THE SEVEN DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE by Stuart Turton

A short write-up on why I loved this novel despite its flawed ending (or alternatively, why this novel has a flawed ending even though I loved it.)

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia OwensMy rating: 4 of 5 starsCautious 4 starsWell written and engaging. I found myself turning pages earnestly, and I loved the ecological beauty present in the story. I loved the themes of loneliness and isolation and the quiet exploration of trauma, the damage it does to us through generations.Structurally, …

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THE CHIMERA CODE by Wayne Santos

The Chimera Code by Wayne Santos My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really enjoyed this novel (received a free copy from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review). Santos sometimes bills himself as a straight-up action guy whose books are full of explosions, but that's doing himself a disservice. Although Chimera Code is …

DEAD ASTRONAUTS by Jeff Vandermeer

Dead Astronauts by Jeff VanderMeer My rating: 4 of 5 stars The cover of this book (I won't call it a novel) must have a mention. It's gorgeous to see in person, it's gorgeous to see in pictures, it's gorgeous to touch. Note above that I feel I can't call it a novel. The book …

THE PLAGUE by Albert Camus

The Plague by Albert Camus My rating: 5 of 5 stars The last time I read a Camus book was 17 years ago, and it was a life-changing experience. Ever since then, I have studiously avoided Camus' writing in case his other novels were similarly affecting. But with the onset of Covid-19 and so many …

NOPHEK GLOSS by Essa Hansen

Nophek Gloss by Essa Hansen My rating: 5 of 5 stars Caveat: This is not your usual book review; I've included some "behind the scenes" musings for once. If you prefer my usual reviews, this may not be your cup of tea. Okay, caveats out of the way--let's go! There's a lot of mutual back-scratching …

THE PURSUIT OF WILLIAM ABBEY by Claire North

The Pursuit of William Abbey by Claire North My rating: 3 of 5 stars Conflicting read "And I knew at last what I had wanted to know since I had met her: that there was no such thing as simple as the storyteller’s love in her, that love was a tangled measure of a thousand …

THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR by Amal El-Mohtar

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar My rating: 5 of 5 stars Beautifully written: go read this. Eloquent, subtle, atmospheric; fast paced but still carrying depth. So much wordplay; if you delight in reading such things, as I do, then you will find the writing itself to be so much …

DARK PLACES by Gillian Flynn

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn My rating: 3 of 5 stars Ehhhhh. In a nutshell: strong characterisation and good craft/writing, with a very atmospheric setting. But the novel was structurally messy, the main character has motivation and/or passivity issues, and the final reveal is incredibly convoluted. Without wanting to give any spoilers, I feel like …

THE MONSTER BARU CORMORANT by Seth Dickinson

The Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson My rating: 2 of 5 stars I adored The Traitor Baru Cormorant (Masquerade #1) and loved the *start* of book #2 in this series, but despite some excellent writing and characterisation at the start, the novel disintegrated for me at around the 30% mark. Structural problems were my …

TELEPATHIST by John Brunner

Telepathist by John Brunner My rating: 4 of 5 stars #shortreview for Instagram: I finished reading the Telepathist this morning. It was a sad and rather brutal novel, about a man whose physical deformities enable him to develop powerful mental capabilities (telepathy, in this case). There's some dystopian-esque spy stuff going on in the background …

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins My rating: 5 of 5 stars Intriguing and nuanced I stayed up late to finish this, which is always a good sign! Extremely well done, and much better than Gone Girl (imo). I am reluctant to give spoilers so won't; the twists were less plotty than i …

TOUCH by Claire North

Touch by Claire North My rating: 3 of 5 stars I have enormous respect for Claire North's writing. She has fascinating ideas, beautiful prose, poignant characterisations, a lively yet literary style, and keen observations on society/humanity. However, I didn't love this novel as I hoped I would. I started off thinking it would be a …

The Best Of Gene Wolfe by Gene Wolfe

The Best of Gene Wolfe by Gene Wolfe My rating: 5 of 5 stars Awesome Obviously, I loved it. My favorite was The Eyeflash Miracles. Absolutely stunning story on every level. Here were my other standout stories: “The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories,” copyright © 1970 by Gene Wolfe; first appeared in Orbit …

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel My rating: 5 of 5 stars A cautious but thorough endorsement I had to consider for quite awhile what rating i wanted to give this novel. The fact I had to think about it is, of course, its own sort of endorsement. Let's start with some context. I …

The True History of the Elephant Man by Michael Howell

The True History of the Elephant Man by Michael Howell My rating: 5 of 5 stars Well-written and well structured as a book. Far kinder than the only other book I've read on Joseph Merrick (which, I think, was from the point of view of the doctor, and rather distasteful if memory serves.) I am, …

The Garments of Caean by BJ Bayley

The Garments of Caean by Barrington J. Bayley My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is one of those odd little gems that has stood out in my memory as a really sublime sf novel. On the outset, it's a book about a psychic suit that bonds with, controls, and manipulates its wearer for amazing …

Troika by Adam Pelzman

Thanks to Essa for the recommendation!

The Outside by Ada Hoffmann

I received an ARC of this Angry Robot book via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. My opinions are my own 🙂

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks My rating: 2 of 5 stars From 5 stars, to 2 stars: a great concept, enjoyably written, that nonetheless lacked payoff (either emotional or plot-based). The ending hinged on a very unbelievable revelation that I couldn't buy into and which didn't wrap up all of the interesting elements that …

A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin My rating: 4 of 5 stars I read GoT about fifteen years ago, and my feelings on it have evolved over the years. For me, Game of Thrones is like a bad-boy romance you had in your teens: exciting, thrilling, and edgy at the time, but a …

Planetfall by Emma Newman

Planetfall by Emma Newman My rating: 4 of 5 stars Planetfall came to me well-recommended from a number of sources (two CPs, and my agent) so I was keen to give it a try. Overall a very enjoyable book, and one I read at a fast pace. The mix of nuanced interiority, bizarre setting, and …

The Outcast Hours by Mahvesh Murad

The Outcast Hours by Mahvesh Murad My rating: 4 of 5 stars Nota bene: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, via Netgalley. All my opinions are my own 🙂 How does one review a short story collection? Specifically, a large anthology with a wide selection of authors …

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North My rating: 5 of 5 stars I am so fucking angry over how good this book is. I might have to go void-scream into an abyss because of its incredible scope and ambition, of the depth and the beauty of its writing, of the sheer …

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay My rating: 4 of 5 stars I read this in about three hours (what can I say, I'm fast and already know the plot, having seen the show.) It certainly fascinating and enjoyable, and the dialogue fantastic, but I'm spoiled a bit from the show, which I think had …

String City, by Graham Edwards

String City by Graham Edwards My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley, in exchange for an unbiased review. Straight off the bat: I LOVE the world-building for this book. As a writer myself, world-building is an area of weakness for me, and I always get a …

What I’m Currently Reading

Here is a list of books I am currently reading, or which are in my 'short' queue. I also keep track of them on my Goodreads page. Netgalley TBR: DAYS BY MOONLIGHT - Andre AlexisTHE OUTCAST HOURS - story anthology Personal TBR: QUIETUS by Tristan Palmgren (REREAD)TERMINUS by Tristan PalmgrenSOME DISTANT SUNRISE by Elliott DowningTHE FIRST …

Borne by Jeff VanderMeer

A review of Borne (or, "How I Fell In Love With a A Murderous Tentacle Monster")

Wolfwater by Alia Hess

Wolfwater by Alia Hess My rating: 5 of 5 stars Disclaimer: I read an Advance copy of this novel, although I think it is now for sale. I've been following Alia's work for awhile, quietly amazed to watch as an already-strong writer has continued to grow from strength to strength. I enjoyed Travelers (book 1) …

City of Saints and Madmen, by Jeff VanderMeer

City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer My rating: 5 of 5 stars This type of narrative is usually a difficult sell for me. CSM contains a number of shorter stories (novellas and novelettes) which are loosely connected, and weaves a single narrative thread through them. The reason I find this sort of thing …