by R.B. Ashton | Oct 27, 2022 | Book Reviews, Mainstream Literature
The Blacktongue Thief is a standalone epic fantasy from Christopher Buehlman, an author originally known for writing some rather nasty horror. The adventure follows a hapless thief and his companions on a quest into territory overrun by giants – hence I’m...
by R.B. Ashton | Jun 24, 2022 | Book Reviews, Mainstream Literature
The Call and The Invasion are a wonderfully dark and fun duology of books from Irish author Peadar O’Guilin. The less said about the setup the better, I think, as it’s wildly original and worth getting immersed in, but just to say it concerns a school at...
by R.B. Ashton | Apr 24, 2022 | Book Reviews, Mainstream Literature
The Ladies of Grace Adieu is a collection of short stories set in the same world as Susanna Clarke’s incredibly successful Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell – historical fantasy in England during the Napoleonic wars, where magic is a forgotten but reviving art. The...
by R.B. Ashton | Apr 8, 2022 | Book Reviews
Charles de Lint is often credited for pioneering the urban fantasy genre, and it’s clear to see why as his particular blend of contemporary fantasy does an excellent job of blending magic and the unreal with the modern world. The Little Country is a great example of...
by R.B. Ashton | Mar 22, 2022 | Book Reviews, Mainstream Literature
The Hollows series by Kim Harrison is quintessential urban fantasy, which is good or bad depending on your tastes. It has all the hallmarks of a society mingling with supernatural witches, werewolves and demons, and follows expected tropes of a private detective,...
by R.B. Ashton | Mar 15, 2022 | Book Reviews, Mainstream Literature
There’s a moment of scale in Shirley Jackson’s Hangsaman that took me totally by surprise and immediately became one of my favourite things I’ve read. Jackson was an incredible writer who consistently managed to draw both unexpected humour and horror from the most...
