Release Date: 02/07/15
Publisher: Hodder
SYNOPSIS:
Krish once believed himself but a humble goatherd, but now knows he's the son of the king of Ashanesland - and the moon god reborn, as foretold. Now, with his allies Dae Hyo and the mage Olufemi by his side, Krish has begun to sieze control of Ashanesland... and receive the worship he is due.
But Kirsh has many enemies, including Sang Ki, the bastard lord, who has discovered the key to Krish's overthow in the distant Moon Forest. There lives a girl named Cwen, a disciple of the god known only as the Hunter. And she has made it her life's mission to seek out Krish and destroy him.
If Krish has any hope of defeating his enemies, he must travel to the forbidden Mirror Town and unlock the secrets of its powerful magic. And the price of his victory may be much greater than the consequences of his defeat.
REVIEW:
OK, this is the second book in the series and whilst I haven’t read the first (a problem I will correct soon) I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I loved the way that the author brought the principle characters across, wove a rich tapestry of a world and then populated it with cultures that made this book pretty unique in its own right.
Told from multiple points of view the tale generates such complexity within that you can’t help but take notes to make sure that you don’t miss anything. Back this all up with solid prose, good dialogue and of course an overall arc that just keeps giving to the reader and you know that it’s a series that really does beg to be read by a great many. Absolutely cracking.
Release Date: 23/06/11
SYNOPSIS:
The Blight arose from nowhere. It swept across the bickering nations like The End of Times and spared only those with a single fortuitous blood type. Hot headed religion and territorial savagery rule the cities now. Somewhere amidst the chaos, however, there are groups of people fighting to survive. Heroes determined to create a better world. But can these warriors of the apocalypse hope to rediscover the humanity lost long ago in the blood and filth and horror of the Cull? The Afterblight Chronicles Omnibus features three action-packed novels set in a dangerous, broken America ruled by crazed gangs and strange cults.
REVIEW:
A compendium of some of the earlier titles released in this apocalyptic Abaddon series which if you don’t already own will add something a little different for you to try. Whilst I usually prefer a number of these type titles to stick this side of the Atlantic, this book more than gives the reader a treat.
Add to this the chance to try three authors for one price, alongside value for money and the bliss of not having to wait for the next instalment and it’s a title that will generate a lot of interest. Finally, whilst a number of readers would clamour for the inclusion of zombies (which you’ll get if you select the companies Tomes of the Dead Series), it is a great to read the human struggle within. Top notch writing, top notch authors and to be honest a series that really has to be read to be believed.
Release Date: 11/11/10
BOOK BLURB:
Tomes of The Dead: tales of the hungry dead, roaming the earth, bringing a charnel plague to humanity. Tomes of The Dead: where graveyards yawn and zombies push up through worm-ridden soil as undeath wakes rigor mortis stiffened limbs. Tomes of The Dead: the very best in zombie fiction from some of the finest talents working in horror today.
Volume 1 in this series collects together The Words of Their Roaring, I Zombie and Anno Mortis
REVIEW:
As a fan of the Tomes of the Dead series by Abaddon, I always love the excuse to delve into the world that they’ve created and watch the undead wreck their havoc. What makes this perhaps one of the better series is that they don’t constrain themselves timeline wise to the modern world which is easily proven in titles like Anno Mortis that’s set in the Roman Empire.
Within the reader gets three of the best of the series to date with authors like Al Ewing, Rebecca Levene and Matt Smith. Each of the titles has something different to entertain the reader from a Zombie Detective to a Romeroesque London and topped with a Gladiatrix who just won’t stop. Which when added to the of sheer value for money, will give the reader a real treat from some of the top talent in the genre today. A great title and one that we really loved to reread….bbbbrrraaiiinnnssss.
BOOK BLURB:
Morgan is sent on a new mission for the Hermetic Division, investigating the murder of the world's foremost expert on Elizabethen alchemist John Dee. Her killer - an agent of Mossad with superhuman powers. In the US, Alex, a powerful medium, is employed by the CIA to invesitage a new cult called the Croatans who seem to be able to possess animals. Alex and Morgan's path cross when Morgan is drawn to the US in pursuit of Dee's greatest treasure - and the dangerous young man who plans to use it to achieve immortality!
REVIEW:
Having loved the original by Rebecca, I’m always a little apprehensive when it comes to a second outing as they either hit the spot or sink without a trace. This one continued to build upon the success of the original although took it in a different direction to the one I expected it to follow. Whilst the original was more of a Cold War type tale this one explored the mythos of Eden alongside the dreamwalker from the native American stories. It did add something different, it did bring a whole set of new options to the fore and it did give the reader a fair amount of surprises along the way. Yet I felt that it was missing something that made the original so gripping that you couldn’t just put it down. Whether it was due to the loss of a favoured character I can’t say but it just didn’t feel complete to be honest and a little lack lustre. It is still a fun offering, it does continue the world building and I hope that the third outing will get back to more familiar territory.
BOOK BLURB:
"You died 20 years ago - WELCOME BACK"At the start of the Cold War, the British secret services formed the Hermetic Division, an agency charged with using supernatural means to defend the nation. It has only one mission: to find the mysterious Ragnarok artefacts, said to have the power to end the world. Now, two of the divisions most senior agents are sent on the trail of a corrupt Russian oligarch. The journey will take them across Europe and into the darkest reaches of the occult.
REVIEW:
I always love it when an author kicks off a brand new series for an established publisher, there’s nothing out there that they have to measure their work by so whilst the pressure is lessened to a greater degree they have full carte blanche to unleash their imagination within the pages. Here in this offering from Rebecca Levene is a series that lives up to the best of Urban Fantasy whilst setting it in an MI5 cold war style thriller. It’s a great setting, it’s got a lot of scope for follow up tales but perhaps best of all its the characters that really come alive to the reader. Rebecca has a great style, a good understanding of pace but best of all she knows how to lead the reader to the mindset most condusive to getting the tale across.
