Travis

Worm by Wildbow is an epic, gritty superhero story nearly half the length of Wheel of Time. It's told in 1st person from the perspective of a teenage girl, but includes a huge cast of heroes, villains, regular people, and everything in between.

Worm was originally released as a web serial, though there are ebook and audio versions available if you search around.

A large portion of the story takes place in Brockton Bay, a fictional city located in the northeastern United States. It's similar to our world, except that a mysterious flying man appeared in 1982, and soon after people began to develop superpowers.

Roughly 30 years later, powers are a regular part of life. People with powers are known as capes, and they align themselves as hero, villain, or rogue. Villains can either be out for themselves or form criminal organizations, and rogues are pretty much anyone who doesn't want to pick sides.

There are government-sponsored programs to train minors with abilities, a Protectorate of heroes that maintain the law, and scientific classifications for every type of power. Different countries handle their powered citizens differently. One of the more interesting things about Worm is that the entire world plays a role. There's no “well why didn't Superman help out with this fight?” kind of issues that can occur in shared universes.

The main character is a girl named Taylor. She starts as a bullied teenager and slowly manages to forge a place for herself in the world through her rational thinking and ruthlessness. There's a huge supporting cast of heroes and villains that you get to spend time with, and occasional interludes give you POV perspectives from many of them. Even minor characters feel like they could have full stories written with them as the star. Some heroes descend into madness, some villains have chances at redemption, and others are just trying to fit in.

The web serial is divided into four or five major plotlines, each with its own story that is part of a greater whole. The overarching story is pretty much Taylor's rise to power in a world that is quickly going to shit. There are straight up evil villains, humanized and relatable villains, and monstrous forces of nature to overcome. For a story that starts out following high school bullying, the ending is incredibly epic in scope.

Lots of people will tell you that Worm is hard to put down. Part of that is because of the way it was written: two chapters a week, each with a satisfying conclusion that leads directly into the next chapter. The other reason is that the action constantly escalates. The motto of Worm is and then it got worse.

This is Wildbow's first published story, and it shows at times. There are a few instances where minor plotlines are included that should probably have been cut if the series had a dedicated editor. Most of the prose is pretty straightforward, but there are quite a few memorable lines of dialogue.

If you wish that superhero stories were internally consistent, had less goody-two-shoes, and had characters that actually used their powers intelligently, you might really enjoy this. For me, this story actively tried to fix most of my common complaints about Marvel and DC stories. The pacing is very fast, with the action constantly ramping up. If you get into this, you'll find yourself wondering where the last three hours of your life went while reading.

Why might you want to avoid this? First, it's LONG. It's the same length as the first 5 ASOIAF books. Also, it's essentially unedited. The author released 2-3 chapters a week for years. As such, it's not as polished as some other books (though the copy-editing is actually quite good). Several sections of the story could have been trimmed a lot. It's also pretty damn dark, and the gore is similar to Joe Abercrombie's First Law series. Finally, the first 10% or so of the story follows a “bullied high school teen” plotline, which is definitely one of the weaker parts of the story and often turns people off.

Most people who finish Worm rave about it. To be fair, they liked it enough to finish. If at this point you're still interested in trying out Worm, you might love it.

At its heart, The Raven Boys is about five high school students who are searching for the long lost tomb of an ancient Welsh king. There's a lot that happens around this goal, but that's to be expected from a series that is 100% character driven instead of plot driven.

One thing that really pains me about this series is that it's marketed so heavily as a YA paranormal romance. While this series has each of these individual elements, there is just SO MUCH MORE that sets it apart from other books in this subgenre (and other books in general). The blurb for the first book, The Raven Boys, focuses almost entirely on two characters. The series really has four or five main characters, and all of them are pretty much equally important to the story and compelling as a reader.

Most of the story takes place in Henrietta, Virginia, a rural town with an expensive private high school. There's no vampires or werewolves, so the story almost feels like it could happen in real life. The way magic is handled almost makes me want to label the series as magic realism, though I'm pretty sure it's actually closer to mythic fantasy. There's an air of mystique that makes the magic feel, well, magical, but you always have a pretty good idea of what is and isn't possible. This gives the series a grounded feel.

Maggie Stiefvater has pretty much mastered the art of show vs. tell. The characters quickly immerse you in the story and behave as if they are real, complex people. You find that you have a pretty good idea how most characters will react before they do, not because they are predictable but because you feel like you know them as real human beings. The main characters also encompass many of the key struggles teens go through. Issues like gender, sexuality, money, abuse, love, grades, extra jobs, and a desire to make a difference in the world are all important to the series.

Honestly, this is the weakest element of the series. The plot is always moving forward, but at times its progression is so subtle you don't realize it. This is not a fast-paced, action-packed series. The drive to keep reading comes from the characters and the slowly unfolding mystery. When I finished the first book, the plot almost made me leave the series. I loved everything about the first book, but it was slow. I'm glad I stuck with it (and book 2 has drag racing, so yeah). One thing I noticed is that the “forbidden romance” trope is not so much a plot as it is an added complexity in the relationship between two characters.

The pacing for this series is a bit slow, especially in the first book. I almost didn't continue the series, but I am so incredibly glad that I did.

One of the best parts of Maggie Stiefvater's writing is her prose. I don't mean purple prose or long-winded descriptions. Stiefvater consistently drops line after memorable line that leaves you thinking long after you hear them.

If you like thoughtfully written characters, slowly unfolding mysteries, and realistic romance, you might love this series. Plus, there's some really cool stuff along the way, like talking trees, time travel, and dragons. There's also a TV series in the works!

On the other hand, these books can be slow. The characters steal the show, but that happens at the expense of plot and pacing. If this is a deal-breaker for you, you might want to avoid this series.

If you enjoy audiobooks, I can't recommend this series enough. Will Patton has an incredible voice and masters the art of making each POV instantly recognizable, even without dialogue. Plus, the author even composed and performed original music for the series.

This book hits the ground sprinting, with the princess going missing within the first couple of pages. It never lets up, partly because the entire story takes place over a mere five and a half days. Taskin, the formidably competent commander of the royal guard, and Mykkael, the scarred veteran with a deadly past, are tasked with recovering the princess before it is too late.

The first half of the story follows Taskin's handling of court intrigue and Mykkael's investigation into the princess's disappearance. Throughout this part of the book, everyone is wondering about Mykkael's true motives. Is he the kingdom's best chance to save the princess or was he behind her disappearance? It's sort of like a fantasy Sherlock Holmes where Sherlock is scary good at killing. The second half of the story catapults into classic sword swinging, demon fighting, breakneck adventure. I'd say more but I don't want to give anything away.

The kingdom of Sessalie is small and isolated from the surrounding nations by mountains. While this might offer some measure of protection, it also serves to foster prejudice and closed-mindedness towards other cultures. As a result, most characters are fairly hostile towards Mykkael, refusing to even pronounce his name correctly.

There is also a host of totally awesome fantastical elements to this book. Shapeshifting demon sorcerers? Check. Ferocious dragon/bird hybrids? You betcha.

The main character, Mykkael, has somewhat of a tragically brutal back story, which is slowly revealed throughout the book. His skin color keeps people constantly mistrustful of him since people from the desert are often associated with sorcery or savagery. As if it wasn't hard enough to unravel the mystery of the disappearing princess, Mykkael also has to overcome the suspicions (and sometimes outright racism) from higher society.

There are some truly incredible side characters in this story. Taskin is competent and just, but bound by duty. The missing princess, Anja, really puts the “strong” in strong female characters. And of course, there are the horses. Janny Wurts has a passion for horses in real life, and it really shines in this book. The horses feel like real characters, not just a convenient way to get from point A to point B.

This book is packed with tension, with the entire plot taking place in less than a week. You'll be kept at the edge of your seat.

And the prose, well, beautiful almost doesn't do it justice. Each word is chosen with care. This can take some getting used to (I think it took me about 50 pages to really adjust), but once you do it really enriches the experience.

Read this book if you like tales of intrigue, adventure, and complex morality.

Read this book if you want great characters and tight plotting.

If you dislike dense prose or need a 100% happy ending, this might not be for you.

The awesome military battle sequences will lure you in to this book, but the characters will make you stay.

The world is very similar to 1800s Earth. This book takes place largely in the colonial desert country of Khandar and the following books take place in a fantasy analogue of a country similar to France.

Most characters in the world don't believe in magic, thinking it died out hundreds of years ago. Those who can use magic are few and far between, with most belonging to a super secret cult of religious fanatics. One of the best parts is the world allows for MAGICAL SUPERPOWERS while still having a pretty defined set of rules.

Wexler uses in-world swearing like Sanderson, McClellan, or really a whole host of fantasy authors. However, he mixes it in with traditional swearing, with my personal favorite being “brass balls of the beast.”

The two main POVs in the first book are Winter and Marcus.
Winter is a woman masquerading as a man in order to join the army. This type of thing can feel cliche, but holy crap is this done well. She finds herself thrust into a position of command and has to win the loyalty of her troops throughout the campaign. This is one of my favorite tropes and Wexler nails it. If you like Kaladin's Bridge Four arc in The Way of Kings, you'll probably love Winter.

Marcus is an officer in one of the army's colonial garrisons and he finds himself in charge of a bunch of demoralized and beaten troops. He is more than a little old-fashioned in his worldview and it is incredibly satisfying to see his development.

While not a POV character, Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich arrives to whip what's left of the army into shape. He is eccentric as hell but an absolute genius. Wexler really nailed Janus's character: he's engimatic, a little unsure how to act around people, but he is brilliant and proves it on multiple occasions each book.

Read this series if you like strategic military campaigns, think guns in fantasy are awesome, and enjoy reading excellently written female characters!

Read this series if you like revolutions, demons, and interesting portrayals of religion!

Phil Tucker's ability to consistently churn out high quality books in a variety of subgenres never ceases to amaze me.

Death March was my introduction to LitRPG and I freakin loved it. Nightmare Keep pressed the accelerator even further and watching Chris level up while trying to save his friend kept me on the edge of my seat.

After killing the ogres and the wyvern, Chris was taken to see the dread lord, the undead being responsible for destroying the Cruel Winter guild. Chris is given the task of searching for the treasure hidden in Nightmare Keep. Which, coincidentally, is also where Lotharia is hiding after being overtaken by necrotic energy. But Chris isn't the only person the dread lord has hired, and the competition is deadly.

I have to admit that I was expecting Chris to explore more of the vast world of Euphoria Online. Instead, it looks like we might spend the entire trilogy in the former Cruel Winter city.

And you know what? I'm okay with that. In fact, I think it's better this way.

Instead of expanding the game world, Nightmare Keep delves into the characters and hints at the broader mystery behind Albertus Magnus and the AI's plans for the world. Even the character I hate the most (Brianna, obviously) is written to be somewhat sympathetic.

And as always, Vikas Adam (the audio narrator) breathes life into these already vivid characters.

If you're looking fun adventure with lovable characters and that immersive feel of an MMORPG, you're in for a good time with this book.

The Court of Broken Knives blew me away with its stunning prose and compelling characters. It set the bar very high for any books that might follow it.

Let's get this out of the way right now: The Tower of Living and Dying does not disappoint. Far from it. It sets the gold standard that all other grimdark books must measure themselves against.

Picking up immediately after the events of the first book, The Tower of Living and Dying follows Marith and Thalia as they deal with the aftermath of their victory over Marith's father, the king. Gathering his army, Marith is determined to fulfill his destiny as Amrath reborn.

Back in Sorlost, Orhan is still the Emperor's Nithque and enjoying his newfound power. Things don't go quite as smoothly as he'd like.

This book takes the time to dive deeply into each of the characters. Thalia has to wrestle with the moral dilemma that comes with loving someone as wantonly destructive as Marith. Marith is a textbook narcissist who may just happen to be a god. Orhan finally has the power he's always wanted, but it doesn't make him happy.

Parts of the story veered into my least favorite fantasy trope: birds-eye views of long battles where character stakes are replaced by tedious descriptions of military tactics. I understand why this was necessary for the book, but it's something that I rarely enjoy.

That said, the book was just so damn compelling that I loved it anyway.

If possible, the prose is even more fascinating than the previous book. At times, the author winks at the readers and breaks the fourth wall...and it's incredible.

Overall, this was a beautifully written story about hopelessly damaged people wreaking havoc in the world as they try to find their place in it. I can't wait for the final installment of the trilogy!

Fans of grimdark, Anna Smith Spark is an author to keep your eyes on. She's bound for great things.

Instead of writing a single review for the anthology or writing a short review of all 15 stories, I'll leave you with my thoughts on my five favorites from the anthology:

I, Kane by Laura M. Hughes

Just...wow. Written in the form of a one sided-rant as a powerful dragon addresses a human scribe, this was a blast to read. Kane completely steals the show in his own story, full of personality and sarcasm.

For the record, 'tis evening—about teatime, in fact—the eighth full moon of the Year of the Flaming Maw, etcetera, etceter— No, don't actually write ‘etcetera', fool!

A Simple Thing by Bryce O'Connor

And They Were Never Heard From Again by Benedict Patrick

The First Thread by Alec Hutson

Into the Woods by Timandra Whitecastle

Look. This wasn't bad. But people are telling me it's pretty much the best WoT gets and I find myself looking for excuses to do anything but listen to it.

...see you again in three years when my guilt over buying these in pretty hardcover outweighs my memory of actually reading them.

The world of Monstress is set in an alternate Asia around the 1920's, taking place in a matriarchal steampunk society. If I had to compare it to other fantasy works, I'd say it's a mix of Legend of Korra and Shadow of the Colossus.

Also, the worldbuilding is crazy good. You don't see much worldbuilding like this in comics (not that I've read nearly enough comics to say for sure). There's a bit of a steep learning curve at first as you get used to the world, but it's worth it. However, it's not for the faint of heart, exploring topics like cannibalism, lynchings, and child slavery.

One of the interesting things about Monstress is that its cast is almost exclusively female. This builds into the world's matriarchal society and explores one of the series' central themes: the friendship between women.

There's a broad cast of characters, though the main focus is Maika Halfwolf, an Arcanic who can pass for human. She was a prominent figure in the devastating war between Arcanics and Cumea, but now she just wants to learn what happened to her mother. Vengeance would be nice, too.

Supporting Maika on her journey is another Arcanic, Kippa. She's an adorable and fiercely loyal half-girl, half-fox who is held prisoner by the Cumea along with Maika. It's easy to identify with her because she starts out knowing about as much as we do about what's going on.

The real hero of the main trio is Master Ren. Master Ren dabbles in assassination, necromancy, sarcasm, and quoting poetry. Oh, and he's a cat. With two tails. If you liked Mogget from Garth Nix's Abhorsen series, you're gonna love Ren.

The events of the main story kick off years after a disastrous battle between the Arcanics, magical creatures who sometimes look human, and Cumea, an order of sorceresses who derive their power from consuming Arcanics. Did I mention the story is a little dark?

Our fearless heroine, Maika Halfwolf, is determined to learn the truth about her dead mother and avenge her if needed. She's not afraid to kill those who stand in her way, and can be more than a little monstrous at times. The story opens Maika and Kippa being sold into slavery to the witches at the Cumea, with flashbacks providing some background about how Maika got into her current situation.

Things quickly escalate, both in the action and mystery. You quickly learn that Maika is not all that she appears, and might be hiding a dark secret.

It's a little hard to judge a graphic novel for it's prose, so I'll stick to pacing.

Expect to be confused at times. Not everything makes sense at first, but you probably won't ever be totally lost and wondering what the hell just happened. Each of the six comic issues in this volume is followed by a lecture by the esteemed Professor Tam Tam, the most knowledgeable feline you're likely to see illustrated. I thought this was a nice way to avoid info dumps but still fill you in on things you wouldn't be able to pick up on otherwise.

I'm not an experienced comic reader, so I can sometimes get confused about the order in which panels should be read. Thankfully, Monstress is really clear about this. I always knew which panel to read next without thinking about it.

Holy shitballs the art is fantastic. Co-creator and artist Sana Takeda does an incredible job. Every time I've seen Monstress discussed, people mention how amazing the art is. Don't believe me? Just look at how people are drawn:



The cities are darkly beautiful as well:



If you like amazing visuals, extensive worldbuilding, dark fantasy, or steampunk, you need to read this. It's a low investment (about half the price of graphic novels of similar length), and worth every copper.

However, the story is dark. People die and it isn't always pretty. The amazing art can sometimes be bloody (though typically not gruesome), and occasionally downright creepy. This is NOT a story where good triumphs over evil, mostly because things like good and evil aren't black and white. Since this is the start of what will likely be a story of epic proportions, it feels like this volume ends right when things start getting really great.