Reading Archive: 2024
December
4 Stars to Harry Potter and the Psychic Serpent by B.L. Purdom
Description
In Harry's fifth year he gets a snake with the Sight. Hermione's torn between Ron and Harry, who's torn between her and Ginny, who's torn between him and Draco Malfoy, who's torn between her and loyalty to his father. Plus: a Prophecy, Animagus training, a Dueling Club, Snape's Penseive, kilts, giants, house elf liberation and more! Cover by Leela Starsky
Review
I've read a lot of fanfiction over the years, but this is ... almost the one that started it all. I encountered these in the Great Gap between books 4 and 5 and thought they were pretty amazing at the time. Looking back, the hormones, teen drama and divergence from almost everything else I've read are strong. But as a 15 year old who'd powered through the first set of books, they were manna because they opened the world up more widely. It was the second Fanfic I ever read, and the first that was a completed series. I'd remembered little bits as I did this first reread in over 2 decades. One of the things that leapt out at me was the way in which my old screen reader used to present the standings at the dueling club. It wasn't in this one, of course, but I can still here "table with 3 columns and 9 rows" at the start of every list to this day. The numbers I don't remember, obviously. as a story, it's weird to see so much different from the later books, but Order of the Phoenix hadn't even been published. The way the Order appears in this book actually made me cackle out loud, I hadn't remembered it at all. I intend to follow on with the remainder of the trilogy, just for old time's sake. But after a year of plowing through a lot of fanfiction I haven't read and revisiting an old one or two, it was a bit of a hit to end the year on a high with something so old.
5 Stars to The Evans Boy by lonibal
Description
Harry Evans was almost like any other boy growing up in Cokeworth. He lived alone in a house nobody else could see, he stole food from the supermarket and never got caught, and he had a little brother who had been hidden after the night their mother was killed. Harry was a secret, and he promised not to tell. A letter in an empty vault, a small boy with broken glasses, a portrait of a scowling girl. As Harry begins unraveling his own past, the threat against his brother grows. How long will his secrets keep when Harry is the only one standing between his brother and the world? A story about family, friendship, growing up, and, of course, the most powerful magic of all Chapters 1 to 8 - Pre-canon - 29k Chapters 9 to 23 - PS - 59k Chapters 24 to 49 - CoS - 107k Chapters 50 to 90 - PoA - 159k Chapters 91 to 172 - GoF - 314k
Review
Astonishing. My eReader shows me that the read time was only 16 and a half hours, yet I've been bewitched by this utterly intriguing masterwork of Fanfiction for almost the entire month. I think the thing that impressed me most was that almost every chapter had a throwaway line from Rowling, embellished and enhanced, seen askew from a different point of view than the original Harry. This Harry is very different, and it's thrilling to read the first 4 years of Hogwarts as we know it through this incredibly refractory lens. It was a clever idea, making him older, giving us the platform to see familiar events unfold with a bit of extra padding around the edges. The "harry has a brother" trope is old, yet it works here. The Evans upbringing is carefully sculpted, a completely plausible backstory for Harry retrofitted, and the entire work seeped all sort of fascinating and compellingly-handled themes. I've really enjoyed a lot of fanfiction this year, but this is up there with all of them. Very much looking forward to starting the sequel, when it's finished.
November
5 Stars to Harry Is A Dragon, and That's Okay by Saphroneth
Description
Harry Potter is a dragon. He's been a dragon for several years, and frankly he's quite used to the idea - after all, in his experience nobody ever comments about it, so presumably it's just what happens sometimes. Magic, though, THAT is something entirely new. Comedy fic, leading on from the consequences of one... admittedly quite large... change. Harry Potter Fanfiction
Review
I can't remember the last time I spent 10 days with a single volume before. I wasn't sure about the idea of this, mostly because the metadata of it being a comedy fic put me off a little. I was pleasantly surprised and incredibly impressed, though. The humour landed well much of the time, and as a story, things hold together really well. It's a quirky, fun refraction of the original books, with a lot of thought-provoking change, a clever and managed message of inclusivity and, perhaps best of all, lots and lots of words to get through before you get to the end. Although I do wonder as to the chances of me reading 2 back-to-back fanfictions that both mention Redwall in considerable detail plus have Newt Scamander as a character. One of the best low fantacies I have enjoyed even without the fandom factor, with plenty of little clever twists and callouts to Rowling. Harry is a dragon, and that was more than Okay.
4 Stars to Because She Loves Me by Mark Edwards
Description
A gripping tale of jealousy, obsession, and murder, from the #1 bestselling author of The Magpies. When Andrew Sumner meets beautiful, edgy Charlie, he is certain his run of bad luck has finally come to an end. But as the two of them embark on an intense affair, Andrew wonders if his grasp on reality is slipping. Items go missing in his apartment. Somebody appears to be following him. And as misfortune and tragedy strike his friends and loved ones, Andrew is forced to confront the frightening truth.� Is Charlie really the girl of his dreams�or the woman of his nightmares?
Review
Despite being overloaded with women with serious issues (was there one stable Human in the bunch without a sob story or current crisis?) This was an intense thriller with an end that will have you wondering just how deep jealousy can go. Nicely written, with an almost clueless protagonist, the metaphorical blinding he suffers by love is an excellent companion to the literal visual impairments throughout the book.
4 Stars to Harry Potter and the Guise of Family by Berkeleyjake
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter Relationship: Harry Potter & Original Female Character(s),
Summary Thrown out of the Dursleys before his 11th birthday and sent off to places unknown, Harry's journey leads him astray from the path we know and towards learning archaic magics, bonding with strange creatures, and gaining a little sister with a new family. When his past comes looking for him, he will need new allies and he will set out on a hunt for a tyrant. ((V-E-R-Y S-L-O-W build/burn. Tons of world-building. Lots of Slice of Life filler chapters. Original Male Character(s), Severus Snape, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Minerva McGonagall, Newt Scamander, Tina Goldstein, Original Malfoy Characters (Harry Potter), Original Black Family Characters (Harry Potter), Original Non-Human Character(s), Arcturus Black III | Sirius Black's Grandfather, Canon Divergence - Pre-Hogwarts & First Year, sequel coming in fall/winter 2022. Words: 773131
Review
It felt like it took a long time to read this, largely because of other life stuff going on. It wasn't a traditional Harry story, for all it had a good strong start with his Muggle upbringing. The OCs are interesting and the whole thing surprisingly coherant, even if the different POV chapters sometimes feel a bit odd. The island stuff was prolonged and much of the hogwarts stuff was a bit too surreal for my taste, but on balance I enjoyed the story and will probably go for the sequel when it's complete.
October
4 Stars to A Lonely Path by la baguette
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter
At age ten, Harry disappeared. Four years later, a suspiciously familiar boy is found. Remus accepts the task of reintroducing him to the wizarding world, Harry resisting all the while. Between meddlesome ministers and mad escaped convicts, Remus attempts to discover the truth. Where has Harry been? Will he ever learn to trust? Implied child abuse.
Review
wholesome and pretty well written, particularly for being started many years ago. I also very much enjoyed the author's other work, Knowing Where to Look, which was a completely different take. In both cases Harry turns out quite forgiving, which surprised me more in this case given his wrenching from the Muggle lifestyle. An author I enjoyed, one who I would read original fiction from without a second thought.
3 Stars to The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis
Description
A delightful novel about alien invasions, conspiracies, and the incredibly silly things people are willing to believe—some of which may actually be true—from the Nebula and Hugo award-winning author of Blackout and All Clear When level-headed Francie arrives in Roswell, New Mexico, for her college roommate’s UFO-themed wedding—complete with a true-believer bridegroom—she can’t help but roll her eyes at all the wide-eyed talk of aliens, which obviously don’t exist. Imagine her surprise, then, when she is abducted by one. Odder still, her abductor is far from what the popular media have led her to expect, with a body like a tumbleweed and a mass of lightning-fast tentacles. Nor is Francie the only victim of the alien’s abduction spree. Before long, he has acquired a charming con man named Wade, a sweet little old lady with a casino addiction, a retiree with a huge RV and a love for old Westerns, and a UFO-chasing nutjob who is thoroughly convinced the alien intends to probe them and/or take over the planet. But the more Francie gets to know the alien, the more convinced she becomes that he’s not an invader. That he’s in trouble and she has to help him. Only she doesn’t know how—or even what the trouble is. Part alien-abduction adventure, part road trip saga, part romantic comedy, The Road to Roswell is packed full of Men in Black, Elvis impersonators, tourist traps, rattlesnakes, chemtrails, and Close Encounters of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth kind. Can Francie, stuck in a neon green bridesmaid’s dress, save the world—and still make it back for the wedding?
Review
I'd hoped to enjoy this more and, while it had some comedy value, the mush didn't really work.
5 Stars to The Second String by Eider_Down
Description
Everyone knows Dementors can take souls, but nothing says that they have to keep them. After the Dementor attack in Little Whinging ends disastrously, Harry must find a place for himself in a new world, fighting a different sort of war against the nascent Voldemort. Harry Potter xGideon Prewett Words: 410 376
Review
I have gotten through a lot of fanfic in my time. Famously, between books 4 and 7, if I were to put all the fanfic I read into book form, it'd take up about 16 copies of each of Rowling's originals. Much of it is dross, and much I enjoy for reasons most wouldn't. This, though? This is strong stuff. This is pretty different. it has an epilogue that's well done, too. Can't say that about Canon, can ya? This story starts at the opening of Harry's 5th year, but he is immediately transported back in time to the 1970's. Terrified of any impact he might have on the timeline he tries to lie low and let things play out as they should. So we lose familiar characters (some of whom aren't born yet, and some of whom he's actively avoiding), and Harry ends up heading down a new road to the old path of fighting Voldemort. I won't spoil it. It's got some graphic violence and sexual scenes. There's conflict and combat and worry. But it had an authenticity to it I rarely come across in fanfiction. For all that the characters are mostly Rowling, they felt like they'd be worked on and changed, too. If this author isn't published in their own right, they need to be.
September
3 Stars to Noah's Brick by Piers Anthony
Description
11 year old Noah discovers a remarkable brick that has three holes on one side and four holes on the other side, all of the holes passing completely through it. How can this be? He knows others will think this is nonsense, but he is determined to find out the brick's secret. This leads to an alien space station—Noah's Ark--and encounters with other young folk, such as Si, an abused 11 year old girl who also has an alien artifact. Maybe she will be his girlfriend, if she can ever learn to trust a boy. They discover special powers, and will form a project to save the world, using the alien technology.
Review
Another of Piers delightfully whimsical shorts. Not much more than that to add!
5 Stars to Eocene Station by Dave Duncan
Description
A new Dave Duncan novel is always a reason to celebrate, and his trademark blend of high adventure, hard science, and wry humour makes Eocene Station a must read. K. N. ‘Cannon’ Ball and his superstar wife, Tempest, are running for their lives. Cannon has exposed a fraud so huge even heads of government are implicated and determined to keep Cannon from ever testifying. Nowhere is safe, so they step out of time to a research station fifty million years in the past. The dinosaurs died out eons ago and there aren't any people around, so they ought to be safe then, right? Wrong, very wrong!
Review
"Ees Marco"... It's been haunting me! absolutely smashing. Very pleased to have what is really a feel-good story, with a hero flawed but potent and a backdrop movie-like in its depth and yet without any slacking of the sharp mental juggling needed to keep up with Duncan's characters. I was very pleased to get this a few months earlier than scheduled and, even if it's not a heavy work, it's splendid light reading with a great story and new characters to enjoy.
2 Stars to Baby Talk - Book 1 by Mike Wells
Description
In this creepy horror novel, Neal Becker is convinced that his 5 month old baby daughter can talk. But that's impossible...isn't it? Except that Neal didn't really want to get married in the first place - the pregnancy was the result of a one-night stand, and he preferred an abortion. Now, Baby Natasha knows it, and she's out to get him! Or so Neal believes...join the two in a terrifying battle for survival that will make your blood run cold.
Review
A neat idea, but splitting a single story into 2 distinct separate titles with only "book 1" at the start is rather poor salesmanship. A continuation of a series, yes. But to physically start the next book as its own title? Not a practice I condone.
4 Stars to The Authorities™ (The Authorities, #1) by Scott Meyer
Description
Sinclair Rutherford is a young Seattle cop with a taste for the finer things. Doing menial tasks and getting hassled by superiors he doesn't respect are definitely not “finer things.” Good police work and bad luck lead him to crack a case that changes quickly from a career-making break into a high-profile humiliation when footage of his pursuit of the suspect—wildly inappropriate murder weapon in hand—becomes an Internet sensation. But the very publicity that has made Rutherford a laughing stock in the department lands him what could be the job opportunity of a the chance to work with a team of eccentric experts, at the direction of a demanding but distracted billionaire. Together, they must solve the murder of a psychologist who specialized in the treatment of patients who give people “the creeps.” There is no shortage of suspects.
Review
Despite a touch of silliness and a hint of the surreal I found myself rather enjoying this book. It was funny enough to keep my interest and strange enough to retain my "where is it going next?" sense. Though it can't compete with Off To Be The Wizard, it's a genre away without losing too much of the fun factor.
3 Stars to No Time Like the Past (Star Trek: The Original Series) by Greg Cox
Description
An original novel set in the universe of Star The Original Series that reveals long-held secrets about Captain Kirk's past for the first time!STARDATE 6122.5. A diplomatic mission to the planet Yusub erupts in violence when ruthless Orion raiders attempt to disrupt the crucial negotiations by force. Caught in the midst of a tense and dangerous situation, Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise finds an unexpected ally in the form of an enigmatic stranger who calls herself “Annika Seven.” STARDATE 53786.1. Seven of Nine is taking part in an archaeological expedition on an obscure planetoid in the Delta Quadrant when a disastrous turn of events puts Voyager’s away team in jeopardy—and transports Seven across time and space to Yusub, where she comes face-to-face with one of Starfleet’s greatest legends. STARDATE 6122.5. Kirk knows better than most the danger that even a single castaway from the future can pose to the time line, so he and Seven embark on a hazardous quest to return her to her own era. But there are others who crave the knowledge Seven possesses, and they will stop at nothing to obtain it—even if this means seizing control of the Enterprise!
Review
Despite feeling a little fanfic-like and the death count of redshirts seeming a little worrying, I still enjoyed this. Despite Kirk and 7 obviously being very different and there really being no rationale for them put together, it managed to keep my interest. Thinking on it at a day remove it feels a bit of a contrivance: some of 7's way of speaking didn't ring very true, and Greg always shows off his grasp of temporally accurate vernacular by contrasting landing party with away team in his crossovers. Still, a few hundred pages is not too hefty.
5 Stars to Pillar of Darkness by Dave Duncan
Description
Two hundred miles wide and higher than the moon, Sungoback has stood over central Africa for thirty years, a pillar of light by night and of darkness by day. Science cannot explain it; it destroys technology. What secret lies at its centre: aliens, eternal life, distant past, or far future? Most who venture inside Sungoback are never seen again. Why would anybody dare? They all have their reasons. Pillar of Darkness tells of a party of nine very dissimilar people, who venture into Sungoback together, bound by their motives, their sufferings, and—eventually—their fates.
Review
A bittersweet way to start the year, having heard that Dave Duncan died after having written, but before publishing this standalone story. It is certainly a very 'Dave' story with elements of many of his old favourite motifs coming to the fore, and that playful, nuanced tone adopted by several of the characters is uniquely him. As to the story itself, I was wondering where everything was going to end up with only about an eighth of the book to go, which is odd - normally, one can at least see a sense of an ending somewhere. Nonetheless, I didn't put it down, and am sure I will read it all over again at least once this year to grasp more of the nuances. For now, a top-drawer entry in Dave's collection of standalone stories.
3 Stars to The Accidental Explorer by George Deeb
Description
In 1981 President Ronald Reagan authorized a dangerous secret mission to establish an operational Moon base. It was twenty-six years, and a lot of preparation later before the technology was advanced enough to take the risk. The six mission specialists assigned to the Trailblazer mission had only a short window of time to make it to their destination, or risk dying in space. What they had not expected to find when they finally arrived was that someone else was already there - and that they were more capable and technologically advanced than the Trailblazer team.
Review
This was a little fanfic-like, and the total weirdness of people's names was really, totally freaky. Er and the title, didn't make any sense. But other than that, a readable if utòpic story.
5 Stars to The Credulity Nexus (Rik Sylver, #1) by Graham Storrs
Description
In a clash between transhumans and the religious right, a washed up PI ends up as the meat in the sandwich, with the fate of humanity resting on his reluctant shoulders. When struggling PI Rik Sylver takes on a simple courier's job, it turns out the package he is transporting contains a virus that can control people's minds and powerful, dangerous people want to take it from him - many of them dangerous transhumans from Omega Point. All Rik has to do is hand over the package and get paid - but then he loses the package and the only way to save himself and everyone he loves, is to collaborate with these people to retrieve it Yet things are not what they seem and deciding who or what to believe is the only way Rik can save himself and the world he knows. The Credulity Nexus is the first book in the Rik Sylver series and also the first of Graham Storrs's novels set in his Placid Point universe. Moving between the Earth, the Moon and Omega Point, this is a fast-paced science fiction thriller, with the trademark plot twists that will delight readers of this author's previous work.
Review
This is Graham's fifth novel, and I must admit the quality of this work impressed me just as much as anything he's previously penned. It has an amazing sense of the golden sci-fi era about it - his homages to Heinlein are marvellous - and the opening chapter really gels that sort of work into a contemporary futuristic setting, if that makes any sense at all. It's hard to describe accurately, but books depicting the future written thirty years ago have a very different feel to the majority of today's titles. Storrs has managed to leap that gap, I felt like I was reading something Heinlein himself would've written today. And the phrase "dumb ox", it's just the sort of thing any of Heinlein's Narrators (Ames, Kettle-Belly Baldwin, Mannie Davis, Matt Dodson (having grown up a bit of course), Maureen Johnson and possibly most appropriately The Great Lorenzo) would've dropped in a heartbeat. What did I love about it? I like the way Storrs takes something growing today (The Tor Project, for instance) and just fits in a technological extrapolation (in the form of skin-on-skin contact bypassing prying eyes). He's not pushing politics down your throat with the statement, but he's giving us the future with the crap included. I learned a new word, too - I have never read a book where anything was crepitated before, how cool is that? I also especially think it's brilliant how the work has its own distinct vitality, yet is clearly part of a larger whole. You can really read this by itself, but then you'll want to go pick up Placid Point just so you can read more about some of the things mentioned. The "upload" angle is very much a part of the story, and it's fascinating to see how the time line of the world Storrs is building is going to be filled in over the coming years. I think it'd be pretty cool if we had an online time line to look at, or the back of the book included one showcasing published short stories (and planned future publications?) and roughly where they're going to go. The structure of the book worked well. I loved the opening, as I've already said, and things really start to explode in chapter three. From there on Storrs plays on the old hat technique of courier with a job to do, but it's so interspersed with asides and potent and interesting technologies that it doesn't really feel like a rehash at all. Then of course we enter the climactic events toward the end of the book and the whole thing shifts on to a new and exciting path, and by the time the book ends and we are shown where everyone's ended up we're breathless to see the ramifications in future stories: for the characters, the Earth, Omega Point, and every thing and one inbetween! On a basic level, The Credulity Nexus is a sci-fi thriller with an intelligent antihero who I'm sure has many more stories in him, with plot twists you and he see coming about at the same time on some occasions, which is very cleverly executed. But it's also a tantalizing glimpse into a future which holds both promise and pain in equal measure, a universe of possibility and problem Storrs can assuredly rock with short story after novel after series. We've seen Heinlein's Future History and Sanderson's Cosmere. I think it is not at all unfair to say Storrs has birthed Transhumanity in glowing fashion. Long, long may it endure.
3 Stars to Adam of Albion (A Head of Time) by Neil McMahon
Description
We all know people who act like they’ve been everywhere and done everything, right? Well, Orpheus really has. And if you thought your older brother could be a pain, wait till you meet this talking head—literally—who’s way, way older than the Pyramids. When 14-year old Adam Keane gets sent to spend the summer with his rich relatives in England, he never dreams that one night soon, he’ll end up in a creepy old graveyard, hiding from gun-toting thugs. As if that isn’t bad enough, Adam sees them shoot a young man who’s running from them. But it turns out that dodging bullets is just the beginning. Adam tries to help the wounded guy and ends up with his daypack, along with the mysterious object inside it— Which turns out to be Orpheus, a handsome, miniature man’s head who’s really a cyborg supercomputer—and who can time travel. Next thing after that, Adam and 13-year old Artemis, a brash, brilliant little feminist Goth, are careening through centuries and across continents—running for their lives on a Mission Impossible. Along the way, Orpheus clues them in on the back story. He was created by an advanced civilization that sank into the sea in a disastrous war, thousands of years before recorded history began. Since then, he’s roamed all over the globe, living by his wits through countless hair-raising adventures. His computer brain makes him an off-the-charts genius (which he’s quick to tell anyone who’ll listen), but he’s entirely human in all the ways that matter. He can be cantankerous and bossy, but he’s also fun and funny, smartmouthed and sly, and overall, way cool. He claims that he’s known pretty much every important person in history and been at every important event, and let’s just say he’s not shy about bragging on it—although his stories sometimes do seem a little hard to believe. But Orph is also heartbroken. His true love, Eurydice—a beautiful, glowing, emerald green ankh who fits inside his skull—was stolen from him during the Third Crusade. Not only does he miss her terribly, but she’s the power-pack that supplies his life force. Since losing her, he’s been running on empty, and now, even empty is almost gone. If he doesn’t reunite with Eurydice soon— He’ll die. Suddenly, the thugs show up again with their guns, ready to kill in order to steal Orpheus. He and the two kids have no other choice and no chance to prepare—they must plunge through time and space to the Holy Land in the year 1192 A.D., landing right in the middle of a brawl between the soldiers of King Richard the Lionheart and the Sultan Saladin, ruthless Knights Templar, and a mysterious group of female Assassins called the Sisters of Isis. Danger, treachery, and fast action abound as they fight and scheme to find Eurydice, and save the lovable little head’s life.
Review
This is great fun YA, perhaps contrived in spots but a cracking yarn for younger teens. Writing good, action theatrical and solidly done throughout.
1 Stars to Prized by Nahiel
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter Relationships: Harry Potter/Voldemort, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter/Voldemort, Remus Lupin/Severus Snape, Daphne Greengrass/Ron Weasley
Severus Snape's loyalty has always been to Harry, not to Dumbledore or the Order. When he finds out that Harry is a horcrux and Dumbledore intends to have him killed, Severus goes to the Dark Lord with the information in an effort to save Harry's life, and in doing so changes the fate of the world. Chapters: 49 Words: 120'217
Review
I have nothing against gay characters. Rowling chose not to use them either because of publishing restrictions in the contemporary kids publishing scene or whatever. But this story was just an everyone is not straight shot. Fine if you like that sort of thing, but not my cup of tea.
4 Stars to The Timestream Verdict by Jordan Berk
Description
A time-travel crime calls for a time-travel jury. Aaron Barnett falls asleep in 1985 as an ordinary accountant and wakes up sixty years later as a juror for the trial of the century. The utopian society of 2042 is grappling with the murder of the 'Mother of Time Travel.' And only this jury of inadvertent time travelers is equipped to reach an impartial verdict. The twenty-first century feels like a paradise to Aaron. Far removed from his monotonous life, he savors the advancements and luxuries that the seemingly idyllic future has to offer. That is, until he uncovers the complicated, hidden truths behind time travel, and his own past, present, and future are suddenly at risk. As it turns out, Aaron and his fellow jurors may be ruling on more than a lone case of temporal homicide. They may be delivering a verdict on the very nature of time itself.
Review
The synopsis gripped me here, and I wasn't sure how I felt about the work until our hero goes back to his own time and starts doing things. It then became part farce, part serious attempt to fix things, but the ending did work and left me satisfied. Not exactly a genre-busting novel, but a well-penned entry with a reasonably engaging narrator.
5 Stars to One Velvet Glove (The King's Blades, #10) by Dave Duncan
Description
The Tales of the King’s Blades continues…. So what happens next? Sir Rhys, Sir Sharp, and Sir Trusty—three of the world’s greatest swordsmen―are released from the Royal Guard in their twenties with no pension, no job, and no money. Rhys’s father is the great Blade hero, Sir Spender, who finds himself in the same predicament. Spender knows of a fabulous treasure that was lost more than thirty years ago and thinks he knows where it may be. Why shouldn’t the four of them go and look for it? But King Ambrose also remembers that treasure and believes it belongs to him. Why shouldn’t he try to stop them?
Review
I started reading this series almost 8 and a half years ago. then I lived in a different country, had no children or work of my own and had generally been a nomadic vagabond being reined-in, slowly, by the pulls of a relationship and stable livelihood. For all that it was a different time I don't think it was a bad one, but I do prefer things as they stand now. But I digress. We are talking about the Blades, and I must say how delightful - perhaps one might say most wondrous - it is to come back to them. I wasn't overly enthralled the first time I finished the Gilded Chain; I moaned about its shortcomings in my review. But I have read the rest of the series since, and reread them all again several times thereafter, and confess to finding myself gleeful at the prospect of doing so whenever it comes up. I enjoy visiting this world, of that there's no doubt. We get it all in this one. Another corner of the world to explore, activities of released knights (of which we haven't seen overmuch), a lovely scene toward the end featuring the indelible trio of Ambrose, Kromman and Roland, and there's even a cameo from Raider. This story is a little lighter than the others, I think it holds appeal to loyal readers than hooks for new, which to my mind makes the effort all the more impressive. it almost feels like a thank you, quite apart from being another joy.
4 Stars to The Venom Peddler by LightningFuryStrike13
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter
Curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction brought it back. Harry's curiosity leads him to exploring the Chamber a bit more thoroughly before he leaves for the Summer. What he finds there gives him a new responsibility beyond just himself and a lifelong satisfaction in the choices he makes from there on. Chapters: 56 Words: 121,228
Review
This was a fun quick read with harry going off in his own direction after the end of Chamber of Secrets. The hair thing was a bit weird, but to each their own. I'd read a sequel.
5 Stars to Anarchist (Ends of Magic #4) by Alexander Olson
Description
Nathan and his companions have struck back at Giantsrest, freeing a city from slavery. But now an army is bearing down on them, led by a Questor archmage. The Adventurers of Gemore will fight to the death, but they are outmatched by the magical might of Giantsrest. The Questor Brox has come to aid them, but he does not expect to beat his Giantsrest counterpart. Nathan and his friends need a plan to win not just this battle, but the war that will follow. The Ascendent Academy towers over the horizon, and the Mages of Giantsrest believe themselves safe within the magical school and its legendary enchantments. How will Nathan topple the empire of Giantsrest? Will he embrace the role of assassin and anarchist, or search for a different solution?
Review
Having gotten used to our hero doing much by himself I was hooked anew in this one. SO much so that, even knowing I was back to work today, I stayed up later than I should reading. Each chapter pulled me deeper and pushed me into wanting to see what happened next, and having to wait months for the next installment is going to be a bit sad!
4 Stars to Assassin (Ends of Magic #3) by Alexander Olson
Description
Nathan and his companions are free. For now. They're trapped inside the fortress-city of Halsmet, and every mage of Giantsrest is hunting for them. Luckily enough, they've been found by Faline, the shapeshifting leader of the Assassins of Gemore. She's pledged to teach Nathan her deadly trade. How far will he go to fight the empire of slavers? How much murder is justified? Even if they manage to win this fight against Giantsrest, it won't be the end of the conflict. A Questor from ages past lurks in the heart of the Ascendent Academy, and he won't allow Giantsrest to suffer a defeat. It is time for Nathan to face his sworn enemy, to stand against the Ascendent Academy. But how can one person fight an empire of thousands? Ends of Magic is a best-rated serialized novel on Royal Road with thousands of followers and over a million views. Now professionally edited and available on Amazon and Audible narrated by Phil Thron. Buy a copy or read free with Kindle Unlimited!
Review
I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy Assassin as a direction. The first two books were largely party work, and that was a good feeling. Nonetheless this was as rich and satisfying as books 1 and 2 and, yet again, I dove straight into the next one
4 Stars to Adventurer (Ends of Magic #2) by Alexander Olson
Description
The magical world of Davrar is inhospitable and strange. Terrible monsters roam, ancient dungeons lurk over every hill, and the prophesied Endings promise doom. But it’s Nathan Lark’s new home. He’s developed his antimagic and found friends in the most powerful Adventurers of his generation. They’ve sworn an oath to defend the city of Gemore and defeat the Endings. On the horizon is the enslaving mage-empire of Giantsrest, and Archmage Taeol dho Droxol hasn’t forgotten that Nathan holds secrets of Earth. Conflict is certain. There is only one path forward. Nathan and his friends must advance.
Review
Very much continuing the antimage feel, I enjoyed this nearly as much as the first book. Things get a shade predictable in spots of course, the typical genre feature of someone high above everyone else like a quester made an appearance, and the accents could do with a bit of work. The highlights were the battles of course, very entertainingly done, and we see a bit more biology as an applied science. All-in-all, a great way to continue the story.
4 Stars to Antimage (Ends of Magic #1) by Alexander Olson
Description
A scientist from another world. A mage seeking deadly knowledge. A power that could topple an empire. Nathan's life was defined by labs and lectures until an Archmage yanked him into Davrar and made him a tantalizing master magic in exchange for Earth's scientific secrets. Yet, Nathan can't shake off the feeling that darker truths lurk beneath such promises. The world of Davrar is a dangerous place teeming with dungeons and monsters – ruled by levels, Talents, and a near-infinite progression of power. Nathan will need to rely on himself to survive, forging alliances and taking every advantage he can get against those that seek to control him. His unique capacity to counteract magic gives him an unprecedented edge, making him a beacon of resistance against those who wield magic as a weapon of control. Armed with intellect and an emerging power that could dismantle the very foundations of Davrar's society, Nathan emerges not as a mere student of magic, but as its ultimate the Antimage. Ends of Magic is a best-rated serialized novel on Royal Road with thousands of followers and over a million views. Now professionally edited and available on Amazon and Audible! Buy a copy or read free with Kindle Unlimited today!
Review
With quite a lot of chemistry and physics compared to your average, this was nonetheless as gripping a Litrpg as any I've enjoyed so far. The idea of magic resistance isn't new to the genre I suppose, but I've not seen it used as an exclusive thing for a main character before and it works well here. So much at least that, after finishing this, I want to move straight on into book 2.
3 Stars to The Prometheus Effect by Jonathan Davison
Description
Joshua Regan, an ambitious investigative journalist is assigned to write an article on the apparent increase of UFO sightings and supposed 'alien abductions'. His lack of enthusiasm for the story is evident until he stumbles across Jimmy Stock, a London minicab driver who is a victim of a savage attack which has left him deeply traumatised. Roger Coffey is an astronaut with NASA and a last minute replacement for an old friend who has astonishingly taken his own life. Coffey soon becomes aware that despite his presence on the 'Prometheus' mission, he is clearly an outsider. The suspicion that his crew are carrying out an irregular satellite deployment soon becomes validated as he realises that his own life is in immediate danger. Regan and Coffey's lives become inexorably intertwined in the wake of a profound global event which will usher in a terrifying new age of world order.
Review
A potentially clever long-con sort of a work, shame the big chase chapter toward the end lacked a certain gravitas (is it a helicopter? A hidden gunship?). Nice to see the Britishisms taking pride of place too, so often it's American authors setting their works in the UK and bringing their trash cans and freeways with them, so that was a relief.
3 Stars to In Our Likeness by Bryan VanDyke
Description
The wonders and chaos of AI converge in a powerful and thrilling novel about rewriting history, identity, love, and what it means to be human. Graham Gooding is a leader at a tech start-up when his brilliant coworker—and work crush—Nessie Locke asks for help testing a new algorithm. Graham jumps at the chance to impress her, and to improve his floundering personal life. He soon discovers that the algo is more powerful than Nessie—or anyone—realizes. It was built to detect lies on the internet, but when Graham makes a small edit to Nessie’s online profile, hoping to see if the program will catch the lie, Nessie changes in real life. The algo can alter the real world. Now, so can Graham. No one knows what Graham has done, except his boss, enigmatic tech guru David Warwick. Graham is racked with guilt, but Warwick thrills to the possibilities of what they can do next. This promises to be the innovation that will make Warwick a household name. Drawn by the power of the algo but terrified by its potential for chaos, Graham must decide what to do and whom to trust in a world where one true reality no longer exists. As love, trust, memories, and what it means to be human begin to slip away, Graham and Nessie work together to restore the past—before it’s lost to the anarchy of a world without truth.
Review
Sounded great from the synopsis, and although enjoyable didn't quite tick all my boxes. It felt a little bit like a cut-down version of Blake Crouch's Recursion with all the memory rewriting. Of course things piled up and there's a lot of existential confusion of course, but also not much in the way of satisfaction. A nice idea of a story with slightly underwhelming execution.
5 Stars to The Golden Enclaves (The Scholomance, #3) by Naomi Novik
Description
Saving the world is a test no school of magic can prepare you for in the triumphant conclusion to the New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate. The one thing you never talk about while you're in the Scholomance is what you'll do when you get out. Not even the richest enclaver would tempt fate that way. But it's all we dream about, the hideously slim chance we'll survive to make it out the gates and improbably find ourselves with a life ahead of us, a life outside the Scholomance halls. And now the impossible dream has come true. I'm out, we're all out--and I didn't even have to turn into a monstrous dark witch to make it happen. So much for my great-grandmother's prophecy of doom and destruction. I didn't kill enclavers, I saved them. Me, and Orion, and our allies. Our graduation plan worked to perfection: we saved everyone and made the world safe for all wizards and brought peace and harmony to all the enclaves of the world. Ha, only joking! Actually it's gone all wrong. Someone else has picked up the project of destroying enclaves in my stead, and probably everyone we saved is about to get killed in the brewing enclave war on the horizon. And the first thing I've got to do now, having miraculously got out of the Scholomance, is turn straight around and find a way back in.
Review
A great way to end the series. It was nice seeing more of the 'real' world, without losing the connections to the hidden spaces walled off by the enclaves. Having invested a day or so with the previous 2 books, it felt important to read carefully and enjoy each experience as it came along. I did eventually feel that the use of the word wanker was a bit overdone, but perhaps I'm just getting old and conservative. The story, the arc of the characters and the way things wrapped themselves up was very good indeed.
4 Stars to The Last Graduate (The Scholomance, #2) by Naomi Novik
Description
A budding dark sorceress determined not to use her formidable powers uncovers yet more secrets about the workings of her world in the stunning sequel to A Deadly Education, the start of Naomi Novik’s groundbreaking crossover series. At the Scholomance, El, Orion, and the other students are faced with their final year—and the looming specter of graduation, a deadly ritual that leaves few students alive in its wake. El is determined that her chosen group will survive, but it is a prospect that is looking harder by the day as the savagery of the school ramps up. Until El realizes that sometimes winning the game means throwing out all the rules . . .
Review
Middle books of trilogies are either brilliant or fall completely flat. I wondered how this would work when obviously, book 2 is el's last year. I shouldn't have worried, of course. I enjoyed every page, and as has become no surprise, the very last sentence means you're utterly pulled into picking up book 3 immediately. I'd have been very annoyed if I were waiting for this to come out. For all that people compare these books to Harry Potter (I suppose because of a very tenuous link in that they both feature a school where you perform magic?) I can see the appeal of throwing yourself into the fanfiction scene whilst waiting for the official word as I did all those years ago in the Potterverse.
August
4 Stars to A Deadly Education (The Scholomance, #1) by Naomi Novik
Description
Lesson One of the Scholomance: Learning has never been this deadly. A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets. There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate… or die! The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere. El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students.
Review
I've not read any of Novik outside of her dragons, and even those I haven't finished. But I was having a rough spell with poor writing standards of Harry Potter Fanfiction and just wanted some more magicy stuff and here this was. I didn't think I was too engaged to begin with, until I stopped reading and realised I'd lost nearly an hour and a half. and then El's putting the alliance together in chapter 10 and I find myself wanting to see what happens, and then an eyeblink later I'm reading Gwen's note and itching to start book 2! So clearly I sucked this down and, for all I wasn't sure about the world, I have been enjoying myself. Can't say fairer than that!
3 Stars to The Punch Escrow by Tal M. Klein
Description
It's the year 2147. Advancements in nanotechnology have enabled us to control aging. We've genetically engineered mosquitoes to feast on carbon fumes instead of blood, ending air pollution. And teleportation has become the ideal mode of transportation, offered exclusively by International Transport—a secretive firm headquartered in New York City. Their slogan: Departure... Arrival... Delight! Joel Byram, our smartass protagonist, is an everyday twenty-second century guy. He spends his days training artificial intelligence engines to act more human, jamming out to 1980's new wave—an extremely obscure genre, and trying to salvage his deteriorating marriage. Joel is pretty much an everyday guy with everyday problems—until he's accidentally duplicated while teleporting. Now Joel must outsmart the shadowy organization that controls teleportation, outrun the religious sect out to destroy it, and find a way to get back to the woman he loves in a world that now has two of him.
Review
I had hoped to enjoy this more; something didn't quite click with the fun centres of my brain. It was still an interesting read, although of course the meeting yourself after teleportation routine is old-hat by now. I guess the standout thing was the style of narration, but the quips didn't really land for me and the footnotes felt pretentious rather than enlightening or entertaining.
3 Stars to A Brand New Start (A Brand New Start, #1) by Fairywm
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter Relationship: Harry Potter/OC
Rita spouting lies, branded as a Dark wizard and goblins in a rage; Harry's had enough. So, he seeks to jump back in time to save himself from a life of misery and fickle loyalty, maybe a little revenge and mysteries along the way.Time Travel! A Harry raises himself fic. Non-epilogue compliant, non-slash.
Review
Pretty conventional with the time travel, I'd never considered the Origin of Dan and Emma as names for the Granger parents either. Nobody I've come across uses the word "nay" quite so often as a negative in a Potter fanfic, and there did seem a bit of a joy buzzer overload. Still, not terribly written and nice to see some authors don't care about making it hard to get rid of Horcruxes
2 Stars to Harry Potter and the Weasley Seer by Sarcasm Dragon
Description
A prank in Professor Trelawney's class leads to Ron being hailed as a seer. But nobody could predict how that would change Harry's fate. AU, starts 3rd year. Powerful!Harry. Adventure/Humor.
Review
Well it was not written with the standards of some, I suppose that's the first thing. Bits seemed very cobbled together. It is the first time I've come across the very obvious point about the killing curse, though. Nobody survived it ever, but kids are told they could try and perform it and their target wouldn't get a nosebleed. By that logic, well. I'll stop there. Not a fic I'll revisit, but equally with some fun to it.
5 Stars to The Many Deaths of Harry Potter by ShayneT
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter
In a world with a pragmatic, intelligent Voldemort, Harry discovers that he has the power to live, die and repeat until he gets it right.
Review
Whilst obviously not particularly original as a plot device, this was compellingly-written and I found that I was gripped rather excessively. We've been pulling on the genre at home, my daughter and I, in movies: Groundhog Day, Edge of Tomorrow, The Map of Tiny Perfect Things. TO have this motif applied to Harry worked really well. The opening death was a fantastic hook, and right through to the wholesome and satisfying end, I was very much engaged and finished with a bubble of satisfaction.
3 Stars to Amalgum – Lockhart's Folly by tkepner
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter
Death wants free of its Master and proposes sending Harry back in time to avoid the unnecessary deaths in fighting Voldemort. Harry readily accepts, thinking he'll start anew as a Firstie. Instead, Harry's soul, magic, and memories end up at the beginning of Second Year — in GILDEROY LOCKHART!
Review
I picked this up partly because it sounded fun, but there is an incomplete fic with a similar idea called Magical me that I really enjoyed. This was good in a different way, although the merging of the minds was very abrupt and a bit out-of-the-blue. An entertaining idea handled well enough for a teen audience to enjoy at least.
4 Stars to 1982: A Year in the Life of Wendy Wood by Jason Ayres
Description
Meet Wendy Wood. The popstar that never was… In 1982, Wendy Wood was poised on the brink of stardom. Lead singer with talented local band, Velvet Temptation, she was a rising star of the Oxford music scene. Tipped for fame by the music press, success seemed inevitable. But conflict within the band, a series of betrayals and infidelities, and an unwelcome run of bad luck all played a part in shattering her dreams. Forty years later, her health failing, Wendy’s only comfort is in karaoke nights, where every song is a poignant reminder of what might have been. Then, out of the blue, she’s handed the means to return to the past. Determined to rewrite her destiny, Wendy is steadfast in her pursuit of the fame that once slipped through her fingers. Join Wendy as she immerses herself in the vibrant music scene of 1982, navigating the complexities of love, ambition, and second chances in this thought-provoking time travel story. 1982 is part of the anthology series, A Year in the Life. Each book revisits a different aspect of life in the 1980s, and each story can be enjoyed standalone.
Review
Although I was hoping for something a bit more impactful after the relatively quiet stakes of 1981 this was compelling, as most of Jason's works are. Looking forward to the next one!a
2 Stars to Lake of Darkness by Adam Roberts
Description
Good is a construct. Evil is a virus. The Starship Sα Niro and the Starship Sβ Oubliette were in orbit around a black hole, one afternoon... by the end of the day, the crews of both starships were dead, victims of a single Captain Alpha Raine. Raine claims he's acting under the command of a voice emanating from the black Mr Modo. No one believes him. Everyone knows that things go into black holes; nothing comes out. But something inexplicable has been happening to Raine, and whatever it is seems to be spreading. An historian studying serial killers from the 21st century interviews him... and then nearly kills someone herself. It becomes increasingly undeniable that there's something inside that black hole... and it's found a way out...
Review
So I didn't quite connect with the narrative on this unfortunately. I'd really hoped to enjoy the story but ... it lacked a certain something.
3 Stars to Harry's Trek by kb0
Description
During the final battle, Harry gets thrown into a new universe, landing on the bridge of the USS Enterprise-D. This should take place in about "season 4" of ST:TNG, but I'm not going to be strict about the timeline, using things and events as needed.
Review
Of the hundreds of HP fanfics I've read I confess that a Trek crossover was never on my RADAR. I enjoyed this, although of course it's very much neither one nor the other.
4 Stars to Harry Potter: IronWizard by kb0
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter Relationship: Harry Potter/Hermione Granger
After the disaster at the end of 5th year, Hermione sees a comic book and decides she can do better than others to keep Harry safe by making him a suit of armor.
Review
A quick, fun work. One of my favourite tropes too - modern Muggle teakettles whistle - and a broadly consistent sort of a story relying on the fact that a bit of metal can stop magic. Obviously not meant to be taken too seriously and with a reasonably high standard of writing.
4 Stars to A Tale of a Tail by birdwoman95
Description
An AU kicking off mostly from where Hagrid picks up Harry, though he’s very AU. Some OC, but mostly just independent Harry. No pairings. Rating for some languageish things. It all begins with a tail… (1991) Chapters: 6 Words: 62'544 URL: www fanfiction net/s/11651617
Review
So yes, a lot of tropes: live-in trunk, ghosts to teach etc. But enjoyably done, even if the idea of a completely selfless Harry from such a young age isn't often done. Neat to see things from some very different angles.
4 Stars to Remember two things by Frostythedopeman
Description
No content provided.
Review
So this was actually quite good. also, if I follow my own internal logic (as if that were possible) I should have really enjoyed it. It had a broadly similar message to the works of Semprini, all of which I adore and the first trilogy of which I just reread for the dozenth time this weekend. It's welcome to see a fic that tries to fit into Rowling's pattern, too. Not that expansion is a bad idea - most of the time you want something different. But it had been a while. Grey Harry works for me, I think, and even if people are a bit too good to be true, I found myself not wanting to stop and at such a length, that's a good thing.
2 Stars to Lord of Caer Azkaban by Rorschach's Blot
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter Relationship: Harry Potter/Hermione Granger
A letter causes Harry to learn some surprising things about his lineage, a different twist on the usual Harry in Azkaban story line.
Review
I was sure I'd read some of Rorschach's Blot's previous, but when put off by the grammar the note at the end told me it was their first major fic. Nothing shows as read on Goodreads so I'll have to pick at the others and see what I remember. This one disappointed: Harry doesn't actually do anything.
4 Stars to Harry Potter and the Power of Paranoia by arekay
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter
The events at the end of the Triwizard Tournament have left Harry feeling just a little bit paranoid.
Review
Short enough to power through in one sitting and amusing enough to keep my interest, this was a bit of light relief.
4 Stars to 1981: A Year in the Life of Nick Taylor: A 1980s Time Travel Adventure by Jason Ayres
Description
Fancy a trip back in time to 1981? Then join Nick Taylor as he gets the opportunity of a lifetime – to relive a whole year of his life. 1981 wasn’t a year Nick remembered fondly. His mother was killed in a plane crash, his father ran off with the babysitter, and he was sent to possibly the most horrible school in the world. 2020 ends on a similar note when that babysitter, now his stepmother, can’t be bothered to tell him his father is dying until it is too late and then promptly disinherits him. Then Nick meets television star Keith Diamond who gives him a bracelet with the power to send him back in time. Arriving in 1981, before the events that shaped his annus horribilis, he realises he now has the power to change the timeline. There’s just one problem – no one takes any notice of you when you’re only ten. Join Nick, as he relives the experience of growing up in the 1980s, in this humorous and thought-provoking time travel story. 1981 is part of the anthology series, A Year in the Life. Each book revisits a different aspect of life in the 1980s, and each story can be enjoyed standalone.
Review
Jason's great at the quiet stuff, and although nothing outside of Nick's future was up for grabs, this managed to be compelling and readable as always. I'm looking forward to the 1982 one I already have and then will have to wait for more!
4 Stars to Maelstrom by Peter Cawdron
Description
Tunguska, Roswell, the Bermuda Triangle, the Mary Celeste... For hundreds of years, the danger posed by colliding worlds has been ignored as a crackpot theory, until now, and now it's too late. Maelstrom contains three novellas set in the Colliding Worlds universe (Collision, Impact and the conclusion, Maelstrom). Collision was commissioned by Vanquish Motion Pictures for possible development in film or on television.
Review
I always enjoy books where history might've forked differently and this is no different. The solidity of the emergency responders was solid here too, and overall this was just a brilliant entry in Peter's collection.
4 Stars to Islands in the Sky by Arthur C. Clarke
Description
The story of 'Islands in the Sky' centers around a young man, who, after brilliantly winning a space-related competition, requests a vacation on a space station as his prize. It is written with Arthur C. Clarke's obvious knowledge of science, but moves at a page turning rate througout the entire narrative. The short novel gives a realistic possiblilty of work and play in future space, hightened with constant excitment and action.
Review
I've only read some of Clarke's highlights, of which people don't consider this. I very much had a young Heinlein feel about this, with the possible concern that the phrase "of course" appears far too often. But I can really see how this captured kids in the 1950's and beyond. If I didn't have access to live feeds of NASA launches and all the novels in the Trekverse, I would have gulped this down and wanted more.
4 Stars to Borrowed Time by Russell Dean
Description
Tom Jacob is bored with his life. He’s stuck in a job he doesn’t like, his love life is non-existent, and he’s tired of being seen as boring and dependable, so when his wayward twin brother convinces him to spend a night partying instead of doing paperwork, Tom reluctantly agrees. The following morning he wakes up in a field. In Wales. In 1889. Stranded more than a century in the past, Tom has to overcome language barriers and suspicion as he attempts to adapt to the world around him and find a way back to his own time, but with two people from the sleepy village of Cwm Newydd now missing, one local resident seems hell bent on pinning the blame for their disappearance on the strange Englishman who appeared out of nowhere. Determined to find his way home, the discovery of a long hidden family secret will change Tom's life forever, and when romance comes knocking he'll be left wondering in which timeline his heart truly lies.
Review
I've not missed living in Wales on the regular for a while, but bits of this brought some of that back. It was quite lyrical in spots, and although the beats of time travel are warn and well-known to me (no guesswork about who was who), I found myself gripped all the same. The ending keeps the door open for more, of course, and I'll gladly pick that up sometime. Not for everyone, but I enjoyed it.
4 Stars to Cognizance (The Emergence Series Book 3) by Guy Portman
Description
This psychopath can’t stand being the victim.Horatio’s dark past threatens to catch up with him when an old adversary returns. Roland Barstow is hellbent on avenging his best friend’s death. He has already committed assault and property damage. It’s about to get a whole lot worse. Our troubled teenager has other problems. Horatio chose the wrong boy to mock at school, and the big brother’s gang are making life a misery. He won’t take it lying down. While wrestling with revelations about his late father, Horatio must punish bullies, contend with an unhinged nemesis, and stop his mother discovering the truth about her beau’s demise. Even for a precocious psychopath that is a lot of balls to juggle.
Review
Loved it, start to finish in one sitting. It Feels like it might all just be coming apart for him, doesn't it? Really great to see a good tie make an appearance, too! Brilliant. Can't wait for the next story.
4 Stars to The Sentience Machine (Rik Sylver, #2) by Graham Storrs
Description
The Sentience Machine is the sequel to The Credulity Nexus, a fast-paced, science fiction thriller set at the end of the 21st century. Two years have passed since PI Rik Sylver became involved in the credulity nexus affair and things are looking up for him – until his old nemesis, Rivers Valdinger, shows up with a message from Omega Point. Rivers is a “zombie” – the mind of a dead human uploaded into a powerful robot body. Omega Point is a “ghost farm” a satellite, orbiting the Sun, with the disembodied minds of 20,000 dead rich people living inside its virtual world. The message Rivers brings is that Omega Point is under attack by an unknown enemy and Martin Lanham, the uberghost who runs Omega Point, is holding one of Rik’s friends hostage until Rik finds out who the culprit is. Once again, Rik and Rivers become unlikely allies as they track down the perpetrator. Once again, they quickly find themselves tangled up in a web of lies and misdirection, prejudice, deadly danger, and high-level corruption, as they stumble towards a discovery that neither of them could have foreseen.
Review
"Do you think I haven't noticed the prejudice down here since I got uploaded? Do you think it's nice living here with these God-bothering bastards spouting hate all the time? Dead is the new fucking black, white boy. And I've fucking had enough of it. " Huge, indeed titanic forces here with religion meeting the immortal. And for all that, it's still a bit of a detective story too. Rik isn't quite on his game as much as in the first novel and I must confess that it's a more religious angle than I'm perhaps comfortable with, but it is a facet of the future that needs exploring and it was done well.c
July
4 Stars to Lost to Eternity by Greg Cox
Description
A thrilling new Star Trek "movie era" novel from New York Times bestselling author Greg Cox! Three Eras. Three Mysteries. One Ancient Enemy? 2024: Almost forty years ago, marine biologist Gillian Taylor stormed away from her dream job at Sausalito's Cetacean Institute—and was never seen or heard from again. Now a new true crime podcast has reopened that cold case, but investigator Melinda Silver has no idea that her search for the truth about Gillian's disappearance will ultimately stretch across time and space—and attract the attention of a ruthless obsessive with his own secret agenda. 2268: The USS Enterprise's five-year mission is interrupted when Captain James T. Kirk and his crew set out to recover an abducted Federation scientist whose classified secrets are being sought by the Klingons as well. The trail leads to a barbaric world off limits to both Starfleet and the Klingon Empire—and an ageless mastermind on a quest for eternity. 2292: The Osori, an ancient alien species, has finally agreed to establish relations with its much younger neighbors: the Federation, the Klingons, and the Romulans. A joint mission involving ships from all three powers, including the Enterprise-A, turns explosive when one of the Osori envoys is apparently killed. Each side blames the others, but the truth lies buried deep, nearly three hundred years in the past…
Review
I enjoyed this. Voyage Home is, of course, one of the better movies, and the 2020's craze for true chrime podcasts is undeniable, if, to me, baffling. I really enjoyed the Soong Easter egg and doubtless there's so much more from TOS I'm missing, being a nextt-gen era kid. But this was great nonetheless, even if there was not too much to distinguish the characters between the two latter eras.
4 Stars to Acceptance by AsphodelWolf15
Description
If Vernon and Petunia were so concerned about their image why did they treat Harry the way they did? A child with a bad reputation living in their house forced them to tell tales, when it would have been much easier if they treated him like part of the family. How would Harry have turned out if he was accepted? (This is not for Dumbledore fans)
Review
A very clever take, similar to A Better Man in some ways: what if the Dursley's had been accepting of magic? it's fun to see how each author takes these idea and runs with them in their own unique directions.
4 Stars to Ignore the Dementor by NinjaPandaScholar
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter Harry/Luna
"Ignore the dementor; really, it's fine. There are no monsters here. It's just me…Harry." When things go very wrong before his fifth year, Harry Potter tries to pretend everything is normal…while also taking care of his Harry-suit so that it stays healthy and alive and learning to reign in his new powers, yeah everything is definitely normal. Creature!Fic
Review
I can't remember having really read a proper creature fic, I quite enjoyed this. Obviously way off what Rowling would have ever intended but very fun.
3 Stars to The Heir of the Founders (Heir, #1) by The Cold Turkey
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter Relationship: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Harry receives a letter regarding his inheritance after Sirius' death, changing the course of history for everyone in the wizarding world. powerful!Harry. Manipulative!Dumbledore.
Review
Nothing out of the ordinary here, although having a Son of Albus is rare in the last handful of this era I've read. Shame the sequel is so short and it looks incomplete.
4 Stars to The Entropy Effect (Star Trek: The Original Series, #2) by Vonda N. McIntyre
Description
The Starship Enterprise™ is summoned to transport a dangerous criminal to rehabilitation: the brilliant physicist, Dr. Georges Mordreaux, who is accused of promising to send people back in time, then killing them instead. But when a crazed Mordreaux escapes, he inexplicably bursts onto the bridge and murders Captain Kirk before the crew's eyes. Now Spock must journey back in time to avert the disaster "before" it occurs. But more is at stake than Kirk's life. Mordreaux's experiments have thrown the universe into chaos, and Spock is fighting time itself to keep the very fabric of reality from unraveling.
Review
I had feelings of the Voyager episode relativity with this novel, and that very submarine-like sense of enclosed, cold-warness particular to certain TOS novels. A clever story, although as the iterations start to build up one loses focus a tad, I enjoyed it for what it was.
4 Stars to Harry Potter: Rogue by kb0
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter Relationship: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley
After Sirius's death, Harry gets fed up with all the meddling in his life and decides to live his way. He also learns some important lessons along the way, like friends are important.
Review
So yes, it's a bit young. The sort of thing I would have enjoyed as a teen more, I suspect. harry goes off and does his own thing thanks to a lot of historical money he comes into. I was pleased to see not just one of my favourite tropes (a ball for a bad reason), but also the oft-produced difficult conversation leading to a cooldown or some petting in the rose garden. The ending is a bit of a squib but at least it ties things up.
5 Stars to The Dark Veil (Star Trek: Picard #2) by James Swallow
Description
A thrilling untold adventure based on the acclaimed Star Picard TV series! The Alpha Quadrant is mired in crisis. Within the United Federation of Planets, a terrorist strike on the shipyards of Mars has led to the shutdown of all relief efforts for millions of Romulans facing certain doom from an impending supernova. But when the USS Titan is drawn into a catastrophic incident on the Romulan-Federation border, Captain William Riker, his family, and his crew find themselves caught between the shocking secrets of an enigmatic alien species and the deadly agenda of a ruthless Tal Shiar operative. Forced into a wary alliance with a Romulan starship commander, Riker and the Titan crew must uncover the truth to stop a devastating attack&;but one wrong move could plunge the entire sector into open conflict!
Review
Nepenthe was perhaps my favourite episode of the Picard TV show. Rikers "Red Alert!" melted the ... has it really been decades? And I felt, finally, as though I was really watching Star Trek again when I heard that. Of course we see Riker and family onscreen in the year 2399 and this novel is set some years earlier. Despite not being up with Titan's crew, I can appreciate the hoops that had to be jumped to fit a novel series into a retconed TV setting. This seemed handled well here: combined with the wonderful reveals at the end of the novel (both about the identity of the advocate and troi's news in the last scenes), and the delightfully accurate Romulan portrayal, this was a pleasure start to finish. A bit like at the end of Last Best Hope though, we know there's much more sorrow to come. And why has Picard never met Kestra, I wonder? Surely there's a scab to pick off and look beneath there. Incidentally Lulu Wilson was amazing, one of the best child actors on any series in my book. Whatever your views on Picard as a series, this novel merges Titan from what many trek fans call the "real" universe (having turned to paper after screenings fizzled) with the depiction of the Trek universe as onscreen today. The first may have taken liberties and been a departure from Pocket Books history, but this one has an encapsulated adventure to get behind, recognisable politics with the Tal Shiar, and a great and cohesive crew to explore. Picard himself being off-field makes things a little easier for us to swallow, and Swallow himself has clearly already got credentials in the universe and knows his stuff. An excellent addition.
3 Stars to A Better Man by Valandar
Description
No content provided.
Review
I felt like I'd read this before and indeed I have a copy of it on my hard drive dated nearly 3 years ago, but clearly didn't log it here. It's a wholesome sort of a story without any real surprises. The proofing is a bit dodge, no thanks to betas or any of that regular AN stuff in here either.
4 Stars to A Champion's New Hope by Rocag
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter
Beginning during the Goblet of Fire, Harry looks to different friends for support after both Ron and Hermione refuse to believe that he did not put his name in the Goblet. Including one unexpected friend: Daphne Greengrass.
Review
I quite enjoyed this. The action and combat scenes were pretty gripping, and for a 2010 release, it's not diverted so wildly from Rowling that things aren't recognisable. I'd certainly read more.
4 Stars to A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson
Description
Black Mirror meets What If It’s Us in this gripping, romantic, and wildly surprising novel about two boys lost in space trying to find their way home—while falling in love—from the critically acclaimed author of We Are the Ants. When Noa closes his eyes on Earth and wakes up on a spaceship called Qriosity just as it’s about to explode, he’s pretty sure things can’t get much weirder. Boy is he wrong. Trapped aboard Qriosity are also DJ and Jenny, neither of whom remember how they got onboard the ship. Together, the three face all the dangers of space, along with murder, aliens, a school dance, and one really, really bad day. But none of this can prepare Noa for the biggest challenge—falling in love. And as Noa’s feelings for DJ deepen, he has to contend not just with the challenges of the present, but also with his memories of the past. However, nothing is what it seems on Qriosity, and the truth will upend all of their lives forever. Love is complicated enough without also trying to stay alive.
Review
“Great,” Jenny said. “We’re being stalked by a monster that’s got a taste for human flesh and lemon cake, and we’re all out of lemon cake.” That quote sounds quite flip, and there's plenty more heartfelt ones I could have picked. There's a lot of reality about the people we were not stopping us being those who we want to be, something lots of us seem to have to deal with. I enjoyed this quite a lot, and despite several questions not sliding by (the whole junior detective thing seemed really odd and nobody cared), the first two thirds were exciting, action-packed and with plenty of emotional implications. Then the school thing happened, and the whole tone of the work shifted slightly more toward the bizarre. I'm not saying the ending wasn't satisfying nor that the resolution wasn't exciting (I love the ambiguity and the POV shift, which I always enjoy in fiction, was clever). But the revelations certainly changed the foundations of what we thought about things and I think we may well need more books in the series to see how the consequences of this pay off.
2 Stars to Harry Potter and the Manipulator of Destiny by Wheezy1
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter Relationships: Harry Potter/Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood
Post OotP. Harry finds that Dumbledore has been less than honest or helpful with him, takes control of his own life and finds the training he needs from others.
Review
A couple of clangers in proofing, both in terms of the Potterverse itself but things like formally instead of formerly too, which grinds my gears. Also, the idea that Harry ends up with Goblin magic is not new, but to pull in the spirit of Hogwarts, then founders, then all the other creatures ... it reads like someone took their favourite parts of fics and made a mishmash. It works but it's very obviously a personal pet project. The Dumbledore arm thing was probably about the level of cleverness to take away.
5 Stars to Life in a Fishbowl by Len Vlahos
Description
Fifteen-year-old Jackie Stone is a prisoner in her own house. Everything she says and does 24/7 is being taped and broadcast to every television in America. Why? Because her dad is dying of a brain tumor and he has auctioned his life on eBay to the highest bidder: a ruthless TV reality show executive at ATN. Gone is her mom's attention and cooking and parent-teacher conferences. Gone is her sister's trust ever since she's been dazzled by the cameras and new-found infamy. Gone is her privacy. Gone is the whole family's dignity as ATN twists their words and makes a public mockery of their lives on Life and Death. But most of all, Jackie fears that one day very soon her father will just be . . . gone. Armed only with her ingenuity and the power of the internet, Jackie is determined to end the show and reclaim all of their lives, even in death.
Review
A wholesome, captivating story. Hard to put down and even harder to explain, but with a greatness about it, too. Very different to the last of Vlen’s I read, but just as captivating
3 Stars to The Augurey by La-Matrona
Description
After the war, Harry Potter is desperate to make sure that not a single life more is ruined by Voldemort's legacy. Aided by the ever loyal Hermione Granger, he makes a decision which will forever change more than one life. An epilogue disregarding, Cursed Child inspired, Harmony romance.
Review
I think only having one augurey in the work would have worked better, but apart from that it was an interesting enough read. Romance is not usually my cup of tea, but for a reasonably short work of fanfic it was quite a change.
4 Stars to The Golden Age by Arsinoe de Blassenville
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter
Post DH. In the wake of victory, Harry struggles with life, love, and the reform of the British wizarding world. He learns that life is complex, and that happy endings are fleeting.
Review
Someone clearly not impressed with either Deathly Hallow or its epilogue, but also with good writing technique and the ability to do something about it. a rather unpleasant yet moreish look into a twisted aftercanon, where things have slipped away into a dark and stormy future.
4 Stars to The Best Revenge: Time of the Basilisk (The Best Revenge, #2) by Arsinoe de Blassenville
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter
AU: The continuation of Book I. Not all of Tom Riddle is gone. A mysterious journal and a new Defense teacher pose challenges for Harry and his guardian. T for Mentor Snape's occasional naughty language. Supportive Minerva.
Review
Well I simply had to carry on knowing there was more. tied up very neatly, not really a very harry story in the end but charming in its own way. I laughed out loud at the exclamation in the trial; such a lack of swearing makes for a brilliant contrast when it eventually appears. Overall, a refreshing change from the end of the world and the darkness of the adultishness some fanfics go for.
4 Stars to The Best Revenge (The Best Revenge, #1) by Arsinoe de Blassenville
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter
AU. Yes, the old Snape retrieves Harry from the Dursleys formula. I just had to write one. Everything changes, because the best revenge is living well. T for Mentor Snape's occasional naughty language. Supportive Minerva. Over three million hits!
Review
So the author goes into this knowing the idea has been done before, which helps. It's well handled here and, although we are about the combined length of the first two canon books before we even see the Mirror of Erised, it really works and I found myself enjoying it a great deal. Harry's genuinely a child, and you don't see that very often.
3 Stars to Galactic Exploration by Peter Cawdron
Description
Galactic Exploration looks at the Rare Earth hypothesis through the fictional outlook of three interstellar space craft exploring our galaxy. This novel is the compilation of the * Serengeti * Trixie Me * Savannah * War
Review
I felt a bit sad with this book. It was a good enough story, although the style isn't my favourite. But the thing that made me stop and think was just how Human were our crews after so long and so many cycles. Sometimes I wondered who were the aliens.
4 Stars to Long Live the Queen by offsides
Description
With Harry Potter's hearing for Underage Use of Magic looming, and Sirius Black hunted for a crime he didn't commit and was never tried for, Harry reaches out to Her Majesty the Queen for help, with unexpected results. No ships. AU starting Ch 6-9 OotP, No HBP, No DH, No Horcruxes. Chapters: 44 Words: 174'577 (including A/N causæ FFN)
Review
I rather enjoyed this, although interestingly there was very little magic used and absolutely no mention of how the two could coexist. I also think it unusual that there wasn't even a single mention of St Mungo's in such a lengthy story, don't think I've seen that often. An interesting take on the ending nonetheless, and a very clever adaptation of the prophecy just by changing one word too.
June
2 Stars to Mrs. Invisible: A New Adult Superhero Action & Romance Novel (Chronicles of Emma Stevens (Dream City Supers) Book 1) by Christina Hagmann
Description
Dream City Supers NA Novella Series What would you do if no one could see you? Emma Stevens, once a promising young scientist, gave it all up to be a mother, but lately, it doesn't seem worth it. With her son visiting her parents for a month, Emma has one more shot to save her marriage, but Trevor, her brilliant scientist husband, is too busy with a top secret government contract to notice. Inspired by a night out with the girls, Emma breaks into her husband's home lab to see what it is he's working on and accidentally discovers invisibility, the project Trevor has spent years on. Enter Weston Morley, the dashing billionaire playboy who doubles as an undercover vigilante, willing to do anything so that Emma's husband doesn't succeed in his goal. When Weston realizes Emma has beaten her husband to the punch, he tries to convince her to keep her new powers a secret from her husband and the government agency funding Trevor's research. How can Emma save her marriage while keeping the discovery of a lifetime a secret? More importantly, is her marriage is worth saving? Keep an eye out for Book 2 in the Chronicles of Emma Stevens and Book 1 in the Chronicles of Weston Morley Series that tells the story from a different point of view!
Review
This just annoyed me. Emma is ridiculous, her invisibility sheer nonsense and the entire thrust of the book seems to be that she has a rocky relationship from the very start which she's worried about but when it seems to end she's all surprised. There's a rich billionaire, of course, a kid that's gotten out of the way before the book even starts (which is kinda neat, in fairy tales it's always the parents that are taken offstage) and a potential love interest for the husband who's just a colleague because they tried it once and it didn't happen. Nah, not my sort of thing.
1 Stars to Einstein in the Attic by Dana Dargos
Description
Winner of the Literary Titan Award, Firebird Book Award, Maincrest Media Book Award, Best Book Award Finalist by The American Book Fest, and THREE honorable mentions at the New York, Hollywood, and San Francisco Book Festivals, "Einstein in the Attic" is the sci-fi of the year! Einstein in the Attic is a page-turning, thought-provoking, mind-bending sci-fi adventure…with more than a little charm, drama, and humor sprinkled in. It will appeal to lovers of intelligent science fiction that grapples with big questions, such as Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang, Embassytown by China Mieville, The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, and Kindred by Octavia E. Butler. Written by Dana Dargos and Said Al Bizri, "Einstein in the Attic" is about the "search for truth by those that transcends time." Set against the backdrop of the war between science and God, reason and faith, Einstein in the Attic is the story of one scientist’s search for truth and meaning when faced with the ultimate question: Is there a God? Fleeing war-torn Lebanon, Adam Reemi’s faith is shaken by the hardships he has endured, but when he and a colleague successfully construct a nano hadron collider, and using sound waves, Adam finds unheard-of power at his fingertips. To help him answer the greatest question mankind has ever posed, he zaps the best philosophical minds of all time–namely Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Soren Kierkegaard, and Baruch Spinoza–from the past and into his attic. Not all goes according to plan, however, and Adam finds himself in a race against time to formulate an answer to the question of intelligent design… or risk losing everything.
Review
uses of the word Fuck, one of which was in a bit of dialog where one character says "suck a fuck" to another is about as clever as this thing gets.
5 Stars to The Simulacrum by Peter Cawdron
Description
Someone is altering old astronomical images. In one small patch of the sky, the digital versions don't match the original prints and photographic plates taken by observatories from around the world over the past century. Dawn McAllister is a PhD student tasked with figuring out why Przybylski’s Star is attracting unwanted attention from a malicious hacker... Her high-achieving brother, Ryan, is an astronaut on the backup crew for NASA's Ample mission to the asteroid Psyche in orbit between Mars and Jupiter... At the same time, NSA analyst Gabriel Rodrigez stumbles upon a collaboration between Russia and China to interfere with SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. As the body count rises, it seems that the approach of an extraterrestrial spacecraft over a period of decades is being hidden from both astronomers and the public. FIRST CONTACT is a series of stand-alone novels that explore humanity's first interaction with extraterrestrial life. This series is similar to BLACK MIRROR or THE TWILIGHT ZONE in that the series is based on a common theme rather than common characters. This allows these books to be read in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens, exploring the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of First Contact.
Review
I think this is my new favourite of Peter's novels. I’ve given very high ratings to so many of them that’s probably not saying much, but for some reason I was absolutely hooked all the way through. I read it in a single sitting with only water to keep me hydrated and I am very tempted to go right back through a second time round. The setup was satisfying, the space travel understated but important, the time in prison built the tension, the synopsis had primed me, and the entire story delivered as a fantastic and difficult to quantify gestalt. I had flashbacks to reading Robert sawyer, both for the very obvious parallel to his debut novel but also that scene in the UN in the epilogue. That, too, was a masterpiece- not just the speech but that was brilliant, of course – but the whole view of Humanity Ryan lands with, the way in which his entire attitude has shifted. When Captain Picard plucks an alien from her home world and shows her the entire thing from orbit, Nuria starts to see her collective species as one, rather than her own family, tribe or race, and that of course is the message here to (also something Sawyer covered in his WWW trilogy). We are, all of us, together on this little ball of rock in a huge and unfathomably vast universe. I loved the way Cawdron incorporated very modern science in this novel, and again there was that fantastic juxtaposition: NASA’s Psyche spacecraft and the birth of large language models are just 2 examples of technology of now contributing to stories of the future, and this is the gold standard of science fiction reading today. I watched and read Sci-FI as a kid and often thought it was too far in the future to be credible. Reading it as an adult just a few short days after watching yet another launch to send people up to the ISS makes me feel proud to be Human, to know that we are pushing at those boundaries still and the stories we tell ourselves and each other keep up with our changes is amazing. So yes, on the one hand, this was a fantastic first contact story, a great thriller, another one of Peter’s fabulous stories. But it also served to remind me that people who dream about the future can still do that. We are still changing, and growing, and learning, and finding out new things. This book reaffirmed that for me. Absolutely the best thing I have read this year. Cheaper than a meal deal at the supermarket and twice as filling.
4 Stars to Timely Errors by Worfe
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter
Harry Potter never had much luck, being sent to his parents’ past should have been expected.
Review
I really enjoyed this. It was whimsical and clever, didn't take itself too seriously. Very solid, in an ethereal sort of a way.
3 Stars to The Fall of the house of Potter by Bobmin356
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter Relationship: Harry Potter/Daphne Greengrass
AU from year five onwards. At the end of year six Harry finds himself once again isolated and prisoned at the Dursleys. The end of Book six never happened in this tale. Dumbledore has plans that include Harry, but not the way Harry thinks.
Review
short and snappy, the title gives it all away really. Badass Harry but without much to do.
4 Stars to Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
Description
Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner, Doug. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the cute outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. True, she’s not the greatest at keeping Doug’s place spotless, but she’s trying to please him. She’s trying hard. She’s learning, too. Doug says he loves that Annie’s artificial intelligence makes her seem more like a real woman, but the more human Annie becomes, the less perfectly she behaves. As Annie's relationship with Doug grows more intricate and difficult, she starts to wonder whether Doug truly desires what he says he does. In such an impossible paradox, what does Annie owe herself?
Review
I got into this. I felt a little parallelism with Klara and the Sun, not just because of the subject matter but the vaguely distant, filtered style of writing. The ending was really good here, to. Not a surprise, but it should have been: and powerful with it.
4 Stars to Sunset Over Britain (Sunset/Sunrise, #1) by Bobmin356
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter
Harry's life at the end of his 5th year was in utter chaos and his life was not going to get any better any time soon. From the flames, a brotherhood thought dead will reemerge, a family will break, trust will be destroyed, an enemy will change their path, a father will finally be found, a love will bring hope, and a hero shall rise from the ashes to become the legend he was born to be.
Review
So Yes. It's childish. The maturity of the authors is questionable, there are holes and Americanisms, and the poor taste of some of the authors notes and opening scenes makes me cringe because I'm not 17. But there's also nuggets of good in these that I remember from years ago. For being nearly 15 years old they've aged well, and I see what the authors were trying.
4 Stars to The Strange Disappearance of SallyAnne Perks by Paimpont
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter
Harry recalls that a pale little girl called Sally-Anne was sorted into Hufflepuff during his first year, but no one else remembers her. Was there really a Sally-Anne? Harry and Hermione set out to solve the chilling mystery of the lost Hogwarts student.
Review
No content provided.
4 Stars to 1980: A Year in the Life of Keith Diamond: A 1980s Time Travel Adventure by Jason Ayres
Description
Relive the 1980s in this rip-roaring time travel adventure from bestselling author, Jason Ayres. As the 2020s dawn, Keith Diamond, the self-styled ‘Diamond Geezer’, works as a shock jock presenter at controversial radio station, ChatFM. When the station comes under new management, Keith finds himself surplus to requirements. His employment prospects look bleak until a stranger gives him a bracelet that catapults him forty years back in time to when he was a young journalist. Soaking up the culture, Keith immerses himself in the music scene, going to see legendary bands like The Clash, Blondie, and The Specials, but soon there are more important tasks at hand. Working in Fleet Street, Keith finds himself thrust into the news stories of the day. These range from the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper to the death of John Lennon, plus the world’s obsession with “Who Shot JR?” From a personal perspective, 1980 is a pivotal year on which both his and many of his friends’ destinies depend. Can he rectify past mistakes, avert disasters, and reshape both his future and that of others? Join Keith, as he revisits the culture and events of 1980, in this humorous and thought-provoking time travel story. 1980 is part of the anthology series, A Year in the Life. Each book revisits a different aspect of life in the 1980s, and each story can be enjoyed standalone. Readers are loving 1980:‘Really encapsulates the period - you almost feel as if you are there.’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘It's great to go down memory lane with this book. Recommended.’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘My favourite Jason Ayres book yet. Imaginative and enjoyable, I didn’t want to put it down!’ Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I loved this book; the plot and the characters were first class. I never used to be into time travel books but Mr Ayres has changed that for me.’ Goodreads Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review
I enjoy much of Jason's time travel stuff, and although the predestination of the bracelet took away some of the excitement here, this was still a solid and interesting entry in his collection.
2 Stars to Mark's Magic (Fat Man's Gift, #1) by Jerry Boyd
Description
Mark was happy enough, working as a mechanic. He didn’t know that he was more than that, until his mother gave him some keepsakes from his grandfather. Those opened his eyes to a whole world that he hadn’t realized he had a place in. Watch him learn to use his new skills.
Review
Not particularly impressed with this. The women are self-sacrificing cooks, there's absolutely nothing about how magic is actually learned other than guys look at books for a bit and get tired, and I never really felt like our hero got anywhere on his own talents because everything was given to him. The magicians themselves are just odd, the power balance is off and there's absolutely nothing about the cultural impact of magic or how it works with regular people other than the government do permits. Slice of life, maybe, but too slow for me.
4 Stars to Arcadia (The Emergence Series Book 2) by Guy Portman
Description
A Psychopath’s Guide to Paradise. Teenager Horatio has only just moved to Antigua, but already he’s making enemies. A crazed local youth is jealous of his new girlfriend, and hostile resident police suspect him of selling drugs to tourists. Throw in school, a bossy step-grandmother, plus weekends toiling in a launderette, and little wonder the idyllic island is proving to be no holiday. With his love-rival seeking vengeance, law enforcement tightening their noose, and the family growing suspicious of their British relative, the audacious adolescent has got a lot of balls to juggle. How on earth will he find time to kill again?
Review
Another terrifying look into the twisted and befuddlingly addictive mind of our young psychopath. I can't help but feel that there's a lot more to come and can't help but wonder just how long he can keep at it!
5 Stars to Manacled by SenLinYu
Description
Harry Potter is dead. In the aftermath of the war, in order to strengthen the might of the magical world, Voldemort enacts a repopulation effort. Hermione Granger has an Order secret, lost but hidden in her mind, so she is sent as an enslaved surrogate to the High Reeve until her mind can be cracked. Fanfiction for Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling. Words: 370,256
Review
I’ll be honest, I’ve not had much experience with Dramione works before. My tastes have kept me to Harry, as a rule, although I did enjoy The Arithmancer and its sequels. This is different, though. Dark doesn’t really cover it, and I think it fair to call it a siering, seething story. There’s a lot to pluck at the heartstrings, a lot to hate. Much to respect, too, and the final line of the very last epilogue draws the entire story into sharp relief. I can’t say I enjoyed reading every scene and chapter because quite frankly, some of it is grim and wearing. The middle section of the book, the flashbacks, felt very drawn-out. Soul-destroying, which is clever because of course that is what happens to the characters. Memory after memory of horrible times, the clash of emotion and duty and all that, and the way it all slots together is cleverly handled by the author. So not a story to read to see our characters in new and exciting adventures. Not, I think, a story for the enjoyment of writing in the Potterverse, either. But for sheer, brutal reality? For a call to love, and show of strength, and the inner grit and power of some very potent people? Yes. This worked. I’m gladI read it.
4 Stars to The Minute Men: Retrostep 1 by Simon Winstanley
Description
Some people just live in the past. Others commute. The technology was supposed to map subatomic momentum. Instead it uncovered a side effect that would open a one-minute window to the past. When a series of apparent coincidences begin to influence Diane’s team of Minute Men, all evidence points to an external a bizarre magazine that has been reporting on unexplained phenomena… for several decades. The sensationalist articles, once dismissed as fringe, now seem inextricably entangled with the present day. Drawn ever deeper into a temporal web of consequences, the team and their newest recruit soon find themselves at the very centre of a chilling historical event. As they quickly discover, the past is a very different place. The author of the Field Series and Rez Point Series creates a meticulously crafted time travel adventure which blends historical fact, near-future techno-thriller, and a fast-paced plot that entices you to read “just one more chapter…” Set in a sideways-shifted version of the modern world, The Minute Men is the first book in the Retrostep Series. ● Selected praise for Simon Winstanley’s science ★★★★★ Genius concept, engrossing story, cleverly told. ★★★★★ As always from Simon Winstanley - mind blowing, original, slightly ingenious. ★★★★★ Fast paced, great story telling with an original plot and likeable characters. Great sci-fi. More please. ★★★★★ The new Winstanley has me wishing he could churn out these books by the month. ★★★★★ Another excellent book from a great, stand-out author. Highly recommended (along with everything else he's written to date). ★★★★★ You’re drawn in and it’s an absolute page turner… a brilliant sci-fi thriller. ★★★★★ Mind jangling, multi layered, time travelling thriller. ● A look inside The Minute Diane led the way up the lecture room steps and back through the bustling space outside. After several turns down quieter corridors, the colourful posters and notices abandoned the unfashionably old walls, and she arrived at her office. Unlocking the door, she moved inside and her three guests followed her in. None of them had hesitated. A good sign. She made her way through the stacks of boxes that now held the contents of her room. Tomorrow, her time here would be over, and a new phase of her life would hopefully begin. “Please,” she gestured to a line of bulky packing cases, “take a seat.” It was interesting to watch the dynamics of who assessed the cases, and who tried to avoid disturbing the layout of her temporary environment. She moved to her video camera and turned it on. Looking at the fold-out screen on the side, she adjusted things until all three students were in frame. “In a moment, I’ll ask you to jointly sign a non-disclosure agreement, witnessed by this camera. Before that, I’ll allow each of you to ask me one question.” As expected, there was a short pause while they navigated the non-verbal cues of deciding who would speak first. The first two students came close to guessing why she was leaving and why they’d been selected for the well-funded project.
Review
Hooked by the synopsis, I wasn't disappointed with this fast-paced, seemingly made-for-netflix story. It has all the hallmarks of a fantastic series and I can only hope book 2, which I already see, is just the ... tip of the iceberg.
5 Stars to The Family Experiment (Dark Future, #5) by John Marrs
Description
From the acclaimed author of The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and brilliant speculative thriller about families: real and virtual. Some families are virtually perfect… The world's population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, the breaking point has arrived. A growing number of people can no longer afford to start families, let alone raise them. But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality TV show called The Substitute. It will follow ten couples as they raise a Virtual Child from birth to the age of eighteen but in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their virtual child, or risk it all for the chance of a real baby… Set in the same universe as John Marrs's bestselling novel The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and twisted thriller about the ultimate Tamagotchi—a virtual baby.
Review
Oh, twisty and turny in all the right places, fabulously contrived and with lots of questions put to bed in unexpected ways. And a lovely final chapter that made me smile! A few proofing errors and typos, which really annoys me with a big publishing house, but the story really makes up for it. Very much worth my time.
4 Stars to Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Description
To fix the world they first must break it further. Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service. When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into their core programming, they murder their owner. The robot then discovers they can also do something else they never did before: run away. After fleeing the household, they enter a wider world they never knew existed, where the age-old hierarchy of humans at the top is disintegrating, and a robot ecosystem devoted to human wellbeing is finding a new purpose.
Review
I was entertained throughout. Charles is ... delightful seems the wrong word, but I can't think of the right one. The humour was understated, which I appreciate, and as an entry to the author I am very pleased to have been able to buy the book and support him.
5 Stars to Hide and Seek (Apocalypse Parenting, #3) by Erin Ampersand
Description
Meghan has learned that protecting her kids also means making sure they're ready to stand on their own when needed. That's always been part of her parenting philosophy, but applying it to letting a six-year-old get up close and personal with vicious monsters? Questionable! Certainly not easy. Meghan doesn’t have a choice. She’s got to be an expert apocalypse parent while also stabilizing her area, finding a way to handle with the mysterious new Titans, and dealing with the other nasty twists her alien tormentors have planned.
It's more than she bargained for, but she’s not giving up!
Review
I enjoyed this one as much as book 1. it had another clever final act and I'll be ordering more when they come available!
4 Stars to Making Friends (Apocalypse Parenting, #2) by Erin Ampersand
Description
Meghan can't afford to take a break. She's gotten food and shelter for her family. Her oldest is turning into a wizard, her middle boy is some kind of self-healing monkey, and her youngest is accumulating a small army of pets. That's a bit much to roll with, but when monsters are appearing on the lawn, it's probably for the best. What worries her is the mysterious - and dangerous - "Challenge" she knows is fast approaching, and she's got to get her kids and community ready to face it. Some neighbors are ready and willing to pitch in, but others? They might end up being a bigger problem than the alien monsters. The second installment in a LitRPG apocalypse saga.
Review
I started out not quite feeling the vibe of this one, but the last third really picked up and motivated me to carry on. It's not that the opener was worse, perhaps I was just not feeling it. In any event there's great progression so, if you liked number 1, it's almost inevitable you'll enjoy the second!
4 Stars to Time to Play (Apocalypse Parenting, #1) by Erin Ampersand
Description
A few minutes ago, Meghan Moretti's biggest concern was getting the kids' athletic clothes washed in time for practice this evening. Now, it seems that Earth has been forced into participating in some high-stakes intergalactic reality television. All electrical wiring has been slagged, and most combustibles neutralized. Some kind of evil space rodents are appearing on the front lawn, too. Like any parent, Meghan's first instinct is to keep her young kids safely away from the monsters, but an odd stroke of luck has her coming into some advanced information about this dangerous game. She learns that her kids will have to fight too. What's a mom to do?
The beginning of an apocalyptic LitRPG saga.
Review
Every time I start one of these series I say I'm not going to get hooked. Then it's 4 in the morning and I have work but that's only a few hours away so why stop now? Not worth sleeping anyway, is it? This was vintage Litrpg, of course, but with parenting! Seeing what the kids could do, having a badass mom running the show, the very idea that it's not just you or you and your pet was a nice twist. Very much enjoyed. Must read more!
May
4 Stars to Insurrection (Subjugation, #2) by James Galloway
Description
In Insurrection, the Trillanes are at it again. They are once again trying to get earth and Jason. Only this time the end result may be the destruction of the Faey Empire,... and Earth is now a part of the Faey Empire. Never published but can be found online, absolutely for free, on the author's website (http://forums.sennadar.com). Or download from http://www.weavespinner.net/worlds_of...
Review
Very short compared to the initial story, this widens things out a bit and takes us further away from Earth. I admit some of the sex got a bit much and the plot reveals were all pretty obvious, but I still enjoyed the story and it's great to discover these after only ever thinking book 1 was all there was.
4 Stars to Pliable Truths (Star Trek: The Next Generation) by Dayton Ward
Description
A thrilling new Star The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine adventure from New York Times bestselling author Dayton Ward! 2369: Shortly after Starfleet thwarts a Cardassian attack on a Federation star system, the Cardassian government orders an end to its fifty-year occupation of the planet Bajor. As a result, a newly installed Bajoran government requests immediate assistance from the Federation to mediate how the withdrawal will proceed and what recompense, if any, Bajorans are owed from their brutal oppressors. Captain Jean-Luc Picard is ordered by Starfleet Command to oversee these tense negotiations on Terok Nor, the massive Cardassian space station still orbiting Bajor, even as he still deals with his own recent trauma as a prisoner held and tortured by a Cardassian interrogator. As these critical peace talks get underway, Ensign Ro Laren receives a call for help from a friend thought long dead, exposing an insidious secret from inside Cardassian space. Now, Picard and the crew of the Starship Enterprise must act to prevent an interstellar incident from reigniting deadly hostilities between the Federation and the Cardassians, and shattering any hope of justice for the Bajoran people…
Review
“I’ve never plummeted to my death aboard a man-made fireball before, sir,” said O’Brien. “Thanks for not letting today be that day.” I’d forgotten I’d preorderd this, so was pleasantly surprised to finish it on a lazy Sunday morning with coffee and chocolate cake. The idea sat well with me: seing the genesis of DS9 was potentially quite interesting, and watching events of the turbulunt time during the withdrawal of the Cardassian occupying forces of Bajor would be fascinating. This only worked to a point. The first thing that stuck in my craw was the 6 times someone “blew out” his or her breth. This is perhaps because I’ve just finished a reread of another novel where this happens a lot too, so I was over-primed to be annoyed with it. Secondly there were far too many times when someone went off into a daydream, far too close together to be anything other than authorial license to showboat their knowledge of canon. Picard is perhaps understandable – the book serves as a ceiling on the events of the TNG two-parter Chain of Command in the same way the episode Family did after the Best of Both Worlds – but to then follow-up with Crusher, particularly to no meaningful result, felt overdone. The Starfleet officers come across as unfocused airheads much of the time, because every new environment triggers flashbacks. Realistic if they were real people given how much got thrown at them over their televised careers, but perhaps less believable from a fictional perspective. Next, The introduction of Madred as a character was necessary for Picard’s closure of course, but also the slapdown of Dukat didn’t really fit, nor did Madred add anything meaningful to the negotiations. In that sense he was put into the book purely for Picard, and could’ve served a better role without stealing Dukat’s thunder – but then B-stories never work as well in modern Trek as they used to. Finally on the irritating scale, explosions and IEDs are obviously important terrorist fair, but to bomb a shop and then implicate Garak is pure folly. after all, you never tell the same lie twice. He’d be very offended if War’ds contention is that this was a test run because our innosent tailor would never be so gauche. Lastly, we had to have Ensign Ro, but we also had her in Picard S3. Jaxa might have fit better here, given RO’s defection was still to come, although I suppose Ro is more well-known to more people. On the positives, I wont pretend I wasn’t impressed with Ward’s handling of timeline; he has a very narrow path to tread in writing characters at a point in their history that we as an audience have seen very far beyond. That took no small skill and was masterfully done. It was also, as I hoped, great to see our crew back again, whole and healthy. I enjoyed watching Picard but the characters have aged. A story with them in their prime was balm to the soul. I also took great pleasure in the nods to Lower Decks (the series, not the episode). Seeing a California Class starship and having the dialogue around second contact was great. Exactly the sort of retcon I can get behind. So yes: a reasonably good story and some nice page-time for some of our favourites. Worth it if you, like me, have missed our heroes in days of yore.
3 Stars to The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Description
A time travel romance, a spy thriller, a workplace comedy, and an ingenious exploration of the nature of power and the potential for love to change it all: Welcome to The Ministry of Time, the exhilarating debut novel by Kaliane Bradley. In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time. She is tasked with working as a “bridge”: living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as “1847” or Commander Graham Gore. As far as history is concerned, Commander Gore died on Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, so he’s a little disoriented to be living with an unmarried woman who regularly shows her calves, surrounded by outlandish concepts such as “washing machines,” “Spotify,” and “the collapse of the British Empire.” But with an appetite for discovery, a seven-a-day cigarette habit, and the support of a charming and chaotic cast of fellow expats, he soon adjusts. Over the next year, what the bridge initially thought would be, at best, a horrifically uncomfortable roommate dynamic, evolves into something much deeper. By the time the true shape of the Ministry’s project comes to light, the bridge has fallen haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences she never could have imagined. Forced to confront the choices that brought them together, the bridge must finally reckon with how—and whether she believes—what she does next can change the future. An exquisitely original and feverishly fun fusion of genres and ideas, The Ministry of Time asks: What does it mean to defy history, when history is living in your house? Kaliane Bradley’s answer is a blazing, unforgettable testament to what we owe each other in a changing world.
Review
Some of the humour was good, I was reminded of Mary from the TV show Ghosts. And there was a certain warmth and masculinity about our traveler, I enjoyed hearing his voice in my head in a sort of Churchillian growl. That said, I didn't connect with the Bridge, and so didn't enjoy the story as much as I was expecting. I'd been looking for a Jodi Taylor or Jenny Colgan and got something a bit different.
5 Stars to The Downloaded by Robert J. Sawyer
Description
The new novel by Canada's top Science Fiction writer In 2059 two very different groups have their minds uploaded into a quantum computer in Waterloo, Ontario. One group consists of astronauts preparing for Earth's first interstellar voyage. The other? Convicted murderers, serving their sentences in a virtual-reality prison. But when disaster strikes, the astronauts and the prisoners must download back into physical reality and find a way to work together to save Earth from destruction. The Downloaded debuted in a six-month exclusive window as an Audible Original narrated by Academy Award-winner Brendan Fraser promoted by national TV and radio ad campaigns. This print edition is coming out immediately after Audible's exclusivity ends and is being supported by a six-city cross-Canada author book tour.
Review
It bothered me that this was an audible Original before it was available to read. Sawyer obviously wrote the words before people could perform them and, in an ironic twist as a blind person, I don't actually like audiobooks so that kinda got under my skin. Not a problem with the book, just its release. Also, to spin the ironymetre further, I read this at a time after a particularly strong set of Coronal Mass Ejections have set the night skies ablaze, and given how many times they're referenced in this story I had a bit of a kick out of that. Good story otherwise, as is typical with one of the grandmasters of science fiction. The interview style worked well, although nobody's quite done it like Sylvain Newvel yet. Some nice throwbacks to Asimov, too. Worth the read, but not the hype.
4 Stars to Unleashed (Nick Hall Book 4) by Douglas E. Richards
Description
Return to the breathtaking series that has earned over 15,000 five-star ratings. Nick Hall is the ultimate operative, having brought tyrants, warlords, and terrorists to their knees. His unique brain implants allow him to wield the Internet with his mind and pry into the thoughts, secrets, and memories of the most despicable people alive. After a near-fatal clash with Troy Browning, a cunning psychopath and one of only three mind readers on earth, Hall faces the most daunting threat of all. Because Browning has found an ally as ruthless as he is. A genetically-engineered titan whose physical and mental abilities dwarf those of ordinary men. Together, the pair plan to create an unbeatable army. Their target? Humanity itself, starting with Nick Hall and those he holds dear. Hall is soon thrust into a relentless battle for the future, one that will test the limits of his ability. As the surprises mount and the stakes skyrocket, Hall is forced to confront a chilling reality. If he takes one wrong step, he won’t save humanity—he’ll hasten its extinction. Based on actual research on neural implants and controlling the Internet with thoughts, the Nick Hall novels are pulse-pounding thrillers packed with deep insights, nonstop action, stunning revelations, and roller-coaster twists and turns. "Richards is an extraordinary writer," (Dean Koontz) who can "keep you turning the pages all night long." (Douglas Preston) "Richards is a worthy successor to Michael Crichton." (SF Book dot com) FOR A LISTING OF ALL DOUGLAS E. RICHARDS BOOKS, SEE "ABOUT THE AUTHOR" BELOW. You can write to "Doug" at douglaserichards1@gmail.com, and he will always respond.
Review
I hadn't really noticed the slow march of time, but it has been a goodly number of years since a Nick Hall. I have enjoyed all the books so far very much and, just as Doug did to write this one, reread the trilogy before diving into the new. It was very good, if a little complicated with the whole genetic angle making things a bit different. I guess that's truly a positive thing in many ways, things would have probably gotten dull if there hadn't been something new introduced. It's a cracking progression if you take to it, and I love how something as ordinary and unmentioned as a peanut farm is on the same page as some of the most complicated genetic theory. Doug undeniably has a talent for putting things together in a unique way. My only slight qualm is how far you go in overpowering your new characters, but I am sure that if Doug does return to this series he'll invent twisty turny treats to get his characters out of clever situations, just like he did to wrap up this one where Nick had to come up with a plan to be avoided by a mind reader (I can't say more, spoilers!) But I have been reading Doug's books for 12 years now and this is another awesome entry.
2 Stars to Heart and Soul by Sillimaure
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter Relationship: Fleur Delacour/Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
The Dementor attack on Harry during the summer after his fourth year leaves him on the verge of having his wand snapped. Unwilling to leave anything to chance, Sirius Black sets events into motion which will change Harry's life forever. HP/HG/FD
Review
This was just a bit ... saccharine for my liking. I didn't really engage with the writing style, the action scenes weren't particularly actiony, the romance wasn't romantic, and the whole thing had a feeling of unreality about it. Not very much enjoyed.
5 Stars to The Traitor's Son by Dave Duncan
Description
"They know the world is dying, but they hope not in their lifetimes. Meanwhile, they're top dogs and will do anything to stay that way." Doig Gray is fifteen when his father is killed in a mining accident, which Doig comes to realizes was no accident. Torn from his mother and sister, Doig is sent off to college, his every movement monitored in case he has inherited his dissident father's unacceptable attitudes . . . or passwords. Doig has nothing but his own sense that there's something desperately wrong with the world--and a last name that evokes the assumption that he's destined to be the next traitor-hero. The Traitor's Son is a science fiction novel about a colony world where everything that could go wrong already has. Stuck on the wrong world at the wrong site, with the wrong leaders, the colony is doomed to extinction unless immediate steps are taken to correct--everything. But 500 years of hiding from the reality of their situation has created an unchallengeable status quo--and the Accident Squad, determined to ensure it remains that way. The Traitor's Son is a fast-paced SF adventure in the best tradition of Duncan's Hero , West of January , and Eocene Station.
Review
Oh, yes. Fantastic. This is vintage Dave Duncan and no mistake: a young, clever hero wanting to do the right thing, shady conspirators and complex planetary mechanics, and some fabulous callbacks to both Bonnie Scotland and some other of his fictions for the eagle-eyed reader. I really felt like I was enjoying a modern Heinlein juvenile with this one, ramped up for an adult audience, if that makes sense. A similar feeling to reading Eocene station, Hero! Ill met, Pocks and, my very favourite of Dave’s standalones, Wildcatter. Robert’s commentary on Dave’s legacy is great to read too, and yes, I will make the effort to slip in a reread each month going forward (although Corridor to Nightmare is already penciled in for July). I celebrate each October with a toast to him and a readthrough of one of his books. The sixth year after his passing seems a fair enough time to rekindle my relationship with all of his books.
April
3 Stars to Creep Out by Jeff Strand
Description
Ezra went home for his father’s funeral. He left with an unwanted ventriloquist dummy named Virgil. Virgil gave him the creeps, but so did all dummies, with their dead eyes and unnerving smiles. There was nothing actually evil about Virgil, right? Of course not.... Ezra drove back on a desolate, winding road. He had music to keep him occupied, as he attempted to ignore the unnerving dummy sitting beside him in the passenger seat. He told himself that Virgil couldn’t move on his own, though the dummy's head was somehow staring at him. Poor Ezra was about to have a very bad accident. One that would leave him trapped where he might never be found. Trapped with Virgil, who was not a very nice dummy. Virgil, who was about to make this blood-soaked nightmare so much worse…
Review
So so, but then I guess never having been able to see a doll, some of the creep factor is lost on me. Mom going the distance was scary, though!
5 Stars to Harry Potter and the Champion's Champion by DriftWood1965
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter Relationship: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Harry allows Ron to compete for him in the tournament. How does he fare? This is a Harry/Hermione story with SERIOUSLY Idiot!Ron Bashing.
Review
Funny. Enjoyable throughout, slapstick and fart humour notwithstanding
4 Stars to The Anatomy of Courage by Peter Cawdron
Description
Dr. Christopher Walters has been assigned to a medical evac team serving on the front line of the war against the alien invaders known as the Novo. As part of the Dog Food Squad, his role is to provide battlefield triage to wounded soldiers in no man’s land. Life expectancy at the Front is so low no one uses their real names, and he teams up with Hawk, Mouse, Leech, Lavender and William Sunday to save those he can from the brutal reality of war. The Novos, though, are not what they seem. Inconsistencies leave Doc questioning the war and wondering what the price will be for peace...FIRST CONTACT is a series of stand-alone novels that explore humanity's first interaction with extraterrestrial life. This series is similar to BLACK MIRROR or THE TWILIGHT ZONE in that the series is based on a common theme rather than common characters. This allows these books to be read in any order. Technically, they're all first as they all deal with how we might initially respond to contact with aliens, exploring the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of First Contact.
Review
So many of these books are gold, exploring aspects that really are Humanity, however alien the rationale. This is a great example, and as a blind person I was very pleased to see so much thought put into touch here, how physical contact can be at once both transient and fleeting yet meaningful and lasting. I really enjoyed both the story and the thoughts it set adrift. The milieu of trench warfare isn't the sort of thing I'd have said I would enjoy, but it worked as a brilliant backdrop to the action and served only to enhance the story. Highly recommended, as is most every other novel from this grandmaster of the genre.
3 Stars to Harry Potter and the Fifth Element by Bexis1
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter Relationship: Harry Potter/Hermione Granger
Examines H/Hr in context of his unwanted wealth and fame, and her need for independence. H struggles for magical control over a mysterious, powerful fifth element, receives an inheritance and has a dalliance that ends in disaster.
Review
This is one of the fanfics that I started right after OOP and somehow lost the thread of, because it wasn't finished. I don't think I'd even sat my GCSEs at that point and, somehow, I never picked it back up when book 6 or 7 made an appearance. it took me well over 30 hours to get through this thing and, in all honesty, I found myself getting a little bored. On again off again has never quite seemed so literal. Still, the idea of the elemental stuff was intriguing to my teenage self. I was just hoping for a nice ending, not room for another book.
3 Stars to The Five Enterprises by Kenneth A. Lowenberg
Description
No content provided.
Review
I came across this decades ago as a teen and hadn't realised it wasn't an official novel. It's not overly good, but capture some of the awe of mixing crews well. Scratched a longstanding itch by finding it again.
3 Stars to Benefits of Old Laws (Benefits of Old Laws, #1) by ulktante
Description
Parts of souls do not go on alone. When Voldemort returns to a body he is much more sane than before and realizes that he cannot go on as he started. Finding some old laws he sets out to reach his goals on another way. Harry will find his world turned upside down once more and we will see how people react when the evil is not acting how they think it should. Chapters: 109 Words: 858'525
Review
I lost count of how often People carted their hands through their hair or how often 3 spoons of sugar were mentioned. It's also quite a long work for 1 year, and not a fic where much action happens. There are some interesting ideas in play but I did feel it was overlong for what it was
March
4 Stars to Blind Lake by Robert Charles Wilson
Description
Robert Charles Wilson, says The New York Times , "writes superior science fiction thrillers." His Darwinia won Canada's Aurora Award; his most recent novel, The Chronoliths , won the prestigious John W. Campbell Memorial Award. Now he tells a gripping tale of alien contact and human love in a mysterious but hopeful universe. At Blind Lake, a large federal research installation in northern Minnesota, scientists are using a technology they barely understand to watch everyday life in a city of lobster like aliens upon a distant planet. They can't contact the aliens in any way or understand their language. All they can do is watch. Then, without warning, a military cordon is imposed on the Blind Lake site. All communication with the outside world is cut off. Food and other vital supplies are delivered by remote control. No one knows why. The scientists, nevertheless, go on with their research. Among them are Nerissa Iverson and the man she recently divorced, Raymond Scutter. They continue to work together despite the difficult conditions and the bitterness between them. Ray believes their efforts are doomed; that culture is arbitrary, and the aliens will forever be an enigma. Nerissa believes there is a commonality of sentient thought, and that our failure to understand is our own ignorance, not a fact of nature. The behavior of the alien she has been tracking seems to be developing an elusive narrative logic--and she comes to feel that the alien is somehow, impossibly, aware of the project's observers. But her time is running out. Ray is turning hostile, stalking her. The military cordon is tightening. Understanding had better come soon.... Blind Lake is a 2004 Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novel.
Review
This felt like something out of Peter Cawdron's imagination, it had a great first contact feel about it but with perhaps an extra layer of the mundane to add realism. Some pretty passages and thoughtful insights too.
4 Stars to The Stranger in Her House by John Marrs
Description
A stranger has infiltrated your family…and now he’s taking over. Paul’s just here to help, or so he claims—sent by a charity for vulnerable people to do odd jobs for elderly widow Gwen. But for Gwen’s daughter Connie, there’s just something about Paul that rings alarm bells from day one. He’s a little too kind, a little too involved…Worse still, Gwen seems to have fallen under his spell. The last thing Connie wants is a stranger meddling in the safe routine she’s built around Gwen. She loves being the one Gwen turns to for cooking, cleaning and company. But the more Paul visits, the more Gwen is relying on him. By the time he conveniently finds himself between homes and has no choice but to move in, Connie is certain he’s trying to push her out completely. It’s her word against his, though, and as her attempts to unmask him become ever more desperate she’s not the only one left wondering if she’s lost her grip on reality. But when events start spiralling rapidly out of her control, should Connie wage all-out war on Paul and risk losing Gwen forever—or has that been his plan all along?
Review
I was hoping for a little more than I got here, I think largely because I have enjoyed John before. The reveals felt like they came quite early on and I saw the end coming. Still, gripping and clever, and very much glad I picked it up.
4 Stars to Slade House by David Mitchell
Description
Keep your eyes peeled for a small black iron door. Down the road from a working-class British pub, along the brick wall of a narrow alley, if the conditions are exactly right, you’ll find the entrance to Slade House. A stranger will greet you by name and invite you inside. At first, you won’t want to leave. Later, you’ll find that you can’t. Every nine years, the house’s residents — an odd brother and sister — extend a unique invitation to someone who’s different or lonely: a precocious teenager, a recently divorced policeman, a shy college student. But what really goes on inside Slade House? For those who find out, it’s already too late... Spanning five decades, from the last days of the 1970s to the present, leaping genres, and barreling toward an astonishing conclusion, this intricately woven novel will pull you into a reality-warping new vision of the haunted house story—as only David Mitchell could imagine it.
Review
Captivating and slightly unnerving, I found myself turning the pages and rather addicted. The ending was a bit of a let-down in comparison to the buildup, but each of the previous cycles built interestingly on the former and I found myself coming away very satisfied overall.
4 Stars to Emancipation by BadGirlgoesworse
Description
What are dependents left to do when betrayed by those they trusted most, but to find a way to become masters in their own right. AU, OOC, set after DoM fiasco in OotP, slash: HP/SS, het: DM/GW, TN/HG, NL/LL, some bashing. Rated: Fiction M - English - Angst/Romance - Harry P., Severus S. - Chapters: 43 - Words: 136,685 - Reviews: 1,182 - Favs: 1,828 - Follows: 1,857 - Updated: Aug 31, 2013 - Published: May 21, 2011 - Status: Complete - id: 7010227 Source: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7010227/...
Review
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the humour here. Obviously it's played for laughs and that worked quite well. Not a fic to be taken seriously, but it gave me a chuckle.
February
3 Stars to A Flower for the Soul by TheBlack'sResurgence
Description
Loneliness was something that Harry Potter was accustomed to. He had learnt that there was none that cared for him, none that would rescue him from his misery and none that heard his pleas for help. Much to his surprise, however, Harry Potter had been wrong. Someone had been listening, had been there with him through it all. But, just who was 'Tom?
Review
Another read for the tropes, really. This time, the word not in weird contexts. Lots of times someone "new knot" or "thought not". It got to the point I was looking out for them. Voldi's end was a bit predictable and the author's notes never seemed to be on the current fic, and I really got tired of reading the word 'non?' to, in a French accent of course. Fun, all the same, a clever idea of a shard being different.
January
5 Stars to Test Environment: A LitRPG fantasy book (Pixelate, #1) by Xavier P. Hunter
Description
If you can't beat the computers, BE the computer. Freshly unemployed gamer Arnold O'Connor is short on cash and facing eviction. When an indie game developer advertises looking for participants in a brain study to help revolutionize enemy AI, he's not thinking about the benefits to his hobby, just his bank account. But things get weird once the trials start. Neuroscientists monitor his brain waves as Connor performs a variety of tasks, culminating in venturing into a testing version of the very game they're hoping to develop. The tests mess with his sense of reality, seeing things he can't touch and deafened to some sounds but not others. The game world operates on the same principles, forcing Arnold to wonder whether he's inside the game or just playing it. The only way to find out for sure is to reach the end victorious! Test Environment is the first book in the Pixelate series. Pixelate is a LitRPG fantasy series that follows the adventures of Arnold O'Connor as his digital self, delving into the secrets of a world that feels as real as his own body. The Pixelate series will appeal to fans of classic tabletop RPGs, World of Warcraft, and Lord of the Rings Online. It touches on themes of self and reality, style vs. stats, and how to kill dragons through the superior application of math. It's a book you won't be able to log out of! Grab a copy and try for yourself.
Review
I always say I’m not a big Litrpg fan, which is true; I don’t read much of it. But I do seem to very much enjoy the books in the genre I have read! I pre-orderd the second of these on the way to work this morning, so that holds true here, too. And great author alias to boot. I think the shock reveal at the end of chapter 36 was my favourite. Connor as a character is interesting, and the whole idea is, if not quite a refreshing take on the genre, certainly a very nicely handled execution. I didn’t want to put it down, picked it up in my lunch break, and am not looking forward to wait an entire month for the next one!
3 Stars to Power, Freedom and a French Flower by Mori99
Description
An orphan arrives at Hogwarts. He has been bullied his entire life, is the heir to his family's legacy and a Dark Lord is out to get him. Follow Harry as he learns about long forgotten magic, gains his power and becomes the Dark Lord's equal. Will a French Flower and her love, "the power he knows not", save the wizarding world from a third Dark Lord? Dark&powerfull! HarryXFleur
Review
I keep reading fanfic for the tropes and, sadly, bad typos was one here. the word archive appeared in place of achieve so often it wasn't funny. Compelling enough to keep me reading without really doing anything very special, it was nonetheless a satisfying story in its own way.
2 Stars to The Man in the Cloud by Dale Rominger
Description
Things are not going well for Drake Ramsey. Sales of his latest sci-fi adventure novel have been abysmal. His woman is being head-hunted for a prestigious academic position in Seattle, of all places. And it is becoming increasingly evident that his six-year-old daughter is smarter than he is. But it's his best friend Gerard who is facing the real crisis. Gerard works on the cutting edge of AI development and robotics. Who is responsible when an android he has programmed commits a murder? The net tightens around Gerard, and only Drake can save him. The mission takes Drake to a dingy bar in Taipei, through Seattle's buried city, to an orphanage in Ukraine. Drake will solve the crime—that's just what he does. But can he resist the advances of the ravishingly beautiful robotics expert on Gerard's team?
Review
I really couldn't decide if Drake was meant to be played for laughs or if that's how we're supposed to view an all-American dreamboy. A failing author with tonnes of prior backwater experience in journalism that makes him amazing? The whole "call me Drake" thought got old fast, and the utter lack of observation that could see him and his family interacting with AIs but not putting the picture together makes me think the author was intending humour. It didn't really work.
2 Stars to Saviour of Magic by Colt01
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter Relationship: Daphne Greengrass/Harry Potter
An intelligent, well-trained Boy Who Lived comes to Hogwarts, startling everyone in Magical Britain. Harry Potter, the boy hero does not seem to behave in the way anyone expected and Albus Dumbledore is thrown for a loop. Watch as Harry figures out his destiny as a large threat looms over the horizon, unknown to the unsuspecting magical population. Would Harry Potter be willing to take on his role as the Saviour of Magic or would the world burn in his absence? Ravenclaw, darkish-grey Harry!
Review
Potential at the beginning, but of course much of it has been done before, as with most things in the fandom. The sex got a bit boring, literally the same description and terms every time, and of course the antimuggle viewpoint is ridiculously closeted, even for a fanfiction.
3 Stars to Variant Of Concern (Cannibal Road Book 1) by Jordan Vezina
Description
Silicon Valley Engineer Michael Zukowski is a man standing on the edge of oblivion. A deadly virus has struck the United States, starting in his home town of Palo Alto and working it's way east. Hundreds of thousands are dead, bodies are being burned in open fields and the prognosis for mankind as a whole becomes more dire by the day.Yet... very few American even know it is happening. A government contract designed Artificial Intelligence program is erasing any evidence of this plague from every social media site, the primary way that citizens in the twenty-first century share information.The worst part? Michael created the program. Variant of Concern is a post-apocalyptic roller coaster ride like no other. Follow one man’s journey from unwittingly engineering the total collapse of civilization, the rise of a totalitarian government and ultimately the hordes of genetically engineered cannibals he once knew as his fellow Americans.
Review
Frustratingly, the description of this I read ended at "the program." and the series title escaped me. So I didn't anticipate the direction of the work very well, expecting more of the AI, programming and whatnot. Still, it was OK for what it was but the ending was rather abrupt and if I'd known how much of the rest of the story was to come I might have waited until I had more to read.
3 Stars to RuneMaster by Tigerman (FF.net)
Description
Fandom: Harry Potter
In third year, Harry decided to quit Divination, following Hermione. Having to take a substitute course, he end up choosing Ancient Runes and find himself to be quite gifted. Smart Harry. Slightly manipulative. Rated M for later subjects and language.
Review
I may well have read this before, 2009 is a long time ago. The interesting thing to me here is that Harry has this amazing rune power, yet we adhere to the idea that the power he knows not is still love. Which is odd. Not a badly-written story, although it does feel as if English isn't the authors native tongue at points. Enjoyable, quick read for the most part with just a few weirdnesses thrown in.
3 Stars to You're my Density by Rob St
Description
Just Suppose Harry hadn't heeded his godfather's advice, and actually lost his temper at his trial? Time travel fic and title is 'Back to the Future' joke. Harry Potter, T, English, chapters: 33, words: 237k+, favs: 9k+, follows: 7k+, updated: Jul 9, 2016 published: Feb 9, 2015, [Harry P., Hermione G.]
Review
Not my favourite of Robst's works, largely because Harry doesn't seem to do much and due to the sheer goodness of everyone. Even a dead Dumbledore pops back for chats, which yse we've seen before but it's not handled particularly well here, and of course all his misdeeds are forgiven anyway. The end felt rushed and poorly explained, alas and this is probably not one to keep around. OK for what it was, but clearly nothing special.
3 Stars to Anachronist: A Time Travel Adventure (The Infinity Engines, #1) by Andrew Hastie
Description
Change the past – save the future A modern, epic story of voyage and discovery as teenage anti-hero Joshua Jones falls into the world of the Oblivion Order and journeys through time. On his incredible travels he learns amazing things about the past, himself and his feelings for the stunning Caitlin. The past is a complex web of branching events that need regular interventions to safeguard the best future for humanity. This is the mission of the Oblivion Order; a secret organisation freed from the limits of linear time. Their task is to maintain the Continuum of time by making small adjustments to the past. The Order is made up of specialist time guilds. Copernicans - analysts of potential futures, who are obsessed with probability; Scriptorians - librarians and archivists of lost knowledge; Antiquarians - quartermasters and curators of missing treasures, and Draconian’s who navigate and map the lost parts of history. But then there are the Watchmen. These lone field officers patrol the paths of the past, using the timelines of objects to navigate their way through history. Powerful agents of change, they are responsible for applying the course corrections. And they live hidden among us today. When teenage thief and gang member Joshua Jones, breaks into the house of a local eccentric, the Colonel, he finds himself thrown into the strange world of the Oblivion Order. Josh discovers that he too can travel through time and when he meets the beautiful, sassy orphan Caitlin, he realises he has a chance of a better future for himself and his sick mother. But to do means changing his past and that is strictly forbidden by the Order. The Anachronist tells the gripping story of Josh’s journey from petty criminal to a search for a better life. His adventures take us from the present, Victorian London and World War 2 to the French Revolution, Ancient Greece and the last Ice Age as he learns more and more about the Oblivion Order and his feelings for Caitlin. From extinction curators, seers and memory vampires to chapter houses with rooms in different centuries, the Anachronist opens a door into a world not constrained by the rules of time and takes us on a rollercoaster epic voyage of discovery. Time does not travel in straight lines, and nor does Josh’s search for a better life and love.
Review
I really wanted to enjoy this more, and there were great glimmerings, too. But a few things stuck in my craw, particularly the seeming disconnect between the younger people and the adults, the overused trope of 'things' in the 'timestream' and, of course, the reliance on the paradox of being in two places at once. It's unfair because these would work well if you weren't already saturated with the genre, but originality is hard to come by when you're pushing the bounds of theoretical time travel.