Adrian Collins's Blog, page 19

REVIEW: Cello’s Gate by Maurice Africh

Well, I don’t know what I was expecting from a sci-fantasy following sky pirates going on a fool’s quest of a treasure hunt, but Cello’s Gate truly was the wickedly wild and uniquely imaginative adventure I didn’t know I needed in my life. It’s epic yet intimate, dark yet light-hearted, playful yet emotional, and it’s got a fun factor that just soars higher than the sky. Ghandammit frens, this is how you write one hell of a debut!

Okay so Cello’s Gate is really one of those books that just hits the ground running and never lets up. And while I am usually not the type of reader who likes to be thrown straight into the action, Africh just made it work oh so well. When we first meet our motley crew of loveable rogues, they are mid-heist, which not only instantly set the stakes and tension sky-high, but which also showcased how this diverse cast of characters works together like an oiled machine as everyone’s unique skills are put on full display.

And so, the sturdy foundation for this absolute romp of an adventure is laid. From the very first page, I totally believed that the charming captain Grey and his ragtag crew would be able to pull off the impossible. So when the immortal daughter of the infamous Archgovernor tasks them with a treasure hunt to steal the Stones of Indigo, which are widely believed to be nothing but pure myth, in return for a bounty that sounds too good to be true? Let’s go baby, we got this, I am IN. 

From the very first page, I felt like I was part of this crew; they are my frens, whether they know it or not. Captain Grey immediately captured my heart with his snarky attitude and amusing swagger, but the main reason why I fell head over heels in love with him is because he is not afraid to show his softer, vulnerable side or to admit that he was wrong when things go sideways. The man truly has a heart of gold, and seeing how deeply he cared for his crew and trusted blindly in their abilities just made me feel all the feels.

Though as big a presence as he is on the page, he somehow never overshadowed all the other intriguing and endearing characters who each have their own important role to play in Cello’s Gate. I honestly couldn’t pick a favourite character if I had to (okay lies, it’s probably my girl Dot), and I just loved unpacking everyone’s own emotional baggage throughout all these wild trials and tribulations. I personally loved the balance between the light-hearted banter, soul-stirring introspection, emotionally impactful conversations, and bursts of exhilarating (and often horrifying) action, which all really built up that deep emotional investment and made me fully feel and believe the stakes. Also, do not get me started on the found family vibes; just perfect, no notes.

Now, I do have to admit that the enigmatic big baddie of the story maybe felt a bit underdeveloped compared to the main cast, but I honestly didn’t mind that too much. See, I was just along for the wild ride, and the captivating present tense narration combined with the irresistible air of mystery and intrigue had me so deeply immersed that I honestly felt like I was living and breathing this story myself. Especially once we reached the mysterious abandoned island (which cleverly cancels out all tech), I was just glued to the page, and the section in the maze-like catacombs where everyone got tragically separated had my anxiety and claustrophobia running wild in all the best ways.

Plus, this future (queer-normative!) sci-fantasy world is just SO COOL! Like, not only does it have a fascinating detailed history, rich lore, tense political landscape, and unique flora and fauna, but it’s also inhabited by sky pirates in spaceships, enigmatic immortal baddies, powerful mystics, honourable sword wielding knights, and gunslinging guardians. Africh’s wild imagination just continued to surprise me with each new turn of the page, and I absolutely loved how he was able to capture and maintain that mystical fantasy vibe I so adore while also bringing in so many excitingly fresh modern tech elements.

While Cello’s Gate is truly unlike anything I have ever read, I think especially fans of Django Wexler’s Burningblade & Silvereye series, Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora, and Tamsyn Muir’s The Locked Tomb series will find so much to love here. There truly wasn’t a single dull moment in Cello’s Gate for me, and the diabolical twists and turns during the heart pounding ending would’ve made me fly straight into book 2 if that had been available. Honestly, forget about the Ghandamned mythical Stones, this book itself was the true treasure all along.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

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REVIEW: Double-Edged Sword & Sorcery by Brackenbury Books

Sword and sorcery lives on, and it cuts a bloody swath through two Mongol-inspired novellas, masterfully collected in Double-Edged Sword & Sorcery by Brackenbury Books. If your only brushes with sword and sorcery (hereafter called S&S) are Conan the Barbarian and Red Sonja tales and you want something a little bit different, Double-Edged Sword & Sorcery might be the excellent shakeup you need. Contained within is Waste Flowers by Bryn Hammond: a story about Goatskin the Nomad, a warrior leading a caravan of merchants through the dangerous Gobi desert, as well as Walls of Shira Yulun by Dariel R.A. Quiogue, where the warrior Orhan Timur tries to survive a deadly siege in a city seeking his death. Both narratives offer different flavors of S&S, but both are packaged in one neat little book.

Waste Flowers is a contemplative story with mystery and adventure at the heart of the narrative. Goatskin is an interesting character to follow. She’s a highly competent warrior who can survive even in the harshest conditions, but her thoughtful, philosophical moments make her stand out. Conan she is not, but Goatskin is a different sort of S&S hero, one that breathes new life into the genre.

Alternatively, in Walls of Shira Yulun by Dariel R.A. Quioque, the action picks up heavily. Orhan Timur seeks an old teacher of his as he is chased by an old enemy, a rival khan he used to grow up with. Orhan gets himself involved in a classic city siege, offering up loads of moments of sword slashing and blood splattering goodness. Orhan’s story is a whirlwind, and, much like the warrior himself, Walls certainly delivers on that promise of classic S&S while also elevating the genre to new and interesting heights.

Both are collected in an impressive volume that makes some strange formatting decisions. A copy of Double-Edge Sword & Sorcery has each story printed on opposite sides, allowing the reader to flip (sometimes physically) to whichever story strikes their fancy first. The artwork on both covers is gorgeous (and, as an unrelated aside, it reminds me of collecting both Pokémon Red and Blue games as a youth). Double-Edged Sword & Sorcery is a fascinating product, one that brings to mind classic S&S mass market paperbacks. Each novella is exciting and whip-quick, offering up two different perspectives on heroic Mongol-inspired fantasy, ones with deep ideological ponderings and rushes of action that left me wanting more. Fans of fast and bloody battles will love both tales.

Double-Edged Sword & Sorcery publisher Brackenbury Books is also the home of its magazine New Edge Sword & Sorcery, which publishes more S&S stories (some starring Goatskin and Orhan Timur) and hopes to bring new life, new voices, and a positive fan community into an exciting genre that has woefully taken a back seat in some corners of the fantasy landscape.

As of this writing, Double-Edged Sword & Sorcery is up for pre-order on BackerKit and will launch in April.

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REVIEW: A Pocket of Lies by R.A. Sandpiper

If you thought fantasy romance was all sickly sweet cuddles and kisses, then R.A. Sandpiper is here to prove you wrong in A Pocket of Lies. Filled with cutthroat schemes, brutal fights, electrifying tension, and deadly deals, this fast-paced grimdark fantasy romance is an absolute gem of an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish.

Okay so if you ever feel like your life is utter shit, just read A Pocket of Lies and remember that Suri is probably having it way worse than you are. After our lovely little spitfire of a thief suffers a very humiliating robbery, she goes into full-on revenge mode and decides to abduct and impersonate a foreign princess at the royal ball. Except, her crazy con soon goes absolutely tits up, which ends up leading to her exile into the cursed wastelands on a deadly mission to assassinate the dark and notorious Fae lord Kol. And that, my friends, is only the start of this glorious trainwreck of an adventure.

Now, if there is one thing I love in books, it’s stabby women who can hold a grudge, and that is Suri to a T. Did I want to shake and strangle her for her incredibly rash and impulsive actions sometimes? Oh yes, I sure did, but that level of relatable messiness only made me love her more. She really is the universe’s punching bag for the entirety of A Pocket of Lies, and I loved seeing her stubbornly fight and bluff her way through all the brutal trials and tribulations. Plus, she also has this mysterious menacing voice in her head that made her even more compelling to follow; never enough emotional inner turmoil, if you ask me.

In a way, I almost think she was a bit too much of an intense whirlwind of loud personality, as I personally felt like the side characters fell a little flat compared to her. That said, I really enjoyed seeing her navigate all the webs of schemes that she gets entangled in, and I was absolutely eating up the tension between her and literally every other character she met on this hellish journey. Especially her interactions with Silla, Rasel and Kol had me in an absolute chokehold, and the knife-sharp banter had me grinning and chuckling the entire way through.

Despite that bloody high fun factor, I think A Pocket of Lies is one of those reads that you need to pay close attention to, not only because Suri somehow manages to stumble from one disaster into the next one faster than you can blink, but also because the plot and lore (hello meddling gods!) get impressively complex the deeper in you get. And as much as I enjoyed that utterly addictive ‘just one more chapter’ quality, I personally wouldn’t have minded the pacing to slow down a bit at times to just let this epic world with its intriguing history, rich lore and diverse, vibrant characters shine to its fullest.

Though while the pacing might be lightning fast, the romance is slow as molasses, and I was all here for it. There’s barely a glimmer of romance to be found in this first instalment (seriously, Jay Kristoff’s Empire of the Vampire or Nevernight series are more spicy than this), but the way that all the tense interpersonal relationships are set up for book 2 had me kicking my feet in giddy anticipatory delight. To me, Sandpiper really took all the best and most beloved tropes of both the grimdark and (Fae) romantasy subgenres, and just blended it all together into something altogether more exciting.

It honestly feels like we have barely scratched the surface here, and all the wild revelations during the hectic, high-stakes ending hooked me right in for the rest of the Amefyre trilogy. Whether you come here for the bloody brutal action, the riveting intrigue, or the sizzling tension, A Pocket of Lies will deliver it all and leave you desperate for more in the best way possible.

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INTERVIEW: Maithree Wijesekara

Shortly before the release of her debut novel, The Prince Without Sorrow, we got the chance to speak with Maithree Wijesekara. Her novel is being described as “the debut fantasy sensation of 2025” and with multiple special editions, including a well-known book box subscription, The Prince Without Sorrow looks set to be a hit. I was more than a little excited when an early ARC landed on my doorstep and feel very lucky to have been able to have enjoyed it already and can’t wait to talk about it with more readers.

Thank you so much to Maithree Wijesekara for taking the time to talk to us about all things to do with The Prince Without Sorrow, her inspirations, Studio Ghibli, and what we can look forward to from her next.

[GdM] Firstly, how would you pitch The Prince Without Sorrow to someone who knows nothing about your novel?

[MW] The Prince Without Sorrow is a fantasy novel that is loosely inspired by Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Dynasty of Ancient India. It follows Prince Ashoka of the same name. He is considered an outcast by his father, the tyrannical Emperor Adil for opposing his brutal onslaught against the mayakari (witches). It also follows Shakti, a mayakari raised to follow principles of nonviolence, who witnesses the murder of her aunt and village at the hands of the emperor. In an act of revenge, she casts a curse that changes the course of her and Ashoka’s lives. Both must learn to grapple with the consequences of power: to take it for themselves or risk losing it completely.

[GdM] You’ve said that The Prince Without Sorrow was inspired by the Emperor Ashoka and the Mauryan Empire, what made you pick this figure and era?

[MW] Emperor Ashoka is a notable figure in Buddhist history, mostly known for his deviation from cruelty to nonviolence. This change is actually noted through a change in epithets: he goes from Ashoka the Cruel to Ashoka the Great. The era itself, I was less inspired by – the reason being that there isn’t much information available about the Mauryan Empire.

Arguably, as a historical figure, there’s not a lot of information about Emperor Ashoka either. In fact, much of his life is mixed with myth and legend. There are pillars still standing today that bear his edicts, as do stories that tell of him having killed 99 brothers to take the throne.

I was always fascinated by Emperor Ashoka’s adoption of nonviolence after committing a brutal military campaign in Kalinga (modern day Odisha). What led him to change course completely? Was it a difficult transition? Did the guilt of bearing the loss of thousands of lives weigh on him? Was he ever forgiven? Would it be harder to adopt principles of nonviolence or go down a path of violence? That last question was, in part, how Prince Ashoka of the book came wandering into my head. This fictional Ashoka took the emperor’s arc and reversed it. While his story isn’t necessarily the same as his real-life inspiration (the novel isn’t historical in the slightest), there are nods here and there to Emperor Ashoka that I hope those who know of him would appreciate.

[GdM] Straight from the powerful prologue in The Prince Without Sorrow I wanted to learn more about the mayakari – the witches who can speak to nature spirits, commune with the dead, and curse the living. What was your inspiration for them?

[MW] Who doesn’t love witches. A group of powerful women with dangerous abilities is always exciting to read about. However, because I’m cruel, I wanted to limit them, and have that limitation exist of their own volition. Imagine being able to curse the living and raise the dead, only to purposefully reject using such power because of the hurt it could cause others. This was where the code of nonviolence came in.

Much of the mayakari code and way of thinking is inspired by Buddhist philosophy. When the mayakari claim that casting curses or raising the dead result in negative karma, it’s loosely based on Buddhist belief that the actions you take in your current life will affect the next one, be it negative or positive. For example, your accrued karma could be so bad that you might be born as a slug in your next life, and probably won’t live very long, either. For the mayakari, cursing the living and raising the dead are some of the worst forms of suffering you could inflict on others.

It’s significant then for Shakti, who already questions the pacifist code she’s bound to, to enact a curse. She rejects the teachings Jaya has taught her. At this point, she doesn’t really care for a code that’s been agreed upon for centuries. All that fuels her is a need for vengeance. To be honest, if I was in Shakti’s shoes, I’d probably do the same.

[GdM] I was fascinated by the sibling dynamic between Arush, Aarya, and Ashoka. Is it nature? Is it nurture? How have they all become the way they are?

[MW] The Maurya siblings are an interesting spectrum of personalities, aren’t they? Both nature and nurture influence a personality, but I do like to blame Emperor Adil, which means that I’d be placing most of the responsibility on nurture.

Arush is what happens when you are the favored oldest child. He is the firstborn, and therefore first-in-line to the throne. He expects the world, and it’s enough to give him a big head. Aarya is what happens when you are an only daughter whose ego is fed by an equally arrogant father but is criticized by her mother. She’s a daddy’s girl in the worst way possible, and a near-perfect replica of Adil. Ashoka is the result of having an abusive and emotionally distant father and a considerate mother. He makes a conscious effort to mimic the parent he loves the most, which isn’t Adil. Though the emperor becomes a metaphorical ghost for all three siblings, it’s Ashoka who finds himself the most haunted by their father.

[GdM] Both Shakti and Ashoka are trying to change the world for the better, through different means. Do you think either of them has the right idea?

[MW] I think this depends on context. Yes, both Ashoka and Shakti want the same thing – peace for the mayakari – but have markedly different ways of how to get there. Their responses might just be a direct result of how they were raised.

Ashoka only knows violence from his father, and he sees what damage it can cause innocent women. For him, nonviolence is the obvious answer. On the other end of the spectrum, Shakti has been taught to abide by the mayakari’s pacifist code, but the murder of her aunt (who espouses these ideals) shows that nonviolence won’t stop them from being persecuted. For her, violence must be combated with violence.

I’m cynical, so I find early Ashoka to be very idealistic (and he acknowledges this, too). While wanting to achieve peace without spilling blood is the ideal, I think that people are people. Violence is innate. Ashoka’s ideals of nonviolence can thrive in a perfect society, but the problem is that he doesn’t live in one. Realistically, there will never be a perfect society. In the Ran Empire, pacifism won’t help him or the mayakari. In this world, there cannot be change without violence. History will tell you the same.

Author Maithree Wijesekara, Photo by Chau Tran

[GdM] I am an absolute sucker for mythical beasties, love the giant leopards and the winged serpents in this world. What more can you tell me about them?

[MW] Leopards and snakes are a standard feature in the subcontinent, and I wanted to incorporate them into my world, albeit with a fantastical twist. Granted, the ‘fantastical twist’ for the giant leopards is that they’re simply very large, furry cats that could snap you in half with their jaws and who you can also ride into battle. Horses are cool and all, but imagine a huge melanistic leopard charging you at full speed? Absolutely terrifying.

The winged serpents came about in a random way. There was a YouTube video I saw of a Paradise Flying Snake gliding from a forest canopy and was subsequently disturbed by. It didn’t so much as fly but rather glided for a few seconds before gravity brought its body back down. Still, the video stayed in my head. Snakes are already scary, and the thought of one flying towards me was frightening. For some inexplicable reason, I took this irrational fear and turned them into an even more frightening beast in the world of the Obsidian Throne trilogy. Winged serpents have all the features of a snake in our world (venomous and all), except that they grow to enormous heights and can fly.

[GdM] In your author’s note, which was included in my ARC of The Prince Without Sorrow, you talk about your love of Studio Ghibli and their tales of humanity’s impact on nature. How did they influence your world here?

[MW] The Studio Ghibli films have influenced me quite a bit, and I think any fan of the films can spot where said inspiration is presented. For The Prince Without Sorrow, it was Princess Mononoke in particular that influenced me. The film explores the destruction humans lay upon the earth, and nature is personified in the form of wild gods. It’s a beautiful, bloody, and mesmerizing film.

While I don’t use the concept of gods in the trilogy, the nature spirits act as personifications of the natural world, too. When nature thrives, so does its spirit. When nature withers, the spirit becomes ill or angry. In the worst-case scenario, they can die. However, they can be appeased with the help of the mayakari, who are the only ones able to understand and communicate with the spirits because they’re connected by magic and their attachment to the natural world. Unfortunately, the continued persecution of the mayakari makes this difficult to achieve, as Ashoka finds during his tenure as governor of Taksila.

[GdM] I’m always curious about how an author approaches the process of writing their books. Could you please describe yours? Do you plan in detail, or do you wing it as you go? Do you have a rigid writing routine, or is it more fluid?

[MW] I think I’m halfway between a plotter and a pantser. Once I have an idea, I like to let it sit and marinate in my head for a while, for however long it takes. Sometimes, I will write random lines that pop up in my head on paper or in my Notes app that I come back to later. Other times, I write down lyrics from songs that I feel fit the atmosphere of the story, or create a mood board.

When I’m ready to sit down and write, I like to create a rough outline of the major plot points and character arcs – a ‘skeleton’ of sorts. Planning chapter-by-chapter feels restrictive, so I avoid that. Once the rough outline is in place, it leaves me to work around the skeleton and let my imagination run wild.

Because I work part-time, my writing routine needs to be fluid. I don’t like to write on the days I work as a dentist. It’s difficult to come home after a particularly stressful day and muster up enough creative energy to write (for those that can – I applaud you). Instead, I write on my days off. On those days, the Pomodoro Timer is my best friend. Too many hours staring at a screen leaves me antsy, so I’ve learned to give myself small breaks, and makes me more productive.

  [GdM] You say you have a never ending TBR pile – same for me – have you read anything awesome lately? What’s your current read like?

[MW] I recently finished reading Those Opulent Days by Jacquie Pham. The novel is an historical murder mystery set in 1920s French-colonial Vietnam. It’s a great portrayal of class tensions, the abuse of power, and the complicated relationships between family and friends.

  [GdM] Are you able to share what is up next for you writing wise?

[MW] I’m currently editing book two of the Obsidian Throne trilogy, as well as finishing up the first draft of the third. Because I love to give myself more work, I’m also tinkering with an old side-project. It’s an urban fantasy (I must stay in the genre somehow) that’s very loosely inspired by a rather infamous Sri Lankan queen. The common thread so far is that I seem to like taking inspiration from lesser-known historical figures.

[GdM] Maithree, thank you so much for taking the time to chat to Grimdark Magazine about The Prince Without Sorrow. We really appreciate it!

Thank you!

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REVIEW: The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica

The Unworthy is the new post-apocalyptic horror from Argentinian author Agustina Bazterrica, who burst onto the international literary scene with her previous novel, the critically acclaimed Tender is the Flesh (one of Grimdark Magazine’s Top 10 Scariest Books According to a Horror Lover).

The Unworthy takes us to a dystopian setting in the wake of climate disaster. While the outside world succumbs to chaos, with cities underwater and human civilization in anarchy, the narrator finds relative safety cloistered within the convent of a mysterious religious cult. As a low-ranking novice, she must follow all rules diligently or face violent punishment.

The narrator records her life on scraps of paper with whatever writing implements she can find, even using her own blood as ink. Her writing has a feverish quality, often interrupted mid-thought or even in the middle of a word. Many of the words and phrases are crossed out, revealing the quick evolution of her thoughts as she frantically scribbles her story.

Although The Unworthy introduces a lot of great ideas, it feels like more of a collection of fragments than a fully fleshed out novel. The Unworthy pulls in too many directions—ideological extremism, ecological disaster, feminism, sapphic romance—but none of them feels complete. Aside from the love story, which proves to be surprisingly touching and the best part of the novel, the plot doesn’t progress much beyond the back-of-the-book synopsis.

Despite these shortcomings, The Unworthy shines in Agustina Bazterrica’s clipped writing style, brilliantly translated from Spanish by Sarah Moses, who also served as translator for Tender is the Flesh.

Altogether, The Unworthy is a quick read, but well worth immersing yourself in the fever dream-like atmosphere expertly conjured by Bazterrica’s prose. The Unworthy is worth checking out for fans of Bazterrica’s previous novel, Tender is the Flesh. However, readers may be left wanting more from this rather scant story.

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EXCERPT: Dissolution by Nicholas Binge

Dissolution is the latest novel by bestselling Ascension author Nicholas Binge and it is also one of the 2025 releases that the GdM team are most excited about. Dissolution is out today from Penguin Random House and we are absolutely stoked to bring you an excerpt from this sci-fi techno thriller to celebrate its release.

Binge will have you travelling through time and memory with Maggie as she battles to save her husband from whoever has been stealing Stanley’s memories. If she does what she is told they can go back to their normal life, but Maggie might be risking more than just the memory of their lives together. The very course of human history hangs in the balance.

Read our excerpt from Nicholas Binge’s Dissolution below:

 

TRANSCRIPT NO. 273 : Margaret Webb

DATE STAMP: 11 AUG. 2021

11 Hours, 0 Minutes, and 0 Seconds Until Dissolution

 

You’ve got eleven hours until reset. You need to tell me exactly what happened.

Where am I?

We’ve been over this, Maggie. It’s not important. The only thing that’s important is that you focus on me.

What do you mean “it’s not important”? I don’t know where I am. I don’t know who you are. How can that possibly not be important?

I’m Hassan. Do you remember me?

No . . . I mean, yes. I think. The name rings a bell.

Take a second. Breathe. You’re in a daze.

Have we . . . ? We’ve met before, haven’t we?

We have.

Where is Stanley? Is he okay?

That is precisely what we are trying to find out.

What do you mean? Oh God, has something happened to him? Is he safe?

Calm down. We don’t have time. I need you to focus—to remember what’s going on. Let’s start by focusing on the present. Tell me about your surroundings. Talking it through will help. Tell me where we are.

We’re in a . . . Is this an empty swimming pool?

Of sorts. Describe it to me.

What the hell is going on?

You’re disoriented. Your brain is recovering from the shift. Describe to me what’s going on around you—the small details. What do you see? What does it sound like? What time of day is it?

I’m . . . we’re inside. Is that right? The light is artificial, and there are no windows, like we’re underground. The pool is empty—totally drained— and I’m starting to question if it’s even a pool. It’s too blank, too clinical. More like a giant bath basin.

Where are we, the two of us?

Surely you can see it as well as I can. Oh God, the sunglasses. Are you blind?

I’m not blind. We’re just establishing a cognitive baseline. Think of this like a sobriety test; I need to check you’re properly focused, like counting how many fingers are on my hand.

Okay. Well, we’re set up at this desk right in the middle of the basin. You and me, and no one else, facing each other. It’s deserted. My arm is hooked up to an IV. Why? Am I sick?

What can you hear?

Right now? The only sound is our voices echoing through the room.

Good. That’s very good, Maggie. More. What’s on the table?

There’s . . . a small cylindrical container, like a pill bottle, as well as a glass of water. There’s a pen and paper and a recording device, as if I’m in some kind of interrogation room. But I’m not. I’m in a pool. Why am I in a pool? Why am I hooked up to whatever is in that IV bag?

The why is not important. You don’t need to worry about that right now.

Oh really? Well, young man, what do I need to worry about?

We need to know exactly what happened that led you here. It’s absolutely crucial, for all of us, that we know this. You need to tell me, in as much detail as you can, about the first time you saw me.

I can’t . . . remember. I can’t remember anything. What are you doing with that container?

This pill will help jog your memory.

I’ve not taken pills from strangers in a good few decades.

If you don’t start remembering soon, we will run out of time, and this will all be for nothing. The pill is not dangerous, I promise. It will just help clear the fog in your brain. Please. It’s very important that we understand what took place. We don’t have much time. We have to find Stanley.

Okay, okay. Fine. Keep your socks on. Jesus. If I weren’t eighty‑three, I’d think you were up to something.

Urgh, that’s awful. I can feel that right in my throat. It stings. What the hell was that? And, at the risk of repeating myself, what the hell is going on?

Stanley isn’t safe. None of us are safe. Something happened, and I need your help to find out exactly what. Think back: When was the first time you saw me?

What?

We have to go from the beginning. We have to see every moment. It’s the only way we can know for sure. Close your eyes. Let your memories come back. Go to the first time you see me.

Okay, I’ll try, but I don’t know what you expect is going to . . . Wait. What on earth?

What is it?

I can see it. It’s as though . . . This is strange—this isn’t like a normal memory at all. I can see the whole room in front of me. It’s like I’m there.

That’s the pill starting to work. It’s a memory enhancer.

This is more than just an enhancer. I can hear the kettle boiling. I can taste the dryness on my tongue from the glass of wine I had last night. I’m not remembering, Hassan. I’m there.

Read Dissolution by Nicholas Binge

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Science-Fiction and Horror: Two Sides of the Same Coin

‘In Space, Nobody Can Hear You Scream’, the famous tagline for Ridley Scott’s 1979 film Alien, encapsulates so much of what ties science fiction and horror together in a single sentence: powerlessness. It’s a concept we return to again and again as humans. When I deliver workshops on horror writing and I get students to identify their top five scariest scenarios, almost all of them have something to do with a loss of control: over yourself, over your environment, over the world. It’s a bedrock of the genre.

Sure, it makes sense that classic sci-fi settings do horror so well. Where else are you as utterly powerless as in space, where you can’t rely on oxygen, on gravity, on all the things that you, as a human being, have evolved to need in order to survive? The same logic applies to other sci-fi concepts, too. Take time travel. Oh, it seems all exciting on the surface, zipping around in a TARDIS seeing any period of history we want, but in reality, the concept is terrifying. As individuals and societies, we are so reliant on a consistent linear understanding of time. Everything we do is built around it — our relationships, our beliefs, our sense of self. Once you start pulling at the seams of the things we implicitly rely on, the things we trust, that’s when you find yourself back in terrorland. In my novel Ascension, playing with time was an easy way to ramp up the horror for the main characters. After all, if you can’t rely on the seconds passing the way you expect them to, how can you rely on anything?

But for me, the similarities between science fiction and horror run deeper than just powerlessness and loss of control. What ties both of them together is the way they deal with humans confronting things we do not understand. In sci-fi, that can sometimes come across with a sense of awe, as it does with Arthur C. Clarke’s classic Rendezvous with Rama, or it can be associated with a sense of impossible dread: this is the Lovecraftian realm of cosmic horror, where things are so beyond our comprehension we would go mad even to consider them. Inherent in both, and I think core to the entire science-fiction genre, is the idea that there are things out there that we do not comprehend, and possibly cannot comprehend. The meeting point between us, stupid monkeys that we are, and this incomprehensible vastness is where the magic happens.

Author Nicholas Binge, Photo by Allys Stafford

Horror, in many ways, is doing the same thing, but rather than trying to tackle the vast unknown out there, it’s dealing with the vast unknown in here (imagine me pointing at my chest emphatically). The great 13-century poet and Sufi mystic Rumi once wrote “Heart is a sea, language is the shore.” I’ve always loved this image: that deep within us there is a vast ocean of feeling and emotion that we can only access the edges of with the words we have to hand. The more language, the longer the shore, and the more of the sea we can understand. And sure, some of the more distant sea will wash up on the shore now and again, the currents and shifts bringing it to the surface. But there will always be the deep ocean — a Mariana Trench — so distant from our ability to describe it that we’ll never really be able to know what lives there. Reaching that trench is what horror is all about: we tell these stories to lengthen the shore, to send out boats, to discover the unnameable and incomprehensible depths inside ourselves.

When I write, I see the two genres as two sides of the same coin, external and internal, both at their heart trying to unravel the complexity of what it means to be human by pitching us up against things outside of our capacity for language and thought. My new novel, Dissolution, is very much my take on this duality. In it, the strange science-fictional concepts my characters are forced to tackle are vehicles to delve inwards, to dive off the shore and into the sea and see what lives at the bottom of the Mariana Trench inside us all.

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REVIEW: Companion (2025)

Companion (2025) was a film I was back and forth reviewing for Grimdark Magazine due to being a science fiction black comedy. If I had to define its genre, I’d say it’s cyberpunk lite. A story that could basically be summarized as “What if Blade Runner starred the machines and had really stupid people after them?” Despite the comedic elements or perhaps because of them, Companion deals with a lot of incredibly dark subject matter and touches on numerous themes of both technology as well as socialization.

It’s sort of an interesting comparison to Ex Machina, which had the idea of our machines as wholly inhuman but mankind confuses them for people. This is instead the story of us making our machines human enough that we just use it as an excuse to treat them as how we already treat ourselves (which is like shit). There’s a strong feminist theme to the movie that underscores the comedy and slasher movie vibe as our heroine struggles to understand what her “boyfriend” now wants to murder her.

The marketing spoiled a lot of this movie in a manner like Captain American: Brave New World as one of the biggest twists comes around the fifteen minute mark but is spoiled by the poster. Indeed, I wasn’t even aware it was meant to be a surprise until I watched this movie with my nieces. They had no familiarity with the movie and thus were completely taken off guard when it happened. If you can watch the movie unspoiled or with people who don’t know anything other than the title, then I recommend it. Otherwise, note, that the rest of the review will treat this initial reveal as a given.

The premise for Companion is that Irish (Sophie Thatcher) and Josh (Jack Quaid) are a sickeningly happy couple that are visiting their Russian friend’s house for the weekend. It is an incredibly luxurious house in the middle of nowhere and they’ll be joined by several friends. It is in the near future with self-driving cars and a variety of other luxury items that seem to be available only to the super rich, though Jack isn’t one of them. One of the guests, Kat (Megan Suri), is initially very hostile to Iris and she doesn’t know why. Sergey (Rupert Friend) gets aggressive with Iris and events spiral out of control when he’s killed.

Which turns out to have been the plan all along as Iris discovers that’s what she was programmed to do all along. Iris, much to her shock and horror, is a companion robot for Josh. A sort of sexy Tamagotchi that was given a set of fake memories and a willingness to please that overrides all other considerations. Rather than the superhumans of Blade Runner, companions are deliberately made to be no smarter or stronger than “regular” humans with the ability of their owners to make them even dumber or weaker. Josh is fond of his companion robot but no more so than a pet and arguably even less than that as he’s willing to sacrifice her as part of his plan to murder Sergey then rob him. Unfortunately, he’s careless with his master control and he’s turned up Iris’ survival instincts.

Much of Companion is, essentially, not so veiled commentary on “nice guy” misogyny. Josh is good looking and willing to put on a pleasant enough face around his girlfriend but only when she’s subservient to him. Ultimately, she’s a convenience and someone that he gets increasingly violent toward as he finds his plans thwarted. We also discover just how fragile Josh’s self-esteem is. The fact Jack Quaid is the kind of actor that would be the dorky but handsome lead in a romantic comedy, makes his transformation even more shocking. Like a slowly boiling kettle, we also see how the escalation grows from dismissiveness to furious rage.

Companion’s humor comes from the same source as the movie’s terror. The murderers are not particularly competent at their crimes but that doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous. All of them, even the more sympathetic ones, think of Iris as an appliance that needs to be destroyed. The absolute lack of sympathy from everyone around here is surprisingly well realized. Sophie Thatcher beautifully embodies both the idealized retro-girlfriend with her 1950s-esque inspired look as well as the increasingly capable Iris as she realizes her only way out may be blocked by what she was made to be. I had a lot of fun with this movie.

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REVIEW: The Sorceress in Exile by D.H. Hoskins

If you somehow still thought political fantasy is boring, then D.H. Hoskins is here to prove you wrong in The Sorceress of Exile. This second instalment in The Athyziad series has all the riveting intrigue and brutal backstabbing that made The Council of Athyzia so compelling, except now we go even bigger, darker, and deeper. Oh, and can’t forget… here there be dragons!

Picking up two years after the disastrous ending of the first book, The Sorceress in Exile continues the tale of our loveable sorceress Nauveena as she hopelessly seeks a way to reverse the damage done by the unexpected outcome of the Council. And because desperate times call for desperate measures, Nauveena soon finds herself embarking on a suicide mission of a quest through enemy territory that will test the tenuous bonds with her last remaining friends, all while she stubbornly tries to hide being tempted by the most unlikely potential ally of all…

Now, The Council of Athyzia absolutely stunned me with its unique premise of “what happens after the dark lord is defeated?”, and the bold ending left me extremely curious to see Hoskins’ ambitious vision for the rest of the series. And honestly, The Sorceress in Exile was totally not the sequel that I was expecting, but in the best way imaginable. Yes, it might lean much more into the familiar traditional fantasy conventions and tropes, but at no point does it even come close to being predictable or boring. I mean, how could it if you throw unruly monks, mysterious assassins, undead hordes, perilous seafaring journeys, untrustworthy allies, and dragons into the mix?!

And as much as I enjoyed the contained setting of Athyzia in book 1, I absolutely loved how the world of Jenor just blew open as Nauveena travels the lands now that she has been exiled. We get to dive so much deeper into all the different (clashing) races, cultures and factions that we saw represented in the council during book 1, and I really appreciated how that only increased the stakes and made the world and characters feel even more alive. Moreover, the way that Hoskins explores topical (and simultaneously frustratingly timeless) themes of war, propaganda, (religious) zealotry, and authoritarianism through a ‘safe’ fantastical lens is nothing short of masterful, which makes this story even more nuanced and impactful than it already was.

Though similarly to in book 1, it was the complex characters and their increasingly complicated interpersonal relationships that were the true highlight of the story for me. Nauveena’s heart wrenching inner conflict was written so incredibly well, and I loved seeing her being confronted with all the devastating consequences of her (well intended) actions. Sometimes I didn’t know if I wanted to hug or strangle her, but somehow I just loved drowning in the guilt, anger, grief, regret, shame and despair right along with her.

Moreover, the side characters really get their time to shine in The Sorceress in Exile, and I adored the increased role of the ever-enigmatic Osseomancer (who is maybe my favourite character? Sorry not sorry). It was so compelling to see how Nauveena’s desperation and secrecy started to affect the already tenuous relationships between her and her last allies, and especially the dynamic between her and Domitrius (a.k.a. the best underdog magician monk) and her emotionally vulnerable friendship between Venefica and Nauveena had me on the edge of my seat. Also, there are zero on-page romantic elements in this series, but I was totally rooting for a love triangle between Nauveena, Venefica and the Osseomancer because the sexual tension was sizzlingggg! I said what I said.

Now, while I think The Sorceress in Exile has a much smoother start compared to The Council of Athyzia simply because of the fact that all the groundwork has already been laid, I did still feel like there were some wobbles in the pacing. Hoskins’ style is quite introspective, reflective and descriptive, which sometimes made the slower parts of the story feel a bit repetitive and extra slow for me, especially in combination with the flashback interludes filling in the time between the end of book 1 and the start of book 2. Yet around the midway point, the action and stakes quickly ramped up and we started to get much more of the sharp dialogue that I so enjoy between these compelling characters.

And then talk about an explosive ending full of bold twists and turns that had me gasping in shock! Again, who knew that political fantasy could be so pulse-pounding and exhilarating? The Athyziad series is simply everything you could ever wish for in an epic, high-stakes political fantasy, and I can’t recommend it highly enough to anyone who is looking for a comfortingly familiar yet refreshingly inventive fantasy adventure that will leave you hungering for more in the best way possible.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Sorceress in Exile is scheduled for release on 28 March, 2025. 

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REVIEW: Future’s Edge by Gareth L. Powell

Future’s Edge is the latest offering from sci-fi author and space opera veteran Gareth L Powell, and features some of his trademark poignancy balanced with humour in the face of dire odds. This book is billed for fans of James SA Corey and Becky Chambers and finds a nice balance between sweeping epic stakes and intimate found-family vignettes.

Set in the near-ish future, mere decades after humanity joined the space faring age, Future’s Edge is set as our galaxy faces the annihilation of all sentient life by a mysterious race of physics-defying beings known as the Cutters. The last remnants of multiple species (including humanity) have fled to the edge of the galaxy in the hope of escaping to the next spiral arm before the Cutters find them. This is where our protagonist Ursula Morrow has been held up for two years, running some semblance of a bar, in the refugee camps waiting for the man who got her off Earth just in time.

Ursula was once an archaeology student on an extrasolar dig, investigating Precursor ruins that dated back to before the dinosaurs were wiped out. On that excursion she met Jack, and spent all her free time with him. In her distracted, love-struck state, she made a mistake and got herself infected by an ancient alien virus that made her almost indestructible.

When Jack shows up at her bar – married to someone else – and tells Ursula she may be the key to a galaxy-saving weapon, she’s not exactly jumping for joy to shoot off across the stars with the happy couple, into certain danger and almost-certain death. Circumstances, however, leave her little choice but to save the day.

Future’s Edge comes with more of Powell’s humanising takes on ship AI and the exploration of human-AI relationships that could arise. There’s plenty of contemporary commentary on the divisiveness of “AI” in our current society and in a few years time I’m sure this will be an easy way to date the novel.

While not as dark as some of Powell’s other work, the grimdark fans out there will doubtless enjoy the key feature of the genre that is hope in the face of desperation. This is a story of desperation, and the price of failure is the destruction of all sentient life forms, so the stakes are pretty high. The characters have sacrifices to make – willingly or otherwise – to give everyone else the best possible hope of survival.

At just over 300 pages, Future’s Edge sets a swift pace and, at times, could have benefitted from slowing down a little to allow for a bit more exposition. If you’ve read To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, then Future’s Edge is a bit like that playing on double-speed. Future’s Edge offers a neat little space opera package without the epic page count. It’s compact and punchy, with great ideas and themes that are worth diving into; with some beautiful cover art to boot.

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