Category Archives: Book Reviews

The War of the Worlds, or: Three Legs Good, Two Legs Bad

Three is a recurring number in science fiction. We’re familiar with animals with four legs, and humans with two, and many various creatures with even numbers of legs, so in seeking to conjure up images of the alien it is … Continue reading

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Before I Fall

★★★★★ Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk goodreads Lauren Oliver’s Website Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall (published 2010; now also a Netflix film) is yet another variation on the theme of Groundhog Day, in which the protagonist must relive the same day over and … Continue reading

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The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

★★★★★ Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk goodreads Holly Black’s Website It’s a long time since a vampire book caught my eye. It’s difficult these days to find genre novels that are well written, thoughtful and original. Even rarer to find a YA-category novel … Continue reading

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This is Devin Jones

★★★★☆ Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk goodreads Kristen Conrad’s Website Kristen Conrad’s This is Devin Jones, published 2016, has many parallels with Die Hard, the plot centering on a hostage scenario where an out-of-jurisdiction cop must take out the bad guys and save … Continue reading

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Katherine Howard, Child-Queen

★★★★★ Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk goodreads Josephine Wilkinson’s website Last week I watched the two-part TV series Henry VIII (2003) with Helena Bonham Carter as Anne Boleyn (Wife No. 2; decapitated) and Emily Blunt as Anne’s young cousin Katherine Howard (Wife No. … Continue reading

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Machine

★★★★★ Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk goodreads Jennifer Pelland’s website Jennifer Pelland’s Captive Girl (see review), is a slightly disturbing love story between a woman so integrated with machinery that she is effectively disabled and the scientist who needs her to be that … Continue reading

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The Loveless Princess

★★★★☆ Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk goodreads Less Than Three Press Lilian Bodley’s The Loveless Princess, published May 2017, is a fairytale with an aromantic heroine. A heroine who is a princess, and a princess must love her prince. Everyone knows that… Princess … Continue reading

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Refusing the Veil

Veiled Feminism? I saw a video the other day, in the form of a gifset on Tumblr. The phrase that resonates most with people is, “the liberation lies in the choice.” It’s a noble sentiment. People should be free to … Continue reading

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Silk Over Razor Blades

★★★★★ Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk goodreads Ileandra Young’s website Ileandra Young’s Silk Over Razor Blades, published 2015, is the first in the vampire trilogy Saar’s Legacy. There are two stories being told here, one set in present day Britain, and one in … Continue reading

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Elusive Radiance

★★★★★ Pride Publishing Aidee Ladnier’s blog Goodreads Amazon Kobo iBooks Barnes and Noble Aidee Ladnier had a lovely guest post on this blog last month (Why I Love Science Fiction Romance) and I was curious enough to pick up her … Continue reading

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