In Joe Ambercrombie’s Best Served Cold, Revenge is a Tired Trope
Why do some revenge stories work and others, like Best Served Cold, fall flat?
Self-Discovery in The Forgotten Beasts of Eld
Dominion, control, and self-discovery amidst a world ruled by men.
Vulnerability and Interior Lives in The Goblin Emperor
The Goblin Emperor inverts some classic fantasy tropes.
In Last Argument of Kings, It’s Evil Versus Evil
There is no room for epic fantasy in this grimdark universe.
Before They Are Hanged: The Antihero’s Journey
Conventional fantasy goes back to the mud. It's tromped on. Ground down in the dirt. There are people to kill and scores to settle. Conventional fantasy tropes are among the dead.
The Blade Itself: Gritty Realism in Fantasy
The novel is dark, twisted, and delightfully subverts fantasy tropes.
Blood and Family Pull the Moon in Jemisin’s Stone Sky
What sets this series apart from other works of fantasy are the larger themes Jemisin explores.
In Last First Snow, Max Goldstone Lowers the Stakes to Zero
How does he do that? Mainly, by writing a novel that is just backstory for Two Serpents Rise.
Full Fathom Five by Max Gladstone
God and His sisters are dead. Now it's time to invest in some idols. Don't you hate when that happens?