Monthly Archives: November 2022

TBR Pile Review: August Kitko and the Mechas from Space, by Alex White

When an army of giant robot AIs threatens to devastate Earth, a virtuoso pianist becomes humanity’s last hope in this bold, lightning-paced, technicolor new space opera series from the author of A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe.

Jazz pianist Gus Kitko expected to spend his final moments on Earth playing piano at the greatest goodbye party of all time, and maybe kissing rockstar Ardent Violet, before the last of humanity is wiped out forever by the Vanguards–ultra-powerful robots from the dark heart of space, hell-bent on destroying humanity for reasons none can divine. 

But when the Vanguards arrive, the unthinkable happens–the mecha that should be killing Gus instead saves him. Suddenly, Gus’s swan song becomes humanity’s encore, as he is chosen to join a small group of traitorous Vanguards and their pilots dedicated to saving humanity. 

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Audiobook review: Fevered Star, by Rebecca Roanhorse

Fevered Star (Between Earth and Sky #2) by Rebecca Roanhorse

Narrated by Christian Barillas, Nicole Lewis, Darrell Dennis, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Cora Gee 

Return to The Meridian with New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Roanhorse’s sequel to the most critically hailed epic fantasy of 2020 Black Sun—finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Lambda, and Locus awards.

There are no tides more treacherous than those of the heart. —Teek saying

The great city of Tova is shattered. The sun is held within the smothering grip of the Crow God’s eclipse, but a comet that marks the death of a ruler and heralds the rise of a new order is imminent.

The Meridian: a land where magic has been codified and the worship of gods suppressed. How do you live when legends come to life, and the faith you had is rewarded?

As sea captain Xiala is swept up in the chaos and currents of change, she finds an unexpected ally in the former Priest of Knives. For the Clan Matriarchs of Tova, tense alliances form as far-flung enemies gather and the war in the heavens is reflected upon the earth.

And for Serapio and Naranpa, both now living avatars, the struggle for free will and personhood in the face of destiny rages. How will Serapio stay human when he is steeped in prophecy and surrounded by those who desire only his power? Is there a future for Naranpa in a transformed Tova without her total destruction?

Welcome back to the fantasy series of the decade in Fevered Star—book two of Between Earth and Sky

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Extract Post: The Crew, by Sadir S. Samir

Blurb 

Kings of the Wyld meets Deadpool in this action-packed fantasy adventure set in an Arab-inspired landscape.

Varcade fled to the deserts of Harrah to escape his past as an Educator, a member of an order of zealot warrior-monks that aims to shape the world according to their sacred Teachings by force. Varcade makes his living as a reckless sword-for-hire, caring only about himself, until his self-centered lifestyle is turned on its head when he is contracted to recruit a misfit team of unruly assassins and take out the mighty Bone Lord of Akrab.

But the Bone Lord is aware of the plot and sends her band of Dusters to stop them; individuals who have gained bizarre and lethal magical powers by snorting the pulverised bones of dead gods. Hunted by Educators and Dusters in a city-state where an escalating conflict between the human and demon population threatens to boil over in a civil war, will Varcade and his ragtag crew save Akrab from the cruel Bone Lord, or will they make things even worse?

“The Crew is a rampaging romp of an adventure, as thrilling and hilarious as it is fantastically unique. I loved it.” – Dyrk Ashton, author of The Paternus Trilogy

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BG1CBSRY

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62672715-the-crew?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=XFllluZSRG&rank=1

The Crew Excerpt 1

Before the killing began, Varcade wanted to enjoy a glass of iced milk sweetened with honey. He licked his lips, drumming his fingers on the counter as the bartender poured the drink in a clay cup, then set it before Varcade. “There. Happy now?”

Varcade flipped a copper coin to the woman. “You bet,” he said with a smile before downing it in one swig. He exhaled and wiped the milk from his upper lip. “Alright, with that out of the way, it’s time for me to kill a guy. I’m looking for someone by the name of—”

“You what?” the bartender interrupted. “Kill a man? Here?”

“Yup.” Varcade nodded. “That’s the job I’ve been paid for. Why else would I be somewhere like this? No offence, but we’re in the middle of the desert. You couldn’t have chosen a livelier place for your tavern?”

“Are you bloody stupid?” the woman said. “You can’t come to my establishment and tell me you’re gonna kill someone. I’m trying to make a living here.”

“You do you, and I’ll do me. How ‘bout that?” Varcade turned away from the bartender and leapt on the nearest table, knocking over their drinks and food to the dismay of the patrons sitting around it. Now he had everyone’s attention. Behind him, he heard the bartender shouting something about guards.

“I’m looking for a guy calling himself Frying Pan Pete,” Varcade said. “I’ve been told he likes coming here. Just point me in the right direction and I’ll be gone before you know it.”

The man seated by the table tugged on Varcade’s leg. “You really don’t wanna be messin’ with Frying Pan Pete, man,” he whispered. “Trust me.”

Review: Belly Woman, by Benjamin Black

May 2014. Sierra Leone is ranked the country with the highest death rate of pregnant women in the world. The same month, Ebola crosses in from neighbouring Guinea. Arriving a few weeks later, Dr Benjamin Black finds himself at the centre of an exponential Ebola outbreak.


From impossible decisions on the maternity ward to moral dilemmas at the Ebola Treatment Centres. One mistake, one error of judgment, could spell disaster.

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Promo Post: Does Snow Turn A Person White Inside?, by Max Lobe

Publication date: 25th August 2022
Category: Fiction
Print RRP: £11.99
Print ISBN: 978-1-913109-90-5
Paperback: 198 x 129 mm
E-book RRP: £6.99
E-book ISBN: 978-1-913109-96-7

Blurb

The narrator, Mwana, is a young man from Bantuland, living in Geneva. A
graduate from a Swiss university, we first encounter Mwana waiting for a bus in the hills of Lugano gazing at a poster calling for “black sheep” to be sent home. Mwana’s efforts to find work are fruitless until he lands an internship in an NGO campaigning against racial discrimination. The team is busy organising a demonstration against the black sheep poster.

Mwana has one foot in each culture. He sees Swiss society through African eyes, with all its contradictions: its moderation, stunning landscapes and its eccentricities, but also its intolerance and inflexibility. He also casts a critical eye on his native Africa, the weight of its traditions and beliefs. Is belonging nowhere the price Mwana has to pay for these insights?

Sad and playful Does Snow Turn a Person White Inside? is a moving
reflection on the immigrant experience.

Rosemarie’s Note: This was going to be a review, but the book didn’t arrive in time, so promo post instead. The book arrived on Monday, I’m reading it and will review it as soon as possible. I’m about 23% of the way through the book.

I’m disappointed, I was looking forward to sharing this book with you. It’s not the fault of the blog tour organiser, but probably a delay at the publisher’s end. These things happen, unfortunately.

Author Biography:


Max Lobe was born in Douala, Cameroon. At eighteen he moved to Switzerland, where he earned a BA in communication and journalism
and a master’s in public policy and administration. In 2017, his novel Confidences won the Ahmadou Kourouma Prize. Other books by the
author include 39 Rue de Berne and A Long Way From Douala published by Small Axes in 2021. Max Lobe lives in Geneva.

TBR Pile Review: Ocean’s Echo, by Everina Maxwell

Paperback, 480 pages

Published November 3rd 2022

by Orbit 

ISBN13: 9780356515892

Ocean’s Echo is a stand-alone, romantic space adventure, set in the same universe as Everina Maxwell’s hit debut, Winter’s Orbit.

When Tennal—a rich socialite, inveterate flirt, and walking disaster—is caught using his telepathic powers for illegal activities, the military decides to bind his mind to someone with coercive powers strong enough to control him.

Enter Lieutenant Surit, the child of a disgraced general. Out of a desperate need to restore a pension to his other parent, Lieutenant Surit agrees to be bound to Tennal and keep him conscripted in the army, a task that seems impossible even for someone with Surit’s ability to control minds.

Tennal just wants to escape, but Surit isn’t all that he seems. And their bond may just be the key to their freedom.

My Review

I have an Illumicrate hardback special edition on order, but I couldn’t wait for it to arrive, and I don’t like bending the spine of my hardbacks, so I ordered a paperback copy from Amazon, which was delivered yesterday (5th November – it distracted me from the fireworks exploding everywhere). I got back from a meal with some of the games group yesterday evening, and immediately sat down to read it.

Actually, that’s not strictly correct. I read the excerpt for August Kitko and the Mechas from Space by Alex White at the back first. I ordered that book (it arrived this afternoon, with Ten Low, by Stark Holborn) and then started reading Ocean’s Echo. I stayed up until 1:08am and got to page 374 before I forced myself to go to be. I got up this morning and finished the last 108 pages. This is not a short book! And obviously it didn’t spend any time on the TBR pile.

I really enjoyed it. The plot as complex enough to keep me reading even when I should have been sleeping, and the characterisation of Tennal and Surit was sparkling. The title makes absolute sense when you read the book; Maxwell’s descriptions of Tennal’s mind expanding into the universe was just perfect, in context.

I love the subtle tension between Tennal and Surit, as it become very unsubtle. I was gripped by the political intrigues going on around them and their discovery of the ways they’ve been manipulated. I adored the way their personal realisations led to right actions and their determination to be together after their initial unwillingness.

I identified with Surit’s need for order and his slow realisation that people are taking advantage of him, and his underestimation of himself. I also felt deeply for Tennal, a messed up young man if I ever read one. He has really low self-esteem and has allowed himself to be used because he doesn’t think he’s worth better. Learning that Surit, and then his aunt actually do think he’s worth something triggers his journey to self-awareness. He is walking chaos and disappointment, in his mind. He can’t do anything right, he enjoys the chaos he causes but can’t cope with the noise in his head and does reckless things to shut it up. Honestly, he shouts ADHD to me, while Surit has Autistic traits. Considering they’re the children of neuromodified soldiers, it’s hardly surprising they come across as neurodivergent.

The world building is fab. If you’ve read Winter’s Orbit, you’ll be familiar with things like remnants and The Resolution, and there are vague references to events in Winter’s Orbit, but none of the characters overlap. This is Maxwell extending her universe. I love it. I love the idea of using the series to explore different civilisations in the Galaxy, united only by the Links that allow travel. All the different social conventions and structures and the way people can mess up spectacularly. We also learn more about the ‘remnants’, the aliens they come from, and why the Resolution like to collect them and lock them up in deep freeze.

The romance is subtle and barely touched. The development of the relationship between Tennal and Surit is an important part of the plot, driving their later actions, but there isn’t anything graphic. I think they kiss a couple of times. The building of trust between the main characters is mirrored by the building of trust between them and the rankers of Retrieval Two, especially Istara and Basavi, who have their own secrets.

Got to recommend this novel, I have stacks of books on the go right now, only one for a blog tour, but I was transfixed reading this new book rather than carrying on with books I’d already started.

As a final note, the cover design is just amazing. It tells you all about the story without saying a word!