Tag: fantasy

Book Review: The Alloy of Law

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson I liked the Mistborn series quite a bit, so this novel, set in the far future with new characters but the same magic system, seemed a sure fit. The main character, Wax, is a coinshot (can push metals) who also has the ability to make himself heavier or …

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Book Review: Highfire

Highfire by Eoin Colfer This is a charmingly original contemporary fantasy about a teenage boy and a dragon living in the swamp in Louisiana. The dragon, Verne, is the last of his kind and is holed up surviving but not thriving on an island in the bayou, ordering Flashdance tee shirts off Amazon, drinking vodka, …

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Book Review: A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness The novella deals with grief and loss and how it feels to be powerless when your world is changing for the worse. Conner is dealing with his mother’s increasing illness and the ancillary changes brought about when everyone at school finds out his mother has cancer. Conner doesn’t know …

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Book Review: Graceling

Graceling by Kristin Cashore I don’t expect much from YA fantasy, just a solid plot and a cute romance with some likeable characters. Bonus if the worldbuilding is good. This one almost delivered on my modest expectations, but fell apart at the end. The conceit of this book is that some people are born with …

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Book Review: Tess of the Road

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman As with so many things in life, the strength of this book is also its weakness. This coming-of-age story has deep philosophy from many angles: purity and shame, wholeness and individuality, mysticism and the quest for knowledge. It’s not just a story about a girl who runs away …

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