Lumsden’s previous novel left me wanting more, so it didn’t take me long to delve into this second book in the series. Nor was I disappointed – this is an excellent sequel, even better than the previous. What to Expect Expect a story that reads like Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett, but with mobile phones […]
Urban Fantasy
Book Review: A Troll Walks into a Bar, by Douglas Lumsden
Considering my love of detective stories, especially noir, hard-boiled types, and urban fantasy it wasn’t a big surprise I jumped right on this. What to Expect Expect a classic detective story like Raymond Chandler or Dashiel Hammet, but set in an alternate world suffused with magic. The protagonist, through whose eyes the story is told, […]
Book Review: Battle Ground, by Jim Butcher
I’ve read the first half of this story (see my review of Peace Talks) back in July, and of course I jumped straight into this novel as soon as it came out. What to Expect Expect the culmination of the two-part story starting with Peace Talks. As usual, Butcher delivers an intense thriller-paced, larger-than-life adventure […]
Book Review: Peace Talks, by Jim Butcher
I enjoyed the Dresden Files in the past, so was looking forward to the new installment after a few years’ gap. If you’ve never read them before this is not the place to start, but if you are a fan then this book delivers. What to Expect Peace Talks picks up where the series previously […]
Book Review: False Value (Rivers of London #8), by Ben Aaronovitch
I’ve been following Peter Grant’s adventures, so was happy to delve in to this new instalment. What to expect This novel is the first after the closure of the previous arc in Lies Sleeping. None of the old enemies appear (though don’t worry, the good side-characters are still there), and instead more of the world […]
Series Review: Rivers of London, by Ben Aaronovitch
I’ve read the first novel in the series, Rivers of London, a few months back. I quite liked the premise, so naturally delved down that rabbit hole. Here’s a review of the whole series to date: seven books, a couple of novellas, six graphic novels, and assorted shorts.
Book Review: Cabaret of Monsters, by Tansy Rayner Roberts
Caberet of Monsters presents a marvelous twist of Urban Fantasy. Though I was originally drawn by the Roman elements, the vibe of Parisian theatre and roaring 1920’s as a backdrop to urban fantasy was refreshingly original What to expect A novella set in the same world as the Creature Court trilogy, published a few years […]
Book Review: Black City Dragon, by Richard A. Knaak
Black City Dragon is the third installment in the series, one I have been waiting for since I first came across it. Nor was I disappointed. (Well, apart from the special announcement at the bottom of this post 😉 I’ve previously reviewed of Black City Saint (book 1) and Black City Demon (book 2), and […]
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 […]
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 […]