The Woman Who Loved Reindeer
What begins as an intriguing fantasy about a young seer raising a shapeshifting child takes an absolutely horrifying turn when their maternal relationship becomes romantic—while he's still underage. An emphatic DNF, because some things are too gross to read past.
From the Legend of Biel
A beautifully written premise about alien ruins and obsession gives way to an increasingly esoteric, talky, and relentlessly boring second half. If philosophical musings on the ordinary are your thing, this may work for you, but I hit my limit and gave up.
The Duchess of Kneedeep
A runaway duchess flees across an absurd planet where seemingly every man she encounters threatens her with sexual violence or murder. Tepid jokes, shallow characters, and a twist that trivializes her entirely reasonable fears made this supposed comedy impossible to finish.
Deryni Checkmate
After the brisk, satisfying intrigue of Deryni Rising, its sequel offers little but vague political unrest, religious persecution, endless dowry discussions, and characters who seem as bored as I am. I abandoned the book at page 78.
Dancer of the Sixth
A military intelligence agent discovers someone has stolen her former identity and must go undercover as herself to investigate. A terrific premise buried beneath bloated prose, tedious exposition, and a mystery that loses its tension almost immediately.
Silk Roads and Shadows
A Byzantine princess sets out on a perilous journey to China to steal silkworms and save her empire. A promising historical fantasy adventure, but frantic pacing, disorienting transitions, and careless prose made me abandon it after fifty pages.
An Exchange of Hostages
A compassionate surgeon is forced to train as a state-sanctioned torturer in a dystopian future. Brilliant psychological characterization initially had me hooked, but an abrupt turn toward sexual sadism made this a book I couldn't continue.
Joshua, Son of None
A scientist secretly preserves John F. Kennedy's DNA with the intention of cloning him. Intriguing, ambitious, and beautifully written—but its dense mixture of Norse mythology, metaphor, and scientific detail demanded more concentration than I was prepared to give.
The Dimensioneers
A teenage girl and her mutant lion leap between dimensions, pursued by hostile aliens. Unfortunately, fourteen pages of clumsy prose and bewildering action were more than enough to convince me to abandon the adventure.
King's Dragon
An intricately constructed medieval fantasy with a promising prologue, but its painstaking worldbuilding and a young woman's brutal loss of agency couldn't sustain my interest. After two attempts, I still couldn't finish it.
Tempus
I expected adventures worthy of my dog Niko. Instead, I found purple prose, endless flashbacks, uncomfortable philosophical arguments, and a Thieves’ World collection written for fans who already know the characters.
The Drastic Dragon of Draco, Texas
A Wild West fantasy promising dragons and cozy eccentricity turns into a tedious account of kidnapping, captivity, and everyday life, complete with unfortunate Native American stereotypes. I wanted more dragon and less everything else.
Wizenbeak
I needed a comforting fantasy after a particularly brutal book. Instead, I found two pages of awkward prose, baffling word choices, and enough editorial grievances to produce an entire line-by-line critique. Also: ratsters.
Dreamrider
A promising dream-world premise, a giant otter, and some of the most painfully stilted prose and dialogue I've encountered. I abandoned this one after eleven pages, with absolutely no regrets.
The Witches
Twenty-eight pages into this literary tale of witchcraft, I surrendered to its relentlessly philosophical narrator. Not necessarily a bad book, but one whose storytelling style is spectacularly incompatible with mine.
Eldrie the Healer
A bastard princess who mistakes being perpetually furious for being strong, a companion whose personality changes by the page, and fifty pages of characterization so frustrating I gave up.
Lords of the Triple Moons
Andre Norton recommends it, the cover promises glorious pulp, and the prose is lovely. Unfortunately, every interesting event seems to happen between chapters. I gave up on page 34.
Dragon's Pawn
A computer programmer named Noble King gets whisked into a fantasy quest. Clumsy prose, casual sexism, an abandoned cat, and an unfortunately attractive fennec fox put an end to my reading.
The Guardsman
An imperial guard torn between loyalty and rebellion sounds promising. Unfortunately, 75 pages of lazy sexism, muscular lionmen, and painfully elaborate mirror descriptions were more than enough.
The Wave and the Flame
Gorgeous cover. Epic premise. Forty pages of tedious meteorology, catty scientists, and prose so overwrought that a mischievous dwarf finally drove me to give up.