Best SFF books of 2020
Well, it’s been a hell of a year. Pretty much everything has been a little bit rubbish except for 2020’s book releases–so it’s time for Grimdark Magazine’s best SFF books of 2020. We have a...
REVIEW: The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
The Devil and the Dark Water is a mystery thriller novel set in 1634. The majority of the story is set on a merchant ship called the Saardam as it travels from Batavia to...
REVIEW: Not Saying Goodbye by Boris Akunin
Not Saying Goodbye is the last of the Erast Fandorin books by Boris Akunin. It must operate thus both as a farewell and a fitting capstone for a long running series (the first book,...
REVIEW: Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
Nearly impossible to put down, Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse is engrossing and irresistible from cover to cover. The author deftly weaves a sweeping tale of vengeance, power, and loneliness in a fascinating fantasy...
REVIEW: This is My Blood by David Niall Wilson
This is My Blood is a book that I was hesitant to pick up despite my love of vampire fiction. Religious horror is something that can be done very well (The Omen, The Exorcist,...
REVIEW: Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
P. Djèlí Clark’s Ring Shout is the answer to the question of what if the Ku Klux Klan was not merely a human terror. A spell has allowed the Klan to summon Ku Kluxes...
REVIEW: The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
The Left-Handed Booksellers of London is a rollicking urban fantasy by the prolific Garth Nix, taking place in a slightly-alternate version of the titular city, in the year 1983. Shortly after her 18th birthday,...
REVIEW: Fortress of Fury by Matthew Harffy
Fortress of Fury is a well-researched, enjoyable historical fiction set in the familiar world of dark ages Britain. There are bloody battles, intriguing characters and plenty of oaths that need fulfilling. “To lead men...
REVIEW: The Tower of Fools by Andrzej Sapkowski
I received an uncorrected proof copy of The Tower of Fools in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Andrzej Sapkowski and Gollancz. In The Tower of Fools, we are introduced to the...
REVIEW: Black City by Boris Akunin
Boris Akunin’s Black City is a 2012 Russian thriller, translated by Andrew Bromfield in 2018 for Wiedenfeld & Nicholson. It sits towards the end of the Erast Fandorin series; these are, variously, detective stories,...