Wombling Along
Hello!
Welcome to Wombling Along the blog’s weekend supplement where I share reviews and other things online that catch my eye online. Grab a cuppa, relax and get booktempted.
I’m typing this up just before Fantasycon Day 2 starts and it’s been a very busy but productive week. Dad is at home still and a slow recovery is in progress. Work is slightly less manic and therefore I actually have had time to read and review - I’ve so missed some headspace! A four day weekend can only help and we’ve got a week off end of the month planned. I will take nothing for granted until it’s happened but it’s nice not to feel in a Groundhog Day. Fantasycon is a highlight of my year and already can feel some recharging taking place.
Now onto the Booktempting that those merciless other bloggers do!
Reviews
Jam Reads delights in Pretenders to The Throne by Adrian Tchaikovsky
They are also very impressed by Halfheart by Linden A Lewis
https://jamreads.com/reviews/halfheart-by-linden-a-lewis
Ancillary Review of Books looks at The Eagle In The Mountain by Casey Russell a series of so need to get to
https://ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2026/10/07/heroic-relay-race/
And recomend The Sea Glass Shore by Julie Salmon Kelleher
I also need to get to this one that helpfully Pots and Plots tempts with The Son of the Serpent by Shauna Lawless
I have this to read and Claire North is one of my favourite authors so Fantasy Reviews makes me keen to read their latest As We Fall Through Time
https://fantasy-reviews.co.uk/2026/10/07/as-we-fall-through-time-by-claire-north-book-review/
Time travel also pops up here as Locus recommends Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty
https://locusmag.com/review/time-travel-for-beginners-by-jaclyn-moriarty-review-by-ian-mond/
And this sounds really interesting too Mrs Jekyll by Emma Glass
https://locusmag.com/review/mrs-jekyll-by-emma-glass-review-by-ian-mond/
An Unofficial Hugo Book Blog finds much reward in When There Are Wolves Again by E J Swift
http://hugoclub.blogspot.com/2026/10/polycrisis-pollyanna.html
Gingernuts of Horror delights in Find Me Where It Ends by Cassandra Khaw
https://gnofhorror.com/find-me-where-it-ends-by-cassandra-khaw-review/
An intriguing review from Reactor in the form of The Sunken The Adored by Donyae Coles
https://reactormag.com/book-review-the-sunken-the-adored-by-donyae-coles/
And I must now get hold of All The Hidden Places by Cadwell Turnbull
https://reactormag.com/book-review-all-the-hidden-places-by-cadwell-turnbull/
And a joy to read is words to tempt when used to describe The Redemption Centre is Closed on Sundays by Andrea Hairston
https://reactormag.com/book-review-the-redemption-center-is-closed-on-sundays/
Gab Reads has a new favorite read in the form of The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale by C M Waggoner
Prospective Cultures reaches Rivendell in their Lord of the Rings reread
And at The Wrong Questions the Uruk-Hai are explored in their own
http://wrongquestions.blogspot.com/2026/10/the-great-tolkien-reread-uruk-hai.html
Reader of Else gets to Mount Doon in their own
Charlie-Jane Anders is impressed by Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger
https://buttondown.com/charliejane/archive/the-time-travelers-wife-sequel-slaps/
Strange Horizons is impressed by The Palaces of the Crow by Ray Nayler
https://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/palaces-of-the-crow-by-ray-nayler/
And gives a fresh pair of eyes to The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
https://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/the-stars-my-destination-by-alfred-bester/
Becky’s Book Blog was won over by The Scarlet Ball by Nghi Vo
https://crooksbooks.blog/2026/10/08/the-scarlet-ball-by-nghi-vo-arc-review/
SFF World enjoys the spookiness of Sleepers In The Snow by Joanne Harris
https://www.sffworld.com/2026/10/sleepers-in-the-snow-by-joanne-harris/
Balanced impression of Bright and Broken Things by Ryan Graudin at Biblionerd Reflections
https://biblionerdreflections.com/2026/10/09/bright-and-broken-things-arc-review/
Fantasy Book Nerd enjoyed Crone by Keith Rosson a lot
https://www.fantasybooknerd.com/2026/10/book-review-crone-keith-rosson.html
Reading Reality delights in A Road Is Also A Wall by Annalee Newitz which I want to read!
https://www.readingreality.net/2026/10/a-bookreview-a-wall-is-also-a-road-by-annalee-newitz/
In other News
I definitely chime with this Reactor essay in parts. It’s quite hard for me to get surprised by a book I’m More interested in how it’s handled but I’d not like to say cheat someone of the experience say I’d working out what’s going on in The Fifth Season by N K Jemisin at the same time that’s not why I think it’s an awesome book
https://reactormag.com/do-you-need-to-be-surprised/
At Speculative Insight a smart look at Wyrd Sisters and its use of kings
https://www.speculativeinsight.com/from-the-vault/men-who-respect-witches-ii
Kit Whitfield exploring horror is always to be read and at Gingernuts multiple takes on Lizzie Borden are unpeeled
https://gnofhorror.com/lizzie-borden-films/
Resharing this article from Wole Talabi exploring how African Speculative Fiction has developed
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/talabi_08_24
Also resharing was this essay from Vajra Chandrasekera on the boundaries of the literary and genre
https://vajra.me/2023/04/12/make-your-bones/
Words for Worlds has a new issue out
https://gautambhatia.substack.com/p/words-for-worlds-issue-133
as always for more awesome book reviews, analysis and music dive into Renay’s Intergalactic Mixtape
https://buttondown.com/intergalacticmixtape/archive/intergalactic-mixtape-74/
That should keep you out of trouble (or perhaps get you into the good kind) have a lovely weekend, keep reading and I’ll see you soon
