This post arose out of my review of Six of Crows. I complained that many action sequences were problematic. I didn’t provide examples, to avoid spoilers and in fairness to Bardugo, but I think this subject deserves a full post. There were a few scenes in the novel, more than a passing oversight, where the […]
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Book Review: Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo
When I first came across Six of Crows I filed it under “potentially interesting” in my TBR. I then got a copy for my daughter (who’s obsessed with Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass), and it seems I matched her tastes well. I decided to give it a read too. What to expect A tale […]
Plotting? Pantsing? Plotsing!
In the eternal quest to improve my writer’s craft, I do three things. These are, for me, the three pillars that make the best, most stable structure for growth. They are: Writing often (novels and short stories – there’s always something going on in my head) Reading voraciously (in and out of my particular genre mix […]
Book Series Review: Bridge of Birds, by Barry Hughart
Whenever someone asks me about my all-time favourite books, I invariable whinge about not being able to choose just one. But if I’m pressed further, Barry Hughart’s Bridge of Birds is amongst the first books I’ll mention. The novel tells of the first adventure of Number Ten Ox (the villager who’s telling the story) as he’s […]
Roman Roads and Pollution
I’ve blogged recently about a collection of Roman coins, but let’s examine some of the flip side of Roman economy: roads and pollution. In this post I want to present you with several resources about the far-reaching effects of the far-reaching effects of the empire, from unusual angles.
Book Series Review: Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
I’ve previously read the first 3 volumes in the Dresden Files, then let it lapse for a while. This year I’ve been binge reading the rest of the series in order, and reviewing individual volumes on Goodreads and Amazon as I go. Below are my thoughts about the series as it stands to date. My […]
Kurt Vonnegut’s Eight Rules for Writing
I recently came across Kurt Vonnegut’s eight rules for writing a short story. I thought they are pretty brilliant, regardless of the scope of you story (they could apply to a full-length novel just as much), so I have reproduced them below together with my thoughts about them. 1. Use the time of a total […]
Spring Showers Sci-fi, Fantasy, Mystery Thrillers Box Set Giveaway
You’re here because you like reading, right? Right now, over thirty authors (yours truly included) are giving away novels, short stories and previews for you to read at no cost to yourself, except the time it takes to download this huge boxed-set. You pay nothing and they work for days, weeks and sometimes years to […]
How to Optimise your Amazon Page for Conversions
I’ve mentioned before the importance of setting readers’ expectations as part of my article on how I review books. This is a companion article for indie publishers and authors, about what you can do to make sure that your book hits the right target audience, for best reception. First for foremost, it should be absolutely […]
Series Review: Lindsey Davis’ Falco
This is the series that started it all (for me). I always loved ancient Rome (since I first read Asterix), and detective stories. This was the perfect combination. I came across it almost by accident, picking up a battered copy of book 4 (Iron hand of Mars) at a used books stall. I then went […]
FELIX THE FOX MYSTERIES 