(Hit the link above, then scroll down to Updates for my latest reviews posted on the Skiffy and Fanty blog!)
I joined the crew of the Skiffy and Fanty Show, a blog and podcast that reviews speculative fiction, in 2014, first as an occasional review, then as a review editor. I started appearing on podcasts in 2015. Eventually I stepped down as a reviewer and editor, but started doing occasional audio edits of podcasts.
The person running the blog ran out of spoons to schedule and edit reviews in March 2021. Since then, all that has appeared on the website has been podcasts, announcements, and occasional surveys.
This summer, Skiffy and Fanty has decided to gear back up again. Daniel Haeusser has stepped up to become the chief scheduler, including scheduling text book and media reviews. I've agreed to read reviews and post them on the blog/website.
Reviews began appearing on the blog again on August 7, with Daniel's review of Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejidé. Since then, we've published another review by Daniel and one by Paul "Prince Jvstin" Weimer. I am not fond of the WordPress platform from which we publish these reviews, but I am relearning how to make it work.
Today, my first review in years for the Skiffy and Fanty Show appears, about The Unbalancing by R.B. Lemberg. Here's how it starts:
I found R.B. Lemberg’s The Unbalancing to be curiously satisfying and soothing, despite my unfamiliarity with the setting and despite the rising tensions felt by the protagonists and their people. I felt drawn to the mythology of Lemberg’s Birdverse and was intrigued by the structure of the Gelle-Geu island society, but most of all, I enjoyed the well-developed characters, their contrasts, and where their interactions led — to a relationship, to magical discoveries, and to a struggle for survival amid upheavals.
Please check out my review here!
You can see some of my older Skiffy and Fanty reviews (but nothing before 2017, due to a site revamp) at https://skiffyandfanty.com/author/trishmatson/, but the "My Superpower" essays are guest posts that I put onto the site for other people.
UPDATE: 8/28/2023
"I really enjoyed Valerie Valdes’ Chilling Effect trilogy, so I’ve been eager to check out her new novel,Where Peace Is Lost, which debuts on Aug. 29. It was every bit as good as I had anticipated, but for somewhat different reasons: Although the Chilling Effect books are basically tasty popcorn in the form of space opera, Where Peace Is Lost feels a little more chewy and substantial. ..."
UPDATE: 9/14/2023
My review of Malka Older's delightful The Mimicking of Known Success appeared at https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/review-the-mimicking-of-known-successes-by-malka-older/ on Sept. 14.
"Malka
Older’s The Mimicking of Known Successes is a lovely cozy
mystery and sapphic romance in a tonally nearish-future SF setting. If,
like me, you struggled a bit with author Malka Older’s Centenal Cycle
trilogy (I admit I haven’t made it past the first book, Infomocracy),
please consider giving this novella a try. It was one of my favorite
things to read this year. ..."
UPDATE: 10/23/23
My review of C.L. Polk’s Even Though I Knew the End appeared at https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-even-though-i-knew-the-end-by-c-l-polk/ on Oct. 2.
I adored C.L. Polk’s Even Though I Knew the End, a sapphic noir
novella set in an urban fantasy version of 1941 Chicago. It opens
strongly, unwraps the mystery as a relationship drama unfolds, and
includes some breathtaking prose along the way. I’m completely
unsurprised that it won the Nebula Award and was nominated for numerous
others.
My review of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s
Silver Nitrate (2023) appeared at
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-silver-nitrate-by-silvia-moreno-garcia/ on Oct. 16.
Montserrat’s research pulls them in dangerous directions, but she’s
clever and creative, and Tristán ends up acting beyond his own concerns
for once, and the book ends in an exciting and satisfying way.
Especially the bit at the very end, which I won’t spoil, but I loved it!
UPDATE: 10/30/23:
My review of Vampires of El Norte (2023) by Isabel Cañas went live at https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-vampires-of-el-norte/ on Oct. 26.
I enjoyed reading Vampires of El Norte. The young lovers’
misunderstandings feel natural, not artificially belabored, and the
problems they’re dealing with, of trying to negotiate societal and
familial expectations and demands to find some degrees of choice, are
depicted with understanding, compassion, and warmth. The monsters are
scary, the action scenes are exciting, the love story is sweet, and I
found the conclusion very satisfying.
My double review of Fritz Leiber's novella Ill Met in Lankhmar (1970) and S.M. Stirling's and Shirley Meier's novel Saber & Shadow (1992) went live at https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-reviews-ill-met-and-well-met/ on Oct. 30.
Recently I reread Fritz Leiber’s novella, Ill Met in Lankhmar (1970), for a podcast. Immediately after finishing it, I dug out S.M. Stirling & Shirley Meier’s novel, Saber & Shadow
(1992), from a box and reread that. I’d love to go on and reread the
rest of the Fifth Millennium series right now, by Stirling, Meier, Karen
Wehrstein, and combinations thereof, but I have too many other
commitments. Sadly, I am not feeling a similar impulse to reread other
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories at this time.
UPDATE: 12/4/23:
I reviewed the first 3 issues (Nos. 0-2) of New Edge Sword and Sorcery Magazine. Issue 0 came out in 2022, and Issues 1-2 came out this fall. There were quite a lot of things I liked about NESS, from most of its stories and artwork, to many of its stories. My review was posted on Nov. 30 at https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/review-new-edge-sword-sorcery-nos-0-2/. The editor, Oliver Brackenbury, emailed me his thanks afterward and said he'd screenshotted parts of the review to send to several authors and artists.
Last year, I became aware of a debut magazine called New Edge Sword & Sorcery,
which aimed to revive the “outsider protagonists, thrilling energy,
wondrous weirdness, and a large body of classic tales” of this old
subgenre of fantasy with a focus on inclusivity and diversity (of both
characters and creators). As a longtime fan of sword and sorcery
stories, I checked out Vol. 1, No. 0, Fall 2022, which was an unpaid
labor of love for all concerned (free to all to download at https://newedgeswordandsorcery.com/).
I mildly enjoyed it, but I had a lot going on then, so I didn’t back
the Kickstarter to fund NESS Nos. 1 & 2 (Fall and Winter 2023). Now
that those have been released, I decided it was time for a fresh look. ...
UPDATE: 12/7/23:
I reviewed A Death at the Dionysus Club, by Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold, which was re-issued by Queen of Swords Press on Dec. 7. I enjoyed it as much as the first Mathey & Lynes gaslamp fantasy, Death by Silver, and was pleased with the expansion of the worldbuilding in this book, with a plot involving how "non-conforming metaphysics" reacts badly with modern practices.
I don’t want to spoil how the mysteries or the romantic issues get
resolved, but the puzzles are intriguing, the perils are exciting, and
it’s great how the lovers end up standing for and standing by each
other.
UPDATE: 12/14/23:
I had reviewed Uncanny Times, the first Huntsmen book by Laura Anne Gilman, here on my own blog on Nov. 28. My review of the sequel, Uncanny Vows, was published at Skiffy and Fanty on Dec. 14.
I’m sure I’ll continue to like the Harkers’ relationship, and although Uncanny Vows
ties up most of its plot elements in a satisfying way, there are plenty
of intriguing hints left to be explored in future books.
UPDATE: 1/8/24:
I've reviewed two collections for Skiffy and Fanty in the last few weeks. My method for these is to take notes as I go, which slows down the reading but makes review-writing much easier, once I figure out how to organize my impressions.
My review of Rosalind’s Siblings, edited by Bogi Takács, was published Dec. 28, 2023. "It’s a very interesting anthology of speculative fiction and poems,
containing some fascinating ideas and characters and some really
beautiful language. Edited by Bogi Takács, it features both new and
established authors from around the world. Calling it Rosalind’s Siblings is a salute to scientist Rosalind Franklin, a chemist and X-ray crystallographer whose work was fundamental to understanding DNA, along with important contributions to knowledge of viruses and coal..."
My review of Resurrections, by Ada Hoffman, was published Jan. 8, 2024. This is a collection of short poetry and fiction by the author of The Outside trilogy. "It shows a wide range of subject matter, themes and topics; nearly all
of the pieces are interesting and engaging, and some of them are
breathtakingly gorgeous and moving."
UPDATE: 2/7/24:
My review of The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older was published Jan. 22, 2024. It's the second book in the Mossa and Pleiti series. "Happily, for anyone who longs to return to the gas-fire rooms and dumbwaiter-delivered scones, the academic bureaucracy, the ecological speculations, the journeys, and perhaps most of all, the intermittent, somewhat difficult but definitely rewarding relationship of the first book, this one should also be rewarding."
What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher was also a sequel, and again I found it quite satisfying, although not as striking as the original. "I think a reader could conceivably start the series with this second novella, although that would mean missing some of its impact and a fair number of references. However, although this is labeled a horror series, I found this sequel significantly less horrific than What Moves the Dead; it’s more of a dark fantasy."
UPDATE: 2/25/24
My review of Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares was published Feb. 19, 2024. It's sort of a gender-flipped Zorro, where La Pantera (The Panther) is both a swordswoman and sorceress, whose parents were Spanish and Nahua, struggling for self-control and against oppression and her own cursed destiny. "(L)ike xocolatl, the original chocolate drink, this book is a rich, frothy brew, and the conclusion, although it has its bittersweet elements, goes down smoothly. "
UPDATE: 3/8/24
My double review of What Grows in the Dark, by Jaq Evans, and Terror at Tierra de Cobre, by Michael Merriam, was published March 7. "It’s interesting to watch those choices and consequences unfold, and What Grows in the Dark
offers the most of that; however, if at the end of the day you just
want to see some people simply stand up against evil and win, even with
heavy losses, you can consider giving Terror at Tierra de Cobre a try."
UPDATE: 3/21/24
My review of Sheine Lende by Darcie Little Badger was published March 14. "I happily devoured the nearly 400-page novel within one day, although I
had to stay up a few hours late to finish it. I just couldn’t put it
down. ... Shane had lost her home and most of her family in the aftermath of a hurricane, so when her mother goes missing herself while trying to find two missing children, it’s up to Shane to find out what happened..."
UPDATE: 4/16/24
My review of The Navigating Fox by Christopher Rowe by Christopher Rowe was posted on April 4. "...I really enjoyed this book. The style is fairly simple and direct, vivid and descriptive but not so much as to slow things down. Characters are distinctly drawn and interesting (although some definitely lack charm). Worldbuilding details are placed carefully throughout the book, not dropped in stumbling blocks of information. The pacing is somewhat complicated by flashback chapters, but the parallel structures of the current journey and the vanished expedition do make sense..."
My review of Immortal Pleasures by V. Castro was posted on April 8. "...I was pleased to sink my teeth into Immortal Pleasures by V. Castro, about an ancient Nahua (from what’s now Mexico) vampire roaming the modern world. Some elements of the book weren’t to my taste, but it was fairly interesting and entertaining..."
UPDATE: 5/9/24
My review of Archangels of Funk by Andrea Hairston was posted today. I adored it and I hope it sells well. "This is a fantastic near-future book that combines magic and hopepunk with vibrant, joyful optimism, where a diverse community works together to survive and thrive as an independent cooperative amid an increasingly corpocratic world."
UPDATE: 8/19/24
I fell behind on updates here!
My review of Lost Ark Dreaming, by Suyi Davies Okungbowa, was published on May 20. "I had forgotten the publisher’s description of Lost Ark Dreaming, by Suyi Davies Okungbowa, by the time it surfaced atop my to-be-read pile. So I went in cold, and it turned out that the water was fine! This is a gripping novella that starts fast and keeps moving with swift assurance, amid brief interludes and “historical excerpts” that give more context to the action, while deftly building characters whose revealed motivations make even some surprising decisions feel natural. I enjoyed it quite a lot."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-lost-ark-dreaming-by-suyi-davies-okungbowa/
My review of "Liberty's Daughter and Thoughts on Worker Bees" was published on May 23. I started off reviewing Naomi Kritzer's Lodestar-finalist short novel, which I liked very much, and went on to make comparisons with Vernor Vinge's A Deepness in the Sky, the streaming show Severance, and other works.
"These days, of course, that implied desirability of always concentrating on work is far closer to reality. Even without worker-bee drugs or Focused/Severance-type modifications, increasing numbers of jobs include the expectation that employees will be available 24/7 by text and email, and on-call for just-in-time scheduling even for ordinary, non-emergency shift work."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/libertys-daughter-and-thoughts-on-worker-bees/
My review of Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi was published on June 27. "It’s an interesting work of alternate history in which a naive young girl has to grow up fast when she is abducted and installed in a foreign court as the intended bride of a warrior king. Ignorant at first, Òdòdó learns fast that kindness can conceal cruelty, and tenderness can be a distraction from tyranny; eventually, she learns how to make allies and take control of her own life, and more."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-masquerade-by-o-o-sangoyomi/
My review of Alisa Alering’s Smothermoss was published on July 11. "Smothermoss is entrancingly immersive, with entirely evocative language, fascinating fantastic elements, exciting action, and two very vividly drawn protagonists, sisters who have little in common and feel a lot of friction but eventually come together, with a bit of supernatural succor, to face a fearsome foe."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-smothermoss-by-alisa-alering/
My review of The Thief and the Wild by Seann Barbour was published on July 18. "This is a self-described “independent author” whom I had never encountered before he reached out to Skiffy and Fanty. I will not be surprised at all if he gets picked up by an agent and/or publishing house before very long, though, because this Southern-flavored steampunk fantasy is as easy to sink into as a hammock, with a nice breezy tone most of the time, narrated by a sympathetic protagonist with a wry point of view, relating an exciting plot that moves around a bayou town, up and down, and eventually strikes out into the wilderness, with a cataclysmic confrontation at the climax."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-the-thief-and-the-wild-by-seann-barbour/
On August 15 I did something different. I read Natania Barron's novel Netherford Hall, the first book in a new Regency romance-style fantasy series, and emailed her a list of 11 questions with some follow-ups. She emailed me back a couple of days after the Glasgow WorldCon, and I was able to post the interview with her responses, and a book photo and a photo of her that I had cropped from the C.C. 2.0 Glasgow WorldCon photo gallery, just two days after her book was published.
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/interview-natania-barron-author-of-netherford-hall/
On Aug. 19, I published a review of Ken Liu's translation of Laozi's Dao De Jing. "For Western SFF fans who don’t know much about China, or translation, or the history of philosophy, or comparative religions — or those who have some familiarity with these but want to know what SFF luminary Ken Liu has to say — I recommend giving this book a try."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-laozis-dao-de-jing-ken-liu/
UPDATE: 8/22/24
On Aug. 22, I published a review of Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan. "I love how Chan presents all these facets of setting and character and weaves them together. I love how the characters face difficult choices (some arising from false pride, many imposed on them by external and developing factors but in a way that’s entirely believable), sometimes drifting with the metaphorical tides but often acting with empathy and courage (although sometimes misguided)."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-fathomfolk-by-eliza-chan/
On Aug. 26, I published a review of Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford. "I loved Cahokia Jazz’s blending of noir mystery, mysticism and religion, worldbuilding, action, and as signaled by the title, music."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-cahokia-jazz-by-francis-spufford/
UPDATE: 9/3/24
On Sept. 2, I published a review of "Batman: Caped Crusader", a 10-episode animated series running on Amazon Prime Video. "It’s not essential viewing, but I found it refreshingly entertaining and intriguing, although it does go dark at times."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/show-review-batman-caped-crusader/
UPDATE: 9/23/24
On Sept. 23, I published a review of The Naming Song by Jedediah Berry. "I really enjoyed following the courier’s journey in this book, both physical and mental, through mysteries, through self-knowledge and growth, and through understanding of her world. It has interesting ideas, and it’s a really good read with a very satisfying conclusion."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-the-naming-song-by-jedediah-berry/
UPDATE: 10/17/24
On Sept. 30 I published a review of Inheritance of Scars, a debut novel by Crystal Seitz. "It’s labeled dark fantasy by the publisher, and it certainly includes peril, difficult choices, and dark history and consequences from the past, but I found the ending very satisfying, and the journey there was interesting and well written."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-inheritance-of-scars-by-crystal-seitz/
On Oct. 14 I published a review of The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells by Rachel Greenlaw. "I had some frustrations with each of the viewpoint characters, and I’m uneasy with some of the conflict resolutions, but overall, it was an easy and mildly spooky read."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-the-woodsmoke-womens-book-of-spells-by-rachel-greenlaw/
UPDATE: 10/21/24
On Oct. 21 I published a review of The Improvisers by Nicole Glover. "Glover’s prose (third person limited, past tense) doesn’t often soar to poetic heights, but it’s direct and practical and a breeze to read. There’s a lot going on in this 443-page book, but it doesn’t feel nearly that long; Glover keeps it all racing along together and lands the ending with a very satisfying touchdown."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-the-improvisers-by-nicole-glover/
UPDATE: 11/7/24
On Oct. 24 I published a review of Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell. "All that sounds as though this book must be dreary, but the perspective
of the monster (who doesn’t much like words or names, but goes by
Shesheshen and takes other aliases) casts a resonantly ironic light on
events, and when she meets a uniquely likeable and caring woman, Homily,
and tries to help her and communicate with her instead of just eating
her, readers like me end up cheering for both of them."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-someone-you-can-build-a-nest-in-by-john-wiswell/
On Oct. 28 I published a review of Songs for the Shadows: A Sauútiverse Novella, by Cheryl S. Ntumy. "I really enjoyed getting immersed into the Sauútiverse, learning a few things about how it works and how many elements of it are tied together, through following Shad-Dari’s literal and emotional journeys. She wasn’t always easy to identify with, but she was intense and interesting, and the revelations and transformations that she underwent felt rewarding in the end."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-songs-for-the-shadows-a-sauutiverse-novella-by-cheryl-s-ntumy/
On Nov. 7 I published a review of Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory, by Yaroslav Barsukov. "What initially seems like fairly standard science fantasy, combining feudal lives in cities where people walk around open markets with tech like airships and massive building projects, turns into something akin to a trip to a dangerous, mysterious part of the Dreamlands. Back in this world, things keep getting weirder and more wondrous, as machinations on both sides of the border heighten court politics and plots. Shocking secrets and memories are revealed, and Barsukov sticks the landing in a way that surprised but greatly satisfied me."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-sleeping-worlds-have-no-memory-by-yaroslav-barsukov/
On Nov. 11 I published a review of Wheel of the Infinite, by Martha Wells. "I adore this book for its great, middle-aged female protagonist, her very capable romantic partner/sidekick, the fascinating worldbuilding (including making dark-skinned people the center of civilization), the plot, the elements of weirdness that arise when the Wheel goes awfully awry, the teamwork and interplay between characters, and the eventual dramatic revelations that finally make sense of the mysteries woven throughout the book. Wheel of the Infinite is superb."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-wheel-of-the-infinite-by-martha-wells/
On Nov. 25 I published a review of Grimbold's Other World (1963), by Nicholas Stuart Gray. "Raised by a farming couple, he’s a dreamer, poet and storyteller who acts as the village goatherd. He is kind and likes to be useful. Sick at home one night, he’s visited by a talking cat who asks for his help, tells him how to ask the fire to cure his cold, and takes him across into the night-world to free another boy who’s trapped in a bad situation."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/into-the-wardrobe-grimbolds-other-world-by-nicholas-stuart-gray/
On Dec. 2 I published a review of We Are the Beasts by Gigi Griffis. "I highly recommend We Are the Beasts. Its great plot is heightened by compelling characterization and carried through with punchy and pungent prose, and I love how everything resolves by the end."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-we-are-the-beasts-by-gigi-griffis/
On Dec. 12 I published a review of Robert Jackson Bennett's The Tainted Cup: Shadow of the Leviathan: Book 1. "Even though it wasn’t quite the book I’d been expecting, I found Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Tainted Cup (2024) to be a solid read, entertaining and intriguing. It wasn’t much like “a Nero Wolfe mystery in a fantasy setting” (as I’d seen it described) to my way of thinking, and it didn’t blow my mind like City of Stairs, the first of Bennett’s books that I’d read. But I like the protagonist, the worldbuilding becomes increasingly interesting, and the complicated plot has a very satisfying resolution, while leaving me eager for more."
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/book-review-the-tainted-cup-by-robert-jackson-bennett/
