daniel josé older – Cannonball Read 17

Even better than the first

Shadowhouse Fall by Daniel José Older

January 27, 2019 by yesknopemaybe Leave a Comment

I don’t usually go 4 years between reading a book and its sequel. Sometimes I’ll try and keep up as the books come out and more often, I’ll just wait until they all come out so I don’t forget what happened previously while waiting for the new book. However, this was available through my library right away while I was looking for something to read so I decided to give it a go, hoping the story would come back to me. I’m so glad I […]

“Her voice carried the voices of a hundred thousand souls in it; a whole history of resistance and rage moved with her.”

May 30, 2017 by alwaysanswerb Leave a Comment

3.5 stars And my cantankerous/ambivalent streak continues. Shadowshaper had so many the elements of a book I should have really liked: an inventive, unique fantasy and magic practice, a foundation in folklore that hasn’t been done to death, a dynamic protagonist, and a diverse, reliable, realistic support system for that protagonist. Additionally, the audiobook was masterfully performed by Anika Noni Rose, making Shadowshaper a joy to listen to. But something about the book, that I can’t quite put a finger on other than having this […]

Boulevard of Half-Dead Dreams

January 9, 2017 by Lipton 2 Comments

Action! Adventure! Swashbuckling! Spectral bazookas! Star-crossed, undead lovers, and a trans pirate ghost! This book has a little something for everyone and a lot of everything to love.

A must read for urban fantasy fans

October 27, 2015 by yesknopemaybe 1 Comment

I enjoyed Older’s Half-Resurrection Blues, but adored Shadowshaper. He really brought a magical alternative Brooklyn to life with this tale. Sierra Santiago is a normal teenager excited for her summer break. She’s going to hang out with friends and spend her time painting murals around the city, until a creepy guy crashes the first party of the season and ends up chasing her. Combined with some weird occurrences like a mural weeping and her incapacitated abuelo repeating the same phrase over and over, she knows […]

Good Plot, Good Characters, Great Setting

August 9, 2015 by yesknopemaybe Leave a Comment

Hey look, it’s an urban fantasy that actually takes place in a realistic urban setting. There are people of many ethnicities and the city has pockets of different cultures. These writing choices by Daniel José Older really lend the fantastical elements a heavy dose of realism. It’s refreshing. That realistic setting and Older’s imaginative world building made Half-Resurrection Blues a very enjoyable read. Carlos Delacruz isn’t really alive, but he’s not quite dead either. He’s an inbetweener, someone who lives between the world of the […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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