Family Ties: A Review of Thorn City, by Pamela Statz

On April 22, 2024 By Michael CostanzoIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Family dynamics and drama can be messy in real life, and that messiness is what makes it such a compelling literary genre of its own. The type of literary genre that can mesh well with any other genre or setting. Clashing with family members, but being stuck with them, is a universal experience no matter where your characters are from, although the exact dynamics and reactions may be different from setting to setting. This is a genre that prioritizes character interactions and growth over plot, and uses the plot to inform those relationships, rather than the other way around. The plot can either be central to how the characters see or feel about each other, or set dressing to be used to set up interesting interactions. No matter the approach, these stories hook their audience with a well-rounded cast of characters to enjoy.

Thank you to Ooligan Press for providing me with an advanced copy of Thorn City for this review. Thorn City is out on May 14^th, 2024, wherever books are sold.

Continue reading →

Genre Tropes: A Review of Just Stab Me Now, by Jill Bearup

On February 27, 2024February 26, 2024 By Michael CostanzoIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

One of the many tools of writing is the humble trope. Commonly misunderstood, tropes are plot structures, themes, storylines, character traits, plot devices, or motifs that reoccur in all stories, whether the author intentionally includes them or not. The term “trope” is sometimes used like a bad word when describing a story, but a trope existing in a story has no bearing on the quality or level of enjoyment to be had. A mad scientist appearing in a science-fiction story is a trope. In a fantasy setting, the characters may have to fight a dragon. In romance novels, the main love interests may be forced to share a bed or cuddle by a fire. Tropes are tools, and great authors can use these tools to tell great stories. Sometimes, that means integrated the tropes at their most basic level, and sometimes that means inverting them and playing with their readers expectations.

Continue reading →

Old Laws: A Review of The Narrow Road Between Desires, by Patrick Rothfuss

On February 7, 2024February 6, 2024 By Michael CostanzoIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Realism in a work of fiction is only as good as the book’s world building. It is a common misconception that realism in fiction means that the events of the story, the characters, or the societal layout are comparable to that of our real world. Realism in fiction is a measure of how real the author is able to make their fictional world feel to the reader. A high fantasy story with dragons, magic, and faeries can be plenty realistic. As long as the story and the world following the internal rules as set up by the author. A story in which the internal rules the characters must follow are totally alien to our real world can still be called realistic if the rules are consistent and apply equally across all characters. If the rules make sense to the fictional world, it is realistic enough.

Continue reading →

Reading Nook: A Review of Bookshops & Bonedust, by Travis Baldree

On January 22, 2024January 21, 2024 By Michael CostanzoIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Transformation is an essential part of a good character arc. In fiction, there are two types of characters: static and dynamic. Static characters do not fundamentally change over the course of the story. They may still encounter conflict, resolve plot, and develop relationships with the other characters, but they will essentially be the same person at the end of the tale as they were at the beginning. It is very, very hard to write a static character well. The vast majority of characters are dynamic, meaning they experience change, growth, and transformation throughout the story. They meet other characters and are changed by those encounters, friendships, and conflicts. They are a fundamentally different person at the end than they were at the beginning. For most readers, we want to see characters change. We want to see them grow and mature as they experience life. Sometimes, that means overcoming trauma or defeating bad guys. And, other times, it means learning that the world is much larger than they had realized.

Continue reading →

Aftershocks: A Review of The Spider, by Lars Kepler

On January 3, 2024January 2, 2024 By Michael CostanzoIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Writing engaging recurring villains in a detective or mystery series can prove difficult. By the very nature of the genre, the most tension is found when the audience is still trying to figure out the central mystery of the story and piece together the clues alongside the main characters. Most detective series have a new villain in each story, because the format of storytelling simply works better that way. Still, the urge to give a detective character a nemesis is strong. Every writer wants a Moriarty to their Sherlock, but few remember that Professor Moriarty only ever appeared in one of Sir Arhtur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. Having a nemesis appear too often removes the mystery and, without the mystery, the nemesis can become stale. So, the question remains, how does an author create a worthwhile nemesis whose influence is felt across an entire novel series?

Continue reading →

Chosen Family: A Review of Magic by Any Other Name, by Alison Levy

On November 6, 2023November 6, 2023 By Michael CostanzoIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

“Blood is thicker than water.” For many people, this is a phrase meaning that nothing is stronger than familiar bonds. That your blood bonds are the most important thing in the world, and will last longer than any bonds created with friends or loved ones. This is also one of the most common misquotes in the English language, a phrase so poorly misquoted that its entire meaning has been changed. The correct phrase is, “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” By simply filling in the missing words, the entire meaning of the aphorism changes in its entirety. To be direct, the true meaning of this phrase is that the relationships you create, the bonds you choose, are stronger and more important than the familial relations that are forced upon you. No one chooses the family to which they are born. But we can choose the people we wish to spend our time with and share our lives with. The idea of found family has long been an iconic trope in fiction, and it resonates with so many readers who struggle with problematic or abusive families in the real world. By seeing fictional characters breaking free of those watery bonds and choosing to create covenants, readers can find hope for their own lives.

Thank you to Books Forward for providing an advanced copy of Magic by Any Other Name, by Alison Levy, for this review. Magic by Any Other Name is out tomorrow, November 7th, wherever books are sold.

Continue reading →

Forged Heroes: A Review of Bound by Sword and Spirit, by Andrea Robertson

On October 31, 2023October 30, 2023 By Michael CostanzoIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Everyone loves a hero, and stories about heroes saving the world continue to be the most common story there is. There is something romantic and hopeful about experiencing a tale where the good guys beat the bad guys, save the world, and are allowed to go home at the end of the day. Sometimes authors explore what it means to be a hero, or examine the idea that there are no true heroes in the world. But, as intriguing as stories like that can be, audiences still crave classic heroic fiction. But there is a caveat to making a hero story interesting and engaging, capable of standing the test of time. We want to sympathize and relate to the hero, and with the idea that no one is born a hero. Rather, anyone can choose to do the right thing and make themselves into a hero.

Continue reading →

Hometown Pride: A Review of The World We Make, by N. K. Jemisin

On October 17, 2023October 16, 2023 By Michael CostanzoIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

In a world where trilogies are by and large the norm for storytelling, it can be very refreshing to find a series that gets in, does what it sets out to do, and wraps up before overstaying its welcome. The duology is a story that takes place over two installments, rather than three, allowing the first novel to set up the plots, characters, and antagonists that will be central to its conflict. Then, the second book builds on the promise of the first, continuing the story is satisfying ways that do not feel stretched out or padded. Trilogies operate by following the three-act structure, while duologies focus on telling the story they want to tell without adhering too closely to convention.

Continue reading →

A Life Strange and Short: A Review of First Comes Summer, by Maria Hesselager

On July 31, 2023July 30, 2023 By Michael CostanzoIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Writers love to experiment with storytelling. From the stories we tell, to the point of view and perspective, to the writing style itself, writers are always looking to play around with the very nature of the novel. Sometimes that means eschewing traditional writing formats, such as separating dialogue with quotation marks or writing narration in a vernacular. For other stories, it involves how the story is told, either jumping around in time or between different narrative voices. These types of experimentation can be tricky, however, as it risks alienating the audience and prospective readers. Because writing and publishing is still a commercial endeavor, writers must be careful to balance their own desires with what will convince people to purchase and recommend the book. In short; high risk, high reward.

Continue reading →

Literary Darling: A Review of Yellowface, by R. F. Kuang

On July 20, 2023July 19, 2023 By Michael CostanzoIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

It does not take much for a scandal to go viral, especially with how fast information spreads via the internet in the modern world. One post is sometimes enough to take down celebrities or turn the tide of opinion on a politician. Other times, this easy method of spreading information is used in an organized fashion, whipping mobs into a frenzy and sending them after a target. Many times, there is no actual scandal. The target of the frenzy has not done anything remotely worthy of such a response. However, other time, the target is exactly the sort of awful person who has done something horrible and gotten away with it. There is no shortage of news stories regarding high profile criminals who were not arrest or charged with crimes until the public put pressure onto the police. Another side effect of the easy spread of information on the internet is people getting themselves into trouble, sending out racist and bigoted remarks without worry, or being exposed for the racism they hold in their private lives.

Continue reading →