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 →
Recommendation in 60 Words: The Ravencrest Chronicles, Book 1 – Seahaven
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 →
Speculative Fiction Recommendations in 60 Words: What’s on the TBR Pile Now?
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 →