As my birthday present to myself I snagged a post by a guest author for today, and she’s one of my favorite new authors! The Fantasy Cafe is happy to welcome Ann Aguirre, author of the immensely entertaining space operas Grimspace and Wanderlust and the forthcoming urban fantasy novel Blue Diablo (release date April 7). Below Ann talks about her experiences with reading fantasy and offers the chance for one of you to win a copy of Blue Diablo! My […]

A Shadow in Summerby Daniel Abraham336pp (Hardcover)My Rating: 7/10Amazon Rating: 4/5LibraryThing Rating: 3.77/5Goodreads Rating: 3.75/5 Daniel Abraham’s debut novel, A Shadow in Summer, is the first book in The Long Price Quartet. The next two books, A Betrayal in Winter and An Autumn War, have been released and the final book The Price of Spring will be out in July 2009. Even though he is a relatively new novelist, Abraham has written a lot of short fiction and been involved […]

The Charmed Sphereby Catherine Asaro384pp (Trade Paperback)My Rating: 7/10Amazon Rating: 3.5/5LibraryThing Rating: 3.35/5Goodreads Rating: 3.61/5 The Charmed Sphere is written by Catherine Asaro, who is best known for her Skolian Saga series of space opera. This is the first book in the Misted Cliffs series, currently comprised of five romantic fantasy novels and the story “Moonglow” from the Charmed Destinies collection. I have enjoyed the three Skolian novels I have read, and I found The Charmed Sphere entertaining, although a […]

Kushiel’s Dartby Jacqueline Carey901pp (Paperback)My Rating: 8.5/10Amazon Rating: 4/5LibraryThing Rating: 4.3/5Goodreads Rating: 4.48/5 Kushiel’s Dart is the first book in the Kushiel’s Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey. The series contains two related trilogies, each about different main characters with Naamah’s Kiss, the first book in a third trilogy coming out in June 2009. Kushiel’s Dart is followed by Kushiel’s Chosen and Kushiel’s Avatar, and the second trilogy consists of Kushiel’s Scion, Kushiel’s Justice, and Kushiel’s Mercy respectively. This is one […]

The Jackal of Narby John Marco768pp (Paperback)My Rating: 6/10Amazon Rating: 3.5/5LibraryThing Rating: 3.34/5Goodreads Rating: 3.9/5 The Jackal of Nar, John Marco’s debut novel, is the first book in a completed fantasy trilogy, Tyrants and Kings. It is followed by The Grand Design and concluded with The Saints of the Sword. The Jackal of Nar was unevenly paced, too long, and had a rather stupid main character, yet in spite of that I did find this character-driven novel enjoyable once it […]

I realized recently that I have only read three books this year that were released this year (The Name of the Wind, Ysabel, and The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadows). To remedy this situation, I recently ordered the following: Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch (#2 in the Gentleman Bastard sequence)The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. TolkienFlesh and Spirit by Carol Berg (#1 in The Lighthouse Duology) Hopefully later this year I’ll be able to get some more […]
