Dave Higgins's Blog, page 67

Unelmoija: Paradox by Elle Boca

Boca balances the mutability of the past with temporal inertia to create a time-travel story that is neither burdened with the irrevocable nor rendered insipid by the opportunity to redo things until they are right. This book is the fifth in Boca’s Weeia series. Potential spoilers for previous volumes ahead. Convinced that Amy’s father, Thomas … Continue reading Unelmoija: Paradox by Elle Boca

Clawing Back Sanity

The home and garden centre around the corner has one stand of Halloween decorations but half a floor of Christmas paraphernalia. The carols have started. The online retailers have started their reminders to shop early. With only the Conservative Party Conference remaining true to the mix of horror and hearkening back to a mythical past … Continue reading Clawing Back Sanity

The Forest Beyond the Earth by Matthew S. Cox

Cox layers the concerns and perspectives of a girl with overt and implied facets of a post-apocalyptic world, creating a quest that offers an engaging experience to both readers of both young adult and more gritty fiction. Many generations ago, wrathful monsters scorched the Earth and themselves along with it, destroying civilisation and nearly wiping … Continue reading The Forest Beyond the Earth by Matthew S. Cox

Ain’t Dead Yet

As followers of ImmerseOrDie will know, only a few books make it past the 40:00 mark. Of those, an even rarer few keep the reader’s complete attention for their entire length. Those books are now listed in one place: The ImmerseOrDie Family Jewels. The assessment is—as with the IoD reports themselves—one reader’s experience; but maybe … Continue reading Ain’t Dead Yet

Blood Lust by Garrett Robinson

Combining a sound portrayal of character with an engaging perspective on the gritty fantasy world and one of its more famous monsters, Robinson creates a tale that please both high and low fantasy readers. This book contains references to events during later books in the Nightblade saga. So, a small risk of spoilers ahead. Sun’s … Continue reading Blood Lust by Garrett Robinson

Almost Ex-Com

I have a momentous announcement: I have almost completed X-COM: Enemy Unknown. I installed the game at the start of January 2013, so it’s taken me nearly six years, including some agonising over how to replay missions if one of my mistakes was accidentally reversed by benevolent techno-goblins. Of course, the figure of six years … Continue reading Almost Ex-Com

The Book of Peril by Melissa McShane

Expanding on the metaphysics and politics of the previous book without sacrificing pace or characterisation, McShane provides a second instalment of urban fantasy that will appeal to readers across the gamut of the genre and beyond. This book is the second in The Last Oracle series. Appositely enough, readers who proceed beyond this point before … Continue reading The Book of Peril by Melissa McShane

Cross Purposes

While there were many variation in the Western vampire myths even before they became the protagonists of paranormal romance and urban fantasy, one of the most famous traditional weaknesses is being repelled by crucifixes. In the original setting of pre-Industrial Transylvania, where everyone was a Christian, this poses no questions; but the movement of vampires … Continue reading Cross Purposes

The Book of Secrets by Melissa McShane

McShane fuses classic elements of urban fantasy with innovative and visceral nuances to create a fresh and engaging world. Abernathy’s Bookstore is dark, is cramped, has no detectable shelving system, and smells odd; but it pays better than other entry level jobs and promises to be more interesting. So, when the proprietor asks Helena Davies … Continue reading The Book of Secrets by Melissa McShane

The Widow’s Wrinkles by Jefferson Smith

Combining a distinct and engaging narrative voice with an immersive fantasy world, Smith creates a prose ballad that nicely fills an evening or two. This novelette is the third in The 13th Advocate series, so if you read this review before reading the previous two, don’t start moaning about how something’s been spoiled for you. … Continue reading The Widow’s Wrinkles by Jefferson Smith