Oct 05 2026

The Secret World Of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham

This would have been way more successful for me were it the overly wordy storyboard for an anime — most likely a repetitively depressing one like Berserk — than an actual book.

And look, I get it. Depression sucks. It’s a legit mental illness that you can’t just will yourself out of. But that doesn’t mean that it automatically makes for interesting fiction. Reading this book was like listening to a depressed person drone on and on about their dreams. You have to really care about the speaker to do more than smile and nod and wait with increasing desperation for the monologue to be over. And I say this as someone who usually loves dissecting dreams, my own and others! But the experience of reading this book felt unfortunately like unpaid labor, which is not at all what I seek out or enjoy, especially from the YA fantasy genre.

The plot itself isn’t terrible. It’s sort of a dual timeline story of an eighteen year-old girl trying to survive in a war-torn landscape, and the mythical princess who lived there a century earlier. Corin is a petty thief whose focus on survival drives away everyone around her, including Elly, the younger sister she both adores and wishes she wasn’t saddled with. Elly is a twelve year-old who believes in the fairy tale that says that their kingdom will be restored once they find the hidden Princess Amelia and wake her. The princess’ royal blood is promised to bring Gyldan back to peace and prosperity. Corin doesn’t have time to believe in any of that, but chases after Elly when the younger girl goes off in search of the princess, eventually finding a portal into a completely unexpected place.

Meanwhile, the sleeping Amelia has retreated to the dream world she was cursed to fall into on her eighteenth birthday. As Amelia and Corin’s paths collide, will they be able to find the strength to overcome their own refusal to deal with the harsh truths of reality, and somehow find purpose?

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/10/05/the-secret-world-of-briar-rose-by-cindy-pham/

Oct 02 2026

Tantalizing Tales — October 2026 — Part One

The first weekly roundup of October has three awesome titles to choose from, beginning with a globe-trotting historical mystery reminiscent of both classic Sherlock Holmes and James Bond.

A E Goldin’s Death On The Pearl River is the sophomore novel of the Ben Canaan mystery series. It’s 1856 and young Ben has established himself as a star detective on the payroll of Her Majesty’s Executive, after successfully solving a string of challenging cases. The murder of a notorious crime boss in London’s East End draws him in to his latest assignment. Someone is targeting some of the most powerful men in the opium trade, and Ben’s investigations will send him all the way around the world to the newly founded British colony of Hong Kong.

This lawless frontier town on the southern edge of the Qing Dynasty would be challenging enough for a newcomer to navigate, even without the turmoil inherent in an empire on the brink of collapse and a nation on the verge of civil war. The prominent trading firms that run the town all have links to the murder victims and little interest in assisting a British interloper. The most ruthless corporate interests would rather just see him dead. As Ben confronts a labyrinthine conspiracy in pursuit of the truth — and to prevent more blood from being spilled — he’ll have to make hard choices between doing what’s necessary and what’s actually just.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/10/02/tantalizing-tales-october-2026-part-one/

Oct 01 2026

Fantome Oracle Deck by La Muci Design

Happy October, dear readers! I had a torrid time figuring out what to review to kick off the month, but what better choice than another amazing deck from La Muci Design! I’ve actually had this in my possession for quite a while, but only got around to opening the package I’d backed via Kickstarter last week, because the harvest moon and, sigh, football, reminded me that it was time to reset my energies and intentions after a summer of, perhaps counterintuitively, metaphysical rest and dormancy.

Some delulu background first: this past January, I semi-jokingly did a spell to help improve the scoring prowess of Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres. There were a lot of components, ofc, involving flame, crystal, metal, winter ice and moonlight, among others, but at the end, I kept the ice melt in a small container on my windowsill, to be deployed at some later determined time. Anyway, he turned into our most prolific scorer and was a significant part of Arsenal winning the English Premier League last season.

Perhaps coincidentally, I started getting a lot more tired than usual. By the end of the season, I was so exhausted that I told my Arsenal friends that I was done with spellwork for him. I’d been directing energy into our connection since that initial spell in January, and while I couldn’t say for sure that that had been draining me, it did seem like one thing I could finally cross off my to-do list. We’d won the league and he’d acquitted himself well for both club and country. “He’s a big boy,” I told my friends, “He doesn’t need me any more!”

Then the ’26-27 season started. Viktor was on the bench a lot and did not score for us when he did eventually come on the pitch. My friends were starting to look at me askance, but I was adamant about not channeling more energy into him… until he showed up in my dreams three nights in a row. And look, that never happens to me, even when I want it to. In an attempt to get him out of my subconscious and to hopefully sever the quantum bond between us (why, yes, I use a lot of crystals in my “magic”, which is energy-based and will likely be fully explained by science some hundred years in the future, lol,) I decided to do a cleansing ritual between the Autumn equinox and the harvest moon, using the ice melt I’d saved, an amethyst I hadn’t yet cleansed and various other witchy accoutrements.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/10/01/fantome-oracle-deck-by-la-muci-design/

Sep 30 2026

Spooky Scouts by Kimberly Shrack

I never know what surprises my kids any more. I recently sent my fifteen year-old this (to me, hilarious) video, and he responded with “Mom, what the fuck?!” Now, I thought you could see the end coming from a mile away, but he’d apparently never heard of the story of the Girl with the Green Ribbon, and was not ready for the jump scare at the end.

It was with that in mind that I started reading Kimberly Shrack’s Spooky Scouts. This adorable picture book tells the story of Luna, a wolf pup who is super excited to be going with the rest of her titular group on their annual camping trip. Scouting is one of her favorite activities, whether it be through earning merit badges, selling cookies or otherwise embodying the values of the Spooky Scouts pledge. The camping trip on the shores of Lake Eerie (teehee) is pretty much the highlight of her year.

But as the troop heads up to the top of Bonechill Hill to make camp, her skeleton pal Cal mentions that there’s going to be a full moon that night. Luna is immediately stricken. She’d totally forgotten what time of the month it is, and she’s scared that if the other monsters see her transform into an ick-tastic creature, they’ll think that she’s too weird to invite camping again. Will she be able to prevent her transformation, or at least successfully hide it from the other campers?

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/09/30/spooky-scouts-by-kimberly-shrack/

Sep 29 2026

I Won’t Pretend These Missiles Are Stars by The Cartoonist Collective

subtitled Life in Iran During the 12-Day War. And, to be more precise, by The Cartoonist Collective in Tehran.

Anonymity grants the artists and writers of The Cartoonist Collective the freedom to say what they really think about the Twelve Day War during which Israel attacked Iran, ostensibly to curb Iran’s nuclear capabilities. There’s no chauvinism here, barely even a sense of patriotism. And who can blame a group of people so exhausted by living under threat of annihilation, for something they didn’t do and have little way of changing, and especially not by virtue of having everything taken from them?

These fifteen autobiographical accounts detail the experiences of their authors as they endured the 2025 bombing of their city. Some stayed in Tehran throughout, while many fled, not all willingly. Almost everyone worried about their loved ones. While plenty of anger is directed at the bellicose aggressor playing god with their lives while pretending that they’re being treated fairly (telling people to evacuate before you bomb them does not mitigate the damage you’re inflicting on their lives otherwise,) just as much is directed at a regime that traffics in propaganda and oppression. I know that there are going to be some empathy-deficient and common sense-free morons saying “Well, if they don’t like it, they should change their government” while simultaneously eroding any infrastructure and stability Iranians might have from which to resist an already oppressive state. Too many dipshits don’t understand the efficacy of soft power, and too many of said people are currently in positions of global power.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/09/29/i-wont-pretend-these-missiles-are-stars-by-the-cartoonist-collective/

Sep 28 2026

The Genie Game by Jordan Ifueko

Every Jordan Ifueko book is a treat that also somehow manages to be incredibly healthy for your heart and your brain.

Her latest fantasy series debut is aimed at Middle Grade readers, and is set in a future/alternate earth that is still eminently recognizable. Valentine Adesanya has grown up in the city of GlossAngeles with one dream: to make it as a Feared and Fabulous Film Director. Her Nigerian immigrant parents don’t exactly approve — they would rather she find a more stable career — but she’s only thirteen, after all. There’s plenty of time for her to come to her senses, or so they believe.

Valentine’s world turns upside down when she receives a package one day which reminds her that she has an older sister. Vanessa had been everything to Valentine: a supportive, considerate sibling who strove to make up for their parents’ shortcomings. Yet somehow, Valentine and her parents had all forgotten that Vanessa even existed. Determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, Valentine heads out of IngleGloss and to the boba shop where Vanessa had texted her to meet.

Alas, it is a trap. Instead of finding her sister, Valentine is tricked into becoming part of the General Employee Network of Immortal Engineers, a secret workforce run by the Trio Trust that essentially controls all of North America. She can buy back her freedom by winning the Genie Game, where she and all the other “genies” compete to fulfil the wishes that power the Trio Trust. Valentine is understandably wary of doing anything that will enrich her captors, but soon discovers her own ability to subvert the system for the greater good. Will she be able to figure out where her sister is tho, and bring her home?

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/09/28/the-genie-game-by-jordan-ifueko/

Sep 25 2026

Tantalizing Tales — September 2026 — Part Four

It has gotten downright chilly here in Maryland, tho the weather report assures me that temperatures will go back to being pleasant over the next few days, thank goodness. I wonder whether that’s part of the reason I’ve been able to plow through books a little more quickly than usual lately, as I eschew walks outdoors for indoor spin sessions (with a good book!) instead.

We have plenty more books arriving soon to keep you company no matter the weather! The first is a terrific mash-up of historical romance, mystery and the paranormal, as enemies turn into lovers in Martha Waters’ charming new novel Spellstruck.

Magic has been outlawed in 1920s London, but families with the gift still exist, often running illegal speakeasies to cater to a public that still yearns for enchantment. Vesper Holloway runs her family’s club, sprinkling a little magic over the cocktails and into the patrons’ lives. But accidents — some that could be and are becoming increasingly dangerous — keep occurring, and not just in her establishment.

Maxwell Ashbridge is a government agent charged with enforcing the ban. He has a vendetta against the magical elite, but not against Vesper, whose older brother he was actually once friends with. Maxwell promises her immunity for the club if she’ll help him infiltrate the underground speakeasy scene in order to find and stop the source of the tainted magic that’s corrupting everyone’s businesses. Vesper is hesitant but agrees, even as she struggles against the growing attraction between them. As the accidents both continue and escalate, and the fight to repeal the ban makes its way to Parliament, will Vesper and Maxwell decide that their relationship is also worth fighting for?

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/09/25/tantalizing-tales-september-2026-part-four/

Sep 24 2026

Hugo Awards 2026: Winners

Back in April when the finalists for the 2026 Hugo Awards were announced, your Frumious Consorters talked about what we liked in the nominations, what we were excited to find out more about, and what we hoped to actually read. Curious to discover how things turned out and what the Consortium thought? Read on!

LAConV LogoDoug: The awards were awarded! A quick list of winners is here and the detailed report on votes and nominations is here. Who wants to kick off our round table of mixed metaphors?

Doreen: First off, thanks for the link to the report, that I absolutely pored over as I do every year! Just as interesting to me as knowing who won is knowing how the rest of the voting shook out. There were some surprises, especially in the categories Doug and I both managed to cover at TFC, but I think I’d like to talk about some of the non-surprises first. Such as A Wizard Of Earthsea‘s win in the Graphic Story category. I didn’t rate it highly myself, but I am completely unsurprised that more people were in agreeance with Doug and propelled it to the win. Also, apologies if I take a while to reply, I have been feeling rather poorly this last day or so and it has been vexing!

Emily: I read an email from Book Riot recently that described the Hugo as “Voted on by members, they fall somewhere between a typical literary award and a Goodreads Choice award: a popularity contest with a caveat.”

Personally, I’ve always considered the Hugo as a major professional award in SFF. Since you are both voters, how do you think of it?

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/09/24/hugo-awards-2026-winners/

Sep 23 2026

The Turn by Rachel Feder

Oh gosh, Idk why I didn’t think there would be actual monsters in this. I mean, the blurb is pretty straightforward about the book’s influences — primary among them being Henry James’ The Turn Of The Screw and J Sheridan LeFanu’s Carmilla — but I genuinely thought it would lean more towards a “did she or didn’t she see something?” psychological horror instead of being a straight up monster book.

And there’s nothing wrong with being a straight up monster book, as the second half ends up being. The first half, tho, is the gauzy MFA-esque writing that has the reader wondering how reliable this narrator is, really. The narrator in question for this novella is Baxter, a grad student who takes on a part-time nanny position in the mountain home of her gorgeous, talented professor Alison. As the novel begins, she’s been there for a while and now lives with the family, including Alison’s handsome scientist husband Seb and their two kids, Quinn and Thebes. The details are a little hazy, as is Baxter’s memory. She remembers that the pandemic hit and she agreed to move in, exchanging room and board and a small stipend for child-rearing duties and the close professional attention of one of her favorite teachers.

But there are uncanny lights in the yard at night, and Baxter keeps losing time. Her memories seem to warp as she sees things that can’t possibly be real. She keeps discovering inexplicable bruises on her body and her ex-boyfriend won’t stop texting, finally sending her a warning that she isn’t safe. Baxter figures that he’s just desperate for her attention, until Alison and Quinn disappear while Seb is on a research trip, leaving an increasingly disoriented Baxter alone with Thebes on the mountain.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/09/23/the-turn-by-rachel-feder/

Sep 22 2026

Milton Makes A Move by Jonathan Graziano & Dan Tavis

This cute picture book from the creator of the Noodles And The No Bones Day series (yes, based on the viral TikToks featuring the adorable and, alas, now deceased pug named Noodle) is a sweet look at the power of friendship, primarily between a brave little pug and his new owner.

Milton is a pug who was raised with lots of other dogs, exploring their shared backyard and having lots of fun little adventures with his animal friends. The other dogs sometimes talk about eventually going off to live with families of their own, but Milton doesn’t think that will happen for him… until it does!

He’s understandably worried, but like the brave little pug that he is, he gets on a plane and flies to meet his new owner. Will his new family’s house be nice for pugs, with lots of smells, friends and tasty snacks? His new owner is a man named Jonathan, who previously cared for another pug named Noodles. Jonathan’s house has lots of pictures of Noodles having adventures, which help reassure Milton. But no move is without its challenges, as Milton and Jonathan soon discover. Will they be able to settle in as a family, courageously facing life’s adventures together?

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/09/22/milton-makes-a-move-by-jonathan-graziano-dan-tavis/