Summon The Keeper, and The Second Summoning, by Tanya Huff (DAW, 1998/2001)

Most people don’t realize it, but the veil separating our world from the countless, unimaginable horrors of Hell is a thin one, often frayed almost to the point of breaking, and very little stands between us and horrible, messy deaths, … Continue reading

Lips Touch: Three Times, by Laini Taylor and illustrated by Jim Di Bartolo (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2009)

Kissing is the underlying theme of these three novellas, as Taylor weaves a set of stories highly reminiscent of Tanith Lee‘s Flat Earth series. “Goblin Fruit” is a literal and metaphorical descendant of Christina Rosetti’s “Goblin Market”, in which a … Continue reading

The Demon’s Lexicon, by Sarah Rees Brennan (McElderry Books, 2009)

Brothers Nick and Alan have been fighting magicians and demons all their lives, one step ahead of the forces intent on killing or exploiting them, all thanks to the magical talisman keeping their insane mother alive. It gets decidedly more … Continue reading