That's an interesting cover. What is this book about? I have gotten that comment several times while reading Charles de Lint's Someplace to Be Flying recently. It is a reminder of the importance of book covers. The artist, John Jude Palencar, has produced some of...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 99: Buffalo Soldier by Maurice Broaddus
by MHill | Apr 12, 2022 | 2022 Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Wisdom From Kammbia Novella Review
Buffalo Soldier by Maurice Broaddus tells the story of Jamaican agent Desmond Coke and his companion, Lij Tafari. They are on the run and Desmond wants the boy to have a normal life, but it seems unlikely because of those who want to capture Lij for nefarious reasons....
Wisdom From Kammbia Story Review 9: The Storyteller by Rafik Schami
by MHill | Apr 7, 2022 | 2022 Book Reviews, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Short Story Review, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Wisdom of Kammbia Story Review
"Good storytellers are like good wine---the older the better!" The aforementioned sentence came from the last paragraph of The Storyteller by Rafik Schami. This short story was taken from his novel, Damascus Nights and reprinted in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror:...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 89: Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
by MHill | Oct 5, 2021 | 2021 Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
I've had my eye on Silvia Moreno-Garcia's work over the past several years. I downloaded her first novel, Signal to Noise, on my Kindle a couple of years ago and her fourth novel, Mexican Gothic, I have seen throughout social media recently. Moreno-Garcia's work has...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 87: How Long ‘Til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin
by MHill | Aug 30, 2021 | 2021 Book Reviews, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
I have a question for readers. Has there been an author or authors you have tried repeatedly to read? N.K. Jemisin has been one of those authors for me. Jemisin has gained recognition in the science fiction and fantasy genre over the past several years with...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 73: The Dark Fantastic by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas
by MHill | Feb 14, 2021 | 2021 Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
"The principles of the dark fantastic are so ingrained in our collective consciousness that when the expected pattern is subverted, most audiences cannot suspend disbelief. Readers and viewers complain that dark heroic protagonists are not likable. Critics observe...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 66: Brown Girl In The Ring by Nalo Hopkinson
by MHill | Dec 6, 2020 | 2020 Book Reviews, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Nalo Hopkinson is an author I have wanted to read for a long time. I have seen her novels over the years but had not gotten around to reading one until now. Hopkinson tends to get overlooked in the current trend of black authors writing science fiction or fantasy. I...
Marion’s Favorites: Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin Documentary
by MHill | Nov 19, 2020 | Marion's Favorites, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
I just finished watching a documentary on Ursula K. Le Guin, the great writer of Imaginative and speculative fiction. I know that Le Guin has categorized and championed herself as a science fiction and fantasy writer. After watching this documentary, I get why she...
Wisdom From Kammbia Story Review 2: Timeskip by Charles de Lint
by MHill | Sep 1, 2019 | Charles De Lint, Marion's All-Time Favorite Short Stories, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Short Story Review, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Wisdom of Kammbia Story Review
Charles de Lint is one of the few authors I have read for over twenty-five years. His novels and stories set in the fictional city of Newford have been delightful to read for a long time. Timeskip is one of de Lint's best and well-known stories about a ghost...
Wisdom from Kammbia Book Review 12: A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay
by MHill | May 27, 2019 | 2019 Book Reviews, Guy Gavriel Kay, Marion's Favorite Books, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
You know when an author has become one of your favorites when you put down what you were currently reading and buy a new book to read it. Guy Gavriel Kay has become one of those "must read" authors for me. A...