To Retribution by FJ Curlew

Reviewer: JW Hicks

What we thought: This novel, a convoluted thriller with nods to Brave New World and Orwell’s 1984, gives a Nostradamus-like prediction of the rise of the Right in the Britain of the not-too-distant future.

After a coup, life in Britain has changed beyond recognition. Fear and intimidation reigns. The only law is meted out by the New Dawn security force. The only citizens that prosper are the lickspittle followers of the facist regime. Corruption is widespread, especially amongst the new political elite.

Two young journalists, Suze and Jake, bent on reporting political corruption on their pirate website find themselves attacked by New Dawn security force. Barely escaping death in a raid on their secret headquarters they set out to discover exactly why they have been so murderously targeted. Their journey of discovery is a long and winding trail along which they not only meet horrors they couldn’t imagine, but allies that share their hatred of the new regime.

Gripping from the outset, To Retribution, is a fast paced narrative which leads its youthful protagonists into the very heart of a truly evil conspiracy.

A definite page turner!

You’ll enjoy if you like: Fast paced action culminating in an all-ends-tied-up finish. 

 
Avoid if you don’t like: Political corruption and fascist atrocities.

Ideal accompaniments: A hot toddy and a wrap-around comforter.

Genre: Thriller

Available on Amazon

The Six and the Crystals of Ialana by Katlynn Brooke

Reviewer: JW Hicks

What we thought: An ideal first read for young adults attracted by the fantasy genre.

Fundamentally this novel is a Quest story. Three village boys, Jarah, Blaidd and Adain are forcibly conscripted into the army. Tristram, a young soldier press ganged some years before them, helps them escape. The escape is instigated by the onset of the mysterious dreams they all share. The dreams set them on a quest of discovery. Not only do they learn about reincarnation and their own past lives, but they gain astonishing information about the world they live in.

On their travels they meet three other dream guided teens, Djana, Kex and Tegan, and discover new things about themselves, some pleasing... some horribly disturbing and deeply troubling.

The questers viewing their past lives through dreams, learn that their deaths were brought about by treachery, that they were betrayed by one of their number; one of their brother questers.

Together and with some other-worldly help the companions must defeat an all-powerful enemy and prevent the cataclysmic destruction of their world.

This fast moving story is packed with peril and unexpected twists and turns... and magic, oodles and oodles of magic.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: The Beast Quest series and the works of Andre Norton and Terry Brooks

Avoid if you don’t like: Magic, mystery and psychic crystals.

Ideal accompaniments: For adults: A deckchair within sound of the sea and a tall glass of Pimm’s No 1. For teens: a flagon of Iron Bru, a family sized packet of Kettle Chips, and a comfy sofa.

Genre: Fantasy

The Lost Thorn by Joshua P. Aguayo

Reviewer: JW Hicks

What we thought: The Lost Thorn is a sci-fi tale seeped in cyberpunk strangeness delivering a fast-moving shockingly tense narrative that grips to to the very last page.

The author gives the reader a fabulously realistic and horrifically descriptive portrait of an addict hooked on the toxic drug Obsidian Dust; a poison she needs to ‘stay alive’, escape reality and be taken to another place. Despite knowing the consequences: the after burn agony, the holes drilled into her memory, and the bleeding and disorientation that follows a dust-blitz, she submits willingly to the burn. She has no choice, as the reader will discover.

Sam – Samantha Merling Thorn de la Rosa – orphaned by the mega corporation ClearSightEnterprises and shadowed by a corporation watchdog, is daughter to a mage, murdered because of his amazing talent. After his death she allies herself to the criminal drug producers, enemies of CSE. The story-thread, the hows and whys of what Sam is and what she does, winds through a rich and exciting narrative like a poisonous scary-coloured serpent, leading readers through secret upon secret until they arrive at the dramatic and complex conclusion of this terrific and so very satisfying futuristic novel.

The strong, even compulsive storyline easily overcomes the occasional translation glitch. Three quarter way through with the tension ratcheting tighter and tighter, I found my heartbeat racing as I devoured Aguayo’s words like a starving raptor its prey.

A terrific read. Highly recommended.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: William Gibson. Pat Cadigan.

Ideal accompaniments: A fortifying fruit punch and a large dish of nibbles.

Genre: Futuristic fiction. Cyberpunk.

Available from Amazon

Leap the Wild Water by Jenny Lloyd

Reviewer: JW Hicks

What we thought: Leap the Wild Water is a harrowing story, told with honesty and truth allowing the reader insight into another age, an age not long past, when womenkind were regarded as Eve’s true daughters, bent on tempting men to sin.

Set in early in 19th century Wales, this tragic, yet uplifting story centres on Megan Jones, daughter to a viciously religious mother. Her once close younger brother, Morgan, is heavily influenced by his overbearing mother. Manipulated into following orders that deep down he knows are wrong, he is filled with regret. He accepts that what’s done cannot be undone, but the deed preys on his mind, casting a heavy shadow not only on his life, but that of his older sister. Too late he realises the evil he has done. He has chosen the primrose path, and knows just where that path leads.

The consequences of this cruel act is dramatically portrayed by the author in vivid exciting prose. This debut novel, inspired by her fascination for social psychology and the real-life struggles of women in her family’s past, is a grippingly tense read. Megan is a strong woman, wanting freedom in a society of denial and discrimination, a freedom denied by the very fact that she is female.

Historically accurate, strongly written this is a book that needs to be read and treasured.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: Hardy, Dickens and Wilkie Collins

Avoid if you don’t like: Heart-stopping tension and utter involvement in characters and plot

Ideal accompaniments: A slice of bara brith and Glengetti tea sipped from a bone china cup.

Genre: Literary fiction. Historical

Available from Amazon

Super Daddy Bedtime Questions by Nicolas Pavlou

Reviewer: JW Hicks

What we thought: From the first glimpse of this super-bright, gloriously illustrated storybook you’ll be hooked. Whether parent, teacher or doting grandparent, this is the one for you... and of course, the children.

Nicolas Pavlou follows the footsteps of top-of-the-tree children’s authors by writing simple, truthful prose, and using delightful illustrations with which to captivate the reader’s heart. Super Daddy Bedtime Questions is a humourous book, with child friendly rhymes that are easy to remember and easy to chant. It is a highly enjoyable read, delightfully true to life and inspired by the playtime and bedtime questions asked by the author’s young son.

As a one-time nursery teacher I would have loved to have this storybook in the library corner: a book enriched with brightly coloured words and clear un-cluttered pictures is not only a treat to read aloud, but a delight to read to a small tot.

It’s the perfect length for a bedtime read, and written from a father’s perspective, the Super Daddy in the title, it offers an everyday dad the chance to be Super Dad, reader of the best story ever, the dad who answers the unanswerable: ‘Daddy, can you fly?’ in this delightful way – ‘No! But I can throw you way up high!’

Nicolas Pavlou, as this debut story shows, is an author to watch.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Hill’s Spot series and Jill Murphy’s On My Way Home.

Avoid if you don’t like: Books that children will want read to them again and again and a...

Ideal accompaniments: A well-worn blankie, a grubby teddy and a sleepy, snuggly youngster.

Genre: Children’s books 7 and under.

Available from Amazon

Sunrise at An Lac by Alex Rushton

Reviewer: JW Hicks

What we thought: This deeply moving imagining of how the world might end delivers not only the sternest of warnings, but also an enlightening hope of redemption.

This novel foretells the death of civilisation; the world ending not with a bang, but a prolonged, tormented whimper. It speaks to us, opens eyes to the reality of life today and the state of our world as seen through future, backward looking eyes. Reading it we see a world divided: on one hand are citizens whose only aim in life is hedonistic; on the other, the nons, the hurting scrabblers.

The world portrayed, our world, is one where sharing, where living with nature and not agin it, is anathema.

In this world, belief becomes fired into iron-hard conviction, forged into a weapon of war.

An Lac ashram is home to guru Ajahn Annando and his followers who live by Buddhist precepts: a self-sufficient lifestyle depending on sustainable resources. As the community grows, groups hive off into smaller groups, keeping to a sustainable size, pooling assets and sharing resources. Annando aims to establish a world of spiritual communities and foster the inner reality that lies in the heart of all true religions in a world dominated by consumerism, a world being destroyed by greed.

The greatest threat to An Lac is the rise of the New Islamists, who threaten forced acceptance of their interpretation of Mohammed’s preachings. This New Islam is spreading like wildfire, burning through Europe and threatening the peace of An Lac.

With an army advancing on their peaceful communities, Annando and his followers prepare for attack. It is Annando’s belief that on the battlefield there can be no victory, only suffering. This belief, bolstered by his certainty that killing is wrong, gives rise to the only solution possible – they have to remove their enemies will to fight.

The outcome of this clash of ideologies comes at the novel’s end, an ending I raced to read, an ending I found absolutely worthy of this tremendous book.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: Survivor by Octavia E Butler. Earth Abides by George R Stewart.

Avoid if you don’t like: Conflict, sexual scenes and merciless killing.

Ideal accompaniments: A pot of oolong loose leaf tea and cucumber sandwiches cut into triangles.

Genre: Post-apocalyptic novel

Alex Rushton has had a varied career as a design researcher, therapist, counsellor and psychologist among other roles. Further information can be found at her website: http://alexrushton.co.uk

Available from Amazon

1066: What Fates Impose by Glynn Holloway

Reviewer: JW Hicks

What we thought: A book I wish I’d read when studying A Level History.

Want to know how the Norman’s conquered England in 1066? How the bastard offspring of Duke Robert the Magnificent of Normandy became King William 1? Then plunge into this fly-on-the-wall historical documentary-style novel.

Read What Fates Impose and learn how the plots and schemes of claimants to the English throne, and the enmities fostered by an indecisive, easily influenced monarch led to an invasion that changed the face of England, forever.

William’s reign saw the end of England’s freedom: the total subjection of its people and the wholesale transfer of lands and wealth to a Norman hierarchy. From 1066 onward, Norman rule would be absolute – the king’s word was the law. No longer would the Witenagemot, the Anglo-Saxon version of parliament, which saw disputes settled in a peaceable manner, and had advised kings for almost four centuries, exist. In Norman England justice would be delivered by the sword.

This well-researched book reads with total authenticity, the characters painted in fine detail, the tangled politics of 11th century England teased smooth, and the brutality of the time never shirked.

A recommended read.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: Books by Robert Graves, Bernard Cornwell, James Clavell

Avoid if you don’t like: Gruesomely realistic scenes of battle and rape

Ideal accompaniments: A jug of mead and a plate of oat cakes.

Genre: Historical Novel

Available from Amazon

Deadwater And Other Weird Tales by David A. Sutton

Reviewer: JW Hicks

What we thought: This collection of tales, written in suitably eclectic styles, is oddly fascinating and at the same time extremely disturbing.

The stories, set in varied times and places, run the gamut of weirdness. Not only are readers transported to the past, projected into the future, but are also confronted by present day eeriness.

From spectral sightings in today’s Wales, the stories veer back and forth in time. Sent back to Caledonia we visit a dying mage, sent to the 19th century Gold Coast we see the result of a witch doctor’s curse, in the Caribbean we meet voodoo priests and zombies and in Victorian Britain we read a highly original interpretation of the Jack the Ripper legend.

Interspersed between these mysterious tales we read of alien abductions, a malevolent Father Christmas, and of a time when nature is regarded as ‘untidy’ and is routinely destroyed by android ‘ghosts’. Finally there is a story which tells of the first manned mission to Mars. As this haunting tale of loneliness and mental turmoil enfolds, the reader becomes laced in a web of doom; but beware, the powerful ending packs a mighty punch.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: Spooky stories that keep you awake nights.

Avoid if you don’t like: Horrors that haunt your dreams.

Ideal accompaniments: A litre bottle of Courvoisier V.S. Cognac

Genre: Horror

Available from Amazon

House of Shadows by Misha M Herwin

Reviewer: JW Hicks author of Rats

What we thought: This haunting story will stay with you long after you finish reading.

Jo hasn’t recovered from the miscarriage that happened a year back. She grieves for her lost child, and despairs of the distance that has grown between her and her husband. Feeling that her artistic creativity had died with the child she seeks sanctuary in The Granary, a studio her husband created in an outbuilding in the grounds of Kingsfield, the Georgian manor house near the council estate where she was raised; a house with a history of supernatural happenings, unsolved disappearances and murders.

Jo is convinced that the peace and quiet of her studio will spark her lost creativity and enable her to paint again. However, the Granary proves to be far from the sanctuary she craves. As soon as she arrives she sees the ghostly figure of a young girl in a blue dress and hears the haunting wail of an invisible child. At first she fears her mind is affected by the loss of her own child, but when she experiences terrifying spirit visitations and is be-shadowed by a malicious entity, she is convinced that something inhabits Kingsfield, something spectral, intent on revenge and that she is that spirit’s target. Her terror revives long-hidden memories of an unearthly childhood friendship and a blood-oath unwittingly made. Now, in the present day, Jo must confront the dire consequences of that careless action.

House of Shadows, an intriguing mystery story, set in the present and venturing into the past, is a thrilling, unsettling, scarily-tense read, telling how the past affects the future and how strong emotions spear through time to cause mayhem. The tension ramps up and up leading to a terrifying, nail-biting, edge-of-the seat-climax.

Herwin’s characters, whether evil or good, are never two dimensional, never merely black and white but constitute all the hues and shades in-between. Her skillful writing informs readers of the whys and wherefores of each character’s forming, and her narrative wends and flows perfectly as it leads the reader through tension and torment to a terrifying conclusion.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: The Appalachian Novels of Sharyn McCrumb and The Charter by Gillian Hamer.

Avoid if you don’t like: Characters being inhabited by malign spirits.

Ideal accompaniments: A glass or two of something strong enough to fortify your spirit.

Genre: Supernatural Thriller

Available from Amazon

The Generation by Holly Cave

Reviewer: JW Hicks

What we thought: Reading this insightful novel confirms the belief that winds of change may flow soft, but grow exceeding strong.

Holly Cave uses a vibrant narrative, graced by often lyrical prose and dramatic descriptions to tell this sobering tale of an imminently possible and desperately troubling future.

After Europe’s bankruptcy births the Takeover, a law is passed by the new-formed totalitarian government. Every newborn citizen is to be Tagged with a Birth Diagnosis; a Background, that will define its life. From that time on the child will be what the Tag says it will be. Tagged as gay, it will never be allowed to be anything other. Tagging – Humanity imprisoned in a genetic straight jacket.

But after a suicide bombing by a member of the Anti Genetics Movement, questions are sparked and acceptance of the status quo begins to waver.

The story develops through the depiction of disparate characters, seemingly unknown to each other but in actuality linked by threads only gradually revealed. As those threads emerge we learn the importance of scientist Elin Nagayama, teenage genius Marie, and the enigmatic Angie; how they hold the keys to the unravelling of a secret held by the State and hidden from the populace. But it’s not until the final pages do we understand how those links will influence the future.

This debut novel is a fabulous read, and I’ll be keeping a lookout for the author’s future offerings.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four. Huxley’s Brave New World. Veronica Roth’s Divergent.

Avoid if you don’t like: Disastrous future forebodings.

Ideal accompaniments: A glass of strengthening Guinness and a plate of savoury snacks.

Genre: Dystopian sci-fi. Lit-fic

Available from Amazon

Dragon Marked: Supernatural Prison #1 by Jaymin Eve

Reviewer: JW Hicks author of Rats.

What we thought: This book is described as YA fiction for the 17+ age group and is clearly written for teens – Marvel comic style. After reading the first few pages I thought OK, just right for a fast read, an easy flick-through... a piece of fluff. But, with just one chapter under my belt I knew I’d been on the wrong track; this old codger was sold, lapping the juicy, totally gripping storyline like a cat with a dish of double cream.

Action packed, vibrant and life affirming, Dragon Marked is a totally compelling read. A wild adventure ride packed with unique characters. The leads: Jessa, the wolf-shifter and her ‘pack’, Braxton the dragon-shifter, Jacob the fey, Tyson the wizard and Maximus the vampire, live in Stratford, Connecticut, one of the supernatural communities magically shielded from Earth’s human populace. Stanford adjoins Vanguard, one of the fortresses that imprison supernatural criminals of the highest order, to keep both ‘supes’ and human’s safe.

When Braxton and Jessa are locked up in Vanguard by a power grabbing, corrupt official, they discover long-hidden secrets. Not only does Jessa find the ability to unleash an unexpected new form and ability, but she and Braxton learn of a cataclysmic secret that threatens not only the supernaturals but the whole world – the Dragon King will rise again.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: Adventure, whizz-bang action and Marvel-type heroes.

Avoid if you don’t like: Adventure, whizz-bang action and Marvel-type heroes.

Ideal accompaniments: Cola drinks and a family pack of toffee popcorn.

Genre: YA 17+

Available from Amazon

The Twice-Lived Summer of Bluebell Jones, by Susie Day

Reviewer: JW Hicks author of Rats

What we thought: Book of the month? No. Book of the year, more like.

This wonderful book should be read by parents and children alike. It offers a true to life description of teen angst that stirs memories for older readers, and gives younger readers comfort in knowing others feel as they do.

The characterisations are pitch-perfect: the magnificent Bluebell, a convincing teenager; Tiger her lesbian sister portrayed deftly and sympathetically, and the open minded parents who are so accepting of the vagaries of life and love.

This book relates Blue’s joyous discovery of who she is and what is really important to her. As well as the joy, you will experiences an undertow of sadness, and a hello-what’s-coming feeling that keeps your eyes glued to the page. I must say I beamed when Blue admits, ‘I don’t want to be anyone else. I’m ready to be me.’

On Bluebell Jones’ thirteenth birthday she wishes she was a real teenager, to be as grown up and confident as older sister,Tiger. The answer to this heartfelt wish? The appearance of her doppelganger, Red: a dyed-hair, cool-dressing vision of her fourteen year old self, come to help her achieve her wish. A vision no one but Bluebell can see.

With Red as a guide and predictor of false steps, Bluebell is able to make friends with Fifties-obsessed Fozzie, Dan the Donut, and the mysterious, top-hat wearing, Merlin. She even finds the confidence to rename herself Blue, ride the Red Dragon roller coaster... and fall in love.

But when Red refuses to reveal the name of Blue’s expected sibling, Blue suspects her of holding back other future events.

She’s right, Red is hiding something – something major.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: Brian Keaney’s YA novels. The Bones by Michael Prince.

Avoid if you don’t like: Teen angst and pitch-perfect parenting.

Ideal accompaniments: A garden lounger under a shady tree, a plate of buttered, fresh baked scones and a big box of tissues.

Genre: YA

Available from Amazon

Read all you need to know about Susie Day at susieday.com

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

Reviewer: JW Hicks author of Rats

What We Thought: Famed for his adult Epic Fantasy, Brandon delivers on all counts in this YA novel.

The Rithmatist is an inventive and detailed story which focuses on two outsiders studying at Armedius Academy: Joel the chalk-makers son, with an instinctive, internalised grasp of mathematics who is not, though he longs to be, a Rithmatist, and Melody Mims, a failing Rithmatist student who prefers to sketch unicorns rather than improve the accuracy of her geometric diagrams.

At first they don’t get on, Melody has a scratchy personality and a massive chip on her shoulder, but the twosome find common ground in attempting to work out why Rithmatist students are disappearing, kidnapped from their rooms at night... leaving trails of blood.

Rithmatists from the islands of the New World use their magical powers as a defence against the inimical Chalklings who inhabit the Tower of Nebrask – the only freestanding structure of apparent human design to be found when the Islands were first discovered.

Students who complete their training at the Armedius Accademy, are sent to Nebrask to help keep the Chalklings penned in the Tower, and thus keep the American Isles safe from their depredations. It turns out that the kidnapped students are top-quality Rithmatists expected to be powerful fighters in the Tower war. Their loss is catastrophic.

Joel is assigned to Professor Fitch as an aide in Fitch’s investigation into the kidnappings. Inquisitive Melody tags along. In the course of their investigation, Joel discovers vital information in his dead father’s workshop. Then after a confrontation with a magical opponent he and Melody realise that there’s a whole lot more going on at Nebrask than people are aware of.

What they discover is something that will change Rithmatics, and their world, forever.

This fabulous book meant for young adult readers is more readable than a lot of lit-fic novels written for the older reader. The excitingly-tense story is told with flowing ease and is a definite page turner. I look forward to reading the planned sequel, The Aztlantian.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: A taste of Rowling mixed with a scoop of Plowman, melded with an added soupçon of Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching stories.

Avoid if you don’t like: Scary tales of teens battling man-eating Chalklings.

Ideal accompaniments: A box or two of Thorntons Irresistible Irish Cream Truffles.

Genre: YA Fantasy

Available from Amazon

The Shepherd’s Life by James Rebanks

Reviewer: JW Hicks author of Rats

What we thought: If you appreciate Laurie Lee’s lyrical prose then you will treasure this book.

The Shepherd’s Life tells the real story of farmers; their traditional way of life, the fight against the industrialisation of farming, and the cheapening of food by supermarkets. It’s a tough, warts-and-all tale of the dedication, and great love, that a farmer has for his land and livestock.

Rebanks describes a year in a farmer’s life, starting in Summer; ending in Spring. In amongst the non-stop drudgery of impossible to ignore tasks such as laying hedges, hanging gates, bathing sheeps’ feet, trimming muck from their tails and cleaning roof gutters, we learn of his personal history, how he went from a boy who despised school, teachers and book learning to gaining a degree at Oxford University, and we also learn of his family who have farmed Cumbrian land for hundreds of years.

Woven through The Shepherd’s Life are strands expressing not only his frustration that small-scale farming families feel their income and place in society is slipping away, but the author’s anger at the public’s and policy makers’ failure to respect a culture based on community and shared land.

Rebanks writing is lyrical, descriptive and a joy to read. Of his time in the classroom he writes: I was thirteen or so years old, sitting surrounded by a mass of other academic non-achievers, listening to an old battle-weary teacher lecturing us on how we should aim to be more that just farm workers, joiners, brickies, electricians and hairdressers. It felt like a sermon she’d delivered many times before. It was a waste of time and she knew it. We were firmly set, like our fathers and grandfathers, mothers and grandmothers before us, on being what we were and had always been. Plenty of us were bright enough, but we had no intention of displaying it at school. It would have been dangerous.
And of his great love of the land he farms: There is no beginning, and there is no end. The sun rises, and falls, each day, and the seasons come and go. The days, months and years alternate through sunshine, rain, hail, wind, snow and frost. The leaves fall each autumn and burst forth again each spring. The earth spins through the vastness of space. The grass comes and goes with the warmth of the sun, The farms and the flocks endure, bigger than the life of a single person. We are born, live our working lives and die, passing like the oak leaves that blow across our land in the winter. We are each a tiny part of something enduring, something that feels solid, real and true. Our farming way of life has roots deeper than five thousand years into the soil of this landscape.

I enjoyed every word and every well written phrase in The Shepherd's Life, and I am confident you will too.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: Laurie Lee’s Cider with Rosie. James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small.

Avoid if you don’t like: Gritty tales of the hardship of an age-old way of life worked in a modernised society ignorant and uncaring of its true worth.

Ideal accompaniments: A roaring fire, a strong wind howling outside, and dripping toast for tea.

Genre: Non-fiction

Available from Amazon

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

Reviewer: JW Hicks, author of Rats

What we thought: That this is a futuristic novel that engenders hope in the survival of human spirit.

Station Eleven, written by Emily St John Mandel, was nominated for the National Book Award, the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction and the Arthur C. Clarke Award.

This dystopian novel is set in the days of the World’s total collapse, brought about by the fast-spreading and unstoppable Georgia Flu, which kills 99.99 percent of the population.

Mandel tells the tale through an interconnected web of characters, amongst them, Arthur Leander, an actor past his prime playing King Lear, who dies of a heart attack as the flu erupts; Jeevan who gives Leander CPR in attempt to save his life; Kirsten a child actor in the same production, who acts in post-apocalypse Shakespearian performances and Miranda who creates the hand-drawn comic called Station Eleven which miraculously survives, becoming both a totem of the old world and a distorted mirror of the new.

These characters and a host of others weave a magical, totally absorbing story of individual triumph against seemingly unsurmountable odds – characters that are skeins of colour in the grey tapestry of post-apocalyptic life in the years that follow Armageddon.

The story looks at both the pre-flu time and Year Twenty, when the flu has abated and the survivors have settled into isolated communities – and the Travelling Symphony of musicians and actors who go from settlement to settlement performing Shakespeare plays.

Gradually the character-skeins grow in colour, illustrating their interconnectivity and underpinning this wonderful, soul-satisfying story – a story that connects the two time frames, the then and the now.

The skein which represents Arthur Leander, links characters and events in subtle, hidden ways, helping usher the story to a satisfying conclusion, a conclusion that offers the reader the prospect of a brighter and more hopeful future.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: John Wyndham’s oeuvre. John Christopher’s Death of Grass. Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.

Avoid if you don’t like: Futuristic revelations.

Ideal accompaniments: Comfort food and a warm cat.

Genre: Dystopian. Sci-Fi.

Available on Amazon

The Bones by Michael Prince

Reviewer: JW Hicks author of Rats

What we thought: Ben is sixteen, it’s Summer in Caernarfon and he is friendless. Transplanted from Manchester to a Welsh speaking area when his parents buy a rundown pub, he is totally adrift, finding it difficult to make friends in a school where the language is determinedly Welsh.

Working with his father to renovate the Ceffyl Du pub, Ben discovers the bones of a child hidden in a blocked chimney. Given the task of disposing of them, he is landed firmly on the horns of a dilemma. Should he go against his own conscience and obey his father or do what he feels is right – report the find to the proper authorities?
His worry over what to do with the bones leads to great unease, and this is when the story strays into unearthly realms.

As well as being tormented by his decision, Ben has to acclimatise to his new school and a completely different way of life. While dealing with tearaways Skids, Dilys and Sospan, and in order to get to know Haf, the attractive girl in his English Literature class, Ben must get to know his own mind and work out the person he wants to be.

Prince’s smoothly unfolding story, written in teen-friendly prose, steers the reader through this ofttimes spectrally chill tale with consummate ease.

The Bones is a guide book for children making their way from teens to adulthood; an inspiring read for parents and teenagers alike.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: The novels of Brian Keaney.

Avoid if you don’t like: Stories with psychic undertones.

Ideal accompaniments: A couple of Kit-Kats and a flagon of fizzy pop.

Genre: YA

Available from Amazon

Broken People by Ioana Visan

Reviewer: JW Hicks author of Rats.

What we thought: That the synopsis states the absolute truth:– You don’t always get what you want, but if you’re lucky, you might get what you need.

And, Anything is possible in a world of Broken People.

Broken People – Visan’s futuristic heist story, set in a war-ravaged and bitterly divided world, where the injured rely on expensive and increasingly rare prosthetics. A world where the cost of fitting and maintaining the prosthetics is rocketing, and trained technicians increasingly rare.

Dale Armstrong and his partner in crime, Cole, plan to rob the Hrad,an ancient castle reputed to hold fabulous artifacts, soon to be open to the public for one week only. When Cole is badly injured before the heist is to take place, Dale, in desperate need to fix his partner is forced to turn to the Golden Lady for help. She agrees, but the cost is far higher than he could ever imagine.

The Golden Lady, a power player in the city, has her own very particular agenda. She allows Dale entrée toThe Nightingale Circus, where Big Dino rules over his technicians and outré performers with a rod of iron.

Involved, entangled and trapped, Cole’s journey to fulfill his plan weaves a convoluted path through deceit, diversions and disasters. En route he has to deal with strongly individual and off-the-wall characters such as Aurora, the golden-armed lady, the magician Nicholas who is far more than he seems, the enigmatic Ceilo, and the monstrous Big Dino’s scary techs, Rake and Spinner.

This startlingly inventive novel is a must for sci-fi, dystopian, and cyber-fiction fans. Visan draws the reader into this broken world with consummate ease, endowing her characters with solidity and depth and drawing the reader with an unbreakable thread through the twists and turns of an unforgettable story.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: Novels which echo Gibson and Cadigan. And futuristic thrillers like Mad Max.

Avoid if you don’t like: Cybernetic humans and circus freaks.

Ideal accompaniments: A plate of fancies, numerous cups of strong coffee and an absence of interruptions, because you won’t be able to stop reading this thrill-ride.

Available from Amazon

Acts of Violence by Ross Harrison

Reviewer: JW Hicks author of Rats

What we thought: This dark, noir-type thriller shot through with a scintillating vein of science fiction, is a plot-driven adventure speed-way which drives the reader towards a totally unexpected, yet thoroughly satisfying conclusion.

Jack Mason is a failed cop living on a poverty-stricken colony planet way off the beaten track, where he earns a meagre living as an unlicenced PI complete with counterfeit badge.

Framed for murdering a bargirl working for criminal boss Cole Webster, Mason’s on the run from not only Harem PD, the United Planets Security Force, but also the masked gunmen who ‘rescued’ him from interrogation to force information from him – information he doesn’t possess.

Mason, needing to clear his name before the UPSF track him down, must solve the mystery of the bargirl’s murder and in doing so becomes mired in corruption, double dealing and the extreme violence of a mob against mob takeover bid.

His investigations expose layer upon layer of secrets, and as he peels back each disturbing layer he is forced to confront not only the unpalatable truths of how his planet is run, but has to learn to face the equally unpalatable truth of his troubled past.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: The books of Lee Child and David Baldacci

Avoid if you don’t like: Violet confrontations, murder and mayhem.

Ideal accompaniments: A stiff whisky or a box of expensive chocolate liqueurs.

Genre: Hardboiled noir fiction

Available from Amazon

Tribute by Ellen Renner

Reviewer: JW Hicks author of Rats

What we thought: This YA novel stands up to any sci-fi/fantasy novel you can think of, and will suit teenage vid-gamers and hipster silver surfers.

Tribute is a novel of magic; a surprising new magic invented by Renner which is unlike any other. This magic enables mage-kind to enforce a cruel apartheid, allowing them to rule over the kine – their non-magical human slaves.

Tribute is a novel of misused power and ruthless domination.

Zara is the talented daughter of Benedict, Archmage of Asphodel, a man she hates for forcibly entering her mind in an arrogant demonstration of his dominance. Seeking revenge when her slave companion dies by her father’s hand, she allies with the Knowledge Seekers who are determined to overthrow the demon magicians who hold them in bondage.

Falling in love with a hostage, taken by her father to use in a nefarious plan to destroy the non magical Makers, she promises to help him escape, but when her secret alliance is discovered Zara is forced to flee the society of magic-users and live among those who believe her to be an evil demon. As the novel progresses, both Zara and the non-magical humans slowly discover their common humanity: an enlightenment which develops in a totally realistic and satisfying way, as does her confidence, talent and determination to defeat her father and all he stands for.

This wonderfully written book takes hold from the very first page and doesn’t let the reader off the hook even at the very last. Renner’s prose is as magical as her story; the flowing often poetical writing both captivates and rivets. Her daring and unexpected word choice bring scenes to vivid life.

The resolution is completely apposite and totally satisfying, giving warm promise of an equally satisfying sequel.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: Heart-gripping emotionally satisfying fiction.

Avoid if you don’t like: Gutsy teen heroines finding the courage to fight for what is right and just.

Ideal accompaniments: A comfy armchair, a chocolate bar and plenty of spare time, because I guarantee you won’t be able to stop reading this gripping book.

Genre: YA

Available from Amazon

The Haunting of Nathaniel Wolfe by Brian Keaney

Reviewer: JW Hicks, author of Rats.

What we thought: If you’ve never dipped into YA or Teen Fiction, try this taster and prepare to become addicted.

The books are set in Victorian London. The hero a young teenage by. The style, an easy flowing read which will suit both young and old(er).

To the world, Cicero Wolfe is a famous medium, able to summoned the spirits of the dead. But to his son, Nathaniel, Cicero is an abusive father and a mountebank: a trickster extorting money from desperate people seeking contact with loved ones languishing in the realm of the dead.

Nathaniel Wolfe definitely doesn’t believe in spirits... but then something happens to change his mind. One night, watching his father’s onstage performance, Nathaniel sees a ghostly apparition; a blurred shape, the ghostly figure of a woman dressed in a long white robe. The figure stares directly at him, moving her lips in a desperate attempt to communicate... with him. What the message is he can’t make out, and the disappointed figure vanishes with a roar that seems to come from the end of the world. A noise that only he can hear.

A second visitation thrusts Nathaniel into a chilling mystery where he must help avenge the spirit from beyond.

This, all-ends-tied-up-neatly, book is a great treat for all ages, a book filled with excitement, adventure, eerie scares and gut-gripping thrills. The first thing I did after reading The Haunting of Nathaniel Wolfe was order the second in the series, Nathaniel Wolfe and the Body Snatchers. Believe me, I was not disappointed.

You’ll enjoy this if you like: A rollicking read with a truly satisfying ending.

Avoid if you don’t like: Plucky youngsters foiling the bad guys.

Ideal accompaniments: A plaid rug on your knees with a softly purring cat sitting on it.

Genre: Historical, Mystery

Available from Amazon