk the streets.
Now, finally, Bijou’s old nemesis–Bijou’s old love–Kaulas the Necromancer is unleashing a reeking half-death on Bijou’s people. And only Bijou and her creatures wrought of bone and jewels can save the City of Jackals from his final revenge.
I read and reviewed—and LOVED—the prequel novella Book of Iron so I’m looking forward to this one!
The theme for next month’s poll determining a book to be reviewed in May is stand alone fantasy books. Anyone who signs up for that reward tier before the end of this month will be able to vote on that poll, and one of the following choices will be reviewed in May:
