I ran across Bookshop Talk some time ago and they hooked me. They review books -- but only books they adore. The also include a brief barometer of language/sensuality/violence at the bottom. I know someone will yell "censorship!" but I love knowing what I'm getting into. I could (but won't) make a list of books I thought were fantasy adventure novels only to realize three-quarters through that they were stealth romance novels with the obligatory, ludicrously steamy scene somewhere near the end. I'm of the opinion that such scenes are about as necessary as three pages describing someone brushing their teeth. So, I love this site. It's helped me accurately find books that I know I want to read and dodge the ones I know will make me roll my eyes.
They accept outside review submissions (rules are here). What with packing and then being gone to the conference, I missed it when they put up the review I wrote for The Desert of Souls by Howard Andrew Jones. It's a straight-up adventure ripped from the same leaf as Arabian Nights. Lots of sword play, adventure, and no teeth-brushing. Highly recommended.
More reports on the Storymaker conference coming soon.
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