Fantasy Book Critic: 2019 Review/2020 Preview

My avalanche of deadlines has not made this a very good reading year, so not all my favourite books I read in 2019 were released this year, and I have quite a few on my TBR that I didn’t get to yet *sob*

Black Wolves by Kate Elliott – This was the first book a read this year and it totally knocked me out. It is an absolute masterpiece of worldbuilding and character creation and it was impossible to put down. Except on more than a few occasions when I had to put it down for a moment and pace around the house because it was so intense to read. I loved absolutely everything about it and it will take a lot to knock this off my favourite ever SFF book pedestal.

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston – not SFF, but SUCH an amazing book, I had quite the hangover after reading this. An alternative history romance set in a world where the 2016 US election went very differently, and the first son of the US and a prince of England get together. And wow are they snarky at each other. The banter was as amazing as the supportive found family aspects and all the wonderful secondary characters. Even if romance isn’t usually your genre, this is a very special and joyous book and well worth the read.

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers – I don’t read all that much sci-fi generally, but my friends had shouted about this book so often and told me it was like the book equivalent of a hug so I had to read it and it was exactly that. This book is amazing. It is a journey but also a slice of life look at a world beyond our own, an examination of the different ways a society can function that is nothing short of awe-inspiring. I plan to read the rest of the series, but I’ve been saving them for when I am desperately in need of another book hug.

The River of London Series by Ben Aaronovitch – I picked the first book of this up last year, actually, to buddy read with my mum, but I read all the rest this year. Oops. I was only going to read one more and then that became just another one and another one and now I’ve read them all and they were wonderful but I’m sad I have none left. They are great, magical adventures, but what I really love is how much of a love letter to London they are. I’m no Londoner, but the details of the city and the police force are fascinating, not to mention the care put into the history and the characters. Absolutely cannot recommend these highly enough.

Imaginary Corpse by Tyler Hayes – This book is almost impossible to categorise. A yellow stuffed triceratops detective protagonist solving mysteries in the underbelly of the imagination. It is both a heartwarming book and yet also heartbreaking as it deals with some dark concepts, but in a wonderful, thoughtful way. A book where it’s standard practice for characters to check in with each other and ask for pronouns is also a rare treat.

Books sitting on my pile that I haven’t been able to get to because of deadlines but of which I have heard many amazing things and cannot wait to read: Realm of Ash by Tasha Suri, The Bone Ships by RJ Barker, The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow, and Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter. I’m hoping to fit them all into the holiday period, for an excellent few weeks of reading.

Looking ahead to 2020

In 2020 I am really looking forward to Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott, her gender-switched Alexander the Great in space novel I’ve been looking forward to since I heard it existed. Also Hollow Empire, the sequel to Sam Hawke’s great City of Lies is slated for late 2020. Ooooh and The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal! I’m super keen to read more of the Lady Astronauts, or listen, rather, as they’ve been one of the few series I listen to rather than read as her narration is wonderful.

On The Horizon for Devin Madson

I’m still not able to give specific dates and details of what’s going on with me in 2020, but it is shaping up to be a big and exciting year, so keep an eye out for announcements when they come.

Author

Devin Madson is an Aurealis Award-winning fantasy author from Australia. After some sucky teenage years, she gave up reality and is now a dual-wielding rogue who works through every tiny side-quest and always ends up too over-powered for the final boss. Anything but zen, Devin subsists on tea and chocolate and so much fried zucchini she ought to have turned into one by now. Her fantasy novels come in all shades of grey and are populated with characters of questionable morals and a liking for witty banter.