Review: Band of Brothers, by Alexander Kent

The Complete Midshipman Bolitho: Richard Bolitho, Midshipman, Midshipman Bolitho and the Avenger & Band of Brothers by Alexander KentMy rating: 4 of 5 stars In this collection it was Band of Brothers I had not previously read. As always with Kent’s Bolitho series, impeccable historical research and attention to detail. Character point of view tends to wander a bit, but not so that it’s distracting. Great naval, Georgian/Regency Era escapism. View all my reviews

Audio book for From Mountains of Ice

A wee bit of good news this week for me. I signed a contract with Iambik Audiobooks this week to have my fantasy novel, From Mountains of Ice, released as an audiobook. These things take time, so it could be six months before the audiobook is finally released. I’m told that in the meantime a call for auditions has now gone out. Whole new process for me to discover. From Mountains of Ice is currently…

Review: Anil’s Ghost, by Michael Ondaatje

Anil’s Ghost by Michael OndaatjeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars Ondaatje is a master of subtlety, of the ambiguity of life, of the grey that washes extreme situations. He is at his best in Anil’s Ghost. The story itself is a simple one: a woman (Anil) searches for the identity of a skeleton she finds when on an international human rights mission in war ravaged Sri Lanka. But as with most stories Ondaatje tells, simplicity…

The problem with hats

… is that I have too many. Metaphorically speaking, that is. Despite all my best intentions to set aside each morning for my own writing, the windfall of authors and titles that have landed with Five Rivers have left me scratching for time to sleep, let alone write. I’m not complaining. It’s a wonderful problem to have. But it does mean that I’ve had to once again set aside my own writing career for the…

Review: Sourcery, by Terry Pratchett

Sourcery by Terry PratchettMy rating: 4 of 5 stars As always Pratchett delivers entertaining story-telling with wit and style. In this Discworld tale we return to Rincewind and the legendary Luggage, in a Discworld upheaval caused by the release of sourcery (essentially raw, wild magic) by a son held puppet by his father’s power and consciousness that has been locked into an iron staff. As a reader, it’s refreshing to read a writer’s work that…

Review: The Pattern Scars, by Caitlin Sweet

The Pattern Scars by Caitlin SweetMy rating: 5 of 5 stars It would be very easy to wax poetic about Caitlin Sweet’s, The Pattern Scars. Deservedly so. From the first sentences Sweet demonstrates her craftsmanship by translating the reader into a richly and perfectly realized world, populated by people who are very human despite extraordinary and sometimes dark abilities. With astonishing subtlety, Sweet presents a relationship between a clairvoyant girl who is employed as a…