Archives for reviews - Page 4
Lost Solace by Karl Drinkwater [Book Review]
Lost Solace by Karl Drinkwater My rating: 5 of 5 stars Excellent space opera, great feel and a thrilling read. The whole story takes place in a very short space and yet so much is conveyed about the main character and the universe that she inhabits. There's a very real feel to it, and at the same time a weirdness from the setting. But weird in a good way. Lost Solace Lost Solace refers to the ship that Opal, the protagonist, is looking for. Sometimes spaceships just disappear. Sometimes they come back. When they come back they're full of secrets and treasure that can make you rich. But they aren't safe. Opal has hacked an AI driven spaceship. She's using it to help her board and explore a Lost Ship, in the hope that it is the Solace, or that…
Anne Wheeler [author interview]
Anne Wheeler is the author of the awesome Asrian Skies series. I did an author interview with her for the release of the third in the series Shattered Honor. (See my reviews of the second, Unbroken Fire, and third Shattered Honor.) Asrian Skies is a fairly hard sci-fi story with a female lead and a set of complex characters, to the point where some of us find the bad guy strangely relatable #TeamChase. Anne Wheeler Interview Describe your writing process, what, where, when and how please? I work full time, so you can find me in the evenings (usually after my son’s bedtime) flopped on the couch typing on my laptop. And that’s basically all I do—sit down and type. When I started writing, I didn’t know that plotting or pre-planning was a thing, and even though I’ve tried outlining,…
Shattered Honor by Anne Wheeler [Book Review]
This post is part of a blog tour for the release of Shattered Honor, Anne Wheeler's latest book, which is reviewed below. You can pre-order it at There's also an opportunity to win a copy via the Rafflecopter giveaway Shattered Honor - Book Review Shattered Honor by Anne Wheeler My rating: 5 of 5 stars Shattered Honor is way more than space opera, there's a whole world of complex interactions, conflicting emotions and obstacles. That's what made it so enjoyable for me. None of these people are cardboard cut-outs following well worn trope laden paths. They're all bespoke characters lovingly put together in a richly constructed and internally consistent universe. That's what makes it great. The characters are very real. There's more than one thing going on at a time with them and the way Katryn fights off her romantic…
One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence [Book Review]
One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence My rating: 5 of 5 stars If you love Stranger Things then you are very likely to love this book. It's a little geeky and features a bunch of roleplaying teenagers as the core cast. Unlike Stranger Things it's set in London, mainly the suburban SW, in the 1980s, also there are no weird creatures, although there is some weirdness, just of a different nature. One Word Kill Cover of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition with a set of dice on it (photo: James Kemp) One Word Kill was very relatable for me, as much because I'm the same sort of age as the protagonists (not now, but I was a teenager in the 1980s). I'm also running a D&D story for my son and his friends, so I've watched those teenage roleplayers…
Paul Blake Author Interview
Paul Blake's author photo. (Photo: Paul Blake) Paul Blake is a fellow alumni of the Open University creative writing course (A215), although not my cohort. I first found out about Paul Blake via twitter, we share some common interests. His book A Young Man's Game is an awesome take on modern spy thrillers. So I was very pleased when he jumped at the offer to do an author interview. His latest book, A Few Hours After This, is out today. Go buy a copy! Paul Blake Author Interview How long have you been writing for and what made you start writing? I’ve been writing since 2016. I was doing an Open University Degree in ICT, and doing pretty badly to be honest. I was fine with the theory behind concepts and how they were used in real situations, but when…