History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

Review of The Hand of the Sun King by J. T. Greathouse

| March 10, 2021

J.T. Greathouse’s debut, The Hand of the Sun King (Gollancz, 2021), is an epic fantasy novel, the first in a planned trilogy. Set in a fantastical world of magic with a rich history, this novel fits beautifully into its genre while also addressing some failings of the genre by turning them on their head. The […]

World-Building Recommendation: World Roulette

| February 24, 2021

One of my recent Kickstarter rewards was the World Roulette Deck from Light Grey Art Lab. It’s a deck meant to assist in world building for creative projects, with a really interesting setup on the individual cards, which are meant to be stacked and layered in interesting combinations as you’re creating a world. As the […]

Review of Planet Fleep by Sherry D. Ramsey

| February 17, 2021

Sherry D. Ramsey’s Planet Fleep (2018) is written for kids between the ages of 9 and 12, but it’s an enjoyable book for older readers as well! With action, adventure, and science, it’s a brief but fun book about family and exploring a potentially dangerous planet with only wits and a teacher robot to protect the […]

TV Show Recommendation: WandaVision

| February 3, 2021

We normally don’t watch new shows as they air, because it’s hard for us to commit to sitting down to watching something weekly. But we’re making an exception for WandaVision, because it’s wonderful and weird, and we love it! It’s equal parts homage to classic television sitcoms and creepy weirdness. In some ways, it reminds […]

Review of Unnatural Order

| January 27, 2021

Unnatural Order, edited by Lyss Wickramasinghe and Alis Franklin (CSFG Publishing, 2021), is an anthology of stories of monstrous beings produced by the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild. The stories range widely under the speculative umbrella, with fantasy, science fiction, and horror all represented in the anthology’s pages. In a themed anthology, each author’s ideas on a […]

Review of The Dragon Stone Conspiracy: A Strowlers Novel by Amanda Cherry

| January 13, 2021

The Dragon Stone Conspiracy: A Strowlers Novel by Amanda Cherry (Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, 2021) is a tie-in novel to the Strowlers urban fantasy series from the creators of The Gamers. Set during World War II, this novel features action, adventure, and fighting against Nazis and the Third Reich, coupled with magic, fae, and a mysterious artifact. Pepper […]

Review of Hollow Skulls and Other Stories by Samuel Marzioli

| January 6, 2021

Hollow Skulls and Other Stories by Samuel Marzioli (JournalStone, 2021) is a collection of thirteen horror and otherwise dark short stories. The majority of the stories are previously published stories, while a few are new to this collection. One of Marzioli’s greatest strengths, showcased in this collection, is a sense of creeping dread that pervades […]

Review of Glitter + Ashes: Queer Tales of a World That Wouldn’t Die

| December 16, 2020

Glitter + Ashes: Queer Tales of a World That Wouldn’t Die, edited by dave ring (Neon Hemlock Press, 2020), is a collection of stories and a couple of poems about queer characters in a post-apocalyptic world. The stories range from funny to heartbreaking, while making stops at nearly every point in the range of human […]

Review of Among the Red Stars by Gwen C. Katz

| November 25, 2020

Among the Red Stars by Gwen C. Katz (Harper Teen, 2017) is a historical fiction novel featuring the Night Witches, the Russian women pilots who flew daring nighttime missions. While the details of the plot are slightly fictionalized, the novel adheres closely to the reality of the history of the Night Witches. The story revolves […]

Review of Moth and Spark by Anne Leonard

| November 4, 2020

Moth and Spark by Anne Leonard (Viking, 2014) is a fast-paced fantasy novel with intrigue, romance, and dragons. It’s packed with wonderful characters and a story that will make you not want to put the book down. The novel features two point of view characters, with alternating chapters. Corin, the male protagonist, is a prince […]