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South Breaks made semi-finalist in SPFBOX (2024).

Virginia teases the twist right from the off. But The Year We Lived is so finely written and enchanting that you lose yourself in the world and simply enjoy it, forgetting about this possible twist.

You'll quickly relax and let the sun-dappled fens, the reeds, woods, the description of the Hall and its inhabitants wash over you and pull you like a slow current into its 11th Century setting.

An above average issue. An interesting mix of SF (Lavie Tidhar), Fantasy (Kelly Barnhill, Matthew Hughes) and Horror (Pip Coen, Rebecca Campbell) with a standout story by David Gullen.

It's absolutely beautiful, with delicate, precise writing that perfectly encapsulates a sense of place, of culture, of magic.

This book pulls you into a richly detailed 12th Century world of politicking lords, dangerous Welsh border raids and a likeable protagonist in the form of Guy of Maebury. A careful, steady feed of recognisable, but not yet legendary, characters tops it all off.

The slow build-up is worth it and does contribute to a much livelier, fuller world and more meaningful character motivations.

The Naseby Horses by Dominic Brownlow is a beautiful, haunting read - lots of layers. It deals with families, trauma, and poses questions about the validity of beliefs, be they religious, superstitious or scientific.

Absolutely gorgeous writing.

A rather light-weight issue with stories that probably appeal to those who prefer a more 'literary' style of SF than what I would normally read. The stories that I found interesting were by James Warner, Andy Dudak and Malcolm Devlin.

A better than average issue with some intersting stories by Nalo Hopkinson, Graham Edwards, Eleanor Arnason, K. A. Teryna, Hayley Stone and Jennie Goloboy.

Full review at [ https://bookwyrm.social/user/sohkamyung/review/63261 ]

A nail-biting introduction to South African magic and a nice bit of terror into the bargain. No reading this one on a dark stormy night unless you're bigger and hairier than the sorcerer!

Yes, The Fisherman is a little Lovecraftian, with its ancient gods, cultists, and watery... things. But it has much more going for it. The Fisherman is a work of beauty that Lovecraft never came close to.

You grieve with Abe as he tries to pick up the pieces. You worry about what Dan will do... and when he'll break. You wonder which story you are actually reading and who is telling it.

An average issue of F&SF, with interesting stories by Stefan Slater, Prashanth Srivatsa, Madalena Daleziou, David D. Levine, Dane Kuttler and Robert Reed.

Full review at [ https://sohkamyung.github.io/reviews/magazines/FantasyAndScienceFiction/20230117-FSF202301.html ]

Bought the full book immediately after enjoying the sample from Book View Cafe!

This magical, period adventure moved along at a quick pace. Plenty of events, but not al all rushed. The language, descriptions and sense of location & time seem spot-on.

It's the first in a series too, so I'm excited to read more.

Books like this are why I love buying and reading indie ebooks!