The Vanishing Throne is the second in the Falconer series by Elizabeth May, a series that brings to us a story including the fae, a little romance and a combination of period drama and steampunk.  Whilst I had the odd irritation here and there these were only slight niggles that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this book – although, that ending!  (more later).  It has a different feel than the first, a lot more dark and moody as we learn more of the fae and their history and in particular the role they’ve previously played with humankind. Please be aware that being the second book in series this review may contain spoilers for the first book. Basically, as a recap from the first you will no doubt recall that Aileana (or Kam as she’s more commonly known) was attempting to keep closed a portal that kept the majority of the fae world separate from humankind.  Unfortunately the attempt did not succeed and at the same time Kam fell through the portal and became the prisoner of Lonnrach.  Now, I don’t really want to give away too much about the plot or the motivations that underpin the story but I think I…

I spotted Stranger of Tempest a while ago when the stunning cover was running amok on the internet and was immediately keen to pick up a copy as it looked and sounded great.  Does the book live up to the promise?  Yes, I’m happy to say it does.  I found this a really intriguing story and a great set up for the rest of the series.  It’s a great blend of fantasy and action set predominantly in dark tunnels and a ruined city that are riddled with scary creatures, unusual dwellers and something even darker that stalks the night At the start of the story we witness a man called Lynx as he searches for his latest meal ticket.  He reluctantly finds work with a band of mercenaries known as The Cards who are about to head out on their latest mission.  Lynx is answerable to nobody, he doesn’t seek much in life above a full stomach and is content to take on any number of small jobs usually trying to avoid bands of mercenaries and other conflicts.  However, when he’s approached by a group of hardened mercs who are about to take on the rescue of a kidnapped young…

Warrior Witch by Danielle L Jensen is the final instalment from The Malediction Trilogy that brought to us Stolen Songbird and Hidden Huntress.  If you haven’t picked up these books yet please be aware that the following review will contain spoilers. I must confess from the outset that I had mixed feelings about Warrior Witch and I’ve taken a little longer than normal to reflect before writing this review.  Now, let me be clear by saying that I didn’t dislike this book but by the same token I didn’t love it either, I am however pleased that I finished the series.  I think this was always going to be a story that would be difficult to conclude.  Sometimes you’re so caught up in a story that you can’t see the wood for the trees even though deep down, at the back of your mind, you have concerns about how it could possibly conclude satisfactorily.  I think the Malediction Trilogy is one of those series.  That probably sounds like a massive spoiler but please trust me when I say it really isn’t! To give a recap.   The Malediction Trilogy brings to us a world of magic, fae and trolls.  The…

Hex is a unique story about a witch who haunts the inhabitants of a small town.  It’s a creepy tale that stays with you after you finish reading and gives you plenty of food for thought – but probably in a way that you really wouldn’t expect.   Katherine van Wyler was sentenced to death for witchcraft by the towns people of Black Springs in the year 1664.  Unfortunately for the people of Black Springs Katherine took her death sentence rather badly and ever since has haunted the towns people who are now, effectively cursed.   I think Hex probably has one of the most unusual concepts for a creepy tale that I’ve ever come across.  A witch who haunts a town and literally walks the streets or shows up in people’s houses.  What makes this worse is that Katherine has her eyes and mouth sewn shut and is wrapped with chains.  Her appearance is usually preceded by the smell of rot and the stench of dirty water and if the inhabitants listen closely enough they can hear Katherine whispering quietly a string of vitriol that can cause madness and worse in any that overhear her words.  Now imagine that some people…

  The Silent Army is the fourth installment of what is turning out to be quite an epic fantasy series by James A Moore.  If you haven’t started the series yet then please be aware that this review will undoubtedly contain spoilers for the previous books in the series.  Also, if you do plan on starting this series I would strongly suggest starting from the beginning in order to really get a feel for all the characters and their different allegiances. The conclusion of the last book was incredibly dramatic with the Silent Army rising to defend Canhoon (or the City of Wonders, as it is also known) against attack from the Sa’ba Taalor.  At the same time the army of the Sa’ba Taalor are on the move, their strategies are in place and although the events at the conclusion of No.3 caused them a momentary blip nothing is unsurmountable to them.  Or at least so it seems.  Ruthless, determined and with their Gods constantly feeding them guidance they are a force to be feared and they sweep across the land terrorising and transforming it in their wake. Meanwhile we become re-acquainted with Andover Lashk and his companions who travelled to The Mounds to…

Fellside is my second Carey novel and coming on the heels of the very well received The Girl with All the Gifts I can say I had very high expectations.  Not always easy to follow up such a successful book but I think Carey manages to deliver a completely different style of book, a unique story and a compelling read, well written and powerful. This is a difficult book to review because of the desire to not give away spoilers.  Similar to TGWatG really!  So, what I can go with is what we’ve already been given on the synopsis. We know the story is set in Fellside, a high security prison and we know that Jess is one of the inmates.  Therefore probably safe to assume that Jess Moulson is a convict and given that the synopsis states that Jess could be spending the rest of her life in Fellside presumably she’s somebody with a serious crime behind her.  Now, Jess certainly has a story to tell and Carey tells that story in an addictive way that takes on the spirit of a ghost story with a difference. Jess is in prison for the murder of a young boy called…

I was so looking forward to this book and it absolutely lived up to my expectations. You may now call me ‘She that reads until late at night’ or ‘Devourer of Books’ or perhaps ‘Goddess of book love’ (you’ll understand if you’ve read this!) Gushing will commence but firstly a little about the book. The book starts with a murder victim found by a lone woman walking her dog. However, not only is this no ordinary killing but this is no ordinary ‘lone woman’. Manhattan is about to become the scene for a number of grisly murders. Unfortunately the police have few clues but Selene DiSilva recognises only too well the signs of a ritual sacrifice and doesn’t intend to let this brutal killing go unsolved. Once known as the Protector of the Innocent she’s about to team up with a classics professor and the two will embark on a desperate scramble around Manhattan in a bid to pick up clues before the body count rises. I don’t think too much more introduction is really necessary to be honest, it’s an interesting plot that involves quite a lot of ancient history being thrown into the mix and it moves forward…

We start the book with Deadman’s Hand.  This is the first in the Assassin’s series and opens as a stranger rides into the town of Deadwood on a pale horse. His name is Gabriel and he seeks revenge. Doug is the local storekeeper who witnesses Gabriel’s arrival and who will narrate this tale.  It seems from this point onward that Doug, in spite of himself, is going to be pulled into the strange world of Gabriel and the man that he seeks.  At the same time, on the other side of town another stranger has appeared and following some sort of altercation is now spending time in the mortuary!  Strange coincidence?  Or has Gabriel been beaten to his quarry? This is only a short story but nonetheless is an intriguing tale with a small but interesting cast of characters.  I don’t want to elaborate too much on the plot because it would be easy to spoil the story for others.  What I can say is that Gabriel is no ordinary man.  Cursed hundreds of years ago he seeks the man called Temple who killed his family.  Temple, likewise is no ordinary man, he is in fact a demon, incredibly difficult to…

Just finished reading The Silver Tide by Jen Williams.  This series is so good that it makes me want to cry because it’s now come to an end.  Literally, I could cry right now!  Enough about me though, to the book with a small cautionary note about spoilers for the first two books in the series. This book is so good, I absolutely loved it.  It’s jam packed with so many goodies that I’m sure I developed an ache in my jaw from just gaping ridiculously whilst reading.  Not only do we get to return to this fantastic world and spend time with, frankly, three of my most favourite characters from fantasy at the moment, but we go on some totally crazy adventures. At the start of the story the Black Feather Three are going to be enlisted by none other than Devinia the Red.  Their mission: to delve, boldly I might say, into the heart of the cursed Island of Euriale (otherwise known as the Island of the Gods) where hopefully heaps of treasure lies waiting for their little grabby hands.  Why, you may ask, is this treasure left lying around?  Well, nobody who wandered into the jungles of…

Speak by Louisa Hall is a very unusual book.  I admit that my curiosity was piqued by the cover and I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I picked it up.  As it is I found this a totally fascinating and thought provoking read.  It certainly isn’t an action book and I’ll just make that perfectly clear from the outset but in spite of the lack of any action this was a compelling read that drew me in. This is a combination of five stories that intertwine.  I’ve heard comparisons to Cloud Atlas and whilst I can see where those comparisons are coming from this is a story that stands on it’s own two feet.  Each story is told in a certain style, so we have a diary, letters, court transcripts, a memoir and also direct communication to us through one of the characters. The main threads are told as follows: We follow a young woman called Mary whose family take the decision to uproot and relocate to America during the 1660s.  Mary’s tale is told in the form of a diary.  It’s a somewhat sad tale but told in a fascinating voice and a style that I really…