Fun midnight-hour shenanigans from Scott Westerfeld–yes, please. Old School Wednesdays is a weekly Book Smugglers feature. We came up with the idea towards the end of 2012, when both Ana and Thea were feeling exhausted from the never-ending inundation…
In which Kate Elliott talks Court of Fives, history, myth making and Cleopatra “Inspirations and Influences” is a series of articles in which we invite authors to write guest posts talking about their Inspirations and Influences. In this feature,…
Only Ever Yours is 1984, Mean Girls and Handmaid’s Tale rolled into one, featuring a brave if completely pessimistic magnifying glass to how we treat women right here right now. It takes everything that is misogynistic about our world…
In which we unveil the trailer and offer up a giveaway of an exciting new title from Allan Stratton. Today, we are delighted to reveal the trailer for YA horror novel The Dogs by Allan Stratton. As you may…
Diana Wynne Jones is made of awesome and The Time of the Ghost is yet another great novel. Old School Wednesdays is a weekly Book Smugglers feature. We came up with the idea towards the end of 2012, when…
Alive boils down to a familiar formula: awesome premise, not-so-awesome execution. Don’t get me wrong–I enjoyed this book very much and it certainly has its strong points, but hot damn does it have some low ones as well. Title:…
New Old School Wednesdays series! Ana reads The Enchanted Forest Chronicles! Old School Wednesdays is a weekly Book Smugglers feature. We came up with the idea towards the end of 2012, when both Ana and Thea were feeling exhausted…
It’s Friday Saturday, which means we are over at Kirkus for our regular weekly column! Thea is talking about book one in a new series, A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin today! Stranje House takes a familiar…
Ana says goodbye to Sarah McCarry’s girls. Title: About a Girl Written by Sarah McCarry Genre: Fantasy, Contemporary, Young Adult Publisher: St Martin’s Griffin Publication Date: July 14, 2015 Hardcover: 256 pages Eighteen-year-old Tally is absolutely sure of everything:…
OK, I am SO in love with Archivist Wasp. It’s a top 10 from me. 2015, you are WONDERFUL so far. Title: Archivist Wasp Written by Nicole Kornher-Stace Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, YA, Adventure, Post-Apocalypse/Dystopia Publisher: Small Beer Press…
In which we unveil the cover for Kate Hattemer’s upcoming novel, The Land of 10,000 Madonnas. Today we are delighted to present you with the cover and synopsis of Kate Hattemer’s new novel, The Land of 10,000 Madonnas. We…
He knew me because he said I was awesome. And I was awesome. Maggie Cunningham, The Awesome. Fuck yeah. Title: The Awesome Written by Eva Darrows Genre: Contemporary/Urban Fantasy, Young Adult, Speculative Fiction Publisher: Ravenstone Publication Date: May 2015…
It’s Friday, which means we are over at Kirkus for our regular weekly column! Today Thea takes a look at YA speculative fiction novel Undertow by Michael Buckley. Undertow is NOT what she was expecting. In a good way.…
The hype is strong with this one. At one point, An Ember in the Ashes was everywhere we looked. From newsletters from big websites and emails from the publisher to (positive) reviews everywhere including on big media places like…
Ana’s adventures in Reading Comics continue with Nimona by Noelle Stevenson Title: Nimona Author: Noelle Stevenson Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Comics Publisher: Harper Collins Publication Date: May 2015 Hardcover: 275 pages The graphic novel debut from rising star Noelle…
Will Frances Hardinge ever write a book I won’t like? Title: The Lie Tree Author: Frances Hardinge Genre: Fantasy, Historical Murder Mystery Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books Publication Date: May 7 2015 Paperback: 400 pages The leaves were cold and…
It’s Friday! Which means we are over at Kirkus. Today, Ana takes a look at a new YA novel, Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley It’s a good, if uneven, novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Go HERE for more.…
Seraphina is back in this entertaining and highly anticipated sequel. While it’s still a solid fantasy novel, Shadow Scale never quite manages to hit the high, sweet notes that made me fall in love with Seraphina. Title: Shadow Scale…
There are those books that grab you by the throat and don’t let go. Infandous is one such book. This is a short review of a short novel that is perfectly concise in its telling, beautiful in its writing,…
In which we welcome Fonda Lee to talk about the cult of celebrity, her novel, and giveaway a copy of Zeroboxer! Today we are delighted to host a guest post from debut author Fonda Lee as we celebrate the…
It’s Friday, which means we are over at Kirkus for our regular weekly column! Today Thea reviews Lovecraftian contemporary fantasy novel Harrison Squared by Daryl Gregory. Starring an awesome protagonist, Harrison Squared is a lot of fun (and Thea’s…
In which Nova Ren Suma talks about teenage ghosts and her new novel, The Walls Around Us. We Book Smugglers are huge fans of Nova Run Suma’s work. Both of us loved her YA novel Imaginary Girls – a…
In which we give away copies of Rachel Hartman’s Seraphina and companion novel, Shadow Scale Today we are thrilled to be a part of the Shadow Scale Blog Tour, celebrating the release of Rachel Hartman’s long-awaited and highly anticipated…
Bone Gap is a book about perspective. About the difference between looking and seeing. About fairytales, self-image, the heavy burden that beauty can be and the pernicious ways we look at and treat women. It’s awfully tense and there…
This novel offers an incredible portrayal of this world and its precarious balance between feminism and misogyny, offering a skilful take on female empowerment and agency with a great pair of main female characters. Title: Razorhurst Author: Justine Larbalestier…