Benjamin Hope: Author of The Procurement of Souls
Benjamin Hope author of fantasy novel Procurement of Souls
Genre: Epic Fantasy Publisher: Gollancz (this edition, 2019) (Masters & Mages Trilogy #1) One fateful night, student Aranthur is quick with his sword. It earns him respect but changes him too, landing him amidst a dangerous, political quagmire that penetrates deep into the City and beyond. This coming-of-age saga has top-notch world-building, from the magical... Continue Reading →
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Weird Fantasy Publisher: Pan Books (2010) A giant squid disappears from the Natural History Museum and curator Billy Harrow’s life spirals into madness. This heady ride into London’s underbelly is rife with warring cults, nefarious magic-wielding killers and the down-right strange. Weird fantasy it is, with cast and plot so darkly,... Continue Reading →
Genre: Dystopian / Sci-Fi-Adventure Publisher: Kyanite Publishing (2019) In a post-nuclear apocalypse, Alex wakes from his Cryo-Pod and embarks on a dangerous journey, determined to find out what became of his parents. Prescott weaves an entertaining and easy-read narrative with super-beasts and nifty gadgets galore, offering up a coming-of-age tale that combines adventure, humour, heart-break,... Continue Reading →
Publisher: Angry Robot, October 2017 Genre: Gothic When Catherine Helstone’s missionary brother, Laon, fails to send word from Arcadia, the land of the Fae, she sets out to find him, disembarking into a sinister world beyond her imagination. This is a slow burn that conjures a fully realised world and literary history, parallel to that... Continue Reading →
Publisher: Kyanite Publishing (February 2019) Genre: Flintlock; Dark Fantasy When Hillcrest Manor is left unguarded, burglar, Gareth Vann, seizes his opportunity. But it’s more than riches that greet him. Clean prose and a well-realised world, of ale-houses, choked back-alleys and sewers, deliver an enjoyable read, enriched by a punchy plot and cast of humorous and... Continue Reading →
Publisher: (this edition) Fantasy and Horror Classics Genre: Gothic Horror; Ghost; Fantasy M R James’ ghost stories have a foot firmly placed in the dark romantic gothic story telling traditions from the 18th century (which later saw a revival in the Victorian age with the likes of his contemporaries, Bram Stoker and Dickens, and with... Continue Reading →
After thoroughly enjoying Melmoth by Sarah Perry, I've got more great reading in store, including a couple of ARCs sent my way from Kyanite Publishing. Here's what's next, and what I'm sure will make for some more 60 Word Recommendations: Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng Genre/s: Dark Fantasy / Gothic Fantasy / Fairy... Continue Reading →
Publisher: Serpent's Tail (October 2018) Genre: Gothic Fiction After reading an unnerving manuscript, Helen Franklin becomes convinced that Melmoth the Witness now follows her path: a woman in black, both beguiling and fearsome, condemned to walk on bloodied feet, bearing witness to sin. This is one suspenseful gothic mystery that combines vignettes of classic gothic-terror... Continue Reading →
Genre: (Gothic) Mystery Publisher: Phoenix (Trade Edition 2004) Barcelona. 1945. Upon taking The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax from the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, Daniel is drawn down a dangerous path of discovery to find the truth behind the author’s life. The shadowy backstreets and crumbling mansion settings ooze gothic atmosphere and Zafón’s... Continue Reading →
Genre: Steampunk Publisher: Tor Books When Leviticus Blue’s Boneshaker devastates 19th century Seattle, swamping it in zombifying blight gas, an enormous wall is built to contain it. Sixteen years later, Blue’s widow, Briar Wilkes, re-enters the toxic, zombie-ridden city in search of her son, Ezekiel, who seeks exoneration for his father. Air pirates, rogues and... Continue Reading →
Benjamin Hope: Author of The Procurement of Souls 