The Relentless Reader

Marshall Ryan Maresca Brings His Import of Intrigue Blog Tour to Relentless Reading to Talk Worldbuilding and Intrigue.

Welcome back! It’s been a while, I admit — I’ve had more paying gigs and day-job drama that have taken up most of my time.

But what better way to reopen the blog than with a visit from Marshall Ryan Maresca?

I’ve been a fan since his debut early last year with The Thorn of Dentonhill, a comic book-inspired adventure about a teenage magical vigilante protecting the slums of the sprawling city of…

Day one at Tucson Festival… The Pain!

Day one of the Tucson Festival of Books is complete. I didn’t get to see exactly every panel I wanted, (sorry Beth and Yvonne, I missed the kick-ass women) but it was still a fun and productive day.

That started quite a bit earlier than I expected. For some reason the dogs decided that 5 a.m. was playtime, so I gave up on that last hour of sleep and hit the road, hopped up on Dutch Brothers.

It…

The Science Fiction Writers of America announced the Nebula Award Nominees this weekend and there is a whole lot to be excited about, especially the diverse cast of nominees. Is this a backlash against the Sad Puppies campaign? I don’t really care, because it’s great to see so many women and people of color on the shortlists.

Fantasy dominated the novel nominees, from Ken Liu’smagnificent…

Four More Harper Voyager Authors Coming to Phoenix Comicon

Harper Voyager will have a strong presence at Phoenix Comicon this year as four more Harper authors join the guest lineup.

Bishop O’Connell is known for his “American Faerie Tale” series, which kicked off in 2014 with The Stolen. These contemporary fantasy novels, set in a magical Boston and the mystical land of Tír na nÓg, follow a mother as she searches for her child, who has been stolen by…

Harper Voyager Impulse Authors Sarah Remy and Lexie Dunne Coming to Phoenix Comicon

Harper Voyager Impulse Author Sarah Remy

Harper Voyager Impulse is bringing a pair of new faces in sci-fi and fantasy to Phoenix Comicon.

Sarah Remy made her Impulse debut in 2014 with Stonehill Downs, a dark fantasy mystery that follows two mysterious mages from starkly different backgrounds as they investigate a series of grisly murders in a remote village. The sequel, Across the Long Seawas…

Phoenix Comicon announces first author guest, Beth Cato

Beth Cato Credit: Corey Ralston Photography

It’s taken a little while, but Phoenix Comicon has announced its first author guest.

Beth Cato is a Relentless Reading favorite, a West Valley author whose debut, The Clockwork Dagger, came out shortly after I started the blog in 2014. Since then she has earned a Locus Award nomination for that debut, released its sequel, The Clockwork Crown, and in…

Kevin Hearne Stakes Out New Shenanigans On His Latest Book Tour

Former Valley English teacher Kevin Hearne

It’s been a few months since Kevin Hearne was back in the Valley, hosting a meet and greet at Rula Bula in Tempe. The pub is a central location in Hearne’s urban fantasy series “The Iron Druid Chronicles,” where his hero Atticus enjoys fish and chips and the occasional pint, sneaking sausages to his wolfhound Oberon.

Sadly I wasn’t able to make the fête,…

Beth Cato's e-novella “Wings of Sorrow and Bone” blends steampunk, animal rights activism and viral marketing.

Wings of Sorrow and Bone Beth Cato ★★★★ Harper Voyager Impulse, 2015.

I’ve spent the past year getting to know Beth Cato both through her books and in person, so this review is a bit biased. And it’s probably not surprising that I enjoyed this little trip back to the steampunk world of her “Clockwork” duology.

Octavia and Alonzo are settled into their life at the medician school in Caskentia, but…

A Military Genius Makes Tough Traveling Easier – at Least When There Is a Battle to be Fought

Every Thursday, Nathan at Fantasy Review Barn leads a group of fellow bloggers on “Tough Travels”, a trip through the tropes that populate the fantasy and sci-fi world, using Diane Wynne Jones’ hilarious The Tough Guide to Fantasyland as a guide.

This week’s subject is “Military Genius”: (more…)

2015's book season is coming to a close, with one last blast today before things calm down for the holidays. Here's a look at this month's new releases.

Better late than never, right? I managed to sit down at a computer and do some writing for the first time in a couple weeks, so let’s round up the upcoming books for the month. We’re winding down for the holiday season, but there is still one last rush of releases today. Here’s a look at some of the exciting releases this November. (more…)

YA Wednesday: The Reader Who Nearly OD’d on Whimsy While Reading Catherynne Valente

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making Catherynne Valente ★★★★½ Square Fish, 2011.

I don’t think I’ve ever encountered so much whimsy in a novel. Every page — whimsy, whimsy, whimsy.

Did I mention whimsy? Catherynne Valente’s acclaimed YA novel is steeped in it.

And I loved every moment of it. Because behind the lemon-ice loving wyverns who want to be librarians and…

Ferrett Steinmetz examines the magic of parent-child relationships in “The Flux”

The Flux Ferrett Steinmetz ★★★★ Angry Robot, Oct. 2015.

I’ve been remiss.

Actually I’ve been depressed, but that’s neither here nor there. It hasn’t been a good couple months, reading or writing-wise. Anyhow, I’m hoping to get myself back on track, so I’m playing catch-up with some overlooked reviews and interviews.

Like The Flux. (more…)

The Good Thief Is an Essential Part of Any Tough Traveling Adventure

Every Thursday, Nathan at Fantasy Review Barn leads a group of fellow bloggers on “Tough Travels”, a trip through the tropes that populate the fantasy and sci-fi world, using Diane Wynne Jones’ hilarious The Tough Guide to Fantasyland as a guide.

This week’s subject is “The Good Thief”: (more…)

Seth Dickinson Explores the Grimdark Side of Accountancy in “The Traitor Baru Cormorant”

The Traitor Baru Cormorant Seth Dickinson ★★★★ Tor, Sept. 15, 2015.

Okay, I’m pretty sick of grimdark right now. And I’ve never found economics interesting. But Seth Dickinson managed to explode both of those qualms with his debut novel, The Traitor Baru Cormorant, a bleak and riveting tale of colonialism, social imperialism and accounting that is also one of the best fantasy novels of the year. (mo…

Keep an Eye Out for Talking Animals During Your Tough Travels

Every Thursday, Nathan at Fantasy Review Barn leads a group of fellow bloggers on “Tough Travels”, a trip through the tropes that populate the fantasy and sci-fi world, using Diane Wynne Jones’ hilarious The Tough Guide to Fantasyland as a guide.

This week’s subject is “Talking Animals”: (more…)