This book floated past on my feed – I found the cover intriguing (I dug the vibe, don’t judge me), and the attached review was glowing, so I jumped in without much knowledge of what to expect. What to Expect Expect a surrealist story, full of wonder and awe and a few nightmares. Set in […]
Book Review
Book Review: Great Australian Ghost Stories, by Richard Davis
I’m reading up on Australian ghost stories and mysteries as I’m working on a new urban fantasy series, and this looked like an amazing resources. What to Expect A collection of ghosts, spooks, poltergeists, and other hauntings from around Australia, arranged by themes. The ghosts themselves date from the 19th century to almost present day, […]
Book Review: Twisted Expectations, by Brent A. Harris
Who doesn’t like Dickens and Dinos? What to Expect Expect some favourite Dickensian characters, re-imagined in a world with Steampunk technology and a touch of the supernatural. This one sees Oliver Twist and his colleagues visiting the 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition with its reconstructed dinosaur exhibits — only to have a real Megalosaurus (with feathers, […]
Book Review: Artificial Bodies: How Machines Replace People, by Remmelt Ellen
My day-job involves responsible AI and my interests lie in speculative fiction, so this was an obvious choice to read. What to Expect A pamphlet-style work that’s hard to classify, blurring the lines between present reality and dystopian science fiction. The author examines some of the (very real, unfortunately) risks around present day Artificial Intelligence […]
Book Review: Shadow of the Serpent (Mon Dieu Cthulhu!), by John Houlihan
I loved the Mon Dieu, Cthulhu! series since I first came across it, with it’s perfect blend of history, fantasy, humour, and dark tones. I was very excited to read the new installment. In case you missed it, In Victrix is now available! Come join Felix on his latest adventure, a tales of Races, Curses, […]
Book Review: The Ibbur’s Tale, by Lenny Cavallaro
This is a novella combining history (20th century) with Jewish paranormal folklore, so an interesting mix for me. In case you missed it, In Victrix is now available! Come join Felix on his latest adventure, a tales of Races, Curses, and Forbidden Places! What to Expect A short read, from the point of view of […]
Book Review: Claws of the Collector, by Douglas Lumsden
I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of this novel, something I looked forward to with glee considering how much I loved Lumsden’s previous series. In case you missed it, In Victrix is now available! Come join Felix on his latest adventure, a tales of Races, Curses, and Forbidden Places! What to Expect […]
Tassie Fiction round-up
Again with the Tasmanian Crime Fiction 🕵️ The last round up was Australian Outback Noir in general (with some really good examples of this intriguing genre!), and we’re back to Tasmania-specific novels in this post, because apparently “Tasmanian Gothic” is a thing. (First post is here — showcasing some wonderful books). This is all in […]
Book Review: Ancient Magic: A Practical Guide to Spells, Potions, and Power, by Philip Matyszak
I love Matyszak’s way of non-fiction story-telling, making antiquity highly accessible. The subject of this particular work is also very dear to me, and I can’t believe I missed it. Come to think about it, looking at the publication date, I can’t help but wonder if he wrote it specifically for me after an online […]
More Outback Noir (4 reviews in one!)
As mentioned on my previous post on the subject, I’ve been somewhat binging Outback Noir (crime fiction set in rural Australia) with a view to writing a Magical-Realism novel along similar lines. Below are condensed reviews of two novels and a TV show, all being excellent examples of the genre. Quick aside: did you know […]
FELIX THE FOX MYSTERIES 