Monthly Archives: August 2025
TBR Review: The Last Gifts of the Universe, by Riley August
Published: July 31, 2025 by Penguin
ISBN: 9781804950647
A dying universe.
When the Home worlds finally achieved the technology to venture out into the stars, they found a graveyard of dead civilizations, a sea of lifeless gray planets and their ruins. What befell them is unknown. All Home knows is that they are the last civilization left in the universe, and whatever came for the others will come for them next.
A search for answers.
Scout is an Archivist tasked with scouring the dead worlds of the cosmos for their last gifts: interesting technology, cultural rituals—anything left behind that might be useful to the Home worlds and their survival. During an excavation on a lifeless planet, Scout unearths something unbelievable: a surviving message from an alien who witnessed the world-ending entity thousands of years ago.
A past unraveled.
Blyreena was once a friend, a soul mate, and a respected leader of her people, the Stelhari. At the end of her world, she was the last one left. She survived to give one last message, one final hope to the future: instructions on how to save the universe.
An adventure at the end of a trillion lifetimes.
With the fate of everything at stake, Scout must overcome the dangers of the Stelhari’s ruined civilization while following Blyreena’s leads to collect its artifacts. If Scout can’t deliver these ground-breaking discoveries back to the Archivists, Home might not only be the last civilization to exist, but the last to finally fall.
Continue reading “TBR Review: The Last Gifts of the Universe, by Riley August”Review: A Necromancer Called Gam Gam by Adam Holcombe
Genre: Fantasy
Age Category: Adult
Date Published: May 30, 2023
Blurb
A grandmotherly necromancer seeking resolution for her past with the help of her loyal entourage: an undead cat and a spectral knight.
A girl on the run from the Eternal Empire for the mysterious power she possesses.
When a chance encounter pulls them together, Gam Gam will do what it takes to protect Mina from the rogue sergeant hounding her–including raising the dead. As long as they’re dressed for the occasion.
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/5PLyfAS (Canada) https://a.co/d/5OLFqPX (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/2ItLDuC (UK)
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122994594-a-necromancer-called-gam-gam
The Story Graph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/29693154-e3c8-4297-aaa3-b65a63af6046
Blog tour calendar: From Crime Scenes To Cruise Ships, by Dr Rhona Morrisons
Promo post: The Damned King by Justin Lee Anderson
Release Date: 19 August 2025
Book Launch: Topping & Co, Edinburgh, 19 August
Book Links: US: Bookshop.org UK: Bookshop.org
Linktree: justinleeandersonauthor
Blurb:
The revolution continues in the thrilling third novel of Justin Lee Anderson’s epic Eidyn Saga, perfect for fans of Anthony Ryan and David Gemmell.
The eternal light keeping demons at bay has been extinguished and Eidyn’s last bastion is under brutal siege. Aranok and his allies draw the final battle lines as the war for the kingdom nears its end. With death threatening from every shadow and truth itself at stake, Eidyn’s defenders must put aside their grudges and come together. But is it possible to save everyone when some prefer the lie?
Short bio:
Justin was a professional writer and editor for 15 years before his debut novel, Carpet Diem, was published, going on to win the 2018 Audie award for Humour. His second novel, The Lost War, won the 2020 SPFBO award, leading to a four-book deal with Orbit for The Eidyn Saga. The Damned King is book three in the series.
More information:
Justin was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, but grew up in the US for 11 years, following his dad, Ian Anderson’s football career, through Tampa, Houston, Cleveland, New Jersey, St Louis and Wichita, moving back to Edinburgh when he was 14. He has an Honours degree in English from the University of Dundee and also spent three years living in the South of France.
Two short animations Justin scripted and produced were shortlisted for Scottish Creative awards, and he also writes TV and film scripts with his wife, Juliet. Their children’s audio story, The Great Bumpkin King, was produced by BBC Scotland in 2019. Justin and Juliet live with their family in East Lothian, near Justin’s hometown of Edinburgh, where Justin is an active member of the Scottish Green Party.
Review: The Burning Stones, by Antti Tuomainen
Saunas, love and a ladleful of murder…
A cold-blooded killer strikes at the hottest moment: the new head of a sauna-stove company is murdered … in the sauna. Who has turned up the temperature and burned him to death?
The evidence points in the direction of Anni Korpinen – top salesperson and the victim’s successor at Steam Devil. And as if hitting middle-age, being in a marriage that has lost its purpose, and struggling with work weren’t enough, Anni realizes that she must be quicker than both the police and the murderer to uncover who is behind it all – before it’s too late…
Continue reading “Review: The Burning Stones, by Antti Tuomainen”Blog tour calendar: The Burning Stones, by Antti Tuomainen
Review: The Cat Bride, by Charlotte Tierney
The heatwave of 1995.
Sixteen years since an infamous tiger-lynx hybrid escaped a small moorland zoo and killed a man.
Sixteen years since the animal was euthanised.
Sixteen years for the zoo to fall into disrepair.
Lowdy’s Mumma grew up in the zoo and when Lowdy falls ill, they’re forced to move to the old zoo for her to recover, still inhabited by her dying grandmother. As soon as they arrive, rumours surface of a big cat stalking the moors again.
Vengeful locals blame the three women for an apex predator on the loose and invade the estate, searching for proof.
Mumma insists all the cats are dead. Grandma whispers that the ‘tynx’ needs to be fed. Lowdy, still recovering from her own mysterious illness, has no idea what to believe. Can she even trust herself when she wakes up covered in ticks with no recollection of the night before?
As Lowdy searches for the truth – the truth of her childhood, what it means
to be a woman, and the truth about the cats – she realizes something catlike runs in the blood, something she cannot ignore.
Maria and the Space-dragons investigate – Chapter 16
Right, I’m making up for missing several months by giving you a bit more of the story early. I’ve got to the end of the handwritten draft now, so I’ll be back to the notebook, scribbling away to finish off the story. I do want to get the first draft completed by late October, when I go away to Brighton for World FantasyCon.
Continue reading “Maria and the Space-dragons investigate – Chapter 16”Maria and the space-dragons investigate: Chapter 15, part 2
Alright, I’m back with more. It took less time than I thought.
Chapter 15, part 2
“Mrrh-wAa, what are you doing?” The new comer sounded desperate, “The Elders told you not to contact the aliens, Supai said it was dangerous!”
“Prrt-hai! Are you following me? They’re from igassss, like Supai. They’re looking for Supai!” Mrrh-wAa hurried their words out, “I told you it would be fine, you fussing will just worry the brood.”
“Yes, yes, the brood worries and the Elders were very specific; you are not to talk to the aliens.”
Continue reading “Maria and the space-dragons investigate: Chapter 15, part 2”
Everything Is Better With Dragons 