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.
Taurus Four
A stranded space explorer encounters a primitive society descended from hippies and falls for a teenage girl. I kept reading in hopes that the protagonist's spectacular sexism was deliberate satire. Instead, the novel celebrates his misogyny and delivers one of the most appalling endings I've encountered.
Song of the Pearl
A teenage girl journeys through the afterlife and her past incarnations to understand her suffering. Beautiful prose cannot redeem a YA novel whose central message holds an abused child responsible for her own sexual assault—and ultimately demands that she apologize to her abuser. My most hated ForFemFan read.
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 Dimensioneers
A teenage girl and her mutant lion leap between dimensions, pursued by hostile aliens. Unfortunately, fourteen pages of clumsy prose and bewildering action were more than enough to convince me to abandon the adventure.
Wizenbeak
I needed a comforting fantasy after a particularly brutal book. Instead, I found two pages of awkward prose, baffling word choices, and enough editorial grievances to produce an entire line-by-line critique. Also: ratsters.
Chrysalis of Death
A fossil collector unearths prehistoric caterpillars that unleash a horrifying epidemic on a tiny desert town. Competently written, genuinely suspenseful pulp horror whose relentless cruelty and hopelessness left me furious.
Dreamrider
A promising dream-world premise, a giant otter, and some of the most painfully stilted prose and dialogue I've encountered. I abandoned this one after eleven pages, with absolutely no regrets.