"The Symphony of Ages" is a long cycle, and so far, I've read the first four novels and the last one. I know how it began, and I know how it ended. And, despite its drawbacks, I consider this series one of my favourite fantasy sagas. Why? Because nowadays, you don't have so many readable … Continue reading “The Symphony of Ages” by Elizabeth Haydon
Author: Bess Appledore
I'm a literature freak obsessed with classics, fantasy, and eighteenth/nineteenth century revolutionaries.
“When Women Were Dragons” and the Shortfalls of Pop Feminism
"When Women Were Dragons" by Kelly Barnhill is one of those novels you generally agree with because of their good intentions... And then you discover that your agreement is indeed more in general than in detail. Thus, this post will be more like a short analysis than a review, because in artistic terms, it's a … Continue reading “When Women Were Dragons” and the Shortfalls of Pop Feminism
My Problems with “The Witching Hour” by Anne Rice
Anne Rice is one of those authors who, as for her genre, operated with exquisite style. She is also one of those authors who raised creepy and problematic topics without engaging herself in anything creepy or, worse, criminal. Why do I frame it like this? Because it happens to many authors and because those "creepy … Continue reading My Problems with “The Witching Hour” by Anne Rice
“Heritage and Exile”, and what to Do with Them
CW: heavy topics discussed, spoilers I think a brief (or not-so-brief) clarification is needed here. I haven't purchased the "The Heritage of Hastur" and "Sharra's Exile" omnibus, "Heritage and Exile". After all we've learned about Bradley's crimes, I'm not going to fund her trust. I read the books for free. You may ask, though, why … Continue reading “Heritage and Exile”, and what to Do with Them
Earthsea Revisited: How I Learned to Appreciate This Series Again
The first time I read the Earthsea books, I was thirteen, and I was a teenager who wanted to appease her conservative family. I was quite silly, too. I didn't 'mind' that most Earthsea people were red-brown, but I thought that Vetch's blackness was 'political correctness'. I didn't 'mind' that LeGuin wrote about customs and … Continue reading Earthsea Revisited: How I Learned to Appreciate This Series Again
The Daughter of the Lioness Duology by Tamora Pierce
"Trickster's Gambit" and "Trickster's Queen" form the aforementioned duology set in the most famous world of the author. Aly, daughter of the famous knight Alanna and spymaster George, is kidnapped and sold as a slave to the Copper Isles, ruled by the white-skinned luarin caste, though their native people, the raka, are brown. At first, … Continue reading The Daughter of the Lioness Duology by Tamora Pierce
“To Paradise” by Hanya Yanagihara
It's a big novel—a big novel on so many levels. It doesn't meet all the expectations I've had about it, but it doesn't have to. It is, just like “People in the Trees” and “A Little Life”, complicated, bold, and original. And I think that we need such stories. “To Paradise”, though having three very … Continue reading “To Paradise” by Hanya Yanagihara
“All the Seas of the World”
I'd say that "All the Seas of the World", the newest novel by Guy Gavriel Kay, is a good starting point for those who'd like to get a taste of what his writing is like. It doesn't mean that I think it's an exquisite, unusual novel. An entry point to someone's work doesn't have to … Continue reading “All the Seas of the World”
“Duma Key”
"Duma Key" is a novel that reminded me why I still like Stephen King's books and why I keep returning to his works. It's moving, scary, climatic, and thrilling. It's everything a good horror novel should be. There are supernatural abilities, there is suspense, there are high stakes, and there is a big, complex backstory. … Continue reading “Duma Key”
Why “Prince of Thorns” Sucks
Do you know the talking point they wouldn't write a novel like that these days? Well, I am glad that certain novels wouldn't look as they do if they were published today. If there is a naive fantasy novel about a cheeky princess and a novel about a prince turned murderer and rapist, I choose … Continue reading Why “Prince of Thorns” Sucks
Left Hand of Fiction 