The Book Wyrms Hoard

To his neighbors and his students Duncan is a mild-mannered, pushover of a science teacher. To the rest of the universe, he is The Scientist a genocidal maniac responsible for the destruction of multiple planets killing billions of people that has been exiled to Earth to put a stop to a galaxy-spanning war. While life on Earth isn't perfect he has his wife Tessa and that's all he can ask for. One afternoon he comes home to find Tessa murdered in their kitchen, the assassin waiting for him sure that he can kill this mild version of the Scientist. Little does the assassin know that he's just become the first victim in The Scientist's spree to avenge his wife.  Space reads aren't usually my thing and that's fairly obvious if you look at my reading history. However, Scott was one of the first authors that followed me on Bluesky so I had to read his book. I'll definitely be reading more books about intergalactic war going forward! Right off the bat, t...

Dangerous Waters is a treasure trove of murderous mermaids, angry kelpies, and depressed rivers. Yes, I said depressed rivers. Not one of these stories and poems missed, not a single solitary one. There's also a bonus story at the end that was just as good as the rest of them! While the main theme of this is clearly feminine rage, there are a few that stood out because they were *not*. Although the feminine rage in every story was absolutely amazing. Meat Cute was an exceptional story about how polluted our oceans were with Lady Leviathan rising from the depths after sleeping for centuries to a world that looks nothing like she left it. As she realizes how badly things have gotten her rage reaches titanic proportions. Best of Both Worlds was a wonderful story about women helping women with a kelpie whose pelt has been stolen as the MC, she befriends an older woman and a beautiful friendship is born. Finally, The Pearl Weeper's Lament is probably the saddest of the w...

When the director of a mid-range textile firm in Tokyo is found dead the question that Inspector Onitsura must answer isn't who had the motive to kill the director but who didn't. Almost as soon as his death is announced multiple suspects jump out and the team investigating the case hits a dead and not just because their victim seems to be a womanizing jerk, but because more bodies connected to the case keep popping up. The Chief finally has Onitsura take a second look at things after their lead suspect is found dead and he almost immediately finds the murderer, he just has to crack their airtight albi first.  Another fantastic overly complicated murder that has all kinds of misdirection (especially all of the language directed towards women) that leads to less of a who done it and more of a how the hell do we prove it ending.  I really enjoyed Onitsura and I think he may be a new favorite. He's much more gosh just normal than some of the other detectives in boo...

The Queen, who never speaks, tells Calliope one morning that the King is having a Conniption, being very concerned and a little proud that the Queen spoke to her she rushes off to tell the Royal Guard that the King must not be disturbed! However, things quickly escalate as no one seems to know what a Conniption is! As The King's Conniption grows larger and larger in the minds of the people in the Castle Calliope begins to think that some people may be making things up! What a wonderful little story that drives home the importance of accurate communication and more importantly admitting when you are wrong! This would be great for kiddos that do or do not know what Conniption means and honestly, I think it is a great exercise in teaching young ones how to use a dictionary.  And I tell you what I would have done the same thing Calliope does at the end, no one has time for all of that mess!

Geller attacks have been on the rise recently and with people and livestock at risk Ysin sets out on a mission with Guin to catch and kill a particularly clever Geller. Within days of riding out though they are attacked by a pair of gellers, who seem to be far smarter than any other gellers they've across, actually ambushing Ysin, causing a wound that if not treated soon will most likely kill her. Ysin is dedicated to her mission though and Guin is dedicated to their Mena, so against their better judgment Guin follows Ysin, to the base of a mountain. It is now though that Guin, an Angelite begins having nightly visions of the Grey Angel, a beautiful and sad creature who has said to give those she visits any wish they desire. Guin knows if they continue their journey they will meet The Grey Angel and they may finally get their wish, but they also know that this may kill their Mena the one woman they respect above all others.  I loved this! Finn has taken the adventure fa...

Saori Toribeno, a writer from an occult magazine reaches out to Shiroshi but sending him an interesting journal and a request to interview Seiji. Saori has apparently stumbled upon a woman by the name of Mayuka Asaka who appears to have with a shard of The Mirror of Illumination in her eye as well and she had sent her to story to Saori's magazine, however, when Saori attempted to do an interview she was completely dismissed and decided to reach out to Shiroshi, where she also relates a strange tale of the murder of Mayuka's own father. Shiroshi immediately books a trip to the Asaka family's Inn, hoping to get to the bottom of both Mayuka's father's murder and to find out more about Mayuka's shard. Unfortunately for Shiroshi and Seiji there is a far greater conspiracy here and it may cost Shiroshi his life.  Since its only volume 3 I feel like saying best one yet, is a little premature, but I don't care because it is the best one yet! The first st...

Starr Weatherby is looking for her big break in NYC and when a group of oddly dressed people come into her diner she is one hundred percent certain that if she can just get their attention they'd hire her for whatever show it is they were discussing. She saunters and gives the best performance a waitress has ever given and then promptly spills coffee all over her one shot. Surprisingly enough one of the men, one that appears to have horns gives her a card and tells her to be at a certain place at exactly 5:03 am and to look for a gate. With nothing to lose Starr heads for this mysterious gate and finds herself literally airlifted to a TV set like none she has ever seen. For starters, the security guard is a dragon, and Jason, the "man" who gave her the business card is a Faun who is the producer of Tune in Tomorrow, the longest-running reality show in the Fae World, and he's got an offer for Starr that she can't refuse. Become the newest addition to t...

Shadows and Sorcery is a little bit different from other stories, even short stories, I've reviewed so this review will be a little bit different as well.  ⁰ Hill's Substack contains seven hundred (an achievement recently realized) fantasy short stories, that are some of the best stories I have ever read. I have read forty I believe of this massive archive already, I will probably never finish reading this archive, which is one of the many reasons Hill's work is special. Another is that I have yet to hit a paywall, and again, 700 stories so I may just not be there yet and even if I did come across one I would happily and without a moments hesitation, pay to continue to have access to these stories. Hell, if these were published in a series of books I would be the first to preorder them.  One of the main and most important reasons these stories are so special though is simply that Sean Hill is an exceptional writer. I said I was going to read six stories (they ar...

Ares the Hero, was as plain as he could be. He wasn't the best at swordsmanship, that honor went to his friend Leon. His divine blessing for healing spells was miniscule at best, his other friend Maria though stood close to god so her healing skills were miraculous. And he could barely create a tiny flame with his magic, his very best friend Solon, though, was a magical prodigy. Together with his friends Ares sets out and defeats the Demon Lord, a victory that is bittersweet as Ares loses his life on the way back to the capital, leaving an entire kingdom to wonder Who Killed the Hero?  This was absolutely wonderful and if it doesn't get an anime there is no justice in this world! Told from the perspectives of the people who knew Ares best an interviewer goes around the Kingdom to not only unravel the mystery of how the Hero died but who exactly was he? Every interview leads the reader a little bit closer to the truth by leaving just tiny pieces of information that i...

Anji has just killed the king and she is now the most wanted person in the entire kingdom. So what does she do? She stops at the first bar she finds and gets good and drunk, she probably deserves it, she has been running for days now. Unfortunately, that's when The Hawk member of the famed group of bounty hunters, The Menagerie, finds her. The Hawk knocks her out and when Anji comes through finally she's at a camp with The Hawk. Angry at being caught and even more angered by The Hawk's attitude Anji is desperate to escape even more so when The Lynx shows up, and instead of welcoming him The Hawk kills him. Confused and now terrified Anji will be dragged across half of the Kingdom by a woman who is less the hero the songs have made her out to be and more a bloodthirsty killer.  What a ride! Anji Kills A King is the very definition of "Never meet your heroes. They will surely disappoint." but to an extreme. The Menagerie is a group that Anji and most of ...

Weeping Willow focuses a bit more on Winnie and her feelings than Book 1 did and I enjoyed that immensely. Winnie comes across as very confident in herself in book one whereas in this one we get to see her insecurities in terms of how Crela sees her and her fears in terms of the relationship she has found herself in.  We also see her absolutely admit that she isn't just attracted to Crela she *wants* Crela in a way that Winnie didn't even believe she was capable of. And with Crela being undead one would think there would be some fear attached to this but there's not, it's joy. It's like she's figured out that just because she isn't attracted to men it doesn't mean she's incapable of lust. And I love that for her.  Off to read book three and then probably four since I believe it's for free on Itch right now! Of course, I have no idea what I'll do with/ my life I am caught up in this series!

In The Veil the Astfriour live and are then reborn, each life choosing a metal which will guide them all of their days, this gives them purpose and a place within their communities. Britt and Astrid are two Astfriour who feel that they do not belong at all, Britt being a Tova, one who does not have any memories of their past lives and due to an accident lives in fear that they will never be able to be a Copper, the metal aligned with creatives, again.  Astrid has no metal magic at all, it does not sing to them the way it does others, and their caregiver Yvle has spent Astrid's whole life keeping this a secret and keeping Astrid away from the rest of their community. Yvle says it is to protect them but when Astrid finally is able to move to their own home they begin to realize that Yvle's reasons for protecting them were not as caring as they seemed.  Many years ago now my father fused his neck in a rollover accident in his tractor/trailer. At the time of the accide...

Sebastian, Colin, and Gemma have taken Anne to a production of Romeo and Juliet as a way to get her out of the house as her condition worsens. Just as the play is ending and the quarter are preparing to leave the director comes on stage and announces that someone has died. Sebastian and Gemma both head down to the stage to discover that the two leads, Esme and Christopher are dead, killed by the poison they swallowed as their characters. Sebastian and Gemma start interviewing their suspects immediately and quickly realize that these actors' lives were more dramatic than anything Shakespeare ever wrote and everyone had a reason for murder.  Best one yet? Absolutely. Do I also say that every book? Also, Absolutely. Do I feel any shame? Nope, I am a shameless Bell and Tate Fangirl at this point.  Alright onto the review! Right off the bat you're going to believe you know who the killer is. You don't and when you do finally figure it out it's going to be one of ...