Dave Higgins's Blog, page 4

Four Weird Shorts by Ken Preston

Preston adds a note of the strange to a foundation of the highly realistic, weaving tales of the liminal zone where experience does not succumb to comforting reason. This book collects four of Preston’s short stories of the odd and disturbing: ‘The Job.’ Following a very puzzling job interview, Sarah is hired to read old … Continue reading Four Weird Shorts by Ken Preston

You Can’t Tell by the Way I Use My Walk

I started with the idea of an article on how the definition of sex is so biologically complex that being an expert with a full suite of tests isn’t enough to definitely categorise someone as biologically a woman; but anyone who is open to the nuances of science will seek answers from the many better … Continue reading You Can’t Tell by the Way I Use My Walk

Slayer by Andy Peloquin

Peloquin combines an epic threat to existence with conflicting moral goals, creating a fantasy tale that presents the ideal of pure good while accepting the difficulty of approaching it. This novel is the third in the Darkblade series. The past may be revealed beyond this point. Before dying, the demon impersonating Al Malik’s queen revealed … Continue reading Slayer by Andy Peloquin

Voice Like a Hyacinth by Mallory Pearson

Pearson blends art with occultism, creating a tale that is about the moral questions of why one seeks the power of creation rather than whether that magic is real. For Jo Kozak the start of her final year at prestigious Rotham college means reuniting with her four closest female friends and reimmersing herself in the … Continue reading Voice Like a Hyacinth by Mallory Pearson

Carved in Stone

Continuing my odyssey into poetic forms, I have experimented with a ghazal. The rock that bends the river The mountain shaped by river. Behold the silence breaking A sweetest freeing river. A bird flies graced by purpose Unwitting over river. A fish alone within a Uplifting loving river. No judge can sentence kindly The stone … Continue reading Carved in Stone

Primordial World: Book 10 by Baileigh Higgins

Higgins combines realistic descriptions of prehistoric landscape and life with a plausible image of a post-apocalyptic human society that blends modern sensibilities and pre-industrial behaviours. Note: while the author is blessed with a spiffing surname we are unrelated. This novel is the tenth in Higgins’ Primordial World series. The past may be revealed beyond this … Continue reading Primordial World: Book 10 by Baileigh Higgins

Calm Month

It is Pride Month in many parts of the world. And with it comes the peaking of my dissonance with nomenclature. Not the question of which letters to include that many who are old enough to have started with LGB have lived through (and are irked to discover are having to do again) or the … Continue reading Calm Month

Protector by Andy Peloquin

Peloquin contrasts the immediate and longer-term moral impact of actions, creating fantasy that is not about good vs evil but about whether it is right to disdain immoral behaviour if it means allowing evil to happen unchallenged. This novel is the second in the Darkblade series. The past may be revealed beyond this point. Defeating … Continue reading Protector by Andy Peloquin

Dracoheim Confidential: Tales From the City of the Dragon by Misha Burnett

Burnett removes the special ring fence that exists around magic in many fantasy tales, creating a world where it is as much a skilled profession at the heart of society as the mundane branches of engineering are in ours. After extended trade with the Realms of Nightmare, magic in Dracoheim has become systemised, ubiquitous, and … Continue reading Dracoheim Confidential: Tales From the City of the Dragon by Misha Burnett

Highway to Hel-egy

One of the player characters in Tenebrae is the brother of one of the non-player characters I play when not refereeing. Toward the end of last Saturday’s session, he stepped through a portal that most believe is one-way (as I run the game, I know; but players might read this, so I’m not going to … Continue reading Highway to Hel-egy