In my continual quest to improve my writing, I’ve taken a look at screenwriting. (It has nothing to do with a possible deal for a movie adaptation of Murder In Absentia, about which I’m legally not allowed to talk just yet). Screenwriting is an interesting medium of storytelling, one with both similarities and differences to […]
Book Review
Book Series Review: Gordianus the Finder (Roma Sub Rosa), by Steven Saylor
I came across Steven Saylor’s work when my Kindle suggested Roman Blood (I just finished Lindsey Davis’ Falco at the time). I delved right in, and loved it! I’ve just finished the latest installment (Throne of Caesar). I’ve mentioned this series a lot in the past but never reviewed it, so I’m now rectifying this […]
Book Review: Nine Perfect Strangers, by Liane Moriarty
Rather uncharacteristically, I read this international best seller soon after its release (following a binge of childhood-era fantasy, cause hey! squirrel!). I was drawn by several factors: Aussie author (a neighbour, one suburb over), worldwide success, and — not in the least — Moriarty’s hilarious author’s bio. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting […]
Book Series Review: God Stalk / Chronicles of the Kencyrath, by P.C. Hodgell
God Stalk is another book I remembered very fondly from my teenagehood (I even had a limited-edition hardcover), and recently re-read to see how it withstood the test of time (as well as comparing older and contemporary young-adult fantasy). I enjoyed it tremendously — and kept reading through the series. Some of those volumes I’ve […]
Book Review: The Compleat Traveller in Black, by John Brunner
This is a little-known fantasy gem, by one of Sci-Fi greats. It contains five short stories (the original 4 written between 1960 and 1971, and published as “The Traveller in Black”, and the fifth written in 1979 and later published in the Compleat collection). I loved the premise and style of the stories when I […]
Book Review: Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse #1), by Charlaine Harris
I read this book on my wife’s urging that I read some best-sellers in a related genre (aka paranormal sex fantasies romance) and due to my own interest in reading works from perspective other than mine (in this case, by and for women). Being in a somewhat related genre (paranormal mixed with mystery) this was […]
Book Review: Where Loyalties Lie, by Rob J. Hayes
I’ve been meaning to read Rob Hayes’ works for a while (especially considering his record-breaking win in the SPFBO 2017), and so jumped into Where Loyalties Lie. It is an excellent story of piracy set in a fantasy world based on the Age of Sail, though not for the faint of heart. What to expect […]
Book Review: Dragon’s Trail, by Joseph Malik
I came across Joseph Malik first via his article 30 Day Cliff, My Ass: Reflections on 10,000 Sales. It resonated deeply with my experience and choices. Although my journey has been different (I didn’t bother querying), I came to the same conclusions and decisions in choosing the do-it-myself path without compromising on professional quality in […]
Book Review: Jhereg (Vlad Taltos), by Steven Brust
I’m not entirely sure how I came across this novel, (or how come I never heard about it before), which is a shame because some sincere thanks are due. I’ve actually just read The Book of Jhereg, which encompasses the first three novels in the Vlad Taltos series: Jhereg, Yendi, and Teckla. The review therefore […]
The Mystery of Amazon Reviews
I’ve started the year with 116 reviews for Murder In Absentia (and, I think, there were about 3-4 reviews that have been removed over the years). By now, the number of reviews is up to… <drumroll> … 110! (EDIT: It’s now back to 116, but all the new reviews are post-launch of In Numina, after […]