I don’t often review poetry that makes a point of being hard to understand. However, this poet works with an artist, and they have blended the poetry and the artwork, presumably to aid the communication. Whether it helps or not is up to the reader to decide. This is a book of poetry that will […]
“The Academy” by T.Z. Layton
It’s been quite a few years since I read a YA Sports novel, and many more than that since I read one as well-crafted and enjoyable as “The Academy.” Besides being incredibly knowledgeable about football, (or soccer, for us North Americans) Layton sculptures the conflict and characters to create a beautiful flow of suspense. This […]
“ShegoraTH” by Dima Tsyptsiura
This is a book of undefined genre, written when the author was young, then revised much later. This mature second look gives depth to the initial naïve approach. When you consider that the author’s country of origin is at the moment being attacked by an absolute dictator, it gives an even more powerful touch. However, […]
“In Synthient Skin” by G.W. Darcie
First-person narrative is nothing new, but when the main character is an android, we get a different twist on the technique. It’s not an unusual choice for Science Fiction, but in this case, the situation has been handled with great skill. A lot of the enjoyment of the read is because of interesting conflicts. The […]
“The Distaff Side” by Mary Leader
As fans of heredity sites and the history of fabrics will know, the distaff is the female side of humanity. If you want more than that, read this book, because I guaranteed by the end you will know far more than you ever thought possible about weaving, spinning, stitching, women and femininity. And the history […]
“Small Stories: A Perfectly Absurd Novel” by Rob Roy Okeefe
This is a book of off-the-wall interactive humour, with the author breaking the fourth wall often to speak directly to readers and stopping the story for tongue-in-cheek explanations of esoteric details and facts. It’s the story of the inability of humans to get along with each other, as typified by small-town civic politics, with a […]
“Hyperkill: A Pirates of Khonoë Space Opera” by Robert Muller
At first glance, “Hyperkill” has all the elements of a Space Opera and more: agents, assassins, intergalactic intrigue, cutting-edge fictional science and pirates. The main character, Pavan, is pretty much what we expect: a good guy with the usual flaws, most of them revolving around beautiful women. He is also at a transition time in […]
“Dr. Metifunger’s Transdimensional Veterinary Clinic” by Todd Strubbe
I would classify this novel as Quirky Sci-Fi Humour. Humour, most definitely. It had me chuckling aloud several times. The premise of the story is a vet clinic that exists simultaneously in five similar, but not completely the same worlds. This gives the author a chance to toss in any number of weird and wonderful […]
“The Trial Show” by Konstantina P.
I see this whole story as a metaphor for the teenage experience. It’s ostensibly an Alternate Future novel where the Resistance fights a losing battle against a repressive government. It should be a story about how tight friendships triumph over the faceless bureaucracy. However, at least two of the freedom fighters are double agents, everybody […]
“Born to be Naughty” by Hina Nauman
Okay, this one’s different. A look at the Contents should tip you off. It starts with a Warning, requiring you to prove your eligibility to read the book by taking a “Love for Nature” test. It would be a spoiler, so I’m not going to tell you anything about the test except that this is […]