John @ Tales from Absurdia

Read the full review at https://talesfromabsurdia.com/book-reviews/winter-in-tabriz-book-review/

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Set against the backdrop of the 1978/9 Iranian Revolution, Winter in Tabriz by Sheila Llewllyn is a truly remarkable novel.

It's passionate, packed with beautifully written prose, and possesses a gut-punching ennui that lasts for quite some time once the final page has been turned.

The amount of research that has gone into this novel – which Llewellyn reveals in the appendices – is simply staggering. Llewellyn even draws upon her own experiences as a Westerner abroad in Iran during this exact period.

And it shows – this is a novel that is highly authentic. It rewards its reader with a rich understanding of the cultural politics of a nation.

It is, in a single word, remarkable.

Seriously – do not sleep on this book. It's fantastic.

Read the full review at https://talesfromabsurdia.com/book-reviews/t-is-for-time-travel-book-review/

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T is for Time Travel is a curious collection of short stories by Stanlei Bellan that spans the fullness of space and time.

Included are a colourful array of stories that range from the abstract to the profound. And for a book that stands at circa 120 pages, Bellan is able to extract a bevy of interesting time travel-related hijinks and present them in a concise manner.

It's thought-provoking without being complex – its simplicity belies the genius contained within.

If you're remotely interested in time travel-related speculative fiction, then definitely give it a go.

In any case, it's only just over 120 pages – what have you got to lose?

Full review available at https://talesfromabsurdia.com/book-reviews/ringlander-the-path-and-the-way-book-review/

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Ringlander: The Path and the Way – the debut fantasy novel from Michael S. Jackson – is an absolute riot.

Set in Rengas, a continent dominated by conflict, the occupying & brutish Bohr seek to quash an ongoing rebellion from the native human population. Meanwhile, an astral war engulfs the cosmos above, with the world torn apart by competing realities.

Sound complex? At first, it does come across a little abstract.

However, Jackson's brilliant writing guides the reader deftly, navigating the various factions of Rengas, from the Tsiorc rebels to the Pathfinders of the North.

This is a fantasy novel with a truly original lore – and that's a really exciting prospect for future entries in the series.

Full review available at https://talesfromabsurdia.com/book-reviews/islands-of-abandonment-book-review/
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Cal Flyn has published something truly special in Islands of Abandonment: Life in the Post-Human Landscape.

A non-fiction book, Flyn examines places around the world that have since been left behind by people. Often to the benefit of said places.

We travel to Chernobyl, out of town Detroit, the DMZ between North and South Korea, and even places closer to home in West Lothian, Scotland – just to name a handful of spots around the globe.

These places have typically been abandoned by humans following disasters, either natural or man-made. Others have been abandoned due to war or financial ruin.

Despite the somewhat sombre subject matter, Islands of Abandonment is a truly fascinating read, with shades of optimism and well worth anyone's time.

Read the full review at https://talesfromabsurdia.com/book-reviews/winterset-hollow-book-review/

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Winterset Hollow is a novel about a novel called Winterset Hollow.

Sound confusing? Don't worry – it isn't.

Jonathan Edward Durham's debut novel is, however, a fascinating blend of genres.

Dark fantasy meets metafiction, whilst whimsical children's fiction meets slasher. The result of this rather outlandish experiment is a remarkable piece of fiction that sticks long in the memory.

A lot of love and attention has gone into Winterset Hollow, and it shows. It's a fantastic debut effort, and I'd strongly encourage my readers to add this to their TBR lists – especially with it being available on Amazon's Kindle Unlimited programme.