This is a Young Adult fantasy tale about a world where magic is held to a restricted level because of a history of repression by the Ràej, a dynasty of magical rulers. The main character, Terhese, is a secret descendent of the last king, with all sorts of forbidden magical talent she doesn’t even know […]
“Naida” by Scott Overton
Many novels start out with two main characters and two separate plotlines and run them parallel to each other until they merge to create a more complex whole. “Naida” is one of the more extreme examples of this technique, and it doesn’t quite work. The main story is about Michael, an ordinary guy who finds […]
“Ned Wakes Up” Short Stories by John Wells
This is a book that gives gentle pleasure, like sitting on a porch on a warm spring evening, listening to a favourite uncle ramble on. The tone of each tale is much the same: intimate, placid and entertaining. These stories are distinguished by incredible attention to detail. The settings are described lovingly, and the minutest […]
“Zombies for Everyone” by Kimberly Wylie
This book is advertised as a “YA Paranormal Cozy Mystery,” and it pretty well checks all the boxes. Like most Cozy Mysteries, it’s light on the blood, gore, and violence. As a Cozy Paranormal about vampires, it’s likewise light on the horror nastiness. The conflict is balanced nicely between the supernatural danger, the solving of […]
“Transcription” by Tyler Michael
This is a good attempt at an interesting Sci-Fi idea, but the writing flies in the face of too many tried-and-true writing conventions, and so the novel never really leads us into the world the author has created so meticulously. The first error is one I must admit I have committed in my own writing. […]
“Gods, Nukes and a whole lot of Nonsense” by Shirani Rajapakse
When you read these stories, you know they were written by a poet. I was immediately captivated by the settings, described in minute detail: shape, colour, sound and smell. Next I was drawn in by the characters. The intricate details of their lives and their families, friends and fellow workers. Finally, though, it is this […]
“Shadow Kalliore” by Skylar Gentry
I really wanted to like this novel. It starts out with a powerfully evocative writing style, with an opening scene that promises wonderful world building. It is a story about myth and faith and the power of the individual against all odds. This story is partly set in an alien post-apocalyptic reality, and partly in […]
“The Quest for the Holy Hummus” by James Allinson
There is a particularly British form of humour that society does better than anyone else, involving equal parts creativity, wit, and just plain silliness. Terry Pratchett and Rowan Atkinson come to mind as the bookends for the spectrum, with Monty Python filling all the gaps. This Quest falls somewhere in the middle, with great creativity, […]
Days of Clear Light: A Festschrift in Honour of Jessie Lendennie, in Celebration of Salmon Poetry at 40
It is important that you don’t get turned away by the wordy title or the academese of the presentation of these poems: “The Salmon, a journal of poetry and prose, as an alternative voice in Irish Literature.” With a foreword by the President of Ireland, no less. We are moving in a rarefied atmosphere, here. […]
“The Cautionary Tales: Reimagined Nursery Rhymes for a Post-Trump World” by Linus Bryn
Nursery rhymes are famous for their hidden political commentary, so making parodies of them would seem to be a fine source for ironic humour. Enter the Post-Trump World. This looks like a kid’s book of rhymes, and the best part of it is the polished, professional and creative artwork. The best use of parody is […]