Compelling narrative, Growing Dread & Thrilling moments
Rating 5/5 “This is not how we do things in Scratch Moss” say the characters in David Barnett’s third instalment of what seems to be an interconnected folk horror series. Compelling storytelling, expansive lore, Scratch Moss continues to uphold Barnett’s status as one of my favourite horror authors. In this tale we see Joe returning to his hometown, Scratch Moss for the funeral of his father; a murderer in his eyes, a hero to the locals of this former mining town. As he catch
14 hours ago2 min read
Fan Fiction Absurdity and Sleepless Pondering
Rating 3/5 The Vienna. Travelling where no man, woman or AI has gone before and asking the most important question in the universe; is it possible for a human to have ‘relations’ with an alien? No this is not a smut novel. At least that wasn’t how I recall Jilly Paddock pitching her book, Warbird to me at World Fantasy Con last year. Fan fiction at its most absurd, Warbird is a campy space adventure romance that really challenged my tastes as a reader. It follows Captain Gr
Sep 303 min read
Colourful Description, Broad Imagination and Emotion
Rating: 4.5/5 “So…you suddenly find out you’re the new ruler of the world. You can do what you want. You even have power over the fabric of the universe itself. So, what are the first three things you do?” This is a question posed to main character, Frankie Finnegan by his friend, Wookie in Keith Brooke’s The Unlikely World of Faraway Frankie. And what follows is an exploration into loss and imagination. A quick read reminiscent of stories like Patrick Ness’s When a Monster
Aug 302 min read
Fast Pacing, Originality, Re-imagined Myths
Rating 3.5/5 In today’s review I’ve decided to share my thoughts on Caroline Astiago’s Make Damn Sure, the sequel to her Shadows and Regrets series. If you’re looking for something that blends American Gods with Supernatural then Astiago’s urban dark fantasy Make Damn Sure is the comfort read with just enough vibes to keep the pages turning, offering an original and creative story on the gods, legends and myths with which we are so familiar. Taking place a month after the s
Jul 243 min read
Slow Burn, Detailed Lore & Classical Archetypes
Rating 4/5 It is a fantasy readers would love to take part in. Then immediately regret as soon as they realise they lack any of the skills required. However, if they were blessed like Maggie The Undying they too would have the advantage in Ilona Andrews’ This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. An Isekai-inspired, slow burn dark fantasy, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me explores Kair Toren, a fictional city from an unfinished fantasy series where our protagonist, Maggie, finds herself, w
May 303 min read
Hauntingly Dark, A Complex Partnership & Creative Storytelling
Rating: 4.5/5 If you have been looking for a replacement to fill the void left by BBC 4 radio’s Pilgrim series then you will find it in Cameron Sullivan’s debut novel, The Red Winter. Creative storytelling, captivating characters, this historical fantasy offers an alluring concept to the werewolf mythos all the while delving into France’s history and bourgeois society. Taking place during events like The Hundred Years War, The Beast of Gervauden and The French Revolution, Su
Apr 302 min read
Fantastic world building, Inventive story structure and Complex Characters
Rating 5/5 If ever an author were to combine the mind-bending dream-verse of Christopher Nolan’s Inception with the grey morality offered in the universe of Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher I feel it would be Nicolas Lietzau. Lietzau’s canon fantasy Dreams of The Dying is pure satisfaction to a reader such as myself with just enough political intrigue and psychological horror to leave me wanting more. After his work on indie game, Enderal: Forgotten Stories, it’s clear Lietzau
Mar 312 min read