This is the second instalment of a trilogy, in a series that I love (see here). What to Expect The continued adventures of the inimitable d’Bois, in his fight against – in no particular order – dastardly British, flamboyant Spanish, knave Frenchmen from his own side, and the occasional interstellar horror. It actually make a […]
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On Writing and AI
This floated past my feed on LinkedIn, and should have been captioned et tu, Brute? The joke being, of course, that it’s from Cards on the Table, by Agatha Christie, published in 1936… Christie isn’t the only victim. Can you recognise this paragraph? It’s the opening of Chapter 5 of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. Published 1818. […]
Book review: Crypt Currency, by J. Zachary Pike
I enjoyed the previous works of Pike, so was looking forward to this next installment in his financial-comedy in faux-mediaeval fantasy world. What to Expect Unlike the previous novels in the series, this one doesn’t start as an adventure for a party of heroes. Things have moved on, and Gorm (the dwarf warrior in the […]
Book Review: Cast a Cold Shadow, by Douglas Lumsden
I love Doug Lumsden’s works, so am always excited by a new release. What to Expect This is the third installment in the Shade the Collector series (the second series in the alt-history world Lumsden has built). That said, the novels are pretty easy to pick up and get stuck in to. You can start […]
Book Review: How Chance and Stupidity Have Changed History: The Hinge Factor, by Erik Durschmied
This looked like a bit of fun for those seeking confirmation bias that many celebrated successes (or failures, depending on which side you’re on) in the past have more to do with human stupidity and dumb luck. What to Expect Recounting of select battles from history (mostly the last thousand years), and how how small […]
Book Review: Paranormal Payback
Who doesn’t know someone who deserves some payback? Add in some good authors, and this anthology had promise. What to Expect Short stories, all about someone getting their just deserts – and with a paranormal angle. This may be the perpetrator, the victim, or the one delivering retribution. Scope varies from nuisance to murder to […]
Book Review: The Creeper, by Margaret Hickey
This came up as a winner of the 2025 Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction, and since I’m always on the lookout for good Aussie crime thrillers, especially in remote places, I dove in. What to Expect A thriller set in a remote mountain town in Victoria. A young policewoman, newly appointed to the […]
Book Review: Twelve Months (Dresden Files #18), by Jim Butcher
The Dresden Files have been going on since 2000, and I’ve been reading them since ~2017 when fans said there was a lot in common between the early books and my writing. So I’m invested, and keep reading despite some unevenness. What to Expect After jumping the shark in the previous book (Battle Ground, 2020), […]
Publication Day – Feast or Famine?
The fine people of Purple Toga Publications are proud to announce that our latest anthology – Feast or Famine? – is now available! This is a delectable and delightful collection of delicious short stories exploring how core is food to the human experience. The anthology collects some established and new indie voices, ranging from fantasy […]
Series Review: The Witch’s Bestiary, by Evangeline Hunter
I came across the introductory novella on StoryOrigin, and it looked like fun – a humorous take on urban fantasy. I’ve read that story, and proceeded to the novels. What to Expect Amusing modern urban-fantasy where the protagonist is a vet for magical creatures and has loose attitudes towards law and order. Together with rescuing […]
