Everything Is Better With Dragons

Review: Gaia’s Revenge, by J.A. Browne

Description

The epic environmental coming of age fantasy continues. An ideal series for YA and MG readers who love fantasy, the magic of nature and want a stellar female cast of characters.

After one of the bloodline Elementals is snatched, Hannah and her guardian – a magical silverback fox called Alpha – must journey into the unknown to save a future still under threat.

But is it a trap?

As old enemies emerge and darkness spreads across the worlds, Hannah discovers that her own mother has mysteriously gone missing. With Gaia, the Mother of all Nature, hellbent on seeking revenge against those that are trying to destroy her, Hannah realises she’s running out of time and that to save the future, might just mean the mother of all sacrifices.

Review: Error of Judgement, by Chris Mullin

Published by Monoray in February 2024 at
£10.99 in Paperback.

Description

Error of Judgment lit a fire under the political and legal establishment when it was first published, shattering the prosecution case against six Irishmen wrongly convicted of with the Birmingham bombings and going on to change the course of British legal history. It also resulted in significant reforms to the legal system and the quashing of many other wrongful
convictions.

Now 50 years on from the bombings and with a new preface and several new chapters covering the aftermath of the case, this new edition of Error of Judgement tells the complete story of one of Britain’s most significant miscarriages of justice.

On the evening of 21st November 1974, bombs planted by the IRA in two crowded Birmingham pubs exploded, killing 21 people and injuring at least 170. Within a day of the explosion, six men – Paddy Hill, Gerry Hunter, Richard McIlkenny, Billy Power, Johnny Walker and Hughie Callaghan – were arrested and charged. All were found guilty.

Methodically, with total clarity and a tone that is both gripping and impassioned, investigative journalist Mullin unpicked every detail of the case, revealing gaping holes in the prosecution case and an establishment determined to close ranks. Error of Judgement is a graphic illustration of what can go wrong when our police and criminal justice system is under pressure to get results and how difficult it is to persuade those responsible to own up once mistakes become obvious.

Review: Exodus, by Steve Catto

Blurb

The Balagoun brothers’ ten-year plan for taking the citizens of New London to a new life on Mars following the apocalypse is about to become a reality with the approaching launch of the first test flight, but equipment, supplies and energy are going missing, conspiracy theories are rife, and it seems as if not everyone wants to leave the Earth anyway.

To take their places as leaders of the new civilisation, their granddaughters Freya and Reihna must put aside their divided loyalties to the family and keep a restless city supporting a questionable dream.

If the information that the local news reporter Hanna Finnegan discovers proves to be true, that dream might just turn out to be a nightmare…

Blog Tour Calendar: Kitchen Sanctuary Quick & Easy, by Nicky Corbishley

Blog tour calendar: Slum Boy – A Portrait, by Juano Diaz

Review: Hannah and the Hollow Tree, by J.A. Browne

Description

Awoken in the middle of the night by an alarming phone call, Hannah and her mum, Caroline rush to the bedside of Eleanor, Hannah’s estranged Grandmother. One of them has been lying to Hannah and one has been keeping a magical, but dangerous secret.

With deadly forces aligning to destroy the Mother of All Nature’s bloodline, Hannah is rushed to the safety of the Hollow Tree. But will she make it in time. And can a mysterious silverback fox keep her alive long enough to save not just the world we know…

but the one we don’t…

Blog Tour Calendar: Earth Chronicles by J.A. Browne

As you can see, I’m reviewing both of the books, Hannah and the Hollow Tree, and Gaia’s Revenge. I really do have a masochistic streak at times.

Review: Lovebroken, by Finley de Witt

Publication Date: 28th January 2024 £12.99 ISBN: 9781805142256
Thema subject category: DNC – Memoirs
paperback 216 x 138 mm 320 pp Portrait Author location: Hastings

Have you ever struggled with your mental health, your terrible relatives or a dysfunctional relationship? Or simply wondered what the hell is wrong with you? This story is for you.

Finley recounts their chaotic life with deadpan humour and honesty, wryly embracing their colourful lovers and a series of futile attempts to fix them. When a catastrophic encounter in France sends them into meltdown, they
wind up receiving daily psychoanalysis on the NHS with a cast of unsettling characters – mainly the therapists.

On leaving hospital, Finley stitches their life back together, living for a short time with a Bristol theologian before finding domestic bliss with a transgender civil servant. A cutting-edge approach to mental illness eventually leads them to a key revelation about their past, and they finally understands themself through the lens of their history. Aware at last of what they had survived, they face an agonising decision about their future.

Trauma has never been so funny or so shocking.

Review: Queer Villains of Myth and Legend, by Dan Jones

Publication date Thursday, January
18, 2024
Price £16.99
EAN\ISBN-13 9781804191354

Description

Every good hero needs a villain! Explore the hidden world of magnetic and mysterious villains, often cast aside and misunderstood in tales of mythology and folklore. Through the pages of Queer Villains of Myth and Legend, discover a diverse community of fascinating characters, ranging from seductive and cunning to powerful and awe-inspiring.

Experience the dark allure of Circe and Medusa through to David Bowie’s Jareth in Labyrinth and delve into their complex and multifaceted personalities and motivations. Take a deep dive into the intersection of queerness and villainy, re-examine some of our favourite characters, and discover why so many ‘bad’ characters are queer-coded.

From ancient mythology to contemporary pop culture, Queer Villains of Myth and Legend celebrates the fascinating stories of these often-overlooked characters. Join Dan Jones on a journey of discovery, as he explores the hidden depths of queer villainy and sheds light on the queer identities of these compelling figures. It’s a powerful celebration of
queerness through the ages in all its legendary complexity.