As we come to the end of another month, and as we had so many fantastic contributors enter our ranks, we thought it would be a fun idea to wrap up the month with a list of our favorite things of March 2023. Whether it was a book we read, a movie or show we watched, a game we played or something else entirely, this is a rundown of some great recommendations.
The Biased Bibliophile
Reading The Intervening by Wes Dyson was my favorite SFF-related thing from March. The novel is a prequel to Dyson’s debut book and is set to be published in a definitive edition of Myracles in the Void this summer. It is filled with political intrigue, humor, a strong theme of hope, and one of the most clear yet complex magic systems I’ve ever read. If you’re looking for a unique fantasy book, you cannot go wrong with Wes Dyson! You can learn more about the Myraverse at Wes’s website: www.wesdyson.com
A couple runners-up for my favorite thing of the month:
1. J.A. Andrews’ Kickstarter for her debut book, A Threat of Shadows, which was not only funded, but reached all of the stretch goals. This beautiful special edition will be the first book in my collection to have hubs! And, if you’re sad that you missed the Kickstarter, don’t be! Janice is going to be setting up a shop to sell this special edition. If you want to be notified when the shop is up and running, you can subscribe to her emails on her website: https://www.jaandrews.com/
2. Designed by @rosdottir, the OwlCrate Miracles for Breakfast Strange the Dreamer blanket is so soft and cozy!
Esmay Rosalyne
So, I wanted to spotlight Renia by Karl Forshaw, because it is one of my favourite books of the year so far. This is the type of story that reminds me of why I love to read, it was so imaginative and completely transported me into another (fascinating) world.
I also really appreciated how fresh and unique it felt, it really stands out from the crowd. This sci-fantasy has elements of mystery, dystopia and light horror, which makes it just a beautiful genre-blendy gem of a book! If you like the sound of a dark, character-focused fantasy with mystifying world building, riveting mysteries, unexpected twists and all the emotional gut-punches, then this is the perfect book to check out!
Grim Irishman
My favourite read this month was Dreaming the Eagle, the first in Manda Scott’s quartet about the ancient warrior queen, Boudica. It is a story of family, loyalty, war and magical dreams, a story that hooked me from page one and did not let me go until the heartbreaking end. Scott’s writing is phenomenal with its beautiful prose, deep characterisation and heartfelt moments, made even more special by the way it blurs the line between historical fiction and fantasy. I highly recommend this book to fans of both genres.
J Caro James
RESIDENT EVIL IV REMAKE
After the relative meh that was Resident Evil VIII, the RE IV remake was a blood-drenched, chaotic joy to play. Some awesome gameplay changes have been implemented since 2005 that make it much more playable, kicking the pacing and action into an even higher gear.
HBO’s THE LAST OF US
No surprise here — TLOU TV adaptation was a stunningly epic, beautiful homage to the original game. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are perfectly cast, and seeing so many scenes play out shot-for-shot was incredible. I can’t wait to have my heart obliterated by season two.
Kay’s Hidden Shelf
Priestess of Moonlight by K.E. Andrews is a beautiful short story depicting a unique priestess, trapped as a bird in a cage and plotting her escape. The characters have such depth and nuance to them that I forgot this was only 29 pages long! Aysel’s predicament and relationship with the King are compelling. Not only that, but K.E. Andrews also covers a complex theme, gives us captivating world building with history, along with nuanced characters, and relationships.
Lisa
I have too many faves to name but for March I would say that when it comes to TV – Moonknight is a fave for he. It touches mental health issues as well as giving you the Marvel touch!
Books – A fave has to be Jade War – It has so many twists and turns and I was stressed but loved it so much.
Maddy
My favorite SFF read for March is Weyward, which was published March 7th. I love the different timelines that are connected through these 3 strong and relatable women. The writing style and character arcs are great.
Nathan
I’m not sure it is the best thing I have watched, but the most underrated thing I have watched is Wrecked, a queer horror comedy that is a slasher-film mystery set on a cruise ship. It is funny, clever, and surprisingly deep within the absolutely absurdist world that it creates. And keeping with the theme of murder mysteries, The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older was both riveting and comforting – who isn’t intrigued by a sapphic murder mystery set on Mars? See my full review here.
I also want to shoutout everyone who helped organize the #transrightsreadathon this month!
And what higher entity did I please to start having new episodes of Succession and Yellowjackets on the same night? I’m sure both of those will feature on my April list.
The Wulver’s Library
For my favourite “thing” of the month, I was struggling. I read some amazing books, played some amazing games, watched some great movies. I read The Ferryman by Justin Cronin – a Truman show-esque sci-fi novel that gets in your head. I played Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, a game set during the Yellow Turban Rebellion in China that is reminiscent of Dark Souls. I watched Dungeons and Dragons which was surprisingly filled with great plot.
For my favourite thing, I would have to say the science fiction novel In Ascension by Martin Macinnes. I picked this up on a whim based on the blurb alone and I found it to be such an accessible interpretation of epic hope in the human heart. The story was a gravitational pull as we ebbed and flowed through each piece of exploration with the characters and the story.
I would recommend any science fiction readers to pick this up. Not only is it my favourite thing of this month but may even be my favourite this year so far. See my full review here.
