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Witch King by Martha Wells

(Cover Artist: Cynthia Sheppard ) Martha Wells's  2023 novel  Witch King is a book which I wish I had a more positive opinion of, though not because this was a story which I lacked enthusiasm for. I enjoyed the characters, and the world which Wells has imagined for this novel is unique and well-realized. Moreover the book's core storyline, while slow to establish itself, has many elements of intrigue and nuance. Yet unfortunately in spite of these many points in the novel's favor, I'm not convinced that the narrative that Wells is attempting to tell with this story functions in the way that it should. Particularly given Wells's broader success in the science fiction genre (her wryly profound  Murderbot Diaries  series ), it was hard for me to not read  Witch King , and begin seeing within this story every element of Wells's writing which normally functions so well, but which here never quite manages to bring itself to fruition.

Strange Horizons Review of Allen Stroud’s Anti-State

(Cover Artist: Nick Wells) There's a review I wrote of Allen Stroud's novel Anti-State  that is up today in the most recent edition of Stran…

Strange Horizons Review of Adam Oyebanji’s Esperance

(Cover Designer: Adam Auerbach ) I have a review of Adam Oyebanji's novel, Esperance , out in the most recent issue of Strange Horizons , which …

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

(Cover Artist: Dan Funderburgh ) Occasionally I'll read a book whose ending completely alters the nature of the story that preceded it, and which…

Strange Horizons Review of Leanne Su’s Peri Peri Paprika

(Cover Artist: Amy Arendts ) The most recent edition of Strange Horizons has a review I wrote of Leanne Su's  novel Peri Peri Paprika . This was…

Strange Horizons Review of Chris and Jen Sugden's High Vaultage

I have a review of Chris and Jen Sugden's novel High Vaultage  out in the most recent issue of Strange Horizons , which can be found here . This …

Jumpnauts by Hao Jingfang

(Cover Designer: Kelli McAdams ) Jumpnauts is exactly the opposite of the sort of novel which I expected Hao Jingfang to write, initially in a bad w…

Nikhil Singh’s Dakini Atoll reviewed at Strange Horizons

(Cover Artist: Elena Romenkova ) A review I wrote of Nikhil Singh's novel Dakini Atoll  is currently up in the most recent edition of Strange Hor…

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin

(Cover Artist: Ernst Haas) There's a way that Ursula Le Guin's 1971 novel  The Lathe of Heaven  is often described, and I want to start this…

Myst: The Book of Ti'ana by Rand Miller with David Wingrove

(Cover Artist: The Leonheardt Group) Rand Miller and David Wingrove's 1996 novel Myst: The Book of Ti'ana was a strange story to read, becau…

Strange Horizons Review of James Logan’s The Silverblood Promise

(Cover Artist: Jeff Brown ) A review I wrote of James Logan's  novel The Silverblood Promise  is currently up in the most recent issue of Strange…

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

(Cover Artist: Daniel Dociu ) Midway through James S.A. Corey's  Leviathan Wakes , there was a scene which completely upended my impression of th…

Strange Horizons Review of Joma West's Twice Lived

A review I wrote of Joma West's novel  Twice Lived  is up in the most recent issue of Strange Horizons, and can be read at  this link . This book…