Rarely does the title of the book grab me so suddenly, so abruptly it physically makes my heart pound and I know I have to have it.
Ok, so that’s a teeny bit of an exaggeration – but when I saw the press release for Basic Witches I know it would be absolutely magical, and right up my street.
When I saw the tagline ‘Beowulf meets The Lord of the Rings,’ I knew immediately this would be a tale suited to my tastes. Historical/fantasy novels are a favourite of mine, especially when I learn a little about past cultures and traditions in amongst the fiction. A Gathering of Ravens lived up to these high expectations.
Continue reading “Review: A Gathering of Ravens, Scott Oden (Blog Tour)”
Hi all, sorry for the radio silence – the last few months have been hectic!
I thought I’d post a little bit about the collection of essays I’ve been asked to write for – which I’m really excited about!
Continue reading “No Filter Collection: Millennials shout back!”
A modern day dystopian Britain finds its Citizens divided into various classes: Equals (magically Skilled) and the Commoners (considered Skilless). The Commoners must spend 10 years of their lives as modern day slaves, working in slavetowns filled with factories and call centres and sordid living conditions. However, there’s a sense of disruption as offspring begin to be born to the Equals without Skill and suddenly there’s a call for abolition in the air. The premise of this book hooked me instantly and I had incredibly high-hopes for a book described as the Hunger Games meets Game of Thrones.
A first of my guest posts, author of Skullsworn Brian Staveley delves into the complexities of politics in Fantasy texts. Lover of Fantasy? Reader of Fantasy? Writer of Fantasy? This essay provides an important insight into world-building and consistency.
Most political issues are complicated. Take the question of free trade. In order to develop an intelligent position on the issue, one needs to consider factors ranging from resource distribution to shipping costs, exchange rates to foreign competition to established local industry… the list is pretty long. Most people aren’t interested in doing all this work regarding real-world issues, which should give a writer of fantasy pause when they decide to really get into the political details of an invented world.
Continue reading “Guest Blog: The Dishonesty of Fantasy Politics by Brian Staveley”
I was lucky enough to get my hands on a proof of this book at London Book Fair, and as I’ve studied Medieval History & Literature before, I was intrigued immediately by the concept of two Medieval characters. If you have even the slightest interest in history, this race through time is definitely for you.
*Discussion of sexual abuse sections of the novel are in this review- tw*
After I read the first few pages of this book, I flipped through it to see how many there actually were and sighed. ‘How can there be 480 pages of this?’ I thought as the opening pages depict the scene of a young boy, dying, and then opening his eyes in a world eerily familiar to, but not quite, his own. I adore Patrick Ness, but I wasn’t quite sure I was ready to read a book that simply explored life after death in a strange and solitary way, mostly due to the fact it’s a topic a little too close to home at the moment. Nevertheless, my faith and love for Ness’ writing kept me going and I found, as the title suggests, there was so much more than this in store.
Somehow around my job, internship, masters degree and a trip to London Book Fair I’ve managed to read more books this month than I have in a long time. So until some of the full reviews pop up on my blog to discuss them, I thought I’d do a wee round-up of the books my nose was frequently stuck in throughout March. (Links to buy in the headings!)
‘Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.’
I was lucky enough to get my hands on this stunning book (that glittery title!) at the London Book Fair, from the lovely folks at Quirk Books. As soon as I got home I wanted to get stuck in – with promises of romance, nerd-culture and a contemporary re-telling of one of my favourite fairy tales, my hopes were set incredibly high. As high as the stars, in fact.
If you’re looking for some YA romance to indulge in, pop-culture references coming at you fast and furious and (most importantly) a diverse cast of characters, you’ve arrived at the right book. Continue reading “Review: Geekerella”
As I’m currently studying on the Publishing Studies MLitt at the University of Stirling, it was suggested we pay a visit to the annual London Book Fair to get a feel of how these trade shows work and in insight into how fast-paced the publishing industry can be. So, I took the splurge and prepared my bank account for the London prices (still recovering from a £9.90 glass of wine- perhaps that was the scariest part of the whole trip!) and headed down, not quire sure what to expect or how I, as a student who does not currently work with a Publishing House, would fit in. Here’s my experience of the packed three days, hopefully it can give you an idea of what to expect!
Bullieo's Books 