User Profile

Dana Rail

danarail@books.mxhdr.net

Joined 1 year, 5 months ago

I'm a writer of SFF/Speculative Fiction, but read everything. I live in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Home Page and book/movie blog: crowerailwren.com Fediverse: @danarail@wandering.shop

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Dana Rail's books

Stephen King: Fairy Tale (Hardcover, 2022, Scribner) 4 stars

Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes deep into the well of his imagination in this spellbinding …

Just finished the audiobook of FAIRY TALE by #StephenKing. Among his #Fantasy #Horror books it's far from the best, imho, and certainly can't touch the Dark Tower series. Among other things, it is arguably too long, but there was at least one setup/payoff moment that was (for me), worth the journey. And I do love King's overall, hm, how to say..."ethical sensibility"?

Stephen King: Fairy Tale (Hardcover, 2022, Scribner) 4 stars

Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes deep into the well of his imagination in this spellbinding …

L-o-n-g but Lovely

3 stars

Just finished the audiobook of FAIRY TALE by #StephenKing. Among his #Fantasy #Horror books it's far from the best, imho, and certainly can't touch the Dark Tower series.

Among other things, it is arguably too long, but there was at least one setup/payoff moment that was (for me), worth the journey. And I do love King's overall, hm, how to say..."ethical sensibility"?

Umberto Eco: The Prague Cemetery (2011) 5 stars

The Prague Cemetery (Italian: Il cimitero di Praga) is a novel by Italian author Umberto …

Review of 'The Prague Cemetery' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This book is a doozy--a labyrinthine journey through the maze of antisemitic conspiracy theories that culminated in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, told by despicable but thoroughly fascinating character who is probably the only fictional character in the book.

Highly recommend.

Kevin Hearne: Hounded (2011, Del Rey Books) 4 stars

Hounded is the first novel in Kevin Hearne's urban fantasy series, The Iron Druid Chronicles. …

Review of 'Hounded' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

A very entertaining read. I would have given it 4 stars for its rollicking pace (and a pooch to die for), were it not for a few bits of unnecessary and sloppy-snarky theologizing from the main character, whom I otherwise liked. It took me clean out of the story.

Tracy Deonn: Legendborn (Hardcover, 2020, Margaret K. McElderry Books) 4 stars

Review of 'Legendborn' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I'm a longtime fan of Arthurian-themed stories, but have rarely enjoyed Arthur-in-the-now tales. Not so LEGENDBORN, which turned the legends into a remarkably c0gent alternate Now without completely disrespecting original sources.

I very much enjoyed this book, its characters and world, and am eager for the next one.

Piranesi (2020, Bloomsbury Publishing) 5 stars

From the New York Times bestselling author of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, an …

Review of 'Piranesi' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I've waited so long for a sequel to Strange & Norrell, but was thrilled to see the publication of this second, much different novel, which may (or may well not) be in the same "universe", as it were, as S & N.

The upshot: this is one of the most hauntingly beautiful books I have ever read, I can't recommend it enough.

(PS, it's a finalist in both the 2020 Nebula and Hugo awards.)