★★★★☆ A mostly average offering from an author I normally enjoy, which follows the next generation of her "An Ember in the Ashes" heroes.

★★★☆☆ A continuation of the "Cerulean Chronicles", but lacking the sweetness, joy and novelty that made the first book delightful & special.

★★★☆☆ A sweet little story about friendship and starting over, focused on an orc who tries to leave violence behind and open a coffee shop.

★★★★☆ McGuire's unparalleled creativity is again on display as she explores Lunar deities working to solve a murder of one of their own.

★★★★☆ A uniquely creative fantasy novel, it's ultimately a struggle between those in power and those powerful enough to overthrow them.

★★★★☆ A memorable novella, inspired by Polish folklore, that follows a guilt-ridden hero's journey through the magical underbelly of Chicago

★★★☆☆ A rare ho-hum effort from an author I enjoy, Bardugo's novel of 16th century Spain struggles to blend history, fantasy, and romance.

★★★★☆ An inventive concept suffers a bit when the inevitable potential plot holes that come with time travel emerge. Entertaining but flawed

★☆☆☆☆ By the author of the excellent Thistlefoot, a collection of short stories written six years ago that should have remained unpublished.

★★★★☆ A new set of characters and worlds from El-Arifi, but a book that is far more in the "romantasy" category than her previous novels.

A running tally of my "Best Books of 2023", updated each time I finish a book throughout the year.

★★★★★ Perhaps the most-hyped book of 2023 lives up to it, as we follow the journey of a young girl as she attempts to become a dragon rider.

★★★★★ Harrow returns to top form with a genre-blending story of a young woman trying to scrape by in a town haunted by its past and secrets.

★★★★★ El-Arifi builds on her stellar debut The Final Strife (my #3 book of 2022), and does so both ambitiously and successfully.

★★★★★ A sometimes dark exploration of a world where humans and sentient machines coexist, balanced by Klune's trademark humor and heart.

★★★★★ A fitting and satisfying conclusion to what author Sanderson refers to as "Era Two" of his outstanding Mistborn series.

Happy New Year! It’s time once again for what has become an annual tradition, my Books of the Year list. 2022 was a busy year of reading,...

★★★★☆ A thief with a wry sense of humor is reluctantly paired up with a badass female knight on a quest to save the knight's queen.

★★★★★ Part Seabiscuit, part palace politics, part commentary on societal boundaries and castes -- this novel was great on multiple levels.

★★★★★ A private investigator in 1860s London looks into the disappearance of a young girl who may have special (and dangerous) powers.