Sleepwater Static, crafted by Kathrin Hutson, is a near-future science fiction that glues you to the pages with a meticulous combination of nostalgia and momentum. While I haven’t read the first book in the series, this easily stands on its own, with the questions and callbacks well-crafted enough for me to enjoy the mystery, rather than be left wanting. The prejudice against those who can tell special stories is backlit with historic moments of racism and homophobia, a juxtaposition that is honest and pointed, without becoming didactic. This is exactly the series our world needs to see today.

Hutson slips from the present--a group of fugitive adults hiding out in an abandoned cabin while one of their members labors with childbirth--to letters and events from the main character, Bernadette’s, past. The characters, who can each spin a magical “beat” with their words, are unique and distinct. Huston weaves an honest portrayal of a found-family without slipping into the stereotypes of many ensemble casts. Like the “beats” themselves, this story oozes with intricate subtlety and pacing that slips between languishing summer and biting action. 5 out of 5 stars!

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*I received an Advance Review Copy in exchange for my honest opinion*

So honored Aurealis chose to review Lightning and Flames!  I'm glad they caught on to Alea and Arman's somewhat dysfunctional relationship--it's something a lot of people miss when they expect a romance.

The second book in V S Holmes’ Blood of Titans: Reforged series begins slow, but
burns towards an explosive finale worthy of the forces in its name.
More introspective and character-driven than its predecessor, Lightning and
Flames picks up the protagonists broken by events of the first book and charts how
they reforge themselves through training, politics and magically-augmented physical
changes.

This is where the novel shines brightest—Arman and Alea’s struggle to make
sense of their powers and their feelings for each other is tumultuous, and royal scion
Brentimir’s battle between his duty and his sense of self is engaging, if a little focused
on world-building for the sequels...As a set piece, Holmes’ prose perfectly illustrates the incredible, world-shaking horror unleashed when Alea and Arman’s magic clashes with that of the gods...read more