Poison by Sarah Pinborough Gollancz (April 2013) Hardcover, 200 Pages Fantasy Poison is a retelling of the Snow White fairy-tale but with a modern edge and some wonderfully delicious touches. First off this is a book well worth purchasing in hardcover, it is like one of those old treasury editions albeit one with shiny holographic effects etched into it. It is gorgeous to look at and has some lovely illustrations by Val and Les Edwards. The main character in this version of the tale is the Queen, Lilith. Sarah Pinborough…
Fire (Graceling Realm #2) by Kristin Cashore Audiobook, 13h 16m | Narrator: Emma Powell Orion Publishing Group (April 2012) | YA Fantasy I am fast becoming a rather big fan of Kristin Cashore’s writing. You could be forgiven for thinking that book two in her Graceling Kingdom series would have the same world building we’ve already seen in Graceling. But, Cashore has cleverly crafted an additional rich and exotic world layered onto the clever landscape she has already depicted. I think it’s also fair to say if you really don’t need to have read…
Whispers Underground (Rivers of London #3) by Ben Aaronovitch | Gollancz (Oct 2012) Paperback, 303 pages | Urban Fantasy Warning: contains spoilers for books 1 and 2 For those of you who have read my review of Moon Over Soho will already know that I think Ben Aaronovitch is a pretty funny writer and once he gets me laughing I barely stop. In the case of Whispers Underground I had to wait until sentence three on page one this time before the snickering, guffawing, and snorting got started. I didn’t hold that…
GRACELING (Graceling Realm #1) by Kristin Cashore PUBLISHER: Gollancz RELEASE DATE: April 2012 FORMAT: Audiobook, 13 hours & 32 mins GENRE: Fantasy In a world where people born with an exceptional skill, known as a Grace, are both feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing. Feared by the court and shunned by those her own age, the darkness of her Grace casts a heavy shadow over Katsa’s life. Yet she remains defiant: when the King of Lienid’s father is kidnapped…
Moon Over Soho (Rivers of London #2) by Ben Aaronovitch Gollanz (Oct 2011) | Paperback, 375 pages Urban Fantasy Moon Over Soho starts just a few months following Rivers of London with Peter Grant driving up to visit his friend and fellow police officer Lesley, while she is recovering from a magical possession that left her with horrific facial injuries. Aaronovitch had me chuckling by page one sentence two in his description of Peter’s drive past Colchester, the first British Roman capital. He describes it the home of that ‘red-headed chavette…
Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunter #1) Orion / Gollancz (2011) Audiobook, 10 hrs & 29 mins Paranormal Romance Carolyn’s Original Review: Feb 2011 Original Rating: 4.5/5 Carolyn’s Take: This is an amazing book – I loved the characters, the story, the writing – basically everything. I’m so glad it’s part of a series, and I already have books two and three in my possession – Yay! If you haven’t started this series yet, don’t wait as long as I did, go read it now! Laura’s Take I picked up Angels’ Blood…
HORNS by Joe Hill PUBLISHER: Gollancz (UK) | HarperCollins (US) RELEASE DATE: June 2011 (UK) | Feb 2010 (US) FORMAT: Paperback, 435 pages GENRE: Horror Merrin Williams is dead, slaughtered under inexplicable circumstances, leaving her beloved boyfriend Ignatius Perrish as the only suspect. On the first anniversary of Merrin’s murder, Ig spends the night drunk and doing awful things. When he wakes the next morning he has a thunderous hangover… and horns growing from his temples. Ig possesses a terrible new power to go with his terrible new look–a macabre gift…
Kitty Steals the Show (Kitty Norville #10) by Carrie Vaughn Tor Books (Aug 2012) | Paperback, 342 pages Urban Fantasy I’ve had a love hate relationship with Kitty. On the one hand she’s a nice character, loyal and caring, but on the other she’s not very interesting, and shall I say, rather dull. Plus I’ve always struggled with buying into her badass-ery. She’s never really shown a fierce side, never goes into battle all guns blazing. Most of the time she has all her friends with her before she can fight…
THE SHIFTING PRICE OF PREY (Spellcrackers.com #4) by Suzanne McLeod PUBLISHER: Gollanz RELEASE DATE: 30 August 2012 FORMAT: Digital Review Copy, 544 pages GENRE: Urban Fantasy Sometimes a bit of magical help might cost more than you bargained for . . . London is hosting the Carnival Fantastique, and Genny’s job has never been busier or more fulfilling. Only not everyone is so happy. The fae are in trouble again and Genny learns the mysterious Emperor may have the solution they need – if Genny can find him. Genny needs help….
The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson Gollancz (Oct 2009 ) | Paperback, 643 pages | Fantasy The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson is a fantasy novel that takes magic and corruption to new depths, with a citizen’s uprising threatening the oppressive conditions of the Lord Ruler’s reign over the Final Empire. The majority of this fantasy novel takes place in the city of Luthadel, the central stronghold of the Lord Ruler and the area in which the noblemen reside and wealth is power. However, there is still a divide…
RIVERS OF LONDON (Rivers of London Series #1) by Ben Aaronovitch PUBLISHER: Gollancz RELEASE DATE: 1st January 2011 FORMAT: Paperback, 391 pages GENRE: Urban Fantasy Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the…
ALL TOGETHER DEAD (Sookie Stackhouse #7) by Charlaine Harris PUBLISHER: Gollancz RELEASE DATE: 2009 PAPERBACK: 323 pages GENRE: Urban Fantasy Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has her hands full dealing with every sort of undead and paranormal creature imaginable. And after being betrayed by her longtime vampire love, Sookie must not only deal with a new man in her life—the shapeshifter Quinn—but also contend with the long-planned vampire summit. The summit is a tense situation. The vampire queen of Louisiana is in a precarious position, her power base weakened by…
HATER (Hater #1) by David Moody PUBLISHER: Gollancz RELEASE DATE: Sept 2009 FORMAT: Paperback, 263 pages GENRE: Horror Society is rocked by a sudden increase in the number of violent assaults on individuals. Christened ‘Haters’ by the media, the attackers strike without warning. The assaults are brutal, remorseless and extreme: within seconds, normally rational, self-controlled people are becoming maddened, vicious killers. There are no apparent links as a hundred random attacks become a thousand, and then thousands, right across the country. Everyone, irrespective of gender, age, race, sexuality or any…
Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling #1) Gollancz (March 2010) Ebook, 334 pages Paranormal Romance Carolyn’s Original Review: Sept 2011 Original Rating: 8/10 Carolyn’s Take: Another fantastic read from Singh. I loved the characters, the complex world building and the tender but steamy romance. It’s obvious I just can’t go wrong with reading Nalini Singh Laura’s Take Slave to Sensation was recommended to me by Carolyn as a good holiday read, as Nalini Singh is one of her favourite authors. Reading the back cover, it sounded just like my thing…
DEFINITELY DEAD (Sookie Stackhouse #6) by Charlaine Harris PUBLISHER: Gollancz RELEASE DATE: 2009 PAPERBACK: 324 pages GENRE: Urban Fantasy As a person with so few living relatives, Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse really hated to lose one. But she never guessed that it would be her cousin Hadley—a consort of the Vampire Queen of New Orleans. After all, technically speaking, Hadley was already dead. And now, as unexpected heir to Hadley’s estate, Sookie discovers the inheritance definitely comes with a risk. Someone doesn’t want Sookie looking too deeply into Hadley’s…
