Exactly a year ago I published a blog post here with the somewhat dubious title of I Quit My Job So I Could Write!. I thought I’d review how that went…
News / Blog
Fantasy Creatures of the Western Hemisphere
Readers of this blog know — and share — my fascination with unusual mythological creatures, and embedding them in fantasy books. So it gives me great pleasure to host a post about Mesoamerican critters from one of my favourite writers, Douglas Lumsden. Today celebrates the release of his latest novel, A Night Owl Slips into […]
Book Review: The Blacktongue Thief, by Christopher Buehlman
I first noticed this novel when Tor was promoting it, and it looked like something I’d enjoy – I’ve been in a mood for lighter fantasy recently. So, for a change, I read something in the year it was published 😅 What to Expect It’s not humorous fantasy (like say Myth Adventures), and in fact […]
TV Series Review: Domina (Season 1)
I’m a sucker for Roman-era fiction, so no surprises that I’d watch TV series set on the same background 🙂 What to expect The series follows the life of Livia Drusilla, Augustus’ wife and first empress of Rome. She was one of the most influential figures in politics and civic life of the early empire, […]
Book Review: For a Breath I Tarry by Roger Zelazny
Every so often I like to read something from the classic grandmasters of SFF, and Zelazny has always been a favourite of mine. This came up during a conversation with a friend, so I just jumped on it. What to Expect After the extinction of man, the machines he has set in place are trying […]
Book Review: A Year in the Life of Ancient Greece, by Philip Matyszak
I adore Matyszak’s works for bringing daily life in antiquity to the modern reader. Our perceptions of life in the classical era are influenced so much by contemporary writers that were from and concerned with the 1% plus Hollywood’s misappropriation and misrepresentation, that Matyszak’s works are a breath of fresh air. What to Expect The […]
Book Review: NPCs, by Drew Hayes
I was in the mood for something light and quick (and fantasy), and found NPCs languishing in my TBR pile. Now I’m glad I pulled it out 🙂 What to Expect When a group of careless adventurers dies in a local pub from mushroom poisoning, a few of the locals decide to impersonate them rather […]
Book Review: License to Quill, by Jacopo della Quercia
I heard many good things about License to Quill from someone whose taste I trust (my dearest fan ;-), and being a historical fiction fan the book held a natural interest. What to Expect London, 1604/05. On the backdrop of King James VI of Scotland becoming James I of England, of the brewing Catholic-backed Gunpowder […]
Footwear follow-up: Where to?
A while ago I wrote at length about Roman Footwear — which, I assure you, goes much beyond the traditional “sandal” ubiquitous in modern writing. While the post addressed how you’d wear street shoes on your way to a dinner party only to change into slippers once you got there, there were still a lot […]
“Waste Management” in Ancient Rome
If you’ve read any of my stories, you know the main tenets they’re based on: Ancient Rome, an Occult Mystery — and a trip down the sewers… It’s not a Felix’s Mystery unless he’s literally dumped in it at least once! In the current WIP of In Victrix, one of the main villains is in […]