fantasy Archives - The Gilmore Guide to Books

The Tapestry of Fate

Catherine — Wed, 27 May 2026 07:05:47 +0000

The infamous pirate Amina al-Sirafi is back. She made her debut in Shannon Chakraborty’s novel The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, where she was brought out of retirement to retrieve a kidnapped girl. When Tapestry of Fate, the newest novel in the series, begins it is years later and she’s happily living in her isolated home […]

The post The Tapestry of Fate appeared first on The Gilmore Guide to Books.

I, Medusa

Catherine — Mon, 25 May 2026 07:03:38 +0000

Is there anything worse than being the ugly duckling in a family of gorgeous women? Yes. You could be mortal and they could be goddesses. That’s life for 17-year-old Meddy in I, Medusa by Ayana Gray, a refreshing retelling of the Greek myth about the monster Medusa. Meddy is a tomboy who loves books and […]

The post I, Medusa appeared first on The Gilmore Guide to Books.

The Poet Empress

Catherine — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 08:28:19 +0000

The Poet Empress is a debut by Shen Tao, set in 650AD China in the kingdom of Tensha. The current emperor is dying and two of his sons are vying for the throne. One of them, Terren, needs a bride and concubines, so a nationwide search is begun. During the approval process he randomly chooses […]

The post The Poet Empress appeared first on The Gilmore Guide to Books.

Spinning Silver

Catherine — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 08:46:45 +0000

In Spinning Silver author Naomi Novak takes the components of the fairytale Rumpelstiltskin and separates them in the same way the heroine in that story had to separate the straw to weave into gold. From seemingly unimportant, innocuous bits of chaff, Novak spins an entire storyline and then brings it all together for mesmerizing reading. […]

The post Spinning Silver appeared first on The Gilmore Guide to Books.

2025 Best Backlist

Catherine — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 08:57:57 +0000

I couldn’t exit the year without an acknowledgement of the backlist books that kept me afloat in 2025. While there were excellent new books released in 2025 these six special novels, all published in previous years found me when I needed books to provide an escape, thrill me, make me laugh, and even break my […]

The post 2025 Best Backlist appeared first on The Gilmore Guide to Books.

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang

Catherine — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 07:39:19 +0000

I’ve read and enjoyed both of R.F. Kuang’s adult novels (Babel, Yellowface) so was looking forward to her latest, Katabasis. A Greek word meaning “going down or descending” this chunky novel is about Alice Law, an American student getting her graduate degree in Magick from Cambridge. The title refers to Alice’s descent into Hell to […]

The post Katabasis by R.F. Kuang appeared first on The Gilmore Guide to Books.

Starter Villain

Catherine — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 07:12:23 +0000

Hello, lovely readers! You may have noticed that The Gilmore Guide to Books doesn’t look the way it usually does. Instead of brief excerpts of the books I’ve reviewed, the landing page now contains the full review for every book. It is clunky and not how I like things to look. Sadly, it’s been almost […]

The post Starter Villain appeared first on The Gilmore Guide to Books.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

Catherine — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 07:10:39 +0000

Sometimes all you need in your reading is a raucous tale of adventure and fun and I found it in Shannon Chakraborty‘s novel, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. Amina is a middle-aged woman, a mother, a former pirate who once captained the ship that terrorized merchants and the wealthy alike throughout the Indian Ocean. After […]

The post The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi appeared first on The Gilmore Guide to Books.

July Reading Wrap-Up

Catherine — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 07:40:17 +0000

My surprise over the disappearance of July probably comes as no surprise as I seem to lament how quickly the months go on a regular basis now. It’s a disconnect from the feeling that we’re years into this president’s term based on the chaos and toxicity. The only thing keeping my poor psyche from exploding […]

The post July Reading Wrap-Up appeared first on The Gilmore Guide to Books.

January Reading Wrap-Up

Catherine — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 08:28:54 +0000

Wrap-up is the perfect word for this January. One, it is COLD here in Seattle. Flannel sheets cold which makes for cozy reading. Two, for the first time in a very long time a month has felt like it lasted a year. I went from my normal head shake over “where did this month go” […]

The post January Reading Wrap-Up appeared first on The Gilmore Guide to Books.