Petra Mayer

A Bird-Watching Babe In The Woods Stumbles Toward Maturity

Petra Mayer — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:03:00 +0000

Oh no, I thought, cracking open Brian Kimberling's debut novel, Snapper. It's a collection of linked stories. Starring an aimless birdwatcher. Who drives an ancient, glitter-encrusted pickup truck named Gypsy Moth and has a grand passion for an honest-to-God Manic Pixie Dream Girl with red hair, floaty dresses, a flute and a killer pancake recipe. And her name is Lola. Lola! I was braced for a thorough beat-down with the dreaded Whimsy Hammer.

But then the book ...

Samba, Spiderbots And 'Summer' Love In Far-Future Brazil

Petra Mayer — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:27:00 +0000

In the 17th century, fugitive slaves founded a free community in the mountains of northeastern Brazil. They called it Palmares.

Questions For Alaya Dawn Johnson, Author Of 'The Summer Prince'

Petra Mayer — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:03:00 +0000

Alaya Dawn Johnson has written a number of novels for adults (including the delightful Zephyr Hollis series), and now she's venturing onto the young adult shelves with The Summer Prince, a complex science-fiction narrative set in post-apocalyptic Brazil. The action takes place in the city of Palmares Tres, which is entirely contained in a giant pyramidal structure on a bay, surrounded and fed by giant algae vats.

For 'Wheel Of Time' Fans, The Last Battle Is At Hand

Petra Mayer — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 11:15:00 +0000

It's the moment fantasy fans have been waiting for (really!): After more than 20 years, and 13 doorstopper volumes, the last book in the best-selling Wheel of Time series comes out Tuesday. The series unfolds an epic battle between good and evil — think Game of Thrones but more so: more characters, more magic, more tiny little world-building details, more everything.

And I've read all 14 of them. Plus the prequel.