Cassie was suspended for an antisocial incident at school. Her penance is to read to the ailing proprietor of the town’s esoteric bookshop. When Mr Gussy warns her off a very particular book in his shop, she can’t resist cracking open the ‘dark tome’ – only to find herself whisked far away and long ago to where an Italian has found a staircase to hell…
Category Archive: Wyrd and Wonder
They have always walked among us. Some shift shape. Some drink blood. Some step freely between worlds to marvel at the kaleidoscope of lives lived differently. Now, some have chosen to show themselves to us. Others will stop at nothing to keep their secrets. But is humanity ready to live with monsters?
Welcome to Spooktastic Reads! I’m kicking off 13 days of celebrating the darker side of fantasy with a return to Bite-size Reads, my 2022 challenge to read (some of) the amazing anthologies on my shelves. Having trotted the globe with Chinese SF and African horror, for Spooktastic Reads I’m staying on home shores with some uncanny British tales.
It’s nearly that time – Spooktastic Reads starts on October 19 for thirteen days of your Wyrd and Wonder crew daring to venture into the darker side of fantasy. I’ve been revelling in tales of ghosts and curses since the summer, so what can you expect from my Spooktastic Reads?
Autumn is creeping up on us with its promise of arboreal colour, cosy sweaters, and dark nights perfect for curling up with a book that sets our hearts racing. As ever, your Wyrd & Wonder team are here to help! Spooktastic Reads will be back to dare the darker side of fantasy in the 13 days and nights leading up to Hallowe’en.
The fire has ceased wandering as we come to the end of book two of The Fionavar Tapestry, but there is a great deal to discuss as snows melt, boats sail, armies ride and feelings are thoroughly exercised…
We’re at the heart of our Wyrd & Wonder read-along of Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Wandering Fire. The five are back in Fionavar, caught in unending winter by Maugrim’s malice. As their allies gather to find a way to break the cold, wilder threads return to the Tapestry – but will they help or hinder?
Welcome back to our Wyrd and Wonder read-along of Guy Gavriel Kay’s epic portal fantasy The Fionavar Tapestry. The Summer Tree provoked much discussion back in May; we’re picking up the thread with The Wandering Fire. With the Unraveller free to work his malice, our brave heroes must master their powers and find their place in the story…
Our adventure is done, but the long days of summer lie ahead for further exploration of the realms of fantasy to lay in a stock of new stories to share when we next meet. But before we head back out into the fictional wilds, let’s take a final look back at our fifth year of Wyrd and Wonder.
If you’d asked me at the start what the hardest Fantastic Five would be to write, subgenres wouldn’t have even crossed my mind. More fool me. Because I can barely define subgenres correctly, let alone accurately assign books to them – and I’m wildly indecisive. So this was trickier than anticipated…
I love fantasy that explores themes of family – ties of blood, ties of love, ties of loyalty – and I am delighted to say author CSE Cooney agreed to stop by for Wyrd & Wonder to discuss these notions in the complicated context of her necromantic novel Saint Death’s Daughter…
It’s the final week of our read-along of The Summer Tree and that sound is me sobbing and my fellow read-alongers screaming as Guy Gavriel Kay serves up a vicious finale of family conflict, double-edged fates and the endless hatred of an undying god. Questions this week by Mayri the BookForager!
We’re two thirds of the way through our journey, which is another fine time to pause and take stock. Pour yourself a drink and settle in to hear all about the adventures we’ve been having on our travels through the realms of fancy.
It’s a truth rarely acknowledged that I get more out of SFnal short stories than fantasy. Novellas, on the other hand, are a favourite of mine regardless of genre. The best have just enough world-building to support their plot, and focus on characters and situation to deliver a thrilling adventure or emotionally resonant ride (or both! Both is good) – for today’s Fantastic Five, I’m sharing some favourites…
The third week of our read-along of The Summer Tree is a rollercoaster of love and gods – and unexpected friendship. Yes, I’ve spent most of the week sobbing into my pages, so let’s see if I can explain why…
onemore.org 