Within each judging team for SPSFC there are roughly thirty (30) books assigned as their ‘slush pile’ and teams with multiple members then split the pile between them to begin reading. In Wayward Stars we have split things so that every book is read by at least two people. We aim to read 20% of each book and decide whether it’s one to continue as a full group or not. Below are my ten (10) from the slush pile. Sunborn…
As I mentioned in my last post, I have joined up with some fellow book bloggers as a judging team for SPSFC 2! What is it though?
I feel like every year I have to make one of these entries where I explain my absence and the quietness of the blog. This time I think I have a valid excuse or two. Earlier in the year I joined Grimdark Magazine‘s online reviewer team and BookNest.eu‘s and agreed to do reviews for Black Dragon Books too. In an effort not to cross-post and detract from those sites, I haven’t been putting any of those review on here. I’ve…
Welcome back to another stop for Escapist Tours! This time we’re celebrating Hands Like Secrets from Mariah Norris that was released earlier this month by Shadow Spark Publishing. I’ve had the pleasure interviewing Mariah for my stop on the tour where we talk about worldbuilding with diverse characters, designing festivals and the need for more cats in Fantasy! Hands Like Secrets is the first instalment of The Seven Strands, a new adult epic fantasy series that follows a young autistic woman…
Gunmetal Gods by Zamil AkhtarMy rating: 4 of 5 stars NB: This review is also available on Black Dragon Books. Please consider using them for your SFF and Horror book purchases. What use is winning if we lose everything in the process, even ourselves? This is the question that runs central to Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar. We see a war brought to the doors of Sirm; one that has been hundreds of years in the making led…
As part of the Escapist Book Tour for The Iron Crown, I asked author, L.L. MacRae, for her thoughts on dragons. Dragons. Love them or loathe them, they’re a staple of the fantasy genre (and to be honest, one of my most favourite things in the world!). Whether it’s a tiny, palm-sized dragon fiercely guarding a single gold coin (its entire hoard!), or a titanic behemoth whose wings blot out the sun, dragons inspire awe and wonder in equal measure….
Brave New World by Aldous HuxleyMy rating: 3 of 5 stars Brave New World was first published in 1932 by a man who was nominated for a Nobel Prize on nine separate occasions, so you can imagine that much of what can be said about Brave New World has already been said. It is used as set texts in school curricula and has had innumerable books, articles and research papers written about it. In context, this review is but…
Dreams of the Dying by Nicolas LietzauMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Some of you may have spotted on Goodreads that I read Dreams of the Dying and never reviewed it. Don’t worry, I have reviewed it and a full and comprehensive review can be found at Grimdark Magazine, here: https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-dreams-of-the-dying-by-nicolas-lietzau/ I’m very pleased and excited to say I’m joining the Grimdark reviewer team with this, my debut review!
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John ScalziMy rating: 5 of 5 stars A spectacular modern-day sci-fi romp through an alternate Earth with mountainous creatures and a bunch of nerds trying to study them. Jamie, our narrator, stumbles into a job as a lifter of things for KPS but, for some reason, doesn’t ask what KPS stands for. Upon arriving at his new workplace it becomes apparent: the K means Kaiju. Jamie and three other newbies to the company become quick…
The Coward by Stephen AryanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars The Coward takes a look behind the heroes in their tales and sagas to reveal who the real people behind the songs and daring deeds are. Written primarily from the point of view of main character, Kell Kressia, The Coward sees a damaged man thrust back into the world of heroism he had been hiding from for the last ten years. Once, he desperately wanted to be a hero and…