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wordsofapaige's reviews
644 reviews
HELLMOUTH: A short story by Giles Kristian
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this! What a wonderfully chilling short story, that definitely has the potential to become a full length novel. Although that being said it works perfectly well as a novella too.
I'd heard this was something like reading Dark Souls, and to be honest that's a pretty good comparison. It's dark, it's creepy, you don't know who to trust and it has the religious undertones (or just clear ones here) that add that extra horror factor that religion sometimes can. It has superb world-building for such a short tale, and the band of mercenaries it follows come with some great sense of family and bonds to each other. Kristian manages to get across these bonds in such a short space of time and you get swept up in the story.
The final few pages felt quite rushed and I wish we could have explored it just a little more. However, I did love the ending and while it doesn't explain much I really enjoyed the implications that came with it.
If you want a creepy short story you can devour in an evening this is the one for you.
I'd heard this was something like reading Dark Souls, and to be honest that's a pretty good comparison. It's dark, it's creepy, you don't know who to trust and it has the religious undertones (or just clear ones here) that add that extra horror factor that religion sometimes can. It has superb world-building for such a short tale, and the band of mercenaries it follows come with some great sense of family and bonds to each other. Kristian manages to get across these bonds in such a short space of time and you get swept up in the story.
The final few pages felt quite rushed and I wish we could have explored it just a little more. However, I did love the ending and while it doesn't explain much I really enjoyed the implications that came with it.
If you want a creepy short story you can devour in an evening this is the one for you.
From the Neck Up by Aliya Whiteley
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I adore Aliya Whiteley's writing. I knew it from the moment I read and loved Skyward Inn and From The Neck Up just cemented this. Each and every story stands out and there isn't a single story that is weaker than the others. Whiteley is a power house in spec fic writing and you just need to start reading her works if you haven't already.
This is the type of collection where when you flick back to stories you remember them and what was going on. I could have read all of them as full-length stories, but Whiteley manages to pack in the perfect amount of plot and character development. They range from 80 pages to as short at 10 pages, but yet they are all as strong as each other. It's incredibly hard for me to pick a favourite from the collection.
Whiteley explores a whole range of situations, and all of them are set in our recognisable worlds. From what happens in a new Ice Age, to rainbows filled with human faces, and a vengeful Ancient Egyptian priestess. There is a huge variety within this collection but it forms a perfectly cohesive book that you will find hard to put down.
Honestly, I absolutely loved this. Whiteley is top of her game and her works are unlike anything else.
I adore Aliya Whiteley's writing. I knew it from the moment I read and loved Skyward Inn and From The Neck Up just cemented this. Each and every story stands out and there isn't a single story that is weaker than the others. Whiteley is a power house in spec fic writing and you just need to start reading her works if you haven't already.
This is the type of collection where when you flick back to stories you remember them and what was going on. I could have read all of them as full-length stories, but Whiteley manages to pack in the perfect amount of plot and character development. They range from 80 pages to as short at 10 pages, but yet they are all as strong as each other. It's incredibly hard for me to pick a favourite from the collection.
Whiteley explores a whole range of situations, and all of them are set in our recognisable worlds. From what happens in a new Ice Age, to rainbows filled with human faces, and a vengeful Ancient Egyptian priestess. There is a huge variety within this collection but it forms a perfectly cohesive book that you will find hard to put down.
Honestly, I absolutely loved this. Whiteley is top of her game and her works are unlike anything else.
The Art of Space Travel and Other Stories by Nina Allan
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
For some unknown reason when I picked this up I thought I was getting a collection of Sci-Fi stories, perhaps due to the title and the cover. However, this is a lot more a collection of character-driven stories that explore memory, loss and human connection. So, while there are some talks of space travel and sci-fi elements, these aren't your typical sci-fi short stories.
In the authors note at the very beginning Nina Allan talks about her journey as a writer, and about the stories that are within the book. She lets you know that the first three are very early stories, and that she has mostly left the stories untouched, except for some minor edits and clean up. The first three stories are definitely different to the rest, they show huge potential and give you a lot less answers than the rest of the stories. They're ones that leave you wondering just what was going on, and to be honest it wasn't my favourite. However, where they really shone was to show just how much Allan's writing has grown and developed over the years.
There's definitely cross-overs between stories, even if they aren't obviously signalled or confirmed. People with a better attention to detail than me will surely pick up on much more than I did, and be able to make connections that I will have missed. I'm sure this is a collection that can be read again and again to see all of these things.
Some of my favourite stories are to do with space travel, but seen from Earth and those left behind rather than those who are flying off into the stars. It explores the ideas of those left behind, of supporting someone as they make the choice to leave forever and to be a pioneer. These stories really piqued my interest, and they were the ones where I think I saw connections between them.
These stories don't give you answers, they don't come with plots that connect the dots. Sometimes they just end and I wasn't entirely sure what the 'point' of them was, but this is me. I know I'm not the best at making connections unless they're obvious. So please take this with a pinch of salt.
If this sounds like something you will enjoy pick it up. Nina Allan is clearly a wonderful writer and the strength in this collection is seeing her grow and develop over the years.
For some unknown reason when I picked this up I thought I was getting a collection of Sci-Fi stories, perhaps due to the title and the cover. However, this is a lot more a collection of character-driven stories that explore memory, loss and human connection. So, while there are some talks of space travel and sci-fi elements, these aren't your typical sci-fi short stories.
In the authors note at the very beginning Nina Allan talks about her journey as a writer, and about the stories that are within the book. She lets you know that the first three are very early stories, and that she has mostly left the stories untouched, except for some minor edits and clean up. The first three stories are definitely different to the rest, they show huge potential and give you a lot less answers than the rest of the stories. They're ones that leave you wondering just what was going on, and to be honest it wasn't my favourite. However, where they really shone was to show just how much Allan's writing has grown and developed over the years.
There's definitely cross-overs between stories, even if they aren't obviously signalled or confirmed. People with a better attention to detail than me will surely pick up on much more than I did, and be able to make connections that I will have missed. I'm sure this is a collection that can be read again and again to see all of these things.
Some of my favourite stories are to do with space travel, but seen from Earth and those left behind rather than those who are flying off into the stars. It explores the ideas of those left behind, of supporting someone as they make the choice to leave forever and to be a pioneer. These stories really piqued my interest, and they were the ones where I think I saw connections between them.
These stories don't give you answers, they don't come with plots that connect the dots. Sometimes they just end and I wasn't entirely sure what the 'point' of them was, but this is me. I know I'm not the best at making connections unless they're obvious. So please take this with a pinch of salt.
If this sounds like something you will enjoy pick it up. Nina Allan is clearly a wonderful writer and the strength in this collection is seeing her grow and develop over the years.
The Curse of the Pharaohs' Tombs: Tales of the Unexpected Since the Days of Tutankhamun by Paul Harrison
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Dare to Know by James Kennedy
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Oh my god. I thought this book was crazy, and then I hit the last 60 pages. I'd been reading it on my lunch break and had to put it down just as the true insanity hit. It was the longest afternoon of my life, I was so desperate to get back to this book!
James Kennedy has crafted a premise and a novel that starts in one place, and ends up somewhere completely and utterly different. It only takes 300 pages but it works perfectly and at no point does it feel rushed, or like anything is missing. We follow our narrator in across almost his entire life. Intertwined with the present day parts are bits and pieces from his past. It ranges from Physics camp with his new best friend, days out with his ex-girlfriend and affairs while he travels. Every moment is important, every moment somehow leads into that ending. You get something entirely different to what the blurb promises, but in the best possible way.
We don't meet a crazy huge cast of characters. Everything mainly centres around a few of the narrators friends and co-workers. Renard, a boy he meets at Physics camp while he is also a child, and who seems to influence his life a lot more than expected. Julia, his ex-girlfriend who seems to keep a hold over his life long after they break up. And the narrators co-workers, who all play a vital role in helping us understand what is going on.
The idea of knowing your death date is a scary one. Kennedy lets us see the birth of this trade, all the way to present day when anyone can now afford to find out. This book is a lot less about why people decide to find this out, and more about the theory behind it, and how it actually works. But not in a dull science way. What could be insanely difficult concepts are explained with confidence and clarity, and the important parts come up again and again.
I won't spoil anything but those last 60 pages are truly pulse-pounding. Kennedy grabs you and just runs, his sentences become snappy, what should be leaps in logic make perfect sense and my god I loved it.
This is spec fic at its finest. If you love a story that starts weird and gets WEIRD, this is for you.
Oh my god. I thought this book was crazy, and then I hit the last 60 pages. I'd been reading it on my lunch break and had to put it down just as the true insanity hit. It was the longest afternoon of my life, I was so desperate to get back to this book!
James Kennedy has crafted a premise and a novel that starts in one place, and ends up somewhere completely and utterly different. It only takes 300 pages but it works perfectly and at no point does it feel rushed, or like anything is missing. We follow our narrator in across almost his entire life. Intertwined with the present day parts are bits and pieces from his past. It ranges from Physics camp with his new best friend, days out with his ex-girlfriend and affairs while he travels. Every moment is important, every moment somehow leads into that ending. You get something entirely different to what the blurb promises, but in the best possible way.
We don't meet a crazy huge cast of characters. Everything mainly centres around a few of the narrators friends and co-workers. Renard, a boy he meets at Physics camp while he is also a child, and who seems to influence his life a lot more than expected. Julia, his ex-girlfriend who seems to keep a hold over his life long after they break up. And the narrators co-workers, who all play a vital role in helping us understand what is going on.
The idea of knowing your death date is a scary one. Kennedy lets us see the birth of this trade, all the way to present day when anyone can now afford to find out. This book is a lot less about why people decide to find this out, and more about the theory behind it, and how it actually works. But not in a dull science way. What could be insanely difficult concepts are explained with confidence and clarity, and the important parts come up again and again.
I won't spoil anything but those last 60 pages are truly pulse-pounding. Kennedy grabs you and just runs, his sentences become snappy, what should be leaps in logic make perfect sense and my god I loved it.
This is spec fic at its finest. If you love a story that starts weird and gets WEIRD, this is for you.
Legacy of the Brightwash by Krystle Matar
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow. Legacy of the Brightwash takes you on a journey, the characters you meet at the start of the book go through huge emotional and moral changes throughout the course of the novel. It is such an amazing thing to read. Krystle Matar has managed to craft and develop so much in the course of just one book.
This book features a lot of drinking, fighting, pining for someone and rule breaking. But it never gets old, our characters are constantly in some form of action, and it just makes their odd bit of down time all that more precious. Matar then uses these slower moments to really develop our characters relationships to one another.
The plot centres around Tashué and his life. He is a Regulation Officer for the Authority. Essentially he keeps tabs on ‘tainted’ people, or people with some kind of special power. These tainted as seen as lesser people, and they can get put in the Rift for even having a relationship with another tainted person. Basically they are hated by the Authority and treated incredibly badly. At first Tashué is totally on board with what the Authority stands for, but as the book goes on he starts to question things, and his new found friendships open his eyes to what is actually going on. It’s super dark.
Mixed in with the above plot is the romance of the book. Matar doesn’t shy away from complicated and very human relationships. We see old lovers, there are LGBTQ+ couples, and we get to see Tashué fall rather hard for someone. Yes, occasionally I wanted to shake him and tell him to get a move on, but ultimately it works perfectly in time with his moral change throughout the book.
There’s a wonderful cast of characters supporting this book. I loved them all despite their failings, and Matar makes them unquestionably human. Each one is connected to Tashué in some way, and many are incredibly loyal to him. It was a refreshing look into the dynamics of the characters and to have such a close found family bond between them all was a real joy to read.
This is a complex, sweeping, epic book. Come for the plot and stay for the characters. It has some really dark undertones, which I’m sure will become more prominent as the series proceeds. Basically, I loved it.
The Black Locomotive by Rian Hughes
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rian Hughe's books are hard to describe using words. They're beautiful, weird, unsettling, GORGEOUS and unlike anything I have ever come across. You have to get hard copies of Hughe's work because reading it is an experience and you need to really see the design to understand that.
This is a book about architecture, technology, and what feels like a healthy dose of believable conspiracy theory. Trust me it works so well, I stayed up well into the night to finish this book as I just couldn't stop reading. There was a point in the book where parts just felt like they could be completely real and true and I found myself thinking that I wouldn't be surprised if this turned out to actually be a real thing.
It's hard to talk about The Black Locomotive without heading into spoiler territory. I firmly believe that you should go into this book knowing as little as possible. Hughes hurtles you through the plot, using differing PoV to give new angles and perspectives. It never slows down and there's a whole section involving a steam train that really ramps up the pace and gets your blood pumping.
Not only does this book contain some gorgeous imagery and illustrations but Hughes uses different fonts for each character. Not only do you get a sense of personality through the writing but you get an extra layer through the fonts that Hughes has chosen. There is nothing in this book that isn't there for a very good reason, and that each marking isn't random. It makes you appreciate everything just that little bit more.
The plot of The Black Locomotive is less dense than XX (which you should also read), but it doesn't make it any less incredible. I still found myself completely pulled in and awestruck by parts of this book. I wished this book was longer. It ended just at the moment where I wanted more. The plot just hits what could be the start of another act and then it's over! I respect Hughes' decision here because it works but I have a hope that maybe we'll get another book to explore what happens after this one. I felt like it wasn't quite over.
Secret societies, archaeology and a dose of sci-fi. That's just part of what you're getting in The Black Locomotive. Buy it, read it, display it and love it. That's my recommendation.
Rian Hughe's books are hard to describe using words. They're beautiful, weird, unsettling, GORGEOUS and unlike anything I have ever come across. You have to get hard copies of Hughe's work because reading it is an experience and you need to really see the design to understand that.
This is a book about architecture, technology, and what feels like a healthy dose of believable conspiracy theory. Trust me it works so well, I stayed up well into the night to finish this book as I just couldn't stop reading. There was a point in the book where parts just felt like they could be completely real and true and I found myself thinking that I wouldn't be surprised if this turned out to actually be a real thing.
It's hard to talk about The Black Locomotive without heading into spoiler territory. I firmly believe that you should go into this book knowing as little as possible. Hughes hurtles you through the plot, using differing PoV to give new angles and perspectives. It never slows down and there's a whole section involving a steam train that really ramps up the pace and gets your blood pumping.
Not only does this book contain some gorgeous imagery and illustrations but Hughes uses different fonts for each character. Not only do you get a sense of personality through the writing but you get an extra layer through the fonts that Hughes has chosen. There is nothing in this book that isn't there for a very good reason, and that each marking isn't random. It makes you appreciate everything just that little bit more.
The plot of The Black Locomotive is less dense than XX (which you should also read), but it doesn't make it any less incredible. I still found myself completely pulled in and awestruck by parts of this book. I wished this book was longer. It ended just at the moment where I wanted more. The plot just hits what could be the start of another act and then it's over! I respect Hughes' decision here because it works but I have a hope that maybe we'll get another book to explore what happens after this one. I felt like it wasn't quite over.
Secret societies, archaeology and a dose of sci-fi. That's just part of what you're getting in The Black Locomotive. Buy it, read it, display it and love it. That's my recommendation.
The Book of the Baku by R.L. Boyle
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I devoured this book in just over a day. The Book of the Baku dragged me in and didn't spit me out until it was done with me. For a book marketed as a YA Horror it gets way darker than I expected it too. This isn't a criticism, it just shocked me because some of the themes this books touch on are incredibly dark and the ending hit me a lot harder than I thought it would.
The Book of the Baku follows Sean, a teenager who has been through something so traumatic that he is mute. We follow his story both in the present day and in the past as he tries to stop what is happening to him and his Grandad. While dialogue is minimal in the book (after all Sean is mute for most of it) there's still this real feeling of connection. From the moment Sean picks up The Book of the Baku his whole world starts to turn upside down and slowly things get creepier and creepier. The relationship between Sean and his Grandad goes through several different stages and while they may only have met each other I found myself really rooting for them both.
Boyle weaves other stories through out the book. Sean reads from the book his Grandad wrote and through this we see a series of short stories about children and their nightmares. This is the catalyst for the horror portion of the novel and some of the imagery would have given me nightmares as a child! They're so vivid and touch on things children are generally afraid of.
The portions set in the past are equally as fascinating, and as chilling. Sean grew up on a council estate and is surrounded by violence, drug abuse and he is no stranger to death. Despite the fact these chapters are rooted in reality at times they are equally as terrifying as the rest of the story. You want Sean and his friends to be able to get out as you watch them struggle to grow up in this environment.
The ending gets dark. I didn't expect it and didn't see it coming but it really goes there. Be warned.
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I devoured this book in just over a day. The Book of the Baku dragged me in and didn't spit me out until it was done with me. For a book marketed as a YA Horror it gets way darker than I expected it too. This isn't a criticism, it just shocked me because some of the themes this books touch on are incredibly dark and the ending hit me a lot harder than I thought it would.
The Book of the Baku follows Sean, a teenager who has been through something so traumatic that he is mute. We follow his story both in the present day and in the past as he tries to stop what is happening to him and his Grandad. While dialogue is minimal in the book (after all Sean is mute for most of it) there's still this real feeling of connection. From the moment Sean picks up The Book of the Baku his whole world starts to turn upside down and slowly things get creepier and creepier. The relationship between Sean and his Grandad goes through several different stages and while they may only have met each other I found myself really rooting for them both.
Boyle weaves other stories through out the book. Sean reads from the book his Grandad wrote and through this we see a series of short stories about children and their nightmares. This is the catalyst for the horror portion of the novel and some of the imagery would have given me nightmares as a child! They're so vivid and touch on things children are generally afraid of.
The portions set in the past are equally as fascinating, and as chilling. Sean grew up on a council estate and is surrounded by violence, drug abuse and he is no stranger to death. Despite the fact these chapters are rooted in reality at times they are equally as terrifying as the rest of the story. You want Sean and his friends to be able to get out as you watch them struggle to grow up in this environment.
The ending gets dark. I didn't expect it and didn't see it coming but it really goes there. Be warned.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Child death, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual assault
Your Servants and Your People by David Towsey
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Your Brother's Blood by David Towsey
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0