by KRL Staff
Another year has ended and once again we take a look back at a few of the many books that were reviewed in KRL in 2020. 2020 was a year most of us want to forget, but one good thing that did happen is that a lot of great books were published! All but one of our main reviewers share in this post their top 5-10ish favorite books they reviewed in 2020. Katherine Costa wanted to include favorite authors and TV shows that she has reviewed, so hers went up in a separate post in this issue.
by Nicole Givens Kurtz
Throughout the challenging and often depressing year that is 2020, I found writing anything truly discouraging. Why write when a pandemic ravaged the world, Black Americans are being shot down in the streets, and unemployment surged?
by Sharon Tucker
& Jeri Westerson
I grew fond of Leopold Kazmer, The Great Enchanter, in his first adventure, The Daemon Device (2019), where he battled the encroaching demonic takeover of steampunk Victorian London and won. Of course, he had help, both natural and supernatural, and I hoped that all his cohorts and a few more would return when I learned the second in Jeri Westerson’s Enchanter Chronicles was coming.
by Kim Heniadis
Forzare! While Peace Talks was tepid, Battle Ground by Jim Butcher is on fire. Literally. And the storyline in this one is excellent too.
by Terry Ambrose
Mysterious Galaxy is an independent bookstore specializing in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, young adult, romance, and horror. Founded in 1992, the store has been an integral part of San Diego’s literary scene for readers ever since.
by Terrance McArthur
I am a fan of Anne Bishop’s The Others series and The World of The Others. I enjoyed paranormal danger that could be fatal without being graphic, love with shapechangers that wasn’t sexual, and wry commentary on everything from prejudice to government. From the “Also By” lists, I knew that Bishop had other books and other worlds in her writing, but I had never read any of them. Oh, boy.
by E.C. Ambrose
Until I started writing The King of Next Week, my historical research focused on the medieval period: surgery during the fourteenth century in Europe, clockworks in China during the Mongol invasions, references to werewolves in eleventh century Wales. But during a visit to Phippsburg, Maine, to give a talk about writing, I became intrigued by the history of the area.
by Terrance Mc Arthur
You may think it’s a jackrabbit, or someone you know, but….
If it bites you, the puncture wound begins to smoke.
It takes over your body and your life.
It uses you to kill to gain strength and power.
When there is no more use for you, it tosses your body aside and turns into smoke.
by Lorie Lewis Ham
& Jeri Westerson
Moonrisers is the first in a brand new series by author Jeri Westerson. It is a spin-off of her Booke of the Hidden series, which I really enjoyed. Moonrisers features the werewolf character Jeff Chase.
by Sarah Peterson-Camacho
When it comes to the imagination, the sky’s the limit for Gail Daley. With three science fiction and fantasy series underway, the Central Valley author feels as much at home exploring distant galaxies as she does creating memorable characters who leap off the page. Kings River Life spoke with Daley about inspiration, genre bending, and writing’s biggest rewards.
by Sarah Peterson-Camacho
It was like being struck by lightning—the sudden and electrifying urge to pick up a pen. And that was the moment that inspired Sierra Nevada fine artist Vicki Thomas to add “author” to her career title. Kings River Life spoke with Thomas about her remarkable journey as a young adult fantasy writer, as well as the adventures that await her young protagonist Ivan Kimble.
by Lorie Lewis Ham
& Jeri Westerson
The Darkest Gateway is the fourth and final book of the Booke of Hidden series by Jeri Westerson. The third book, Shadows in the Mist, left us hanging so I was anxiously awaiting this one.
by Terrance Mc Arthur
She’s a shape-shifting daughter of the god Coyote.
She’s married to the Alpha of a werewolf pack.
She has claimed the Tri-Cities of Washington under her protection.
She is rounding up a herd of zombie miniature goats.
by Lorie Lewis Ham
Grave Destiny is the latest in Kalayna Price’s urban fantasy series featuring grave witch Alex Craft. As a grave witch, Alex can speak to the dead, which has made her an asset to the local law enforcement and a possible threat to others. It has also helped her with her PI business.
