Forget everything you know about fairytale retellings when you read Ashen by H. L. Burke. Most retellings either are a straight-up novel length version of a story you’ve read before, or they include some type of gimmick to make the narrative fresh. Reading these types of retellings are like playing […]
I was writing a blog about the traditional fairy tales and my novel Kingdom Come. At the end I recommended some fairy tale retellings of that particular story. I suddenly had an idea. What if I read them to compare their treatment of the Snow White character? Not rate the […]
C. J. Redwine’s The Shadow Queen is an action-packed retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs envisioned as a high fantasy. This Snow White is Lorelai Diederich, the true heir to the throne, but on the run from her evil stepmother, Queen Irina. Lorelai is not the meek maiden […]
H. L. Burke’s Blind Date with a Supervillain is a short spin-off series from her Superhero Rehabilitation Series. In this world, superheroes and supervillains face off around the world. Most superheroes are aligned with the Department of Super Enabled (DOSA) which regulates their actions. Surge (or Shawn Park) is a […]
Mysterious, isolated island? Check. List of victims…er, guests? Check. Atmospheric setting? Check. Victim? Uh…victim? Hello? The Guest List is a mystery without a victim through most of its story, and therein lies the genius. Lucy Foley has concocted a story where the reader has to make it through most of […]
Karen Diem’s fourth superhero novel, Monster, starts out with an international incident of city-sized proportions. When our three favorite heroes: Arca, Muse, and Wingspan show up to take care of business, they are immediately upstaged. Much like the opening segment to an Indiana Jones adventure, this episode serves to introduce […]
A creative magic system, a well-defined caste organization, an intriguing mystery, and a deep friendship set the stage for Beggar Magic, a fantasy novel by H. L. Burke. When Leilani, a Commoner (low caste) meets Zebedy, a Highmost (high caste), it seems they make an unlikely pair. However, the two […]
Lou Wilham’s The Girl in the Clockwork Tower is a steampunk, fairytale retelling of a trapped, tender-hearted Rapunzel. The world is split between humans and the preternatural beings called “the enhanced” with humans acting in the role of oppressors of any other creatures. Persinette, the girl in the clockwork tower, […]
Proxima by Chase Hildenbrand is a science fiction action adventure in which humans have ravaged Earth’s natural resources and must find a way to survive. The situation leaves the human race no choice but to build space arks and head for the nearest habitable planet, Proxima. However, not everyone wants […]
A hero who stands alone, malicious bandits, wild animals. Does that sound like a western? Surprise! It’s a fantasy. With western underpinnings but fused heavily with its fantasy elements, Calico Thunder Rides Again makes for one thrilling read. Inheriting a traveling circus from his father, Jake Strickland has been managing […]