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REVIEW: Far from the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson
Far from the Light of Heaven reminded me a lot of a closed room murder mystery. Think Agatha Christie for the Science Fiction genre. The premise was exciting, but the execution left me feeling just meh. The characters weren’t particularly memorable and as the story progressed, I wasn’t bothered about how the mystery was solved. Wooden characters and a plot that felt a little convoluted, to me at least. The threads of the story should have been tied together in an understandable spectrum of events, but I was left confused and annoyed. The prologue got me very excited about the potential of the story. Far from the Light of Heaven…
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REVIEW – The Need by Helen Phillips
The Need, I need a moment to review this book. It’s strange because although I devoured it, I am left feeling a bit like “what the fuck did I just read”? The Need follows the life of Molly, a Palaeobotanist that is struggling with the juggling act that is being a working mother. Working at the archaeological site they have discovered an alternate bible that has god as she. They give tours but with the alternate take on the bible, they are at risk from religious zealots who question its authenticity. Molly worries about potential attacks and is battling anxiety due to it. The Need delves into the pressures of…
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Review: Early Retirement by Luke Ethan Knight
Early Retirement is a novelette that packs the appropriate level of punch for the length of the story. The story development, the characterization and the level of suspense and intrigue had me turning the pages. With a science fiction backdrop, the horror enters almost immediately with the reader being immersed right in the middle of the story, I liked that – there was no messing around with backstories, character nuances, and hyperbole. It was laid out on a plate for the reader – you either took it or left it – I was happy to gobble it up! A story of such a short length is usually hit or miss…
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The Apocalypse Strain by Jason Parent | Book Review
Funnily enough I really enjoy reading about viruses and the potential of how these can wreak havoc upon our world. Our world is hospitable to a deadly virus, you only must examine the spread of Covid-19 to see that we have the conditions that allows deadly viruses to destroy our way of living, our health and oftentimes take away our lives. The Apocalypse Strain enforces that knowledge when scientists in a Siberian Research Facility discovers a potent Pandora virus, something that we have never experienced before. Sergei is the lucky scientist to have discovered it but since then memories of his daughter’s death have been haunting him…alongside the voice of…
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The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird | Book Review
The End of Men is a truly unforgettable book and its insane ability to make you feel everything. The intensity and the raw and gritty edge this story has over other epidemic related narratives, gah, it just leaves you feeling wrought out. Imagine running a marathon – you’re out of breath and gasping…but whatever you do, don’t breathe on your fellow man! This is a book that I’m going to go back to, it deserves a second and third outing, its masterful and bleak and it certainly gets thoughts whirling around your head. The End of Men have some of the most badass, strong and awe-inspiring women ever to grace…
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Venus in the Blind Spot by Junji Ito | Book Review
Venus in the Blind Spot is my first ever Manga novel. It isn’t something that I would have necessarily picked up but I received it in an Abominable Book Box. It certainly won’t be the last. The artwork and the storytelling is both horrific and awe inspiring. There is tales of misadventure, Japanese lore, and the undercurrents of love and suffering constantly being the backbone of the collection. Darkness has seeped into these stories and it’s a set of stories that aren’t likely to be forgotten in a hurry. The characterization was spot on. On first meet you think these people have the perfect lives, perfect families and perfect lifestyles…
