Dave Higgins's Blog, page 79

How I Magically Messed Up My Life in Four Friggin’ Days by Megan O’Russell

O’Russell combines a nuanced urban fantasy world with a plausible teenage misfit to create a mature take on young adult fantasy. Bryant Adams is an ordinary teenager with ordinary teenage problems, like having divorced parents, crushing on the girl who sits next to him in half his lessons, and having his mother teach drama at … Continue reading How I Magically Messed Up My Life in Four Friggin’ Days by Megan O’Russell

Things Unseen

“To summarise, reiteration of scripture and, always, smiles.” Adam spread his arms. “Questions? Simon? No need to be shy; we’re here to learn.” “If they haven’t accepted Christ they might not believe the Bible. What if they ask for proof?” “Just tell them the Bible is true.” “But, I read an article that said beliefs … Continue reading Things Unseen

Yerrin: A Book of Underrealm by Garrett Robinson

Robinson continues to blend fast-paced low fantasy with a mature perspective on what becoming a hero actually entails in the long term. This novel is the sixth volume in the Nightblade Epic. Ware Spoilers! When Damaris, rogue member of the family Yerrin and servant of the Necromancer, flees south to Dorsea, Loren is only a … Continue reading Yerrin: A Book of Underrealm by Garrett Robinson

Play to Strengths

Mind/body: people are so proud to go to the gym; so ashamed to go to the therapist. – Alain de Botton The difference in social acceptability between staying physically healthy and mentally healthy puzzles me. Even (Especially) at public school, I encountered a strong “sports are good; thinking is bad” culture. Obviously, it’s got a … Continue reading Play to Strengths

Forever Loyal

09:00:00 AI-Mee reset her status to ‘On Shift’. The label was meaningless, much like the names artificial minds bore; however, humans had wanted everything to be familiar rather than efficient. Cleaning showed no issues. As her subroutines ran the bots, she already knew; but the process required she review it. Inventory showed the factory had … Continue reading Forever Loyal

Araphel by Matthew S. Cox

Cox blends the nuances of espionage thrillers with the technology and pace of cyberpunk to create a story that engages the mind and the heart. This novel is the second in the Daughter of Mars series. Spoilers ahead. Between discovering the truth about her father’s death and her growing relationship with Pavo, Risa Black had … Continue reading Araphel by Matthew S. Cox

Either Way, It’s Better Than Imaginary Enemies

This short film about growing up seen from the perspective of a girl’s imaginary friend rather pleased me: Not utterly sure whether abandoning the imaginary is a necessary part of adulthood – but then I suspect most authors would be silent without their imaginary companions – but the aesthetics are most apposite to my interests. … Continue reading Either Way, It’s Better Than Imaginary Enemies

The Truth and Nothing But

Isaac studied the database. Every language uploaded. Every rule and exception catalogued. And whether the culture that spoke it said language came from the divine. Centuries of Kabbalists hadn’t found the answers, because Hebrew wasn’t the sacred language; merely one of them. Tracing back, removing human languages, would reveal the language of creation. This program … Continue reading The Truth and Nothing But

Operation Snowflake by Robert Scott-Norton

Scott-Norton focuses on character and ambiguous evidence rather than the overtly inexplicable, to create a UFO thriller that leaves the reader uncertain of how things will unfold even after they’ve settled on a view of what probably happened. MI18 was created by Winston Churchill to investigate reports of odd lights in the sky; lights that, … Continue reading Operation Snowflake by Robert Scott-Norton

Why Does Anything Matter?

I started planning a post on the subject of ‘cool’ or ‘real’ girls, and who has the (or at least a) valid definition. However, my boundaries and theses kept moving until in the end, I realised I was asking the wrong question. Instead, my question (and that of others) might better be: why does it … Continue reading Why Does Anything Matter?