Book Reviews

In this category, find our book reviews, with a strong focus on fantasy, sci-fi, and horror genres, as well as some movies, comics, or superhero-based stories.

Take a look through the Recommended Reading tag for some great stories to add to your TBR!


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Book Review: ‘Arca: A Five Queendoms Novel’ by G.R. Macallister

A terrible curse known as the Drought of Girls has inflicted the matriarchal society of the Five Queendoms for the past fifteen years. An entire generation without females has left the citizens of the queendoms fearful of the future. But with the death of the sorceress Sessadon, the drought has ended. Hope has returned but the change affects each of the

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Book Review: ‘Star Wars: The Battle of Jedha’ by George Mann

The Star Wars franchise is incredibly expansive across all forms of entertainment. Beginning with A New Hope in 1977, the franchise has spawned numerous sequels, both animated and live-action series, video games, audio dramas, and plenty of books. Each entry works to develop and enrich the lore and world of Star Wars, covering different eras and points of view. One of

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Book Review: ‘Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman’

For most of his life, Alan Rickman kept diaries. After his untimely passing from pancreatic cancer in 2016, it was decided to edit and publish these journals to allow his fans to see a more intimate side of the beloved actor. With a foreword by his dear friend Emma Thompson and an afterword by his lifelong love and wife Rima Horton,

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Book Review: ‘The Druid’s Call: A Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Prequel’ by E.K. Johnston

Doric was abandoned by her parents in the woods when she was just a little girl. Luckily the wood elves found her and took her in. Since then, Doric has done everything she can to be useful. She figures this is the best way to assure that the elves don’t get rid of her as her parents did. When her guardian

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Book Review: ‘The Last Ritual: An Arkham Horror Novel’ by S.A. Sidor

We take another little trip to our favorite small town in The Last Ritual by S.A. Sidor. This time, young reporter Andy Van Nortwisk is reporting on the grand reopening of the Silver Gate Hotel after a fire shut it down a year ago. Andy is lucky enough to score an interview with one of the famous guests that have been

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Book Review: ‘Star Trek Picard: Second Self’ by Una McCormack

A suffering refugee population on a remote planet, a dangerous war criminal, and a (slightly) disgraced intelligence officer looking for their next move. These three things come together on Ordeve, a planet with a long and complicated history, in Una McCormack’s Star Trek Picard: Second Self.   [Note: While I am reviewing this novel independently and honestly, it should be noted that

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Book Review: ‘The Shining City’ (Our Broken Earth Book 2) by Demitria Lunetta

Mal has been walking for a long time. He’s looking for somewhere better, somewhere that isn’t poisoned by the toxic things humanity has done to the Earth. He started his journey with a large group of friends and family but one by one they all died. Now it’s just him. Mal is looking for the mythical “shining city”. If he can

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Book Review: ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The High Country’ by John Jackson Miller

In the year 2259, the U.S.S. Enterprise heads off to a planet so remote that it is only known by its surveyor’s catalog entry, FGC-7781 b. They’re investigating the disappearance of Braidwood, a civilian anthropological expedition that had been missing for almost a year. What they discover on FGC-7781 b is something that no one was expecting. Find out just what

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Book Review: ‘Liberty & Justice for All: An Xavier’s Institute Novel’ by Carrie Harris

In this latest book review from my reading nook here at The Cosmic Circus, I’m reviewing the novel that started the Marvel: Xavier’s Institute series, Liberty and Justice for All by Carrie Harris. In this introductory novel, two young students of the New Charles Xavier School go on a training mission. It’s their first time flying solo and it’s supposed to

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Book Review: ‘Ruin and Rising: A Grishaverse Novel’ By Leigh Bardugo

Alina is in a precarious position. She has basically become the prisoner of the Apparat. Trapped deep underground, far from the sunlight she needs, Alina is unable to use her powers. She needs to find the third amplifier to defeat the Darkling, but first, she has to find a way out from under the mountain and from under the Apparat’s control.

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Book Review: ‘Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars’ by Sam Maggs

Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars is the latest novel straight from the Star Wars universe. It tells the story of Cal Kestis and the crew of the Stinger Mantis between the events of the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor games. While you don’t have to read the book to play Jedi: Survivor, is it still worth

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