Jinian Footseer
A pragmatic young woman sets off through a richly imagined fantasy world, encountering strange creatures, mysterious old gods, and no shortage of adventures—with six wonderful older women offering support along the way. A captivating, meandering journey whose pleasures far outweigh its frustratingly rushed conclusion.
Jalav
A promising fantasy about a fierce tribe of warrior women begins as an intriguing reversal of traditional gender roles, then devolves into relentless rape, slavery, and abuse portrayed as romance. Unconvincing characterization and a dreadful post-apocalyptic reveal only make its dangerous rape apologism worse.
Charlemagne's Champion
Roland, an outcast warrior terrified of his supernatural heritage, seeks redemption through service to Charlemagne. A deeply unlikable protagonist and sloppy prose nearly drove me away, but intriguing magical mysteries and a promising friendship kept me reading—until a disappointing conclusion vindicated my initial doubts.
Contrarywise
An eccentric trickster god, an expansive magical world, and a wonderfully engaging ensemble make for a promising beginning. Then an increasingly incoherent, world-ending plot introduces divine meddling, rape, and a supposedly heartwarming romance between biological twins. I loved the first third. The rest? What the fuck.
Sorcerer's Legacy
A grieving widow is transported across time and space to save a prince, only to become trapped in deadly court intrigue. Competent prose can't rescue an unconvincing heroine, relentlessly contrived suspense, or an appalling ending that treats terrible sacrifices as a triumph.
The Fluger
A seemingly unstoppable alien monster terrorizes a futuristic New York City while an uncooperative alien assassin hunts it down. A gloriously pulpy, occasionally gory adventure with inconsistent writing, surprisingly thoughtful characters, and unexpected moments of genuine beauty.
The Adversary
The final volume of The Saga of Pliocene Exile delivers an overstuffed conclusion in which murderous abusers edge toward redemption, ever-expanding psychic powers dissolve the stakes, and crucial information is withheld simply to keep the reader turning pages. Includes a complete spoiler-filled recap for anyone who'd rather skip the 470-page ordeal.
The Nature of Witches
An American scientist in Sweden begins to wonder whether his estranged wife is a witch. Surprisingly perceptive prose and vivid characterization give way to appalling misogyny, sexual violence, and an ending that rewards an utterly reprehensible protagonist.
Bone Dance
A post-apocalyptic, low-tech cyberpunk noir that mixes psychological mystery, mysticism, and questions of identity. Ambitious and occasionally beautiful, but its competing storylines and uneven development made finishing it a frustrating slog.
Alien Blues
A futuristic police procedural featuring serial killers, a sinister conspiracy, and wonderfully peculiar stingray-like aliens. The Elaki are delightful, but muddled plotting, stilted prose, and gratuitous sexualized violence ruin an otherwise promising premise.
Phoenix Fire
A light urban fantasy involving Chinese mythology, an ancient demon, and a rather underused phoenix. It has all the charm, questionable plotting, and nostalgic familiarity of a 1990s PG-13 action movie.
The Garden of the Shaped
Immortal scientists create three races and gradually forget why they made them. A fascinating exploration of creation, privilege, and prejudice loses its momentum when philosophical mysteries give way to a less compelling race war.