Elizabeth Fitzgerald's Blog: Earl Grey Editing, page 15

Mt TBR Report: March 2018

I’m very pleased with my reading for March. Once again, I came within one book of breaking even on my acquisitions. I would have made it with plenty to spare, had I not caved in to the feminist SFF book bundle being curated by Cat Rambo. I’m especially pleased because I also had a bit of reading to do for the Ditmar Awards.

However, all bets are off in April. The shortlists for the Hugo Awards have been announced and I requested 25 items from the local library to get a jumpstart on them while I wait for the Hugo voting packet to be organised. Even with the boost of Dewey’s Readathon at the end of the month, I expect Mt TBR is going to rise a fair bit.

Mt TBR Status

Mt TBR @ 1 January 2018: 351

Mt TBR @ 28 February 2018: 340

Mt TBR @ 31 March 2018: 343

Books Read

21. Sweet Disorder by Rose Lerner. First book in the Lively St. Lemeston series. This is a delightful historical romance about a very curvy widow and a former soldier struggling to get his life back together after being injured in the war. I loved the way it pushed back at some of the tropes of historical romance by focusing on characters that don’t normally get much attention: Phoebe is not nobility and Nick barely qualifies. It was also wonderful to see disabled characters receive representation. Not only does Nick have a limp and chronic pain, but one of the side characters uses a wheelchair (and was such a charming character that I was a bit disappointed her story got resolved, so she won’t be getting a book of her own). There was some interesting narratives about unhealthy family relationships and overall, I found it both charming and thoughtful. Thank you to Gin Jenny at Reading the End for the recommendation.

22. An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard. Review forthcoming

23. Elementals: Ice Wolves by Amie Kaufman. Reviewed here.

24. On a Barbarian World by Anna Hackett. The sixth book in The Phoenix Adventures. Sci-fi romance. Aurina Phoenix is a scout for her brothers’ deep space convoy. When she crash lands on a low-tech planet, she finds herself at the mercy of the barbarian warlord Kavon. While the book tempered some pulpy sci-fi tropes with a modern feminist interpretation, I don’t feel it was wholly successful. However, I’m also not a fan of the tropes to begin with.

25. Echoes of Understorey by Thoraiya Dyer. Reviewed here.

26. How to Bee by Bren MacDibble. Shortlisted for the Ditmars. This middle grade novel tells of a world where bees have gone extinct and the role of pollinating fruit trees has now been taken over by young children. All 9-year-old Peony wants to do is be a bee. She’s worked hard on the farm and is on the verge of achieving her dream. Then her mum comes to take her to the city. A heartwrenching book in places, but one that nevertheless contains a great deal of beauty and hope.

27. The Silver Well by Kate Forsyth and Kim Wilkins. Shortlisted for the Ditmars. A collection of short historical fantasy based around a sacred well and its accompanying village in England. As with any collection, there were some stories I enjoyed more and some less. The experience of the authors shows, however. I enjoyed the way it was structured, with the beginning and the end forming a frame in the present and each of the stories in between reaching deeper and deeper into the past.

28. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. Review forthcoming.

29. The Sisters Mederos by Patrice Sarath. Reviewed here.

30. Rose Tears by Amanda Pillar. The first in a new urban fantasy/paranormal romance series. Lori Hardcastle is a half-breed Succubus destined to inherit her Sidhe father’s formidable magic. As a consequence, she’s had a target painted on her back from a young age, but she’s never had to deal with anyone like Conrad Death, the White Queen’s “cleaner”. The chemistry between the characters was excellent, but there was a bit too much focus on plot over character for my taste. Still, a quick, fun read.

31. In the Dark Spaces by Cally Black. Shortlisted for the Ditmars. A sci-fi YA about a young girl who is taken prisoner when aliens attack the freighter she’s stowed away on. Bren MacDibble is the author’s MG nom de plume and the books share a very distinctive voice. If I thought How to Bee was heartwrenching, In the Dark Places stomped all over my feelings. It is about grief, trauma, capitalism, family and belonging. It also does an excellent job of making the aliens seem both alien and relatable. Highly recommended.

32. On a Cyborg Planet by Anna Hackett. Sci-fi romance. A novella in The Phoenix Adventures series, set after the fourth book. After surviving an attempted coup, Axton must secure his leadership as Prime of the planet Centax by recovering a priceless artefact. When he teams up with CenSecs operative Xenia, sparks fly. Short and steamy, though I wasn’t entirely sold on Axton’s characterisation. However, it made a very good palate cleanser between YA sci-fi thrillers/horror.

33. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. First in The Illuminae Files and a reread to prepare me for the last book. It stands up well to rereading; being less tense about what’s going to happen, I was able to pick up on more of the clever details.

Books Acquired

Soft Hands by Ariel Bishop

Mnemo’s Memory and Other Stories by David Versace

In the Dark Spaces by Cally Black

Lotus Blue by Cat Sparks

Reptiles and Frogs of the Australian Capital Territory by Ross Bennett

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

The Birthday Problem by Caren Gussoff

Alanya to Alanya by L. Timmel Duchamp

Happy Snak by Nicole Kimberling

Code of Conduct by Kristine Smith

The Terrorists of Irustan by Louise Marley

The Steerswoman by Rosemary Kirstein

Spots the Space Marine by M.C.A. Hogarth

To Shape the Dark by Athena Andreadis

Queen and Commander by Janie A. Southard

Online Reading

A Cup of Salt Tears by Isabel Yap. When a young woman’s husband falls deathly ill, she turns to a Kappa for help. This came across my radar in the wake of The Shape of Water and while there are some similarities, the power dynamics are very different and rather darker. It’s an uneasy story, beautiful but melancholy.

Nebula short story nominations by various authors. I read through these for a forthcoming Skiffy and Fanty podcast, so check that out to hear some of my thoughts.

Loose-leaf Links #58

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits and pieces on sci-fi, fantasy and romance I’ve come across and share them with you over tea. Today’s tea is Mint Slice from Adore Tea. This refreshing black tea is as delicious as it sounds.

Follow Up

The Los Angeles Review of Books takes a look at the genre of solarpunk with particular attention to Sunvault, edited by Phoebe Wagner and Bronte Christopher Wieland.

Awards News

It has been a busy time for awards. Over the weekend, the winners list for several awards were announced, including the Aurealis Awards, the Ditmar Awards and the Sir Julius Vogel Awards. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees!

The winner of the 2017 Tiptree Award was also announced last month, along with the honours list.

In awards yet to come, the shortlists for the Hugo Awards were released this weekend. RIP my Mt TBR.

Congratulations to Angela Slatter, whose novel Vigil was nominated for the 2018 International Dublin Literary Award. The winner will be announced 13 June.

And lastly, the Romance Writers of America announced the finalists for the 2018 RITA and Golden Heart Awards.

Community and Conventions

Riptide Publishing, one of the biggest publishers of LGBTQIA romance, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons this month. It started when it was revealed that one of their most prominent authors, Santino Hassell, was a fake persona that had been used to con fans out of money and engage in abusive behaviour. The Salt Miners has a fairly thorough summary of the whole, complicated debacle. Riptide–and, in particular, Editorial Director Sarah Lyons–came out firing at aggrieved fans, only to back down in the face of overwhelming evidence. They issued an apology and terminated their contracts with Hassell.

Within the week, Xen X Cole McCade spoke up about the hostility he’d experienced as a PoC working for Riptide and the inappropriate behaviour of Sarah Lyons. Lyons resigned shortly afterwards and Riptide issued another apology–one which came under fire for its problematic attitude towards sexual harassment in the romance industry. It’s just the most recent incident in a long history of bigotry attached to Riptide, as Courtney Milan demonstrates with this incomplete list of racist issues in which Riptide has been involved. Riptide has pledged to reform, but it remains to be seen if this is anything but lip service.

In more exciting news, Continuum currently has put out a list of potential panels and has issued a call for panel members. Continuum will take place in Melbourne on 8-11 June.

On Equity

Following on from the announcement of the RITA finalists, the Romance Writers of America have released a statement regarding the board’s commitment to inclusivity and the dismal representation of PoC among the nominees and winners of the awards.

In the wake of the romance industry’s issues with equity, romance author Courtney Milan highlighted a new website being set up to promote and support queer PoC romance authors.

For Writers

Uncanny Magazine is open for poetry submissions until 3 April.

Mithila Review is looking for story and comic submissions for the anthology India 2049: Utopias and Dystopias. Stories up to 12K and comics up to 24 pages. The deadline is 30 April.

A reminder to keep an eye on the Facebook page for the Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Association for a host of markets looking for submissions.

Over at Tor.com, Sean Grigsby shares a firefighter’s guide to fighting dragons.

For Readers

Crimson Romance, a division of Simon & Schuster specialising in paranormal romance (among other romance subgenres), have announced they’re closing down.

Rose Lemberg will be editing an anthology of speculative poems honouring Ursula Le Guin. The book will be published by Aqueduct Press and will have a period of open submissions in May (so get ready, poets!).

If you love sci-fi YA and are looking to grow your Mt TBR, Sarah Nicolas has 100 books to look for.

With less than a month to go until Dewey’s Readathon, it’s probably time to start preparing. Fortunately, Tiffany Hall has your back with these 5 tactics to help you make it through a 24-hour readathon.

The Sisters Mederos by Patrice Sarath

Published: April 2018 by Angry Robot Books

Format reviewed: E-book (mobi)

Series: Tales of Port Saint Frey #1

Genres: Fantasy

Source: NetGalley

Available: Publisher (electronic) ~ Abbey’s ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Book Depository ~ Booktopia ~ Dymocks

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Two sisters fight with manners, magic, and mayhem to reclaim their family’s name, in this captivating historical fantasy adventure.

House Mederos was once the wealthiest merchant family in Port Saint Frey. Now the family is disgraced, impoverished, and humbled by the powerful Merchants Guild. Daughters Yvienne and Tesara Mederos are determined to uncover who was behind their family’s downfall and get revenge. But Tesara has a secret – could it have been her wild magic that caused the storm that destroyed the family’s merchant fleet? The sisters’ schemes quickly get out of hand – gambling is one thing, but robbing people is another…

Together the sisters must trust each another to keep their secrets and save their family.

There are a lot of exciting elements in The Sisters Mederos: a game of cat-and-mouse with a shadowy enemy, wild parties, double lives and a good old-fashioned dose of revenge. Unfortunately, these elements don’t manage to blend into a solid story.

The story opens with the girls being packed off to boarding school as the Merchants’ Guild break into the family’s home to charge them with trumped up crimes. We then flash forward to the girls’ return home. Thanks to persecution from the Guild, they now live in greatly reduced circumstances and are struggling to put food on the table. While their parents and uncle struggle to cope, the girls each privately vow to discover the truth of who’s responsible for their situation and make them pay.

They go about this in very different ways. Yvienne, the oldest, takes to writing anonymous and inflammatory opinion pieces for one of the local newspapers while using her position as a governess to investigate the paper trail surrounding her House’s downfall. She also discovers she makes quite a successful robber and starts holding up the city’s nobility under the cover of night. Being the quiet, responsible one of the sisters, her family never suspects her and even her sister is surprised by the icy depths of her resolve. She is a person who gets things done and I enjoyed that about her.

In contrast, Tesara has a reputation as the naughty and mischievous sister. Strange things have a way of happening around her–sudden squalls of wind when she’s upset, the tablecloth ripping itself off the table. However, her family refuses to acknowledge any possibility of magic but instead blames Tesara for what is not entirely in her control. Resentful, Tesara sneaks out one night to a party with an old friend… and rediscovers her talent for counting cards. She puts these skills and her flighty reputation to good use by fleecing the nobility of their wealth. It was immensely satisfying to watch her turn the stereotype to her advantage.

Although the sisters are compelling characters, they are let down by their family. Their mother is a bitter woman, turning her sharp tongue on the rest of the family at the slightest provocation. Their father has become a vague and anxious man, aged too quickly by the family’s travails. And their Uncle is an unpleasant sort of man, desperate to be part of the old boys club again and prone to sexually harassing the help. Such an unlikable cast of characters makes it difficult to root for the family’s restoration. However, I also recognise it’s a difficult line to walk because without their self-absorption it would be hard to justify their obliviousness to the activities of the sisters.

The unlikeability of the family undermines any chance of making “family before all else” a convincing theme. It also never quite manages to create a sense of the sisters binding together against the world. They’re too busy keeping secrets from each other; even at the very end they’re still not wholly transparent with each other. So, despite their obvious affection for each other, there’s still a sense that their alliance is only temporary.

This wasn’t the only part of the plot and world-building that felt weak. The villain’s motivation in targeting House Mederos was insufficiently convincing and they didn’t have much of a presence throughout most of the story. Tesara’s magic also never had much of an impact on the plot and I was never quite clear on if there was supposed to be some mystery over whether she actually possessed any power. The ending wrapped up quite quickly, dropping elements left and right. Being the first book in a series, it’s possible that some of these elements will receive some more attention in subsequent books. But by and large, it felt like the Mederos tale had been intended to stand on its own and had reached its natural conclusion. I would therefore be surprised to see future books focus on the family.

I’m hesitant to describe the story as a historical fantasy. Not only does it appear to be set in a secondary world, the time period it’s based on seemed to shift around. The majority of the story has a Regency influence, shown in the fashion and social conventions. However, the parties Tesara attends had more of a 1920s vibe in terms of the extravagance and fashion. While I quite enjoyed this blending of periods, it’s not going to be to everyone’s taste.

All in all, The Sisters Mederos was a book that promised a lot but ultimately failed to satisfy.

Ice Wolves by Amie Kaufman

Published: March 2018 by HarperCollins

Format reviewed: ARC Paperback, 335 pages

Series: Elementals #1

Genres: Fantasy, middle grade

Source: Publisher

Reading Challenges: Australian Women Writers Challenge 2018

Available: Abbey’s ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Book Depository ~ Booktopia ~ Dymocks ~ Kobo

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone in Vallen knows that ice wolves and scorch dragons are sworn enemies who live deeply separate lives.

So when twelve-year-old orphan Anders takes one elemental form and his twin sister, Rayna, takes another, he wonders whether they are even related. Still, whether or not they’re family, Rayna is Anders’s only true friend. She’s nothing like the brutal, cruel dragons who claimed her as one of their own and stole her away.

In order to rescue her, Anders must enlist at the foreboding Ulfar Academy, a school for young wolves that values loyalty to the pack above all else. But for Anders, loyalty is more complicated than obedience, and friendship is the most powerful shapeshifting force of all.

Amie Kaufman is well known for co-authoring some of the most highly regarded series in YA, notably The Illuminae Files with Jay Kristoff and Starbound with Meagan Spooner.Ice Wolves marks her first solo novel and she shakes things up further by aiming it at a middle grade audience.

The story is told in close third person, focusing on Anders. He lives on the street with his sister Rayna and they steal in an effort to keep themselves alive and fed. Anders is a sweet boy whose conscience leaves him uneasy about the way in which he and Rayna make ends meet. He’s also not very good at it, relying on his more headstrong and capable twin to do much of the heavy lifting. So, when she accidentally transforms into a scorch dragon and is abducted by other dragons, he feels lost.

However, he quickly finds himself swept up by other companions. Having himself turned into an ice wolf–the shapeshifters that enforce law and order in Holbard and defend it from the dragons–he is taken into Ulfar Academy to be trained. I feel that any post-Hogwarts magical academy has to work hard to get away from those associations and, for the most part, I feel like Ulfar Academy accomplishes that. However, it is made more difficult by Lisbet, the Hermione Granger of Ulfar Academy. She is one of the first ice wolves Anders meets and forms part of the small pack he joins. Throughout the story, she shows herself to be a loyal friend. Being an intelligent girl, she’s quick to figure out the adults aren’t telling them everything and, as a consequence, spends a lot of time in the library and snooping around.

The representation throughout the book is reasonably well handled. Despite the medieval-ish, slightly Norse feeling of the setting, the cast is reasonably diverse. Anders and Rayna are both people of colour and there are a variety of skin tones among the rest of the cast. Same-sex relationships are casually mentioned among the adults. And the gender balance remains relatively even, with women included in positions of power. There’s also some discussion of class issues. It takes Anders some time to get used to having all his basic needs met by the academy and I enjoyed seeing him adjust. Life at the academy has also required some adjustment for his pack member Viktoria, who came from a wealthy family and now has to learn to do things for herself.

Although it was a competent story, it was also fairly predictable. There’s nothing ground-breaking or surprising here. However, this is perhaps a forgivable flaw given the target audience.

Overall, I found Ice Wolves an entertaining but ultimately forgettable book.

Scaling Back

Last week I took a hiatus to get things back on track and to have a think about the future of the blog. As I mentioned there, I have been dealing with burnout for a while and it has become apparent to me that my current workload is unsustainable. Having given it some thought, I’m going to be scaling back on my current blogging schedule. Instead of posts twice a week, I’ll be shifting to once a week (well, some will be twice a week, but mostly once a week). This won’t take place right away. My schedule for April was already solidly booked with exciting things. But, come May, my posting frequency will be dropping back.

This wasn’t an easy decision; I’d rather be blogging more frequently, not less. However, ignoring my limits really isn’t wise. Thank you to everyone who expressed support in private and on social media. I appreciated it so much.

Echoes of Understorey by Thoraiya Dyer

Published: March 2018 by Tor

Format reviewed: Trade paperback, 350 pages

Series: Titan’s Forest #2

Genres: Fantasy

Source: Publisher

Reading Challenges: Australian Women Writers Challenge 2018

Available: Abbey’s ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Book Depository ~ Booktopia ~ Dymocks ~ Kobo

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The author is a friend. I have done my best to give an unbiased review.

This review contains spoilers for the previous book.

Great deeds are expected of Imeris.

Raised by accomplished warriors and skilled healers, and being the sister to a goddess, Imeris always felt pressured to be the best fighter in Understorey. Yet during a mission to capture the body-snatching sorceress Kirrik, Imeris fails disastrously. With death on her conscience and in hiding from her peers, Imeris climbs up to the sun-kissed world of Canopy to learn new ways to defeat Kirrik. What she doesn’t expect is to be recruited in a Hunt for the Ages, against a terrifying divine monster that will take all of her skills to stop.

Crossroads of Canopy was one of the most thought-provoking books I read last year, so I was delighted to get my hands on a copy of the sequel, Echoes of Understorey. The new instalment skillfully adds to the worldbuilding that was a strength of the first book, opening up the way for new characters and themes.

Not having paid any attention to the blurb, I was surprised to discover the main character was not the same one as in the previous book. Imeris was a minor character in the previous book, a foundling baby being looked after by three Understorian brothers who also offered refuge to our previous protagonist, Unar. Now, Imeris is a young woman and a fierce warrior. She has spent most of her life training in different styles of combat, determined to take revenge on the body-hopping witch Kirrik for killing her best friend.

Imeris makes for an interesting contrast to Unar. At 21, she’s older than Unar was in Crossroads. However, where Unar had a place in the world and rejected it, Imeris is still finding her niche. As a Canopian brought up in Understorey, she doesn’t quite belong in either world. One ongoing theme throughout the book is about unification of fragments and the way it plays out for Imeris put me in mind of Binti, Nnedi Okorafor’s series of novellas. Having grown up in Understorey, and being the only woman in traditionally male-dominated spaces, makes Imeris both less privileged and more conscious of the privilege she does have. Where Unar would blindly barrel ahead, thinking she knew best, Imeris is less self-centred. She takes her duties toward others very seriously and thus becomes bound by their demands of her.

While most readers will find her more likeable than Unar was, Imeris is not without her flaws. At times she resents the burdens others have placed on her, longing only to fulfil her mission–which she imagines will bring about the unification of her different identities. She also makes mistakes, sometimes fatal ones. However, these flaws are also a big part of what makes her relatable.

I admit the book took me a bit for me to get into. The last book had a reasonably big cast and I floundered a bit in trying to remember who was who. This was compounded by the way time had passed–both since I’d read the first book and in the story itself. I found a quick review of Crossroads of Canopy was necessary in order to orient me. However, other reviewers have approached Echoes as a standalone book and had no trouble with it.

Speaking of cast size, Echoes of Understorey has an even bigger cast. As well as a large number of new characters, many of the significant characters from Crossroads make cameos. Indeed, I was quite delighted that we got to see Unar settled into her new life.

The story also continues to build on the world. We get to learn a bit more about the communities in Understorey and are introduced to the warrior school Loftfol. Each level of Titan’s Forest has an interesting and unique naming system, and in Imeris’ brief trip to Floor we get to learn theirs. One minor quibble I had was that we didn’t get to spend more time on that level (although I imagine there will be plenty in the next book).

One of my criticisms of Crossroads was that it was a bit slow-paced with few action sequences. Echoes remedies that; being a warrior, Imeris is often required to battle with her enemies. One of the things I liked most about her was the way she does that with cunning equally as much as with physical prowess.

The writing style remains a bit dense, particularly at first. I also wasn’t sold on some of the emotional connections between and motivations of the characters. Imeris’s relationship with Anahah in particular felt a bit brief and tenuous for what follows.

However, overall I found Echoes of Understorey an excellent instalment in what continues to prove an innovative fantasy series.

Gone Fishing

I have been struggling a lot with burnout this year. My word count has been shrinking each week and it has been taking me longer and longer to write my blog posts. The head start I had on them has been shrinking and it has been increasingly stressful to meet their deadlines. Last week I reached the point where I realised that meeting the deadlines for this week’s posts was going to involve some very unhealthy choices. So, I have decided to give myself a pass for this week. Scheduling will (at this stage) resume as usual next week.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean I’ll get a break. I’ll still be working hard behind the scenes to get things written. While it buys me a bit of breathing room, there’s still a need for long-term change. I’m not yet sure what that will look like but will let you know once I do.

In the meantime, if you’re craving blog posts to read I recommend delving back into the archives to check out my series Brewing Community in which I invite guests to share a bit about the communities they’re involved in and how these communities have enriched their lives. Alternatively, I recommend checking out my fellow Ditmar nominee Liz Barr’s series onStar Trek: Discovery whichis both entertaining and insightful. Or, if you’re looking for reviews, Gin Jenny at Reading the End recently took a look atChildren of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. Plusthe Skiffy and Fanty Show is always a treasure trove.

And you can always still find me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Happy reading, everyone! I’ll see you back here next week.

Loose-leaf Links #57

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits and pieces on sci-fi, fantasy and romance I’ve come across and share them with you over tea. Today’s tea is Raj’s Whole Chai Tea from Gewurzhaus. I’m fond of chai that uses star anise and this blend must also use plenty of black pepper because the warmth lingers in the aftertaste (although perhaps this is because I drink mine unsweetened).

Follow Up

In addition to the interview I recently conducted with Marlee Jane Ward, I also had a short chat with her as part of Skiffy and Fanty’s Signal Boost podcast. The interview makes up the second half of the episode. In the first half, Jen interviews Rati Mehrotra, author of Markswoman (which I previously reviewed for Skiffy and Fanty back in February).

Jen and I also teamed up to interview Rachel Hartman about Tess of the Road, which I reviewed earlier this week. And if you’re looking for more from Rachel, she has a guest post on John Scalzi’s blog discussing how a previously picaresque road trip came to involve a rape backstory.

Awards News

Congratulations to Cat Sparks, whose novel Lotus Blue has been shortlisted for the Compton Crook Award. The award was established by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society to honour the best speculative fiction novel published by a debut author.

Controversy has risen around the naming of the new Not-a-Hugo Young Adult Award. Although it will be presented without a name this year, the proposed name of the Lodestar Award is due to be ratified at the business meeting of this year’s WorldCon. File 770 has the statement put forward by several WorldCon 76 members regarding their intention to propose a new name for the award. Given that there was extensive consultation on the naming by the committee tasked with organising the award, some people feel this disrespects the committee’s hard work. It will also delay the naming of the award by another year. There are strong indications that the name this new proposal plans to put forward is tied to Ursula Le Guin. But while this is a lovely sentiment, Alex Wells has some good reminders about why the committee ultimately decided against naming the award after a specific person.

Community and Conventions

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The Shimmer Program is facilitating SFF fan exchanges to and from China. The deadline for applications is 1 April.

On Equity

After receiving extensive public backlash for trashing the cover of his forthcoming novel on social media, Terry Goodkind attempts to dig up by claiming his objection to the cover was that it was sexist.

The Ripped Bodice have published their second annual report on the state of racial diversity in the romance genre. The results are predictably disheartening.

Over on Book Riot, Grace LaPointe discusses the alienating lack of disability representation in literature.

Still at Book Riot, Nicole Froio talks about the ways social media is ruining her relationship with books and touches on some of the ableist attitudes behind current discourse.

Via Alis Franklin, the Radical Copyeditor’s Guide to Writing About Transgender People.

For Writers

Locus Magazine offers a summary of short fiction markets from 2017.

Jason Sanford raises some concerns over Left Hand Publishing. They offered this response.

KJ Charles discusses simultaneous action in sentences and where it’s appropriate.

Jeff Vandermeer offers some excellent writing tips.

For Readers

Galli Books have announced they’re doing a reprint series curated by Bogi Takacs. The series is focused on marginalised creators and with feature stories not previously published online. Sofia Samatar has already kicked off the series with her story The Adventures of Ja’far al-Barmaki.

Sam Hawke’s City of Lies, due out from Tor in July, now has a UK/ANZ publisher. Transworld is set to bring out the hardback in August.

Claire G. Coleman, author of Terra Nullis, announced on Twitter, her next two novels will be coming out from Hachette Australia.

The cover for Simon Petrie’s forthcoming collection Wide Brown Land has been revealed. It showcases art from Shauna O’Meara.

Shauna’s artwork also features in Murder in the Mail a mystery told by Felicity Banks through letters, objects and artwork posted to the reader. The project is currently being Kickstarted.

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

This week I’m over at the Skiffy and Fanty Show with a review of Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman. This is a powerful young adult novel that deals with some serious issues and wears its feminist heart on its sleeve.

Mt TBR Report: February 2018

February was predominantly a month of romance and YA for me. My reading habits have grown in those directions, anyway, but I was also a bit burnt out and I find those genres comforting. Fortunately for me, I was able to take a short holiday and spent a fair amount of it reading.

So, it comes as a bit of a surprise that I missed out on breaking even with my acquisitions this month. At least it was only by one book. And I’m still somehow managing to shrink Mt TBR. I very much hope I can continue this trend for the rest of the year.

Mt TBR Status

Mt TBR @ 1 January 2018: 351

Mt TBR @ 31 January 2018: 343

Mt TBR @ 28 February 2018: 340

Books Read

12. Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire. Fantasy novella, third in the Wayward Children series. Cora is new to Eleanor West’s School for Wayward Children and is struggling to make friends. That changes when a mysterious girl falls from the sky into the school’s pond. Cora must team up with the other students on a quest to return Rini to her world and, while there, set things to rights. I loved that this book had a fat protagonist. Not only was this framed as a positive in the world Cora had been taken to, but it also proves important to the story. And Cora defies stereotypes by being fitter than her companions. I also enjoyed Nancy’s cameo, getting to see her in her element.

13. Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. Reviewed here.

14. The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan. Historical romance. A prequel novella to The Brothers Sinister series. After being dismissed by her employer due to the actions of a disreputable duke, a former governess seeks compensation. But first, she has to get past the duke’s ruthless money man. Milan’s work is always very thoughtful and this is no exception, touching on the ways rape doesn’t have to involve physical force. The romance between the two protagonists is very sweet. I appreciated Serena’s grit and Hugo’s kindness.

15. Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin. A nonfiction book about the craft of writing. Contains practical exercises and examples. I can see I’ll be coming back to this one a lot.

16. Beyond Surrender by Kit Rocha. Sci-fi erotica. The final book in the Beyond series. The sectors finally go to war with the corrupt city of Eden… and Nessa finally gets her story. Dallas O’Kayne has built an empire on what Nessa can do with liquor. That’s a lot of pressure for one woman. She finds her match in Ryder, a rebel trained from childhood to be the leader of the revolution. She’s impulsive, he’s cautious. Somehow, they must survive a war and find a way to meet in the middle. A satisfying conclusion to the series.

17. Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman. Review forthcoming.

18. Ashwin by Kit Rocha. Sci-fi erotica. First book in the Gideon’s Riders series, set in the same world as the Beyond series. Super soldier Ashwin is sent by his superior officers to infiltrate the brotherhood of warriors guarding the leader of Sector One. However, he didn’t anticipate the presence of the one woman he can’t forget. You probably need to have read the prior series to get the most out of this. And while I generally enjoyed it, there was some stuff around Ashwin’s perceived lack of emotion and the label of monster with which I wasn’t entirely comfortable. However, the found family elements were wonderful.

19. The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton. Review forthcoming.

20. The Disastrous Debute of Agatha Tremain by Stephanie Burgis. Historical YA fantasy. A super short novelette about a young woman who lives for the unladylike study of magic. One day, Agatha’s overbearing aunt arrives and whisks her away, determined to see Agatha debut and marry well. This was such a charming story. I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoiling it, but I highly recommend it.

DNF Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. Despite its popular reception, this just wasn’t a book for me. Grimdark is not a genre that appeals to me and this one tried too hard to be edgy. I felt the gender dynamics were a bit icky.

Books Acquired

Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire

The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremain by Stephanie Burgis

Beyond Surrender by Kit Rocha

The Sisters Mederos by Patrice Sarath

The Silver Well by Kate Forsyth and Kim Wilkins

How to Bee by Bren MacDibble

Murder on the Titania by Alex Acks

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Echoes of Understory by Thoraiya Dyer

Uncanny Magazine, Issue 21

Online Reading

None.