Release Date: 23/03/17
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
SYNOPSIS:
From S. L. Grey comes this suspenseful psychological thriller.
Mark and Steph are struggling to move on with their lives after armed robbers broke into their home and brutalized them. Shaken, they decide to get away and leave their troubles behind. A house swap in Paris with a couple they meet online, the Petits, seems to provide the perfect escape. But upon arriving for a week's luxurious break, they find themselves in a festering, run-down apartment. And when Steph attempts to contact the Petits, she gets no answer.
Mark and Steph try to make the most of the trip, but they are unable to relax. After a series of increasingly unsettling events, they decide to return home. Yet when they arrive, neither of them can shake the feeling that there's now something sinister about their own house. As time passes, Mark is terrorized by a series of unsettling visions. But is it all in his imagination or is there a far more worrying explanation . . . ?
REVIEW:
I was looking forward to a cracking psychological thriller due to the blurb and what unfurled was a massive let down for me. The concept whilst OK had quite a few problems especially when you sit down and do your maths on what this couple were prepared to do. Back this up with a lacklustre pair of protagonists and I felt that I really didn't care if they lived or died.
Add to this prose that didn't really leap off the page, pace that felt sluggish and all round it was a title that I wish I'd ignored. A great shame.
Release Date: 02/05/17
Publisher: Tor/Pan Macmillan
SYNOPSIS:
In the tradition of Patrick O'Brian and Honor Harrington, Bennis's THE GUNS ABOVE is an adventurous military fantasy debut about a nation's first female airship captain.
They say it's not the fall that kills you.
For Josette Dupre, the Corps' first female airship captain, it might just be a bullet in the back.
On top of patrolling the front lines, she must also contend with a crew who doubts her expertise, a new airship that is an untested deathtrap, and the foppish aristocrat Lord Bernat, a gambler and shameless flirt with the military know-how of a thimble. Bernat's own secret assignment is to catalog her every moment of weakness and indecision.
So when the enemy makes an unprecedented move that could turn the tide of the war, can Josette deal with Bernat, rally her crew, and survive long enough to prove herself?
REVIEW:
Discovering a new author is always a magical moment for me, especially when I sit down, embark upon thier adventure and have a thoroughly enjoyable time as the pages weave thier own magic into my mind.
This was the case with Robyn who designed not only a believable world but also generated characters that I loved to spend time around from the dupicitous to the brave, from the loyal to the treacherous. Each one was wonderfully realised, felt like you would want to be in the bar drinknig with them and when the time for battle arose you worried about injuries and the possible fatalities of each of the crew men.
ITs a delightful jaunt full of action and daring do with cracking lulls to allow you to gather your breath before the next piece of fast flowing combat began. All round a cracking read and definitely something that already has me demandnig more with it feeling like a long wait to see what the Mistral's crew will undergo next. Cracking.
Release Date: 13/10/16
Publisher: Tor/Forge
SYNOPSIS:
Fear is abroad in the Deadlands as a string of brutal killings and cattle mutilations trouble a frontier town in the Arizona Territory, nestled in the forbidding shadow of the rugged Thunder Mountains. A mule train is massacred, homes and ranches are attacked, and men and women are stalked and butchered by bestial killers who seem to be neither human nor animal. Meanwhile, a ruthless land baron tries to buy up all the surrounding territory and possibly bring about an apocalypse. Once an officer in the Union Army, Tucker Bringloe is now a worthless drunk begging for free drinks at the corner saloon. When he's roped into a posse searching for the nameless killers, Tuck must rediscover the man he once was if he's to halt the bloodshed and stop occult forces from unleashing Hell on Earth ...when the Thunder Moon rises.
REVIEW:
I loved the first book in the series and because I remember playing Deadland's when it originally came out (I'm showing my age here) I've always loved spending time in an Alternate History of the world especially when as a gamer or reader you get to spend time in the saddle emulating your childhood heroes. (All those John Wayne and Clint Eastwood movies I watched with my Dad as a kid.)
What Deadlands does well is bring the supernatural into play and whilst its set in the world of Deadlands, it feels free of commitement utilising just the world and history as background in order to tell its won tale.
The book is delightfully fast paced, action sequences about and when added to a principle archetypal hero to spend time around alongside solid dialogue all round gave me goosebumps as I made my way through the book. Back this up finally with a cracking kick-ass plot and I was a more than happy reader. I wished more books based on roleplay games followed this type of writing.
Release Date: 11/02/16
Publisher: Pan Macmillan/Tor
SYNOPSIS:
In the bleak northern crown of the world, war is coming
Maniye's father is the Wolf clan's chieftain, but she's an outcast. Her mother was queen of the Tiger and these tribes have been enemies for generations. Maniye also hides a deadly secret. All can shift into their clan's animal form, but Maniye can take on tiger and wolf shapes. She refuses to disown half her soul, so escapes, rescuing a prisoner of the Wolf clan in the process. The killer Broken Axe is set on their trail, to drag them back for retribution.
Maniye's father plots to rule the north and controlling his daughter is crucial to his schemes. However, other tribes also prepare for strife. Strangers from the far south appear too, seeking allies in their own conflict. It's a season for omens as priests foresee danger, and a darkness falling across the land. Some say a great war is coming, overshadowing even Wolf ambitions. A time of testing and broken laws is near, but what spark will set the world ablaze?
REVIEW:
Adrian’s brand new and hard hitting primate fantasy that brings all the magic alongside experience gained from his Shadows of the Apt series into a brand new world where readers are treated to the story of Maniye, a woman with multiple identities who doesn’t fit into the world in which she is born.
Its harsh, its brutal and to be honest I loved every minute of this book. What worked was the descriptive bleakness of the landscape alongside the characters choices that force her onto her own path. Add to this wonderfully descriptive prose backed up with top notch characters both major and minor and all round a book that worked for me on so many levels. I can’t wait to read more of this series to see what else will occur. Cracking.
Release Date: 12/05/16
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
SYNOPSIS:
The Scarlet Gospels takes readers back many years to the early days of two of Barker's most iconic characters in a battle of good and evil as old as time: The long-beleaguered detective Harry D'Amour, investigator of all supernatural, magical, and malevolent crimes faces off against his formidable, and intensely evil rival, Pinhead, the priest of hell. Barker devotees have been waiting for The Scarlet Gospels with bated breath for years, and it's everything they've begged for and more. Bloody, terrifying, and brilliantly complex, fans and newcomers alike will not be disappointed by the epic, visionary tale that is The Scarlet Gospels. Barker's horror will make your worst nightmares seem like bedtime stories. The Gospels are coming. Are you ready?
REVIEW:
I’m always a little worried when as a reader we get to revisit an icon of a genre and to be honest I’ve been a bit worried about reading the new Pinhead title as I felt that if he didn’t live up to what I was expecting I’d not only be disappointed but quite upset at having a firm favourite manipulated into a shallow shell of what he was.
So with a great deal of reticence I picked up the book and began. OK, so it wasn’t as big a problem as I thought it was going to be but Pinhead had changed, he wasn’t the cenobite I was expecting and for me, whilst it was his book, he felt more like a player than the starring attraction. That was wrong and whilst I did enjoy a lot fo the description when something plays heavily against what I was expecting and changes an icon I really have a hard time fathoming some of the actions.
All round it is an OK book and whilst a number of people will love it with the solid prose and cracking description, a great many others will dislike it purely for the problems with our favourite cenobite. A solid Meh of a book for me.
Release Date: 10/09/15
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
SYNOPSIS:
THE FATE OF ENGLISH MAGIC LIES IN THEIR HANDS...
In Regency London, Zacharias Wythe is England's first African Sorcerer Royal. He leads the eminent Royal Society of Unnatural Philosophers, but a malicious faction seeks to remove him by fair means or foul. Meanwhile, the Society is failing its vital duty - to keep stable the levels of magic within His Majesty's lands. The Fairy Court is blocking its supply, straining England's dangerously declining magical stores. And now the government is demanding to use this scarce resource in its war with France.
Ambitious orphan Prunella Gentleman is desperate to escape the school where she's drudged all her life, and a visit by the beleaguered Sorcerer Royal seems the perfect opportunity. For Prunella has just stumbled upon English magic's greatest discovery in centuries - and she intends to make the most of it.
At his wits' end, the last thing Zachariah needs is a female magical prodigy! But together, they might just change the nature of sorcery, in Britain and beyond.
REVIEW:
This was a strange book for me as to be honest I had a hell of a time getting into it as it was a very slow burner, however don’t let that put you off as when it does pick up you are in for a hell of a ride, especially if you love Susanna Clarke or Gail Carriger. The setting works wonderfully well, has a divine Georgian (Regency) feel and when you have an author that utilises the language to further the arc really makes this something special.
Back this up with top notch characters that jump from the pages into your imagination, help keep you in the period with their thoughts as well as emotional aspects alongside throwing a good helping of the fae into the mix, all round made this a book that I was more than impressed with. Please stick with it and you’ll see the delights within also. Magic
Release Date: 24/09/15
Publisher: Pan Macmillan/Tor
SYNOPSIS:
Baru Cormorant believes any price is worth paying to liberate her people - even her soul.
When the Empire of Masks conquers her island home, criminalizes her customs, and murders one of her Fathers, Baru vows to hide her hate, join the Empire's civil service, and claw her way up enough rungs of power to put a stop to the Emperor's influence and set her people free.
As a natural savant, she is sent as an imperial agent to distant Aurdwynn - a post she worries will never get her the position and power she craves. But Baru soon discovers Aurdwynn is a complex and secretive country, seemingly on the brink of rebellion. All it would need is a match to the tinder . . .
Drawn by the intriguing duchess Tain Hu into a circle of seditious aristocrats, Baru may be able to use her position to stoke a revolution that will threaten to bring the Empire to its knees.
As Baru maintains a precarious balance between the rebels and a shadowy cabal within the Empire, she orchestrates a do-or-die gambit with Aurdwynn's freedom as the prize. But winning the long game of saving her own people may be far more costly than Baru imagines.
REVIEW:
Another strange book and one that took quite a bit for me to get into as I really wasn’t sure how the world would develop as I wasn’t enamoured of the principle character. Yes I understood that she had to grow as the tale wound its way, but it felt quite clinical with a lot of the early beginnings rather than allowing the sedition that the character planned to evolve more naturally.
All round a book that I’m pleased I read and one that I felt had a lot of potential but for me, it’s a book that feels more like a political fantasy working more on brains as our principle heroine seeks to find a way to undermine the oppressors of her own land.
Release Date: 22/09/15
Publisher: Tor
SYNOPSIS:
Welcome to the Deadlands, where steely-eyed gunfighters rub shoulders with mad scientists and dark, unnatural forces. Where the Great Quake of 1868 has shattered California into a labyrinth of sea-flooded caverns...and a mysterious substance called "ghost rock" fuels exotic steampunk inventions as well as plenty of bloodshed and flying bullets. In Ghostwalkers, a gun-for-hire, literally haunted by his bloody past, comes to the struggling town of Paradise Falls, where he becomes embroiled in a deadly conflict between the besieged community and a diabolically brilliant alchemist who is building terrible new weapons of mass destruction...and an army of the living dead!
REVIEW:
I played this roleplay game years ago (when it was originally released) and to be honest I remember a hell of a lot of fun, guns blowing up in hands, stormtrooper shooting and of course, the delight when something went right for the player. As such when I heard that they we were to receive a series of novels to enjoy, I couldn’t wait, especially when an author like Jonathan Maberry was involved.
What you get within the pages, is a tale that is full of top notch action, some invention and wen backed with characters straight from the old films that not only kick ass but also find a way to allow their past to colour their current actions, all round generates a story that won’t let you go. Back this up with a top notch arc, a really cool supporting cast as well as throwing in some truly delightful villains all round made this a book that you shouldn’t pass up. Cracking.
Release Date: 19/08/15
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
SYNOPSIS:
In this stunning series of love, loss and the need to belong, Amanda Hocking returns to the world of her bestselling Trylle trilogy with the heart-stopping Crystal Kingdom.
With help from the Trylle clan, Bryn tries to clear her name and discover who was really responsible for the Kanin King's murder.
Then, while she's still trying to make sense of it all, Ridley tracks her down while she's on the run for a crime she didn't commit. He refuses to abandon her, so she finally decides that she wants to be with him. Together, they return to the Kanin capital and rally other trackers and the King's Guard to defend their kingdom from the villain within. But in the process, Bryn learns a startling truth about her former enemy. Brynn's loyalty is still to her kingdom, but will she be rewarded with a place in the royal guard - and who will ultimately win her heart?
REVIEW:
OK, I know a lot of people like Amanda’s writing but personally I don’t see what they see when I read her books. I don’t find the characters fully formed, I can’t get a hook into them and when you finally get to the meat of the tale I feel that it’s a pretty safe standard tested type of book.
All round, it is an OK book and middle of the road but for anyone thinking of picking this up on its own, it does tie in to Amanda’s earlier series and as such I would suggest that you start there perhaps borrowing a book from the local library first to see if its your cup of tea.
Release Date: 11/08/15
Publisher: Pan Macmillan/Tor
SYNOPSIS:
In the distant future, Surplus arrives in China dressed as a Mongolian shaman, leading a yak which carries the corpse of his friend, Darger. The old high-tech world has long since collapsed, and the artificial intelligences that ran it are outlawed and destroyed. Or so it seems.
Darger and Surplus, a human and a genetically engineered dog with human intelligence who walks upright, are a pair of con men and the heroes of a series of prior Swanwick stories. They travel to what was once China and invent a scam to become rich and powerful. Pretending to have limited super-powers, they aid an ambitious local warlord who dreams of conquest and once again reuniting China under one ruler. And, against all odds, it begins to work, but it seems as if there are other forces at work behind the scenes.
REVIEW:
Every so often I love to try a book that’s a little different to my normal cup of tea and whilst previously I’ve had quite a bit of fun jumping into political intrigue within the pages of either a Sci-Fi or a Fantasy they’ve always kept the flavour true to the genre. Whilst that is the case with this book by Michael, the main problem that I have is that it seems to be full of that many twisted schemes within machinations that you’re very quick to lose track of what’s happening where or who has actually gotten the top hand over the other.
This for me is further convoluted by the fact that I really don’t like the principle character and whilst the concept within was pretty solid, for me the delivery wasn’t quite there which when added to my character dislike made it a hell of a struggle to finish. I did, but its one of those books I kept reading a few pages of here and there rather than sit with it until the end.
Release Date: 21/05/15
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
SYNOPSIS:
Our Dragon doesn't eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travellers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that's not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he's still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we're grateful, but not that grateful.
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
Her people rely on the cold, ambitious wizard, known only as the Dragon, to keep the wood's powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman must be handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as being lost to the wood.
The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows - everyone knows - that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia - all the things Agnieszka isn't - and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.
But no one can predict how or why the Dragon chooses a girl. And when he comes, it is not Kasia he will take with him.
REVIEW:
Naomi is well known for her Temeraire series and whilst this one keeps with Dragons to a certain degree, it’s a completely different type of tale going more into the world of faerie tales but still keeping the authors magical storytelling style with top notch characters.
Each cast member brings something to the fore within this title and when you add solid action sequences, great prose and dialogue that helps embody the characters within the readers mind, all round makes this a new title that will be a pure joy to read. Magic.
Release Date: 08/09/15
Publisher: Pan Macmillan/Tor
SYNOPSIS:
Dees has won a Golden Heart Award, two RITAs for Category Suspense and Adventure and has also twice snared RT's Series Romantic Suspense of the Year. She is a great storyteller and the adventures in her more than fifty novels are often inspired by her own life. Dees is an Air Force vet, the youngest female pilot in Air Force history and fought in the first Gulf War. She's had amazing adventures and she's used her experiences to tell some kickass stories. But as much as she love romances, Cindy's other passion has been fantasy gaming. For almost twenty years she's been involved with Dragon Crest, one of the original live action role-playing games. She's the story content creator on the game and wanted to do an epic fantasy based on it, with the blessing and input of Dragon Crest founder Bill Flippin. The Sleeping King is the first in an epic fantasy series, featuring the best of the genre - near immortal imperial overlords, a prophecy of a sleeping elven king who's said to be the saviour of the races and two young people who are set on a path to save the day.
REVIEW:
This was a bit of a strange read to be honest as my original thoughts were about how terrible the writing was with the initial set up, but the more I read, the more the principle characters grew upon me. The world was very well developed, the dialogue between the key characters really helped develop them and overall allowed me to form a bond.
My key problem is that the original beginning was very clunky, it felt like it was trying to put way to much in and rather than giving the reader a whole host of detail, they over stuffed it when really, in my opinion it should have been quickly glossed over or skipped until a book concentrated mainly upon the Imperial Court. It could have kept it smoother, had it flowing easier on the reader and all round would have worked better for me on the whole.
That said, it is a book I enjoyed and I think that Cindy and Bill will have learned a lot from the writing of this. I can’t wait to see what else the world has in store for the reader as their epic quest continues.
Release Date: 02/06/15
Publisher: Tor/Pan Macmillan
SYNOPSIS:
Count Varian Jeggare and his hellspawn bodyguard Radovan are no strangers to the occult. Yet when Varian is bequeathed a dangerous magical book by an old colleague, the infamous investigators find themselves on the trail of a necromancer bent on becoming the new avatar of a strange and sinister demigod-one of the legendary runelords. Along with a team of mercenaries and adventurers, the crime-solving duo will need to delve into a secret world of dark magic and the legacy of a lost empire. But in saving the world, will Varian and Radovan lose their souls?
From bestselling author Dave Gross comes a fantastical tale of mystery, monsters, and mayhem in PATHFINDER TALES: LORD OF RUNES, set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
REVIEW:
To be honest, I’ve been a fan of Pathfinder for quite some time, however sadly for me, the writing in this title felt sadly lacking. There wasn’t the excitement for me that the roleplay game brings to the table and all in, sadly felt that rather than improving on what has already been established that it was more of a cash in than something to further what is already there.
Add to this a plot that was fairly basic, didn’t have a whole lot going for it and sadly for me characters that were a little too predictable and all round I was disappointed.
Release Date: 23/04/15
Publisher: Tor/Pan Macmillan
SYNOPSIS:
Death and destruction will bar her way...Kyndra's fate holds betrayal and salvation, but the journey starts in her small village. On the day she comes of age, she accidentally disrupts an ancient ceremony, ending centuries of tradition. So when an unnatural storm targets her superstitious community, Kyndra is blamed. She fears for her life until two strangers save her, by wielding powers not seen for an age - powers fuelled by the sun and the moon.Together, they flee to the hidden citadel of Naris. And here, Kyndra experiences disturbing visions of the past, showing war and one man's terrifying response. She'll learn more in the city's subterranean chambers, amongst fanatics and rebels. But first Kyndra will be brutally tested in a bid to unlock her own magic.If she survives the ordeal, she'll discover a force greater than she could ever have imagined. But could it create as well as destroy? And can she control it, to right an ancient wrong? With George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones now a huge TV success, fantasy fiction has never been more popular. And these books are traditional fantasy at its very best.
REVIEW:
To be honest this really wan’t a book that I enjoyed and the main reason for that was that I really didn’t gel with the principle character, they felt flat, almost as if they were 2d and without being able to get a firm grip or even a literary friendship with the character really leaves you on the out from the start. As such you don’t care about the events that unfurl, you don’t worry about the dangers that the characters are in and above all else it really makes the book a struggle to read.
Add to this a lack, in my opinion of not only pace but solid prose and all round it’s a series I won’t be returning to any time soon if ever.
Release Date: 15/01/15
Publisher: Pan Macmillan/Tor
SYNOPSIS:
War is coming, secrets multiply and betrayal waits in the wings...The Annurian Empire's ruling family must be vigilant, as the conspiracy against them deepens. Having discovered her father's assassin, Adare flees the Dawn Palace in search of allies. But few trust her, until she seems marked by the people's goddess in an ordeal of flame. As Adare struggles to unite Annur, unrest breeds rival armies - then barbarian hordes threaten to invade. And unknown to Adare, her brother Valyn has fallen in with forces mustering at the empire's borders. The terrible choices they face could make war between them inevitable. Fighting his own battles is their brother Kaden, rightful heir to the Unhewn Throne, who has infiltrated the Annurian capital with two strange companions. While imperial forces prepare to defend a far-distant front, Kaden's actions could save the empire, or destroy it. Book One, The Emperor's Blades, was on the list of BuzzFeed.com's most-anticipated SF/F reads for 2014 and also on the Fantasy Faction blog for most anticipated fantasy for 2014.
REVIEW:
The second title from Brian and whilst the first one blew me away, its always the second that is, for me the teller, as to whether the author can cope with the pressures of writing to a deadline. It’s a tricky hurdle to conquer and for many they fall at it, yet not only does Brian manage to clear it, but he does it with plenty of space below as the sheer quality not only exists but exudes from within the covers.
Its crisp writing, the characters outstanding and when added to an overall arc that just keeps giving the reader more and more all round leaves you with not just a glowing feeling but the type of confusion about where all the times gone. Add to this characters that you not only just want to spend time around but would love to buy a pint for all round, alongside their outstanding dialogue makes the third title a hell of a long wait.
Release Date: 15/01/15
Publisher: Tor/Pan Macmillan UK
SYNOPSIS:
Irene must be at the top of her game or she'll be off the case - permanently...Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she's posted to an alternative London. Their mission - to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it's already been stolen. London's underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book. Adding to the jeopardy, this world is chaos-infested - the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic. Irene's new assistant is also hiding secrets of his own. Soon, she's up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. Yet failure is not an option - the nature of reality itself is at stake.
REVIEW:
Ah the world of magic, burgalry and of course kick ass action through a multitude of alternate worlds as Librarian extraordinaire Irene as she uses not only smarts but quick actions to help her achieve her goals. Its definitely quirky, has a great principle character and for me, gave me a book that was a sheer joy to spend time with.
Back this up with solid prose alongside great pace all round gives you a great experience. I’ll definitely be looking forward to the second outing.
Release Date: 15/01/15
Publisher: Tor/Pan Macmillan UK
SYNOPSIS:
War is coming, secrets multiply and betrayal waits in the wings...The Annurian Empire's ruling family must be vigilant, as the conspiracy against them deepens. Having discovered her father's assassin, Adare flees the Dawn Palace in search of allies. But few trust her, until she seems marked by the people's goddess in an ordeal of flame. As Adare struggles to unite Annur, unrest breeds rival armies - then barbarian hordes threaten to invade. And unknown to Adare, her brother Valyn has fallen in with forces mustering at the empire's borders. The terrible choices they face could make war between them inevitable. Fighting his own battles is their brother Kaden, rightful heir to the Unhewn Throne, who has infiltrated the Annurian capital with two strange companions. While imperial forces prepare to defend a far-distant front, Kaden's actions could save the empire, or destroy it. Book One, The Emperor's Blades, was on the list of BuzzFeed.com's most-anticipated SF/F reads for 2014 and also on the Fantasy Faction blog for most anticipated fantasy for 2014.
REVIEW:
The second title from Brian and whilst the first one blew me away, its always the second that is, for me the teller, as to whether the author can cope with the pressures of writing to a deadline. It’s a tricky hurdle to conquer and for many they fall at it, yet not only does Brian manage to clear it, but he does it with plenty of space below as the sheer quality not only exists but exudes from within the covers.
Its crisp writing, the characters outstanding and when added to an overall arc that just keeps giving the reader more and more all round leaves you with not just a glowing feeling but the type of confusion about where all the times gone. Add to this characters that you not only just want to spend time around but would love to buy a pint for all round, alongside their outstanding dialogue makes the third title a hell of a long wait.
Release Date: 10/10/13
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
SYNOPSIS:
Catherine's last job ended badly. Corporate bullying at a top television production company saw her fired and forced to leave London, but she was determined to get her life back. A new job and now things look much brighter. Especially when a challenging new project presents itself -- to catalogue the late M H Mason's wildly eccentric cache of antique dolls and puppets. Rarest of all, she'll get to examine his elaborate displays of posed, costumed and preserved animals, depicting scenes from World War I. When Mason's elderly niece invites her to stay at the Red House itself, where she maintains the collection, Catherine can't believe her luck. Until his niece exposes her to the dark message behind her uncle's 'Art'. Catherine tries to concentrate on the job, but M H Mason's damaged visions raise dark shadows from her own past. Shadows she'd hoped had finally been erased. Soon the barriers between reality, sanity and memory start to merge. And some truths seem too terrible to be real ...
REVIEW:
To be honest Adam Nevill is an author who exploded onto the writing scene a few years ago and for me, it was his wonderful prose that was almost poetic that really attracted my attention. I loved the way he could take you on a story into the unknown weaving it full of description that really helped the reader visualise what he was talking about and then also gave you something that was hard to put down.
Yet as the books have come out that’s changed, it feels that he’s gone for a more simplistic way of bringing the story to the fore and for me, that’s where the lustre starts to fall off. I love the old style of creatures and monsters where you don’t see the true villain, that allows the readers imagination to scare them a lot more than presenting it in all its technicolour glory.
Its this where Adam’s more recent books have failed and for me, it’s the human monster (such as the one portrayed in Adam’s short story, Florrie) that really makes my skin crawl. So when I heard about this tale, I was hoping that it would be a chance to get to see something pretty unique as his own take on the creepy aspect of taxidermy. It didn’t strike fear into me, it didn’t keep me interested and to be honest a lot of it felt like filler rather than getting to the nitty gritty which for me might have worked a lot better as a short story rather than a fully extended novel.
Add to this a bizarre story that wasn’t easily understood, snippets that felt like they’ve just been cut from previous titles alongside a story that felt dumbed down as well as ridiculous. All round left me feeling extremely cheated. I’ll keep reading his work in the vain hope of his return to the earlier style of prose but one more release like this and I will consider leaving him for quite some time. A great shame.
Release Date: 25/04/12
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
SYNOPSIS:
A haunting premonition ...A deadly betrayal. Frankia 780AD: Sigwulf, a minor Saxon prince, is saved from execution after his family is slaughtered by the ruthless King Offa of Mercia. Sigwulf is exiled to the Frankish court of King Carolus, the future Charlemagne. He gains the friendship of some -- Count Hroudland, Carolus's powerful and ambitious nephew but -- mysteriously -- several attempts are made on Sigwulf's life. When he obtains a Book of Dreams, a rare text giving understanding to their meaning, he attracts the attention of Carolus himself. But the Book proves to be a slippery guide in a world of treachery and double dealing. Sent into Spain to spy on the Saracens, Sigwulf becomes caught between loyalties; either he honours his debt to new friends among the Saracens, or he serves his patron Count Hroudland in his quest for glory, gold and even the Grail itself ...
REVIEW:
OK, years ago I read a wonderful series all about the Vikings by Tim and whilst I didn’t own the first part in hardback, when I had the opportunity to I quickly fixed that problem as its been a series I’ve read quite a few times since due to my love of the characters and the writing skill that generated a wonderful story.
So when I heard that Tim was tackling a series set around the Saxons, well I couldn’t wait to see what would unfurl. As with the Viking series, Tim’s writing brings a lost world wonderfully to life, its descriptive, has some wonderfully descriptive sequences and when added to great combat really makes this a book to sit back with and enjoy. However, whilst this alone is usually enough to sell a book, Tim takes it one stage further by giving the reader a lead character that they can like to spend time with. Whilst Sigwulf is definitely his own man, its his foibles and the authors imaginative sequences that bring it to the fore, It’s a great start and to be honest I am just pleased that I had the second book ready to roll as soon as I finished this one. Great stuff.
Release Date: 01/08/13
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
SYNOPSIS:
Sigwulf, a Saxon prince exiled to the court of Carolus, King of the Franks, is summoned by the royal advisor Alcuin of York. Carolus has received magnificent gifts from the Caliph of Baghdad and is determined to send back presents that will be equally sensational. White is the royal colour of Baghdad so the most important gifts will be rare white animals from the Northlands. Sigwulf, having proved himself as a royal agent to Moorish Spain, has been selected to obtain the creatures, then take them to Baghdad. He must find white gyrfalcons and two white polar bears and – as Carolus has seen its picture in a book of beasts – a unicorn. He and his companions travel far into the north. Though they obtain some of the animals, they quickly realize that not all are even real. Setting out for Baghdad with their menagerie, they encounter danger after danger and it seems that someone is trying to wreck their mission . . . with each stage of the long journey bringing a new and unexpected peril . . .
REVIEW:
The second book in Tim’s wonderful Saxon series which picks up where the original left off giving the reader a story of scale, travel and imagination which really brings the time to the reader in such a way that you’re actually there. It is wonderful getting to explore the world of the past from the characters point of view and when you add a full flavour of the time into the piece alongside the dangers faced all round generates something special.
Back that up with Tim’s unique style that brings the characters to the fore, a wonderful supporting cast alongside some great dialogue all round gives you something to sit back and savour. Magic.
Release Date: 03/09/13
Publisher: Macmillan
SYNOPSIS:
Carthage, 146 BC. This is the story of Fabius Petronius Secundus – Roman legionary and centurion – and of his general Scipio Aemilianus, and his rise to power: from his first battle against the Macedonians, that seals the fate of Alexander the Great’s successors, to total war in North Africa and the Siege of Carthage. Scipio’s success brings him admiration and respect, but also attracts greed and jealousy – for the closest allies can become the bitterest of enemies. And then there is the dark horse, Julia, of the Caesar family – in love with Scipio but betrothed to his rival Paullus – who causes a vicious feud. Ultimately for Scipio it will come down to one question: how much is he prepared to sacrifice for his vision of Rome? Inspired by Total War: Rome II, from the bestselling Total War series, Destroy Carthage is the first in an epic series of novels. Not only the tale of one man’s fate, it is also a journey to the core of Roman times, through a world of extraordinary military tactics and political intrigue that Rome’s warriors and citizens used to cheat death.
REVIEW:
OK, I enjoy David Gibbins and I enjoy the Total War game series so when the two were combined I was more than hoping for something not only delightful but something that will bring everything together in one wonderful amalgam.
What actually occurs within is a book that does a number of things, firstly it gives the reader a story that ties into the forthcoming game, secondly it explains the tactics and thirdly brings it all together whether you’re a history fan or gamer. It works on quite a few levels and when you add into the mix the talent of an author who likes to generate a story that will thrill the reader all round gives a great start to a whole set of novels.
