Jessica Strider

Pros: organic world-building, fascinating characters, slow build up, satisfying conclusion

Cons:

The Emperor of the Annurian Empire has died. His oldest child, a daughter, Adare, lives in the Dawn Palace and has been raised to the post of Finance Minister. Kaden, the heir to the Unhewn Throne, has been training under the tutelage of the Shin monks for eight years, trying to master a technique he'll need in order to rule. Their younger brother, Valyn, is close to becoming a member of the Kettral, an elite force that flies on gigantic birds.

As the plot that killed the emperor spreads to his children, they must master their various skills in order to survive.

This is a slow building story that allows the reader to learn about the world through the actions and knowledge of the characters. There are no info dumps, and a lot of information is left unstated. The characters develop slowly, changing as the events of the book affect them.

The world is multicultural, though the focus remains on the three protagonists, each of whom live in very different places. The majority of time is spent alternating between Valyn's brutal training as a warrior and Kaden's rather different, but equally brutal training to learn how to empty his mind. While Adare gets fewer pages devoted to her story, it's in no way less important to the plot or interesting to the reader. Hers involves more political intrigue while her brothers' tales have more blood and pain.

While the book employs familiar elements, the writing feels fresh and the ideas are cleverly used. It's a fantastic debut and I can't wait to see what comes next in the story.

Pros: fun, engaging protagonist, interesting alien races

Cons: takes Tula a long time to figure out something fairly obvious

For parents: kissing, some violence

Sixteen year old Tula Bane arrives on the Yertina Feray as a member of the Children of Earth on their way to colonize a new world. But when her questioning puts her at odds with their leader, Brother Blue, she's left for dead on the station as they move on.

Surrounded by numerous alien species who think little of isolationist humans, and with only limited knowledge of Universal Galactic, she wonders how she'll survive, let alone get her revenge on Brother Blue.

Tin Star is a fun, quick read. The protagonist is intelligent and quickly makes a place for herself on the station, with the help of another alien. It's interesting watching her interact with the various alien races and, when some humans arrive on the station, realize how little she now knows about her own kind.

The different alien races are only loosely described, allowing you some freedom in creating your mental image of them. Similarly, while it's clear that Tula learns how to understand them for trade purposes, a lot of their habits, customs, etc, are also left to your imagination. I personally enjoyed this, though I imagine some readers will wish for more descriptive and explanatory passages. The same goes for the political intrigues of the universe at large. Changes in the outside world affect the station, but - due to problems with their communications array - the station's information about the outside world is minimal.

There are minor romantic elements towards the middle of the book but the focus remains on Tula and her mission to get off the station.

My only complaint is that it takes Tula rather a long time to figure out something that seemed pretty obvious early on in the book. And that's a mild complaint as it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book nor did it seem the author was purposely making her blind. It's something a person in her circumstances wouldn't consider.

For parents wondering about content issues, there's no language or sex (though some scenes suggest sex may be happening off page, those passages can be interpreted either way). There's a little kissing and some minor violence (the protagonist is beaten in the first chapter).

The book is self-contained, but set up for a sequel. I really enjoyed this book and hope there's more to come.

Pros: interesting future world, some interesting philosophical discussions, tense climax

Cons: uneven pacing, overuse of pop culture references

When Ellis Rogers hears that he is terminally ill with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, he decides to use the time machine he built in his garage. He says goodbye to his best friend and learns a devastating secret about his wife, who's been cold towards him after the suicide of their son.

But he goes much further into the future than he intended, and the future is very different from what he'd pictured.

Sullivan begins his book with an author's note, where he explains that the science he uses to explain time travel is meant to be taken much like that of H. G. Wells, a means to an end. If you're looking for hard SF and detailed explanations of how everything works, this is not the book for you.

Like The Time Machine, the book's an exploration of humanity, and toward the end especially, there are some interesting philosophical discussions. There's also a murder mystery to solve, which provides most of the plot based elements of the book.

I enjoyed his look at the future. It's quite unique, and allowed him to examine several aspects of modern day society. And for those of you who like questions of gender... without spoiling anything, his future has some surprises.

The pacing is uneven. Chapters full of character interactions and learning about life in Hollow World are suddenly interrupted when the mystery reappears. I sometimes had trouble transitioning from the laid back enjoyment of the former scenes to the intensity of the latter. It's surprisingly easy at times, with all that's going on, to forget the mystery is even there.

The book comes to a pretty tense climax. Everything focuses and the pacing evens out for the final chapters.

This was a personal pet peeve, and I'm not sure to what extent it will annoy others, but Sullivan threw in a LOT of modern pop culture references, which I found distracting. Especially since I didn't understand most of the references he used. For example, instead of saying that the gram (basically a TV show) Ellis watches is a documentary, he says, “This was a multi-part series similar to a Ken Burns documentary or something produced for the History Channel.” While I know what the History Channel is, I've never heard of Ken Burns. I read something once that a classic is a book that can transcend time. Once you have specific references to current culture the chances of someone being able to pick the book up and read it without problem 100 years later is doubtful. I could have used some end notes to explain some of the references, as will people less in the loop than I am. Luckily for me Sullivan tended to use several references in a row, so if I didn't understand one reference, often another would suffice to clue me in.

It was an interesting story with some thought-provoking moments towards the end.

Pros: compelling story, political machinations, minor romantic elements

Cons: slow opening

Conquest takes place roughly 16 years after the Illyri, a race similar to humans, take over the Earth. Syl, conceived among the stars and the first Illyri born on Earth, lives with her father, the governor of Britain and Ireland, in Edinburgh castle. On her 16th birthday she and a friend sneak out of the castle and encounter two human teenagers, members of the Resistance just as a bomb goes off on the Royal Mile. Events spiral into a series of political machinations that change the world as these 4 youths know it.

The book gets off to a slow start, as there's a lot of background information the reader needs to know in order to follow what happens after the bombing in Edinburgh. Once things start happening they happen fast. By page 100 I found that I couldn't put the book down, I was so invested in the characters and what was happening.

While a lot of the politics happen off stage, given the ages of the protagonist, there's still a fair amount of political maneuvering, among the humans (different resistance groups) but mainly among the Illyri (the sisterhood, the military and the diplomatic corps). It's the alien politics that fascinate, and I'm hoping the next book includes more information about the sisterhood.

There are a lot of SF elements borrowed from other sources, but the authors do a great job of using those elements in new ways. The addition of a burgeoning romance between one of the humans and Syl only enhances the difficulties the two races face. And the ending contained some great twists.

This book is more complex than humans: good, aliens: bad. Having protagonists on both sides makes both sides partly sympathetic. And partly not. It's a great start to a series.

Myths & Legends: Robin Hood by Neil Smith, Illustrated by Peter Dennis

Pros: summarizes several stories, mentions scholarship about historical possibilities for Robin Hood's identity

Cons: repetitious, Maid Marion's origin story left out

This is another volume from Osprey's Myths & Legends series. Like the others, it summarizes the stories involved as well as gives historical information on where the legends came from.

This book is separated into the Legend of Robin Hood (the earliest stories, mostly from A Gest of Robyn Hode), the Myth of Robin Hood (the populist stories added from the 15th C, influenced by the May Games) and Robin Hood's World (historical information).

Peter Dennis's artwork is great, though there are a lot of historical artwork reproduced as well. I did find it strange that the explanation boxes for his illustrations gave short summaries of the stories they illustrate. Since they appear after the longer story summaries, it's unnecessary repetition. The exception to this being the one on Robin and Friar Tuck, where he mentions a lot of background information about the story and the location it takes place in. Rather than the summary I'd have appreciated more information on his artistic choices, which only gets minor treatment.

Given the book's size and the amount of material to cover, there's a lot left out. The most glaring omission to the book is the story of how Maid Marion joins the Merry Men. While it's mentioned that she was a later inclusion to the mythos and how her story morphed over time, I was disappointed that one or two of her stories weren't included to show how she evolved as a character. It's bizarre considering her importance to Robin Hood's modern tales and the fact that the author summarized Friar Tuck's story, which dates from the same period as Maid Marion's.

Ultimately, this is a great starting point for those interested in learning more about Robin Hood.

Pros: very well researched, explains things clearly using numerous examples, goes over various historical traditions

Cons: only mentions the most expensive pigments artists used, only a few illustrations

This is an exploration of colours used by painters in the middle ages by way of their ‘scientific' and alchemical significance. It mentions myths, traditions, physical and spiritual significances of the materials according to Traditional beliefs. It also goes over the alchemical procedures that made these already expensive pigments even more important.

I was expecting a treatise on all the different pigments used in the middle ages, something akin to a teaching manual. Instead, I got a mind blowing exploration of philosophy and world beliefs of the past. I've always been interested in alchemy, and this book explained things like Plato's cave, 4 element theory, and the Philosopher's Stone in a way that was easy to understand. While there were only a few simple figure drawings, the clarity of the writing meant illustration wasn't really necessary (even if it would have been welcome).

Only a few pigments are mentioned: Tyrian purple, ultramarine blue, vermilion and dragonsblood (both red), and gold. Later chapters revisit some of these materials showing their spiritual, rather than physical, significance. I appreciated learning that the location and method of obtaining materials had meaning for the later artwork and use of the pigments, which I hadn't expected. Similarly, it doesn't cover all aspects of alchemy, just those associated with the pigments being discussed.

The opening's a bit condescending in the way of ‘we don't think as they did, so it will be hard for you to understand what I'm about to say', but he quickly moved on to the topic at hand, and only occasionally gave a modern analogy for those who might have trouble wrapping their heads around the Traditional world view (as opposed to the modern Scientific, analytical view).

This is a fascinating book and if you have any interest in alchemy I can't recommend it enough. Another thing it showed, that modern audiences don't recognize, is how interconnected the world of the past was. We see Europe as an isolated area, ignoring the fact that materials and ideas traversed borders and continents to influence them. I also didn't realize just how much Christianity took from other traditions. Looks like I've a whole lot more reading and research to do.

Pros: interesting characters, fully realized worlds

Cons: Catherine's relationship with Josh didn't feel real, book ends abruptly

Catherine Rhoeas-Papaver grew up in a powerful family of Aquae Sulis, the Nether version of England's Bath. But she ran away to Mundanus, hoping to build a life for herself away from the machinations and abuses of her family. Now they're bringing her back and forcing her to get married.

Meanwhile, the Master of Ceremonies has disappeared and a Bath Arbiter, charged with keeping the people of Mundanus safe from the fae and their Nether puppets, has uncovered corruption in the London Chapter.

There's a lot going on in this book that isn't said, due to Aquae Sulis rules of propriety and the mundanes that feature in parts of the story. In many ways it makes things fun as you get to figure out aspects of society, the sorcerers, etc. organically. Only a few things were a bit confusing and took time to figure out, like discovering that Patroon wasn't a typo for Patron, but a separate office.

The different worlds were realized well. I liked the amount of detail put into the Nether - the unchanging light, lack of wind, etc. and the glimpses of Exilium were perfect.

The characters were fun, though since we were only told about Catherine's relationship with Josh, rather than allowed to see them together as a couple, I kept forgetting she was in love with him. This becomes a problem because I found myself liking her intended groom in the Nether, who tries so hard to impress her. Seeing her previous relationship in action, and getting to know Josh more, would have grounded that relationship and made her plight - forced to leave him and marry someone else - starker.

The main mystery of the story wraps up, but the book itself ends very abruptly. I found myself turning the page, expecting more, only to find I was done. You'll want the next volume ready to go if you start these, because this book ends with several people in tight spots.

Pros: interesting plot, awesome protagonist

Cons:

For Parents: minor swearing, drug use (but not by protagonists), off page sex, minor violence

Set in 2150, after the collapse of the United States into smaller colonies, Zelia and her younger sister Dylia, are devastated when an accident leaves them orphaned. When her blood test shows she has a special, and illegal, trait, Dylia is taken by an underground organization that exploits their differences. Zelia meanwhile, is taken in by an opposing organization where she discovers that her Ondine's curse isn't the only thing that sets her apart from others. As she grows closer to her new family, she also becomes more determined to rescue her sister, regardless of the cost.

Despite most of the characters having special powers/mutation of some sort, this isn't a superhero book. There are a few fist fights, but that's about it for violence and action. This is a female coming of age story about growing into yourself and trying to protect the people you love from harm.

Zelia is a great protagonist. She starts off timid and obedient to her controlling father, but when push comes to shove she discovers she won't back down from making difficult choices in order to get her sister back. And while I didn't like all the decisions she makes (and she makes a few terrible ones), all of her actions make sense given her age (she's 17) and the traumas she's been through. She's never whiny as she works hard to find her sister. I loved her personality as she becomes quite snarky and bad ass as time goes by.

The plot's pretty interesting. You keep learning more about where these powers are coming from and what Zelia's father was really up to. There's a touch of romance coming into the final third of the book, including off page sex. There's also some drug use at the club that appears in 2 scenes.

This is a book carried by it's protagonist and her quest. It was a hard book to put down and I really enjoyed it. It's open ended enough for a sequel but can also be read as a stand alone.

Pros: fascinating premise, thought provoking, hard SF

Cons: Seivarden's personality changes a lot

Twenty years ago she was Justice of Toren, the artificial intelligence of a Radchaai spaceship with thousands of ancillary units at her command. Now she is simply Breq, a single ancillary. Her mission: to destroy the entity that reduced her to her present state.

This is a fascinating novel. It's predominantly told in chapters alternating between Breq's present and what happened 20 years ago when One Esk was stationed in the newly annexed city of Ors.

I liked the idea that the Radchaai language had no genderization (he/she), so Breq finds it difficult to determine the genders of people when speaking other languages, often guessing wrong. The use of ‘she' in the book for everyone made me question my own preoccupation with gender, as I first tried to figure out what gender all the characters were, with some difficulty. As the book wore on, I finally gave up, even though the correct genders for several characters were stated. Once I got used to the idea that the character's gender didn't matter, I found it oddly liberating not caring about what gender everyone was and simply appreciating the characters for their actions.

There were several quotes that spoke to me in the book, like this one by Breq about the actions of her ancillaries and officers who participated in a genocide:

“It's easy to say that if you were there you would have refused, that you would rather die than participate in the slaughter, but it all looks very different when it's real, when the moment comes to choose.” (p. 114, ebook edition)

The book definitely makes you think about identity and choices.

While there are jump gates to facilitate and speed up space travel, the book is hard SF in that it still takes a long time to get places. While you won't find detailed explanations of how the ship and station AIs work, there is enough information about it to create a good backdrop for the rest of the book.

While there is a plot, it's the character of Breq/One Esk that carries the book. She's such a fascinating figure that you read on just to find out more about her and her past.

I'm not sure I believed the extent of Seivarden's transformation from highborn snob to what he becomes at the end of the book, but I did appreciate what he went through and could see how such events would change a person a lot.

The ending was exciting and satisfying given what's happened in the story. It's open enough for the coming sequel but does stand on its own.

I highly recommend this book.

Pros: highly descriptive & immersive writing, some terrifying scenes

Cons: wraps up very quickly

Jaime Browning tells a true ghost story by relating scenes from his childhood when he had a powerful ‘imaginary' friend. As an adult things come to a head when he buys an island with an old manor house called Wild Fell, where, unknown to him, several people have died in the past.

It took me a few pages to get used to the highly descriptive writing the author used - being more comfortable nowadays with the sparse prose that's become popular. But the book is incredibly immersive, making this character driven story fascinating and hard to put down.

The first scene is told from a young woman's point of view, and Rowe does a phenomenal job with it. Most of the book details common events of childhood: bullying, first love, etc., which makes the terrifying elements, when they appear, that much starker by comparison. And some of the scenes are really scary.

I found the finale a little abrupt, but it's a ghost story so you do expect a quick wrap up. It's a modern ghost story (as opposed to This House is Haunted, which is set in the 1800s), so it's easier to relate to on a personal level.

Pros: Mesoamerican based, interesting characters, very unique creatures, brilliant world-building, thought provoking

Cons: some elements of the ending were predictable, middle dragged slightly

Caleb Altemoc is a risk management officer for Red King Consolidated (RKC). When he's sent to one of their holdings to investigate a murder, he finds the water reservoir has been poisoned with Tzimet. As a desert city, Dresediel Lex requires these reservoirs in order to survive. Caleb discovers a trespasser at the reservoir, a cliff runner, whom he instantly falls for and decides to find and question on his own.

The incident puts RKC's newest acquisition into doubt, and Caleb, whose father is the last priest of the All Gods, defeated 60 years ago in the God Wars, and whose body was cut and imbued with ancient magic, is charged with making sure the deal goes through.

This is a great book. This is set in the same world as Three Parts Dead, but while that one was based on medieval Europe, this book has a Mesoamerican slant. For those who've read the first book, the Deathless Kings have more of a role in this book than the Gods. There's less craft than the previous book as well, and more priest craft.

The world-building again is phenomenal. There's so much depth to this world, from the sports game based on ancient history to various creatures, terrorist priests intent on returning the Gods to prominence, class distinctions between rich and poor, racial divisions between the local Quechals and the foreign craftsmen, the Wardens and the complex history of the land. The intricacies of craft and contracts is touched on but not with the detail of the previous book. This book has other aspects of the world to focus on.

I loved the variety of new creatures. The Tzimet are rather terrifying shadow creatures with sharp limbs to attack with. Wardens, the police force, fly on giant modified birds called Couatl. Opteran are giant dragonfly things that act as personal jet packs in exchange for soul matter from the people they transport.

The characters are all great. There's Caleb with his hatred of religion and unease with the subjection of the gods necessary for purifying water. He's always questioning the way things work, happy that the human sacrifices that his father performed are outlawed but not satisfied by how things currently run. Then there's Mal, the cliff runner, who's so much more to the story. Teo, Caleb's closest friend, who's a sounding board for his problems and prod for his betterment, while trying to navigate her own love life with a female artist who likes to court danger. Temoc, Caleb's father, who wants to bring back sacrifices and the past glory of the Gods. And, of course, there's Lord Kopil, the Deathless King of Dresediel Lex, and Caleb's terrifying boss.

Some parts of the ending were predictable, but that's not necessarily a negative point. The middle dragged a little, at least in comparison to everything that's happening at the beginning but picks up quickly enough to give a very satisfying ending.

I highly enjoyed the book can't wait for the next one.

Pros: summarizes several medieval and celtic myths, theories of who Arthur may have been historically, lots of illustrations

Cons: focus is squarely on Arthur, which leaves out some of the stories

Part of Osprey Adventure's Myths and Legends series, this book chronicles the best known stories of King Arthur, including the various theories regarding the historical personage the tales are based on.

The book is split into three parts: the Medieval Arthur, the Celtic Arthur and the Historical Arthur. The first two sections include an overview and then detailed summaries of the most important of the stories from those storytelling traditions. They are well told and include numerous stories I've never heard of (and I had to read a number of Arthurian romances in University). The historical segment is equally interesting, and includes the argument that Arthur was merely an invention and not based on a historical figure (or an amalgamation of historical figures) at all. There's also a list of further reading and watching for those who want more, though their fiction list is somewhat limited.

The book has lots of colour illustrations, including several two-page spreads. Some of the artwork was produced for this book and illustrated by Alan Lathwell.

There's such a large amount of material on Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table that it's impossible to cover it all. The summarized works were ones that focused on Arthur. Many stories that focused on other knights were mentioned in passing while others weren't mentioned at all.

Ultimately it's a very readable book for those interested in learning more about King Arthur. If you want a comprehensive listing of all the works King Arthur and/or his knights appear in this is a good starting point but isn't going to give you everything. It is however, interesting and able to point you in directions you may not have been aware of.

Pros: rolicking adventure, fun characters, brilliant antagonist, afterword include source materials for research

Cons: Sabirah's character felt superfluous

A fortune teller's prophecy and a theft at Jaffar's palace, send Jaffar's captain of the guard, Asim el Abbas, and his scholar, Dabir ibn Khalil, on a quest to retrieve a magical artifact.

This book is a fun adventure story set in the eighth century Abbasid caliphate of Haroun al-Rashid. Told from Asim's point of view, there are several fights, kidnapping, magic, monsters, and more. It's a fast paced book with a highly intelligent antagonist, so things very often don't go well for our heroes.

My only complaint with the book was that Sabirah, an intelligent woman with an eidetic memory, is only there as a student / accused love interest (though the latter isn't a focus of the story, merely a complication for one of the protagonists) and kidnap victim. She helps out with information on one occasion but is otherwise a tagalong on the quest.

Still, it's a great book and the afterword explains some of the history vs fantasy as well as gives historical sources should you wish to learn more about this era and its people.

Pros: Q&A format, includes some of his fiction

Cons: will possibly make you cry in public

This is a non-fiction book written by a 13 year old Japanese autistic boy, in which he answers questions he's been asked numerous times about why he does the things he does. It's an amazing look inside autism.

This is a book that may well make you cry, so beware of reading it in public. In David Mitchell's introduction, when talking about some of Higashida's included fiction and the accusation that autistic people have no empathy, he writes:

“Like all storytelling mammals, Naoki is anticipating his audience's emotions and manipulating them. That is empathy. The conclusion is that both emotional poverty and an aversion to company are not symptoms of autism but consequences of autism, its harsh lockdown on self-expression and society's near-pristine ignorance about what's happening inside autistic heads.”

Similarly in his answer to the question “Would you like to be ‘normal'?” Higashida says that when he was younger he wanted to be normal but now,

“I've learned that every human being, with or without disabilities, needs to strive to do their best, and by striving for happiness you will arrive at happiness. For us, you see, having autism is normal - so we can't know for sure what your “normal” is even like. But so long as we can learn to love ourselves, I'm not sure how much it matters whether we're normal or autistic.”

While it's a short read, it's both inspiring and educational. Understanding is the first step towards becoming better people with regards to how we interact with those who are autistic in our midst.

Pros: some chilling scenes

Cons: it takes Eliza a long time to figure out what's happening

After the sudden death of her father, Eliza Caine answers an ad to become governess at Gaudlin Hall. But something's not right in her new home and no one will answer her questions about the parents of her charges, the tragedies that have taken place at Gaudlin Hall, or the ghost that's trying to kill her.

I'd say this book is a cross between The Haunting of Hill House, for the atmospherics and period, and The Shining, for the constant anticipation of something bad happening. Boyne does an excellent job of putting you in Eliza's place, feeling her terror, and trying to survive what's to come.

While I really liked Eliza I did feel it took longer than it should have for her to figure out what was going on. Having said that, I enjoyed seeing regular life at the Hall interspersed with her learning more about the place's history.

If you like ghost stories, this is a winner.

Pros: interesting mystery, slow romance

Cons: map

Delia Martin returns to San Francisco after a 3 year absence because the ghost that's been haunting her for the past 6 months demands it. The ghost, which Delia calls shadow, seems to have a connection to a string of recent murders in the city. The murder investigation is headed by Gabe Ryan, best man at the upcoming wedding of Delia's best friend, Sadie, and his partner Jack.

Set around the events of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915 the novel includes a mix of detective work and spiritualism as we see events from the alternating viewpoints of Delia and Gabe.

The romance is light hearted and grows organically from Delia and Gabe's interactions throughout the book. In several ways the book reminded me of Mary Robinette Kowal's Shades of Milk and Honey, though the magic/paranormal elements here are more pronounced.

There are two maps of the fair grounds at the beginning of the book. They're both black and white though one's an annotated line drawing and the other's a picture with text that is difficult to read. For some reason the second map is upside down in relation to the first, making the places more challenging to line up. There's no real need for the maps beyond giving a better image of the area some of the events take place in, so this is a cosmetic complaint as it doesn't detract from the text in any way.

This is a slow moving story, but by no means is it a slow read. The dual mysteries of the murderer and Delia's shadow unfold at a quick pace, even as Delia and Gabe get to know each other better.

If you want a lot of action this isn't a good pick, but if you like well rounded characters living life and dealing with difficult circumstances, than you'll find this an enjoyable read.

Pros: interesting philosophy, some fun characters, heart-wrenching situations

Cons: somewhat open ended story

For Parents: some sexual content, gay content (nothing graphic), suicide, some violence, off screen bullying and abuse

When Seth Wearing drowns in the ocean he expects that to be the end. So he's shocked when he wakes up outside the house in England where he lived as a child. The house his family moved from quickly after the incident. The incident that changed his younger brother.

His new world is abandoned, overgrown with plants and empty of human life. And Seth has no idea what's going on. But he suspects this is Hell.

This is an interesting story that will keep you on your toes. While I did see a few of the plot twists coming, others were complete surprises. It's a tough novel to discuss without potentially spoiling some of the plot twists, but I'll try.

I love Seth as a character. He's constantly doubting the new world he finds himself in, while at the same time reliving in dreams the best and worst times of his life. I also love Thomasz, with his broken english and intelligent plans. He really doesn't get the credit he deserves from the other characters. Regine is also great as a feisty overweight black teen who understands more about Seth than Seth's willing to tell. Seth's best friends are interesting too, and I was blown away when a particular relationship came to light. It put the use of the friendly insult ‘homo' they use in a different, and more positive, light.

Some of the characters have truly gut-wrenching moments to share. There is some abuse and bullying mentioned, as well as other violence. But as with the sexual content, there's nothing graphic.

It takes a while to discover what's really going on, and at times Seth's reticence to explain his past and inability to explain what he discovers about his present is frustrating as you want to know what he's learned/experienced. The ending was fairly open to interpretation, which makes the book thought-provoking, though I'd have liked another chapter delivering more of a sense of closure.

This is a book about growing up. About learning that everyone else is the centre of their universe just as you are the centre of yours. While it's easy to take everything others do personally, not every action is meant as a reaction to you or what you've done. Despite having some valuable life lessons this isn't a preachy novel and Seth doesn't come by these realizations easily. But they are good, hopeful, lessons for teens. And I hope a lot of teens - and adults - pick up this book.

Pros: fascinating characters, philosophical slant, subtle humour, set in Zimbabwe

Cons: slow to reveal pertinent information, pronunciation guide at the end difficult to refer to in ebook format

There's no protagonist in this book. The story is told in stages from various character's points of view. Each character's story - and subsequent conversation(s) - is directly or indirectly essential to piecing together the plot. And there's a lot of piecing to do. Characters and stories from the beginning of the novel that don't seem important show up later as important elements to the whole. You learn a lot about each character, their background and the choice they have to make with regards to the novel's plot. There's a LOT of backstory, but it's engagingly told and quick to read.

I loved the setting. I know very little about Zimbabwe so that alone made this a fun read. I loved that there were several strong female characters and characters from different walks of life. There's a bordello mistress, a peasant farmer, a carpenter who creates gallows as a hobby, a professor of botany, some lawyers, lots of unsavoury characters, a genius etc. I really liked the interview chapter (chapter 2) and the acknowledgement that a lack of education does not equal a lack of intelligence.

While the book has a meat eating plant, there's little else for the SF lover here, and the plant doesn't show up until the 100 page mark. Once it does show up, it's mainly the impetus for the other events in the story, rather than a large element on its own. SF aside, if you like mysteries, psychopaths and brilliant storytelling, there's plenty here to hold your interest.

I was particularly fond of the occasional bits of philosophical wisdom scattered throughout the book as well as the author's subtle sense of humour. Take for example, these lines, “The man had a chocolate charisma. Its low nutritional value did not stop people from eating it up.” It's not humour that will make you laugh out loud, but it will make you smile. Another favourite is this passage:

“Imagine how wonderful this world would be if potential criminals asked the police for permission? ‘Please, may I kill my boss?' ‘No!' ‘Please may I steal a cow?' ‘No!' ‘Please may I burn my neighbour's house? He is so annoying.' ‘No!'

“We could slash the law enforcement budget by ninety-nine percent. We would only need a single police officer and a desk. The officer's only job would be to say ‘No!'

For the most part I didn't mind how slowly the book revealed the plot, as the story and characters were so interesting. But around the 250 page mark I started to wonder when the plot was going to show up, only to discover I was already knee deep in it. This is very much a novel designed to make you think.

My other ‘complaint' is format related. I started reading this on a Kobo, which isn't the best reader if you want to jump to the back of the book to look at the pronunciation guide. It wasn't until I switched to the iPad that I was able to check how characters names were pronounced. While it's standard to have this at the back of the book, in the ebook age, a short list at the beginning, next to the map, would have been fantastic.

There's a 16+ rating on the book that probably isn't necessary. While violence is mentioned there's little on the page. And while there are some bizarre sexual scenarios described there's nothing graphic or obscene.

This is the start of a series and I assume the flesh eating flame lilies will be more prominent in the later books. This one was mostly set-up, but it was incredibly interesting set-up and I'm looking forward to the next book.

Pros: superb world-building, interesting mix of characters

Cons: characters full names always used, slower middle, defeat the main enemy with surprising ease

Doctor Adoulla Makhslood is an old man, and one of the last true ghul hunters. When his former lover's niece is killed in a ghul attack, he hunts it, and its creator, down. Accompanying him is his apprentice, a skilled and devout Dervish. But what they find isn't an easily defeated evil man who's learned to raise a few ghuls, but monsters the likes of which the doctor has only read about in ancient storybooks.

On their quest, they meet Zamia Badawi, whose desert living band has recently met with the monsters the doctor hunts and who possesses ancient magics herself.

Meanwhile, the ‘Falcon Prince', an outlaw who steals from the rich and helps the poor, is inciting rebellion against the Khalif of the Crescent Moon Kingdoms.

I really enjoyed the varied characters in the book. The Doctor is irreverent but knowledgeable in the ways of the world. By the middle of the book he's requested help from an older couple, two of his travelling companions from times past. The contrast between the experienced old people and the two teens (the apprentice and Zamia), makes for some fun scenes. The elders quickly become exacerbated by the simple beliefs of the teens, while the teens help infuse the adults with determination and belief in their eventual victory.

In addition to having older protagonists, the book also brings in characters with different backgrounds. Zamia is a tribeswoman, derided by the doctor for her people's ‘barbaric' beliefs. And his friends are both from different nations. Each character had good and bad traits, as well as personal struggles to overcome in the book. They all felt like real people, with real challenges, trying to figure out what to do next when there's no right - or easy - answers.

While most of the novel took place in and around the city of Dhamsawaat, having characters from other nations helped make the larger world come alive. The city itself felt like a character at times, sprawling across the pages in all its glory. The scents, sounds and feelings of grandeur, squalor and packed humanity are vividly told, though not overbearingly so.

The beginning and ending of the book are filled with monsters, spell work and sword fighting, which makes the middle - with its numerous conversations - seem a bit dull by comparison. Important stuff happens, gathering information, resting, intrigue and gossip, but there was a stretch where it seemed talking was all that was happening.

Each character had a fairly long name and for some reason their full name was always used. I ended up abbreviating the names in my head so I could move on with the story.

Given the character's difficulties when facing one of the big bad guys, I was surprised by how quickly they dealt with all their enemies at the end of the book. While it was a satisfying ending, it seemed a bit quick for all the lead-up. Having said that, I did appreciate that each character was changed by the events of the ending. It was nice seeing that the violence and difficult choices had consequences for them.

This tale is self-contained, though it is the first of a series. Despite my minor complaints, it was a fantastic book that really pulled me into the story. I wish I'd been able to read it in a less disjointed way than I did, giving it the attention it deserved. As many other reviewers have said, Saladin Ahmed is a name to watch for.

Pros: compelling writing, brilliant chracterization, minor romance elements, stand-alone story

Cons: close calls start to feel contrived, ending feels abrupt

For Parents: some violence (murder, torture), no swearing, off screen sex

When Em finds the note in the drain of her prison cell, she knows she and Finn have travelled back in time 14 times, and that they've failed in their objective to save the future. There's only one course of action left to them, to kill the man who made time travel possible, their former best friend and the man Em used to love.

This book was VERY hard to put down. The characters feel real, their emotions felt true to life but without the overarching angst that sometimes makes YA hard for adults to enjoy. Marina has complex relationships with everyone in her life. She's afraid her best female friends only like her because they want to get closer to James. Her parents are having trouble in their marriage, using her as a go-between. She loves James but isn't sure he feels the same way. And she's jealous of how close Finn and James have become, and so treats Finn badly, even if he doesn't always deserve it.

It's the first YA novel I've read that captured how conflicted I felt as a teen, so I really connected with Marina's character.

Em and Finn - the future versions - are equally complicated characters, having to make a tough decision knowing the pain it will bring their younger selves.

The two guys, one girl, formula sounds familiar but Terrill does great things with it. Marina loves James and dislikes Finn. Finn likes Marina, but recognizes that she doesn't like him back, which makes him snarky and bitter towards her at times. And James... well, it's unclear what he feels. Even their older selves have a unique dynamic.

Though I felt that Em's compunctions about killing her former crush were realistic, I started to feel the scenes involving close calls with him became contrived towards the middle of the book. The last quarter of the book shook things up again, which I really liked.

There's little told about the dystopian future the teens are from or the science involved with time travel, so if that's what you're looking for, look elsewhere.

The ending felt abrupt, but on further reflection - and rereading some scenes - I realized that it fit what the author said about time travel. This is a great book to reread, as you pick up all sorts of details you miss - especially in the first few chapters - the first time through.

Finally, it's great to read a YA dystopian novel and have it stand on its own. I highly recommend this one.

Pros: creepy premise, interesting characters

Cons: introduced to too many characters at once making them hard to remember

When Yoshihiko Fujiki wakes up in a red stone canyon in the rain, he has no idea where he is or what's happened to him. All he has are a few basic supplies and a handheld game system welcoming him to the Mars Labyrinth. Before he has the chance to follow the directions to the first checkpoint he runs into another player, Ai Otomo. Her game system is broken, so they team up to face... whatever comes next.

This is a novel that starts slowly - with Fujiki trying to figure out what's going on - but quickly builds momentum. Like the characters, you're horrified by the turns the ‘game' takes, as some of the players become less and less human. And though Fujiki has some ideas of what's happening behind the scenes, figuring that out isn't as important as staying alive.

Try not to read the book's back cover synopsis as the first paragraph contains a spoiler that will colour how you read the novel.

The premise of the book is pretty creepy. It starts off as a survival game with everyone in the wilderness. As time goes on and a trap set by those running the game is activated, things shift and it becomes a different kind of survival game.

The protagonists are pretty interesting, with down on their luck backgrounds. Fujiki took a while to grow on me, but I liked his tenacity and cleverness. While Ai gives good advice at times, she mainly stays in the background, letting Fujiki make most of the decisions. The other players all have unique personalities, though you don't see much of them.

Fujiki and Ai encounter the other players at the first checkpoint and you're given a quick introduction of all of them. It's too many people, too fast, several of whom have similar names. I found that later in the book, when the pair met up with them again, I couldn't remember who was who.

I'd recommend this to people who would like a less violent Battle Royale. It's got a bit of mystery, a bit of survivalistic writing, a tiny bit of romance and several violent, though not too graphic, deaths.

Pros: intricate world-building, strong female protagonist, glossary of terms

Cons: lots of characters to remember (no character list)

Paige Mahoney is a dreamwalker, able to send her spirit into the aether. She works for the criminal underworld of Scion London because clairvoyant powers like hers are illegal. Unnatural. A series of unfortunate events leaves her hunted by the Night Vigilance Division, voyants who work for the state against their own kind. But it's a different group that finds her. Instead of being executed or brought to the tower, she's drugged and woken up in a different city. She finds herself a prisoner of a race of beings called Rephaite. Beings who helped bring Scion to power. Beings who are now her masters.

The world building in this novel is incredible. Shannon has created 1) an alternate history from 1859, when clairvoyance became widespread, 2) a kind of caste system for clairvoyants, including numerous ways to access the aether, 3) a complex crime syndicate based in London, 4) a dystopian government that's extending its powers, 5) the Rephaite and Emim, and 6) the penal city of Sheol I.

While there are a few info dump style scenes, they're quick and intigrated into the story. And you really need them. So much is going on that the faster you're grounded in the background of each section, the more interesting the story is. The information is explained in different ways, the branches of clairvoyance are delivered via an infographic at the start of the novel, there's an orientation meeting for Shoel I, and Paige learns more about the city from other inmates. I really appreciated that Paige's flashbacks not only allowed you to learn more about her character but were used as a point of intrigue later on in the narrative.

Paige is a flawed but still kick-ass protagonist. She makes mistakes in the book and pays for them, but comes back fighting. Her progression through the book feels realistic. She's trying not to give in to hopelessness like so many others around her, while at the same time understanding that she has something to return to should she escape, unlike many of the others.

The Rephaite are fantastic bad guys. The more Paige learns about them, the more evil they become. And yet, she's drawn to her keeper, who isn't quite like the others. Their relationship is complicated and rather fun to read.

One of the few complaints I had about the novel was the large number of characters. There are Paige's syndicate members (by name and codename), people in government, people from history, numerous Rephaite, and the people in Shoel I, who you have to remember by both name and number. The numbers could confuse you too, as Paige was sometimes her full number, XX-59-40, sometimes XX-40 and sometimes just 40. A list of characters, with their numbers/aliases, would have been a helpful addition alongside the included glossary of terms (which I had to refer to several times towards the end of the book).

Another complaint was that amaranth became too powerful towards the end of the novel, which reduced tension in some otherwise tense scenes.

This is the first of a planned 7 book series. Given everything introduced in this book, I can't wait to see what the author does next. There's so much left unexplored, especially with regards to the Rephaite. And while this book is definitely open ended, there is a sense of completion to this volume, which I appreciated.

Pros: interesting premise, interesting examination of perceived experience vs the larger reality, quick read

Cons: scientific errors, protagonist gets irritating at times

Six astronauts are on a voyage to explore space, going further than any manned mission in the past. But almost immediately things start going wrong, and as the crew die - one by one - their reporter, Cormac, the least skilled among them, wonders if their mission will succeed.

This is an interesting novel about the worth of exploration and what it takes to leave everything you know for such an opportunity. There's a twist at the quarter mark that propels this novel from a simple exploratory mission into an examination of how we perceive events based on limited knowledge, memory vs reality and causality.

We get to know Cormac the most, as it's his POV we follow, but through his observations and experiences we also get to know the other crew members. The story alternates between what's happening on the ship and the process of being chosen for the mission back on Earth.

Cormac's experiences are interesting but his personality gets a bit grating as things break down and he can't do anything but wait for death.

Twenty or so pages before the end of the ebook, the climax hits. I eagerly turned the page to find out what happened only to discover that the novel was over and the final pages were an excerpt for Smythe's next book. This was incredibly jarring and meant I didn't appreciate the open style of the ending as I otherwise might have.

I enjoyed the book enough to pass it along to my husband. Turns out it was a good thing, as the first draft of this review stated the science was accurate. My husband is a huge hard SF fan and he pointed out several errors the book makes with regards to space. There's a scene that mildly irritated him where water didn't act the way it would in zero gravity. But the main problem is that the ship is brought to a halt on several occasions for checks and repairs. Not only would this waste their fuel, both to stop and to start up again (having killed their momentum), each stop would alter their course, which we're told has been pre-set. These errors made it harder for him to enjoy the book.

It's an interesting novel, and a very quick read, but those of you looking for hard SF might want to give this one a pass.

Pros: fascinating world of the after life, complex plot, lyrical writing, interesting and diverse characters

Cons: one plot point revolves around assault

Ben Mendelssohn is a righter of endings, an epilogist. A year after his wife's unexpected death he kills himself, expecting a touching reunion on the other side. But while he's correct that there's life after death, he's not expecting the complexity or strangeness of the otherworld. And he's definitely not expecting that his wife is nowhere to be found.

The novel alternates between chapters of Ben's life/afterlife with those of seemingly random side characters. As the novel progresses and the various side stories merge you start to realize how lives intersect and affect each other in the most bizarre ways.

The alternating chapters ramp up the suspense as each chapter with Ben ends with him discovering something on his quest to find his wife. But you don't find out what it is until his next chapter, propelling you through the book at a breakneck pace.

While I liked Ben, some of the side characters were harder to relate to. For example, while I pitied Ann's childhood, her attitude as an adult, based on adult decisions, was in many ways reprehensible. And yet, her part of the story was so interesting it was hard to stop reading.

As a work in translation (from Hebrew no less) word choice becomes important. There were two decisions that I wondered about. The first was Ben's career as a righter (as opposed to writer). I'm not sure if there was meant to be a deeper meaning to the choice that I simply didn't get (which I'm willing to accept as one chapter dealt with the writings of Salmon Rushdie, an author I've not read, and I'm sure it contained allusions I therefore missed). Along the same lines I'm not sure if the Babel chip the citizens of the Other World get is just a reference to the Biblical story or if I was supposed to think of the Babel fish in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as well.

The second word choice that surprised me was the use of the term ‘midget' as opposed to the more politically correct ‘little people' to describe two of the characters. I do applaud the author for including not one but two little people in important supporting roles. The only question I had here was that at one point one of them hosts someone at their home and I was left wondering if the furniture was sized for her, thereby potentially harder to use by her guest?

The world of the afterlife was fascinating. I don't want to spoil anything, as the author slowly brings different aspects of the world into focus, but he really did flesh out the world well. I did wonder why orientation didn't explain several things - particularly about the aliases - which would have been very helpful for the protagonist (and presumably countless others) to know.

One of the plot points revolves around an assault, which may be triggering for some readers though there is no gratuitous description. Similarly, one character is revealed as a pedophile, though one who doesn't abuse children.

I found the ending itself a touch anti-climactic, though it did fit the book perfectly.

Ultimately this is a great book with a compelling mystery, discourses on death - and what, if anything, it means - some romance and a unique cast of characters. You'll go through a gambit of emotions reading it as you race to the end.

Pros: intelligent protagonist, interesting premise, several plot threads that merge, learn about the future people watching the game, plausible future

Cons: ending gets preachy, one stilted conversation, one info dump conversation

What Play or Die does differently from other books with the premise of a gameshow where one human is hunting another (like The Hunger Games and the short story “The Prize of Peril” by Robert Sheckley) is add two new elements. First, in addition to being hunted, Jo learns that her father's recent death was murder, giving her something to investigate even as she's running from the hunter. She uses Fitani to gain information about the murder, which is pretty gutsy given her position. The second addition is information about those watching the game. Normally these stories focus on the game itself with little, if any, information about how such shows became popular and what sorts of people enjoy watching them. Jo asks about the people of the future, giving the reader a decent amount of information about how they live and why they're out for her blood. Later in the book there are more chapters that take place in the future fleshing out their world even more.

And the future Cole creates is quite plausible, given human nature.

Jo is a fantastic protagonist. She's a highly intelligent 18 year old, who comes up with some very clever means of staying ahead of the hunter. She does make several mistakes, which is only natural given her situation and the number of people who end up looking for her. She feels real - trying to stay ahead, but aware that it's only a matter of time before she slips up and is caught.

I loved that the different plot threads eventually merged at the end, creating a cohesive whole.

Since the book is self-published and it's usually my first question I'll mention that I did notice a few typos and 2 or 3 minor grammatical errors. On the whole the editing in this book was very well done.

My main complaints with the book were that there's one chapter towards the end of the book where two characters in the future are talking that's really an info dump for the reader. While Cole avoids the telltale ‘as you know', the characters do a weird ‘tell me what you remember about X' conversation that feels off. It's surprising because Cole otherwise was quite clever in how she gave information about the past, making this scene feel very out of place.

Also I got the feeling towards the end that the author didn't believe readers would get her message that it's bad how giant corporations are taking over small businesses because she has a conversation in which she gets downright preachy about it. It's only one conversation but it's a stilted conversation as again, the characters are forced into an unnatural conversation style. It's also unfortunate because the hammering home of the message is completely unnecessary.

All in all, it was a highly enjoyable read. If you like dystopian fiction with some great chills and a few surprises, a touch of romance and social issues, then you'll like this book.