Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card My rating: 5 of 5 stars Lots of people have jumped on the Orson Scott Card hate-wagon …
Heroes from Slavic Mythology: Ilya Muromets
Although it might seem a bit strange at first, I take inspiration for my novels equally from Slavic mythology, sacred literature …
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Arsenic with Austen: a Mystery
Arsenic with Austen: A Mystery by Katherine Bolger Hyde My rating: 4 of 5 stars Arsenic with Austen is the first mystery in a …
Everything You Need to Know about the Russian Kaftan
Something a little lighter this week. I generally like to have a vivid mental picture of events and places and people before I …
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Leviathan Wakes
Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey My rating: 3 of 5 stars How often do people say--with justified anger--that "the movie …
The Honor Code of a Russian Officer
Too often in modern fantasy fiction, the invented societies and characters are reflections of the failings of our world. There are …
The Gunslinger
The Gunslinger by Stephen King My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have never really wanted to read Stephen King. I'm not into …
How the Legend of Prester John Influenced Slavic Mythology
Did you know that Columbus was looking for a mysterious Christian king of India when he stumbled upon the New World? Most people …
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The Golem and the Jinni
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker My rating: 2 of 5 stars I should have loved this book. Everything about it seems …
Cossack Family Values
As I was doing research for my first series of novels, I came across a Russian article about the Cossacks and how much they …
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book shows why fairy tales will never grow old. …
How Dante Can Save Your Life
How Dante Can Save Your Life: The Life-Changing Wisdom of History's Greatest Poem by Rod Dreher My rating: 4 of 5 stars I've …
The Shadowed Sun
The Shadowed Sun by N.K. Jemisin My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Shadowed Sun continues where The Killing Moon left off, but ten …
The Killing Moon
The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin My rating: 5 of 5 stars "A myth, I repeat myself, is nothing but our active relationship with …
The Fell Sword
The Fell Sword by Miles Cameron My rating: 4 of 5 stars As pleasant as it was to read The Red Knight for its unabashed love of …
City of Stairs
City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book is starting to get a lot of award buzz after being …
Station Eleven
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel My rating: 1 of 5 stars I was excited to read this. As I understand it, …
The Red Knight
The Red Knight by Miles Cameron My rating: 4 of 5 stars Chivalry is oddly in vogue these days. The ideals of the Code of …