The secret in this novel is a dream every school child must have at some time: a magical way to deal with bullies. Of course, the problem is to use the magic without letting anyone, especially your new best friend, know you’re using magic. This theme of the problems of “otherness” adds depth to the…
Month: February 2020
REVIEW
“Madame Tulip and the Serpent’s Tree” by David Ahern
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In the “Madame Tulip” universe, this story’s a winner. Ahern’s comedy writing is becoming more polished and creative. Not a hilarious, gut-wrenching-laugh-type comedy. Just a constant feeding of clever and original Irish-style wit, often tossed off as setting or character description, that adds to the entertainment of the read. The entertainment value of this writing…
REVIEW
“Miscreants, Murderers, and Thieves!” by Samuel W. Reed
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This is a short story anthology with a slightly misleading title, especially the exclamation mark. Some of the characters portrayed in these stories fall under those categories but many do not. In any case, most of them are entertaining, emotion producing or thought provoking. If there is any exclamation as you read, it is due…
REVIEW
“Lost Helix” by Scott Coon
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This novel is pretty much a model of what YA Space Opera should be: a bit melodramatic, a bit realistic, a bit magical, and very escapist. It has a nicely complex conflict, with DJ and Paul trying to escape the repressive, corporate-focused mining colony that restricts their lives and at the same time find DJ’s…