Title: Drama Author: Raina Telgemeier Genre: Contemporary, Middle Grade, Graphic Novel Publisher: GRAPHIX Publication date: September 1st 2012 Paperback: 240 pages Raina Telgemeier, the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of the Eisner Award winner, SMILE, brings us her next…
Drama
Title: A Drowned Maiden’s Hair: A Melodrama Author: Laura Amy Schlitz Genre: Historical, Young Adult Publisher: Candlewick Press Publication date: First published in 2006 Hardcover/paperback: 389 pages Maud Flynn is known at the orphanage for her impertinence, so when…
It is that time of year again, folks–awards time! We are thrilled to share with you the news of two exciting speculative fiction awards: The Hugo Awards and the Ignyte Awards. The Hugo Awards are one of the longest-running…
In preparation for the Netflix show, Thea is re-immersing herself in Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse and rereading the Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows books! Today, she tackles the second full-length novel in the original trilogy: Siege and Storm.…
Finding excellent short SFF can often feel like hunting for buried treasure. Sometimes it takes a guide to help fill in the map, connecting readers with fantastic fiction and showing where X Marks The Story–a monthly column from Charles…
The daughter of two powerful magic-users in a long legacy of witchdoctors strugglers with her lack of power–especially when the fate of the world is at stake. Title: Kingdom of SoulsAuthor: Rena BarronGenre: Fantasy, YAPublisher: Harper TeenPublication Date: September…
You thought you were prepared for this book. You were, and I can’t stress this enough, not. You loved Gideon the Ninth. In fact, you may have uttered words like “best book of 2019”, “genius” and “most fun I…
I’ve been doing a lot of reading (and not a whole lot of writing) over the past few months. This has been a bad thing–not writing reviews all the time makes me feel sad but also means I often…
Title: Descendant of the Crane Author: Joan He Genre: YA Fantasy Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company Publication date: April 2019Hardcover: 416 pages Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own.Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk…
“On The Smugglers’ Radar” is a feature for books that have caught our eye: books we have heard of via other bloggers, directly from publishers, and/or from our regular incursions into the Amazon jungle. Thus, the Smugglers’ Radar was…
Good people, bad magic, and how magical systems shape character in fantasy – An essay by Ginn Hale
Today, we are delighted to welcome Ginn Hale back to the blog to celebrate her new novel, Master of Restless Shadows (out today!) and to talk about magical systems and characters in Fantasy. From metal-eating allomancers of Brandon Sanderson’s…
Title: To Be Taught, If Fortunate Author: Becky Chambers Genre: Science Fiction Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton UK / Haper Voyager USPublication date: August 8 / September 3 2019Hardcover: 135 pages In her new novella, Sunday Times best-selling author Becky Chambers imagines a future…
I’ve been busy this summer, reading thrillers – most of them, I am happy to report, fantastic! I’ve listened to the audiobook of Something in the Water, written and narrated by Catherine Steadman and right off the bat, I…
The Rise of Kyoshi is more than a worthy companion to the series – it is essential read for anyone who loves the Avatar world. …
In times of trouble, people often reach for sources of strength. For me, in this moment, I reach for stories that inspire. Not by ignoring the corruption that infects our world, but by imagining ways to push back, to…
“On The Smugglers’ Radar” is a feature for books that have caught our eye: books we have heard of via other bloggers, directly from publishers, and/or from our regular incursions into the Amazon jungle. Thus, the Smugglers’ Radar was…
Title: With the Fire on High Author: Elizabeth Acevedo Genre: Contemporary YA Publisher: Harper TeenPublication date: May 7 2019Hardcover: 400 pages With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions,…
“On The Smugglers’ Radar” is a feature for books that have caught our eye: books we have heard of via other bloggers, directly from publishers, and/or from our regular incursions into the Amazon jungle. Thus, the Smugglers’ Radar was…
“On The Smugglers’ Radar” is a feature for books that have caught our eye: books we have heard of via other bloggers, directly from publishers, and/or from our regular incursions into the Amazon jungle. Thus, the Smugglers’ Radar was…
Title: The Dead Queens Club Author: Hannah Capin Genre: Contemporary YA Publisher: Inkyard PressPublication date: January 29 2019Hardcover:464 pages What do a future ambassador, an overly ambitious Francophile, a hospital-volunteering Girl Scout, the new girl from Cleveland, the junior cheer captain,…
Series Review: NINTH STEP STATION by Malka Older, Fran Wilde, Curtis C. Chen, and J Koyanagi
Today, we are giving the floor over to Charles Payseur, a member of our Smuggler Army with his regular column X Marks the Story to review Serial Box Publishing’s series Ninth Step Station by Malka Older, Fran Wilde, Curtis C.…
“On The Smugglers’ Radar” is a feature for books that have caught our eye: books we have heard of via other bloggers, directly from publishers, and/or from our regular incursions into the Amazon jungle. Thus, the Smugglers’ Radar was…
Today we bring bring back our feature, “What She Said…” in which we both review books that the other has previously read and reviewed. This feature arose because of a very serious dilemma we faced at Casa de Smugglers:…
I am a huge fan of Reneé Watson and I can’t wait for her new book with Ellen Hagan: Jasmine and Chelsea are sick of the way women are treated even at their progressive NYC high school, so they…
Title: The Kingdom of Copper Author: S.A. Chakraborty Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Harper VoyagerPublication date: January 2019Hardcover: 640 pages S. A. Chakraborty continues the sweeping adventure begun in The City of Brass—”the best adult fantasy I’ve read since The Name of the Wind” (#1 New York Times bestselling…