Starred Review Round-Up (9/9/19)

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An epic fantasy sequel + poetry + a Sherlockian mystery + Urban America + retellings of Ovid’s Metamorphoses = a stellar starred review round-up!

THE NAME OF ALL THINGS by Jenn Lyons

Lyons proves she is worthy of comparison to other masters of epic fantasy, such as Patrick Rothfuss, Stephen R. Donaldson (particularly in Grand Guignol action), and Melanie Rawn.”–Booklist, starred review

“The second of Lyons’s ‘Chorus of Dragons’ series (after THE RUIN OF KINGS) carries on the epic settings, memorable characters, and broad mythological foundations. Lyons is creating a complex and wonderful series that will immerse and delight.”–Library Journal, starred review

BE RECORDER: Poems by Carmen Giménez Smith

“Smith’s image-driven metaphors circle the ‘molten core of the real,’ articulating shared dilemmas while jolting the reader out of complacence.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

Giménez Smith asks key questions in roiled times, and her greatest strength is nailing an outsider’s raw uncertainty, assumptions never made, immunity never achieved.”–Library Journal, starred review

THE ADVENTURE OF THE PECULIAR PROTOCOLS: Adapted from the Journals of John H. Watson, M.D. by Nicholas Meyer

“Director and author Meyer puts his own stamp on the Holmes and Watson tradition, basing his story on historic events with contemporary relevance, as lies become accepted as truth by means of willful ignorance. Holmes enthusiasts will relish this well-crafted novel.“–Library Journal, starred review

Meyer cleverly plays with his audience’s expectations, noting at the outset that the case was one of Holmes’s rare failures. Sherlockians will hope for a shorter wait for his next pastiche.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

SAVING AMERICA’S CITIES: Ed Logue and the Struggle to Renew Urban America in the Suburban Age by Lizabeth Cohen

“One of America’s most controversial policies as seen through the career of one of its most outspoken advocates; an essential read.“–Library Journal, starred review

“Cohen has given readers a book as substantial and complex as the man and controversial movement it explains.”–Booklist, starred review

WAKE, SIREN: Ovid Resung by Nina MacLaughlin

“Provocative reinterpretations of some very old stories… Vital, vivid, and angry.“–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“The free mingling of ancient characters with elements of workaday modern life won’t please everyone, but open-minded readers should applaud the virtuosity and find much worth discovering in these memorable reinterpretations.”–Booklist, starred review

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