Escape Velocity

A curated Collection of Fantasy and Science Fiction Media

More Posts By Lotte

Review: The Last of Us – HBO Max

Global society collapsed after a fungus turning people into zombies spread like a wildfire. Joel is a world-weary smuggler used to a life out of sight of what remains of the authorities. Ellie, on the other hand, is a sassy teenager growing up in a dreary post-apocalyptic world, whose importance neither she nor Joel can grasp. When Joel is tasked to take Ellie on a dangerous trip across country, he is (understandably) less than thrilled.

Review: Axiom’s End – Lindsay Ellis

Cora Sabino is a recent college dropout who has returned to her family home. A leak shows that the US government has made first contact with an alien species, and Cora’s estranged father, in hiding somewhere in Europe, is the one driving the controversy against the government. The Sabino’s want nothing more to do with him, and while their home is kept under surveillance, Cora herself makes contact with a member of the alien species. They strike up an alliance that eventually blossoms into an unlikely friendship.

Review: Gallant – V. E. Schwab

Olivia Prior is an orphan who has grown up at Merilance School for Girls where, from a young age, she has been able to see ghouls that no one else can see. Suddenly, Olivia receives a letter calling her home to Gallant, a large mansion inhabited only by her dour cousin Matthew, and his staff. But her new home is not all it seems. Still, not even ghouls and shadows can keep Olivia from trying to find out where she came from.

Review: A Discovery of Witches – Deborah Harkness

Diana Bishop, a scholar at Oxford, accidentally discovers an ancient alchemical manuscript. Diana is a witch, but she wants nothing to do with the world of witches, vampires and daemons. That is, until 1500-year-old vampire Matthew Clairmont comes into the picture. When the two fall in love, it throws the entire world of magic into a frenzy.

Review: Gideon the Ninth – Tamsyn Muir

“Gideon the Ninth” by Tamsyn Muir is a sci-fi/fantasy/horror novel set in a decaying universe ruled by necromancers. The story follows Gideon Nav, a sword-wielding cavalier, who is forced to join forces with her lifelong nemesis, the powerful necromancer Harrowhark Nonagesimus. Together, they are summoned to Canaan house, a derelict palace on a foreign planet to compete in a deadly trial. As they navigate dark secrets, mysterious deaths, and treacherous alliances, Gideon and Harrowhark must put aside their animosity and unravel the truth behind the ancient necromantic conspiracy that threatens to destroy the empire.

Review: Children of Time – Adrian Tchaikovsky

Earth is no longer habitable, and humanity must find new planets to terraform. The crew of the Gilgamesh has its sights set on one such planet. What they don’t know is that the planet isn’t the new Eden they are expecting. Meanwhile, a new species has made the planet their home. Who will inherit the new Earth? Humanity, or the species that has been living there for thousands of years?

Review: The Dragon’s Promise – Elizabeth Lim

Princess Shiori has promised that she would return the Dragon’s pearl to its rightful owner, which leads her on a dangerous journey. On her quest, she descends into the kingdom of Dragons, far under the ocean. Meanwhile, demons still threaten the kingdom of Kiata, and Shiori is the only one who can defeat them. As she navigates between worlds of Dragons, Humans and Demons, Shiori must also face the power of the corrupted Dragon’s Pearl itself. Can she return the pearl, which at times jumps to her aid, only to betray her the next minute? And can she defeat the demons that threaten her home?

Review: Six Crimson Cranes – Elizabeth Lim

Six Crimson Cranes is a retelling of the fairy tale “The Wild Swans” by Hans Christian Andersen, set in an East Asian fantasy world. The story follows Shiori, a stubborn princess. She and her six brothers have been cursed by their stepmother. Together with her animated paper bird Kiki, Shiori must learn to work hard and learn humility, in order to break the curse.

Review: The Priory of the Orange Tree – Samantha Shannon

On the island of Inys, the queen of a thousand-year old line is believed to keep the coming of the Nameless One, the great wyrm from the Abyss, at bay. One of her handmaidens, brought by an ambassador from the far south, is far more than she seems. Across the ocean on the other side of the Abyss, on the dragon-worshipping Island of Seiiki, a young girl dreams of joining the clan of dragon riders, training hard every day to force her dream to come true. In the same city, an old man spends his days on a trading post, banished from across the ocean and dreaming of lost love and his return. As the wyrms of the world stir, their fates will converge.

Review: The Legend of Vox Machina – Amazon Prime

The Legend of Vox Machina is an animated series based on the popular tabletop role-playing game, “Critical Role.” The story follows a group of adventurers known as Vox Machina. Together, they embark on dangerous quests, battle monsters, and uncover mysteries in the fantasy world of Exandria. The series captures the thrilling and often humorous moments of the group’s epic journeys, showcasing their individual strengths, vulnerabilities, and the bonds they forge along the way.