Wombling Along

reviews

Jul 18

Helloooo!

Welcome to the blog’s weekend supplement! This is where I share reviews and other things that caught my eye online this week

I did get the gardening done, I did a little reading but discovered some more work needed to be done that kept me more than a little out of headspace. But it has passed! So I’ve a lot of book reviews to get written down and we shall take it from there. Clarke and Hugo novella thoughts soon and I’ve some Hugo novels to turn to and then back to hopefully a lot more outstanding books - what a few months but it will pass and I shall ponder what I suspect is a year of catch up :)

Reviews

Locus is enjoying Radiant Star by Ann Leckie

https://locusmag.com/review/radiant-star-by-ann-leckie-review-by-russell-letson/

Also impressed by One Leg On Earth by Pemi Aguda

https://locusmag.com/review/one-leg-on-earth-by-pemi-aguda-review-by-niall-harrison/

And really ticks into The Faith of Beasts by James S A Corey

https://locusmag.com/review/the-faith-of-beasts-by-james-s-a-corey-review-by-yoon-ha-lee/

Plus tempts me with Sublimation by Isabel J Kim

https://locusmag.com/review/sublimation-by-isabel-j-kim-review-by-niall-harrison/

And it would be rude of me not to again tempt you with their review of Moon Over Brendle by Jeff Noon

https://locusmag.com/review/moon-over-brendle-by-jeff-noon-review-by-adam-roberts/

Gav Reads has a well balanced review of Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Anne Mare

https://gavreads.co.uk/2026/07/12/review-cosmic-love-at-the-multiverse-hair-salon-by-annie-mare/

And reviews Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman favourably

https://gavreads.co.uk/2026/07/17/review-dungeon-crawler-carl-by-matt-dinniman-2020/

Jam Reads really enjoyed Heaven’s Graveyard by Grace Curtis

https://jamreads.com/reviews/heavens-graveyard-by-grace-curtis

Also enjoyed political fantasy with The Revenant of Surolifia by Florence Chien

https://jamreads.com/reviews/the-revenant-of-surolifia-by-florence-chien

Gingernuts of Horror is impressed by Scary Movie Night by Miranda Smith

https://gnofhorror.com/scary-movie-night-by-miranda-smith-review/

And goes gothic with The Lamp In The Window by Tom Mead

https://gnofhorror.com/the-lamp-in-the-window-by-tom-mead-review/

And does so again with The Turn Rachel Feder

https://gnofhorror.com/the-turn-by-rachel-feder-gothic-horror-novella/

And Old Gods by A V Wilkes tempts me a lot

https://gnofhorror.com/old-gods-by-av-wilkes-review-cosmic-horror-tales/

A new blog! Fantasy Reviews has fun with cozy fantasy The Inn At The Foot of Mount Vengeance by Chiara Bullen

https://fantasy-reviews.co.uk/2026/07/13/the-inn-at-the-foot-of-mount-vengeance-book-review/

Beneath A Thousand Skies also enjoyed (mostly) the relaxing Receipts From The Bookshop - A Bookseller’s Year by Katie Claphan

https://beneathathousandskies.co.uk/2026/07/13/book-review-receipts-from-the-bookshop-a-booksellers-year-katie-claphan/

Stewart Hotston is super impressed by the Clarke award nominee Luminous by Silvia Park

https://stewarthotston.com/2026/07/13/luminous-is-absolutely-what-is-says-on-the-tin/

Fancy a SF heist? Then Becky’s Book Blog has you covered with Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto

https://crooksbooks.blog/2026/07/13/hammajang-luck-by-makana-yamamoto-book-review/

They also had a lot of fun with A Snake Among Swans by Hannah Kaner

https://crooksbooks.blog/2026/07/16/a-snake-among-swans-by-hannah-kaner-arc-review/

Fantasy Book Heist has a great time with Eye of the Leviathan by MA Carrick

https://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com/2026/07/review-eye-of-leviathan-by-ma-carrick.html

Strange Horizons dives deep into The Mulai by Munir Hachemi translated by Julia Sanches

https://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/the-mulai-by-munir-hachemi-translated-by-julia-sanches/

And overall recommends Olyoke by Vincent Endwell

https://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/olyoke-by-vincent-endwell/

And now Orca and Bird by Anna Chilvers creates a thoughtful review

https://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/orca-and-bird-by-anna-chilvers/

Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub had a lot of fun with A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2026/07/14/book-review-a-trade-of-blood/

The Wrong Questions reaches Lothlorien in the Lord of the Rings reread

http://wrongquestions.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-great-tolkien-reread-lothlorien.html

Reader of Else does so a look at Return of the King and well if that blog title doesn’t grab you what will?

https://readerofelse.wordpress.com/2026/07/12/a-close-reading-of-lotr-episode-17-why-are-the-shadow-men-horny/

Reactor finds much to enjoy in Foundling Fathers by Meg Elison

https://reactormag.com/book-review-foundling-fathers-by-meg-elison/

Fantasy Book Nerd did not enjoy The Heart of Nhaga by Lee Young Do

https://www.fantasybooknerd.com/2026/07/book-review-heart-of-nhaga-lee-young-do.html

Nerds of a Feather has a great time reading amusement Park Arcana by Jennifer R Donohue

http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/07/review-amusement-park-arcana.html

Finally with a balanced look at The Feywild Job by C L Polk

http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/07/book-review-feywild-job-by-c-l-polk.html

Ancillary Review of Books explores The Floating Republic by Rebecca Campbell

https://ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2026/07/16/small-press-dispatch-he-held-the-line/

Skiffy and Fanty really enjoyed A Plagued Sea, by Kim Bo-Young, translated by Sophie Bowman

https://skiffyandfanty.com/blog/review-a-plagued-sea-by-kim-bo-young/

Awards

The Shirley Jackson award winners were announced

https://www.shirleyjacksonawards.org

In Other News

One of the blogs I looked up to when starting was The Fantasy Hive and sadly the blog has announced it’s ending but as you’ll see several of the crew start new blogs soon! I raise my mug of tea and say thank you for the Booktempting!

https://fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/07/the-fantasy-hive-closure-announcement/

This Lithub article looks at how women balance writing with everything else

https://lithub.com/a-room-of-her-own-what-women-writers-sacrifice-to-pursue-their-passion/

Edge-lit in September looks to have locked down its Guests of Honour and line up for what is often a great one day convention

https://www.derbyquad.co.uk/whats-on/edge-lit-12

The BFS has an online panel day on the 26/7 with a theme of power in SFFH

https://britishfantasysociety.org/events-calendar/bfs-online-power-in-sffh/

Reactor had a great discussion on Haunted House between Kim Fu and Claire Fuller

https://reactormag.com/reflective-narration-true-crime-and-the-art-of-writing-horror-a-conversation-with-kim-fu-claire-fuller/

Andrew Knighton walks about walking, grief and writing in this blog

https://andrewknighton.com/finding-the-magic-in-walking/

The Unofficial Hugo Book Club has a deep dive into robot fiction