Wombling Along
Hellooo!
Welcome to the weekend! Honestly been a bit of an up and down week - we are a little busy in the house and that’s both seem fast and long - Friday took ages. Reading happened but not quite as fast as I’d hoped - one more week of work left I can do it and let’s not talk about the dentist and likely filling I need replacing next week!
Wombling along is where I share reviews and other online articles I enjoyed over the week. I can’t review or know about every book but I love finding interesting takes and temptations so only fair you get to see them too! The blogosphere I think is still valid and so many areas are doing fascinating things
So grab a cuppa and let’s see what captures your eye!
Reviews
SF Book Reviewd explored the balance between epic and novella length tales in Lives of Bibbter Rain by Adrian Tchaikovsky which I also hugely enjoyed and will be reviewing soon!
https://sfbook.com/lives-of-bitter-rain.htm
Skiffy And Fanty definitely tempt me with an author I’ve always meant to try with The Essential Patricia A McKilllip short fiction collection
https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/review-essential-mckillip/
Needs of a Feather do a review of Of The Emperor’s Kindness by Chaz Brenchley and this also explored the wider sub genre of the fantasy of manners which is an interesting read
http://www.nerds-feather.com/2025/10/book-review-of-emperors-kindness-by.html?m=1
The Nerds also have an enticing review of the graphic novel The Power Fantasy vol. 2 by Kieron Gillen, Caspar Wijngaard, Clayton Cowles and Rian Hughes which I’m clearly missing out on
http://www.nerds-feather.com/2025/10/graphic-novel-review-power-fantasy-vol.html?m=1
Ancillary Review of Books has in the latest Profane Illuminations a look at many weird fiction short story collections
https://ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/10/17/profane-illuminations-ii/
And Ancillary also has a small press round up too and has thoughts on what makes a novella
Galactic Journey collects a series of 1970 releases with a variety of results for their reviewers
https://galacticjourney.org/october-16-1970-galactoscope-tired-of-omniscience/
I like it when reviewers try something different and The Bookwyrm’s Hoard has a look at Manga in a new feature l
Strange Horizons is really impressed by Inner Space by Jakub Szamalek translated by Kasia Pedforf which sounds thrilling
Horizons also takes us to Denmark’s past in The Wax Child by Olga Rayn translated by Martin Aitken with thoughts in the wider world’s attitude to witches
And finally enjoyment had reading Blood of the Old Kings by Sung Il Kim translated by Anton Hur
Locus has a nicely balanced review of the reaction to reading Birth of A Dynasty by Chinaza Bado that explores what did and did not work for the reviewer
https://locusmag.com/review/birth-of-a-dynasty-by-chinaza-bado-review-by-maya-c-james/
Locus also has its short fiction roundup looking at Clarkesworld
https://locusmag.com/review/clarkesworld-review-by-a-c-wise/
Jam Reads really liked Terms of Service by Ciel Pierlot
https://jamreads.com/reviews/terms-of-service-by-ciel-pierlot
Fantasy Hive had a buddy read review and are definitely impressed by The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow
https://fantasy-hive.co.uk/2025/10/the-everlasting-by-alix-e-harrow-buddy-read-review/
In horror
Ancillary The Library of Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw
https://ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/10/16/bodies-and-truths-unshelved/
Fantasy Book Nerd further tempts me to get to reading Futility by Nuzo Onoh soon!
https://www.fantasybooknerd.com/2025/10/zooloos-book-tours-futility-nuzo-onoh.html?m=1
And so does Gingernuts of Horror!
https://go.bsky.app/redirect?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgnofhorror.com%2Ffutility-by-nuzo-onoh-book-review%2F
The Fantasy Hive also has a reviewer actually have their first attempt at reading horror and finds it a good experience thanks to T Kingfisher’s What Moves The Dead
https://fantasy-hive.co.uk/2025/10/what-moves-the-dead-by-t-kingfisher-book-review/
Harare Review of Books goes into non fiction but no less chilling with How To Kill A Witch - The Patriarchy’s Guide to Silencing Women by Zoe Venditozzi and Claire Mitchell
In Other News
Ever fancied blogging Booktempting and reviewing then the excellent award winning fanzine and lovely people at Nerds of A Feather are recruiting - doooo it!
http://www.nerds-feather.com/2025/10/contributors-wanted.html?m=1
I liked this thoughtful look at why blogs matter and what they did in the past and why social media posts alone for me aren’t enough
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/tpm-25/what-made-blogging-different
Gingernuts of Horror has an interesting short essay on the horror of short towns and intolerance
https://gnofhorror.com/centering-in-on-the-unseen-by-todd-brown/
Gingernuts also has an excellent look at the harmful ways that trans characters have been used in movies as villains
https://gnofhorror.com/the-trans-killer-trope-a-harmful-legacy/
Ever picked up an old book and wondered who the author was? This essay does that to the extreme and has a tale of social history to boot!
how about helping a great sounding anthology based around Welsh mythology get over the line? Follow the link and get some great insights too!
And finally as I reviewed The Cold House and loved it this week we have Angela Slatter talking about the power of subverting the trope of women as just the victim
https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/some-ways-of-subverting-the-women-as-a-victim-trope/
Round-Ups
Gav Reads have their weekly summary
https://gavreads.co.uk/2025/10/12/sunday-summary-12th-oct-25-edition/
Alasdair Stuart always entertains with the latest Full Lid
https://mailchi.mp/778154dd00d1/the-full-lid-19th-september-17240278
And for more excellent reviews and wider reviews please sign up for the awesome Intergalactic Mixtape by Renay
https://buttondown.com/intergalacticmixtape/archive/intergalactic-mixtape-24/
I leave you now though with a tale of exactly how far would you go to play a practical joke. This tale really goes further than you were thinking!
https://www.medievalists.net/2024/04/greatest-practical-joke/
Have a great weekend and keep reading!
