Nerdist: Each sentence, each description of action, each joke — it all hits you right between the eyes in the exciting head rush sort of way. No space is wasted, and we dive deep inside the inner workings of our lead characters. […] Wendig neatly captures the current states of the Empire and Rebel Alliance and does so through flawed, real, and nuanced characters. His writing gets you up close and personal with anyone we come in contact with, whether we spend chapters with them or only a few pages. Wendig does wonders with dialogue and voice and carving out space for everyone to breathe. Aftermath is a strong foot forward into unexplored territory and puts down just enough foundation that you can start picturing the Resistance and First Order of The Force Awakens taking shape.
Sep 102015
September 10, 2015
RT Book Reviews: The Matchmaking Babies series continues as Lord Arthur Trelawney decides to spend more time with the rescued orphans staying at his family’s estate. Arthur believes it a splendid idea, particularly if he courts a widowed acquaintance with two babies. However, that was before it put him in close proximity with lovely nurse Maris Oliver. Maris is drawn to Arthur, but she also knows he’s getting ready to woo someone else. Not only that, but they are both hiding secrets that could threaten their developing relationship. Lord Trelawney is a wonderful, gallant hero, and his slow-building love story with Maris is one to enjoy. This is a candid reminder that no matter the situation, the Lord’s hand is always upon us.
VOYA TLT: First of all, let’s get the names of all 17 authors out there so you can start to understand exactly how phenomenal this book is: Steve Brezenoff, Beth Revis, Tom Leveen, Delilah S. Dawson, Margie Gelbwasser, Shaun David Hutchinson, Trish Doller, Christine Johnson, Neal and Brendan Shusterman, Blythe Woolston, E.M. Kokie, Elisa Nader, Mindi Scott, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Kendare Blake, Hannah Moskowitz, and Courtney Summers.
Shelf Awareness: A heart-pounding story of suspense and a cautionary tale about the invasion of privacy as well as the dangers of an over-reaching government. It’s a lot to pack into one book, but Wendig pulls it off with aplomb, peppering his writing with pop culture references, clever jokes and detailed technical research that will delight those who love computers, clever sci-fi novels and those who love to see the two combined.
Publishers Weekly: Butcher (the Dresden Files series) opens the imaginative Cinder Spires series with this sweeping fantastical epic with pseudo-Victorian sensibilities. In this strange realm, some cataclysm has left the surface world uninhabitable, but the ancient Builders created spires that stretch miles into the sky. Transportation, trade, and warfare are conducted by way of airships. The AMS Predator is captained by Francis Grimm, formerly of the Albion Fleet, and when Grimm’s quick action saves his spire from a devastating attack, he and several members of the Spirearch’s Guard are sent on a secret assignment to prevent disaster. After a slower-paced start that sets up a multitude of story lines and viewpoint characters, each of those threads is woven into a fascinating, adventurous, and intricate story. 
B&N Sci-fi & Fantasy: Wendig’s below-the-belt approach to storytelling is, for lack of a coarser word, charming, mixing humor and horror into a nifty blob. He works in constant quick jabs, never afraid to mangle and mutilate characters at a moment’s notice. Blackbirds unspools with the frenzy of a bag of mad cats, an unpredictably energetic thriller with a supernatural hook.
InStyle: Leah Ferguson’s debut follows a 30-year-old pregnant woman wondering “what if” in a captivating Sliding Doors-like scenario. Join the conversation using #instylebookclub.