Language, loyalty and exploitation come under the microscope in RF Kuang’s alternate history of a magically-fuelled British Empire. In 19th century Oxford, Cantonese scholar Robin Swift is about to learn that his unwelcome differences are also his route to influence… if he’s prepared to accept the terrible costs of power.
Category Archive: Reviews
I’m getting most of my reading done via audiobooks at the moment, which is a massive change for me. Over the past year I’ve learned to absorb new reads as well as rereads and I’m long overdue some reviews, so today I’m focusing on two debut novels about women, love, and the siren song of the sea.
In 2022, I set myself the multi-year ‘challenge’ of reading the anthologies on my shelves. I’m starting my 2023 bite-size adventures with Opulent Syntax, Neon Hemlock’s latest anthology of speculative fiction – a gorgeous collection of tales by Irish writers.
My new year’s reading is coming along (very) slowly, but I’m still chipping away at my review backlog. Today’s reviews are space operas read in 2022: Warlady by Jo Graham and Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings.
Nearly half my 2022 reading and two thirds of my review backlog were SF titles – time for some lightning reviews to capture my impressions before they fade away, starting with 3 SFnal thrillers: Plan For Chaos by John Wyndham, The Nox by Joe White & Catriona Ward and Pollen From A Future Harvest by Derek Künsken.
I began the year by signing up to lots of challenges, none of which I expected to take terribly seriously – they were intended to help me pick my next backlist read, rather than to be strictly achieved. Just as well really, since I stopped tracking any of them long before summer. But did I accidentally complete any (prompts) at all?
The long, devastating war is over. Kingston, victorious, can begin to heal. But when veterans begin murdering their families and a journalist dies in his arms, Doctor Miles Singer is drawn into a conspiracy that could force him to expose his own secrets. The battle for Kingston’s soul has only just begun…
The old city was ruthlessly quarantined when an ancient virus was unleashed, but analyst Crash knows its secrets and walks its haunted streets. When the company dreadnought sends a secret message from the deepspace anomaly known as the Eye, the city is the only place Crash can pick it up. But what could push the Demiurge to call for help?
As omens and natural disasters assail Narida, people flock to the banner of Nari Reborn. Natan the God-King faces a battle for his birthright – and he doesn’t even know that the Golden is sailing for his shore intent on killing a god…
In a city where night never falls, a serial killer is stalking the well-lit streets and the daughter of an influential industrialist has gone missing. John Nyquist must navigate the complex timelines of Dayzone to find one and elude the other.
Here at There’s Always Room For One More I usually focus on books, but I’ve been meaning to wrap up my thoughts on some of the TV I’ve enjoyed this year too. With the end of 2022 at hand, I want to at least make time to yell from the rooftops about my show of the year – AppleTV’s unnerving, perfectly controlled Severance.
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Cassie was suspended for an antisocial incident at school. Her penance is to read to the ailing proprietor of the town’s esoteric bookshop. When Mr Gussy warns her off a very particular book in his shop, she can’t resist cracking open the ‘dark tome’ – only to find herself whisked far away and long ago to where an Italian has found a staircase to hell…
Welcome back to Spooktastic Bite-size Reads, where my 2022 challenge to read (some of) the amazing anthologies on my shelves embraces the darker side of fantasy. This week I’m completing my journey around This Dreaming Isle with uncanny tales inspired by British cities and coastline.
They have always walked among us. Some shift shape. Some drink blood. Some step freely between worlds to marvel at the kaleidoscope of lives lived differently. Now, some have chosen to show themselves to us. Others will stop at nothing to keep their secrets. But is humanity ready to live with monsters?
onemore.org 