I am a thirtysomething from London, with a cat, a husband, bookshelves which keep threatening to crush me under their load and chronic health conditions. Basically your average over stressed millennial. Welcome.
Publishing today from Penguin is The Chase, a thrilling new book from Ava Glass, I can share with you the book trailer and the news that’s it’s going to be a TV series, made by the people behind The Night Manager. For more info click here. Review coming soon.
In this breakneck, race-against-the-clock thriller, a female British spy has twelve hours to deliver her asset across London while being pursued through the streets of London by Russian intelligence. Can she make it without being spotted . . . or killed?
A freshly-minted secret agent, Emma Makepeace has barely graduated from basic training when she gets the call for her first major assignment. Eager to serve her country and prove her worth, she dives in head first.
Emma must covertly travel across the world’s most watched city to bring the reluctant adult son of Russian dissidents into protective custody, so long as the assassins from the tracking him down don’t get to him first. With London’s famous Ring of Steel hacked by the Russian government, the two must cross the city without being seen by the hundreds of thousands of CCTV cameras that document every inch of the city’s streets, alleys, and gutters.
The underground, buses, trains and cars, are completely out of the question. Traveling on foot, with no phone or bank cards, Emma and her charge have twelve hours to make it to safety. This will take all of Emma’s skills of disguise and subterfuge. But when Emma’s handler goes dark, there’s no one left to trust. Just one wrong move could get them both killed and the clock is ticking…
A massive new talent in British fiction, Ava Glass’s storytelling is complex and finely crafted, combining twisting plotlines, intelligent dialogue and ambiguous characters, all skilfully brought together in an epic climax. Never before has spy fiction been so nail-bitingly real.
Ava Glass is a former civil servant with the highest security clearance bar one. She has seen just enough of the inner workings of espionage to ensure that she will always be fascinated by spies. This is the first novel in the Alias Emma series.
Sisters Olivia and Clara rehearse with Ninette de Valois at the recently opened Sadler’s Wells. Disciplined and dedicated, Olivia is the perfect ballerina. But no matter how hard she works, she can never match up to identical twin Clara’s charm.
I would kill to be with her.
As rehearsals intensify for the ballet Coppélia, the girls feel increasingly as if they are being watched. And as infatuation threatens to become obsession, the fragile perfection of their lives starts to unravel.
LUCY ASHE trained at the Royal Ballet School for eight years, first as a Junior Associate and then at White Lodge. She has a diploma in dance teaching with the British Ballet Organisation. She decided to go to university to read English Literature at St Hugh’s College, Oxford (MA Oxon), while continuing to dance and perform. She then took a PGCE teaching qualification and became a teacher. She currently teaches English at Harrow School, an all-boys boarding school in North London. Her poetry and short stories have been published in a number of literary journals and she was shortlisted for the 2020 Impress Prize for New Writers. She also reviews theatre, in particular ballet, writing for the website Playstosee.com.
Lucy writes:
‘I have a great love of ballet and am fascinated by its history. I was lucky enough to meet many of the great dancers of the Royal Ballet, even Dame Ninette de Valois when she came to White Lodge to celebrate her 100th birthday. I have performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and learnt the repertoire for many of the classical ballets.
My novel is closely researched, re-creating the early years of the Vic-Wells company at Sadler’s Wells, and the story is immersed in ballet history featuring characters such as Ninette de Valois, Lydia Lopokova, Constant Lambert, Alicia Markova and Nicholas Sergeyev. Frederick and Dora Freed and their pointe shoe workshop play a key role, as does the history of Sadler’s Wells theatre itself. In a book shop on Cecil Court, I found beautifully preserved theatre programmes from the 1932-33 season at Sadler’s Wells and it was magical to imagine my characters holding those pages.
One major inspiration for me was my twin sister. We spent the first part of our lives doing everything together: first day of school, first ballet class, first piano lesson. We were a unit, referred to simply as the twins, and we had a very special connection. That connection remains even though our lives are so entirely different now. And so, in my novel, I have been inspired by the connectedness and the bond of twins, Olivia and Clara staying so close despite their lives starting to take them in different directions.’
My thoughts: when I was little I wanted to be a ballerina, turns out I have great feet, turnout but the wrong attitude. It didn’t stop me, however, becoming a huge ballet fan. I adore going to see the incredible dancers and of course Sadler’s Wells, the home of British ballet, is a theatre I know well. So this book was very, very much up my street.
Set during the period when British ballet was coming into its own, after being dominated by the French and then the Russians, and featuring some of the greats of the time, this very well researched book takes you right into the heart of Sadler’s Wells and the ballet classes attended by twin dancers Olivia and Clara.
Ballet is a small world at this point, and quite insular, so obsession is perfectly possible and it is obsession – almost mirrored in the production of Coppelia being rehearsed, that we find. Two men, a pianist and a cobbler, in love with the twins, but not in a necessarily healthy way. Then there is the twins’ own obsession with ballet, with their performance, their career. One is a purist, the other wants to be a star. This is post Pavlova, pre Fonteyn (although a very young Margot makes a tiny cameo) and there’s maybe a gap for a star dancer in the company. Could Olivia or Clara fill it?
It’s also, ultimately, a love story. Between the sisters, who share their lives with each other almost to the exclusion of others, and with ballet. One I can definitely appreciate, I may never have become a dancer, but sitting in the audience, watching the incredible performers, the hours of work and the honed, perfect bodies, you can fully see that love and obsession that still draws young dancers to it today. A brilliant, highly enjoyable book.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Welcome to The Broken Darkness book tour! Read on for more info about this gorgeous collection and visit one of our instagram hosts for a chance to win a paperback copy of your own!
The Broken Darkness
Publication Date: January 26th, 2023
Genre: Dark Fiction/ Spec Fiction/ Short Story Collection
Publisher: Gorgon Blood Press
In her debut collection, Theresa Braun explores the inner workings of the human heart and what it is we most desire—forgiveness, acceptance, love, fame, or merely to escape who we really are. Whether we are battling ghosts, demons, mythical monsters, the past, or other dimensions, we are really facing the deepest parts of ourselves. These thirteen tales of horror and dark fantasy may appear to be a matter of good versus evil, but they are all a reflection of the hidden corners of the soul that are often shades of broken darkness. The characters in these stories must face their inner and outer terrors, or else suffer the consequences.
Theresa Braun has a Master’s degree in English literature and lives in South Florida where she has taught literature and writing for over 20 years. Traveling, ghost hunting, and all things dark are her passions. In 2018 Unnerving released her horror novel Fountain Dead, a coming of age ghost story. Her short works have appeared in The Horror Zine, Sirens Call, Hardened Hearts, and Best Indie Speculative Fiction: November 2018, Double Barrel Horror (Volume 3) and Emporium of Superstition.
My thoughts: these short stories are sinister and creepy, dark and compelling. From ghosts who keep reliving the moments of their deaths, to haunted places, things that go bump in the night, vampires and other sinister goings on, there’s something for every horror fan here. And of course, there’s exactly 13 tales, fitting perfectly into the theme of the book as a whole. Satisfying chilling.
We’re thrilled to share the first novel in the Heroes of the Empire series, The Cavalier by Israh Azizi! Read on for more details!
Heroes of the Empire: The Cavalier #1
Publication Date: November 22, 2022
Genre: YA Fantasy
She calls the Empire home. He pledges to bring its downfall.
Death is Velamir’s close acquaintance. As a student in the Chishman academy, he cannot escape the brutal war. When he’s sent on a mission with three fellow academy cadets, Velamir returns to the Empire, the land of his birth. Calamity befalls the group as they trek through enemy territory, and Velamir learns a part of his past that makes the mission far more personal. Burdened with the deaths of the unavenged and the chance of losing his own life, Velamir must decide if revenge is worth the cost.
Natassa knows her role well: The silent and obedient girl. The one who looks away from the torture her father, the emperor, inflicts on the Empire’s inhabitants. The princess. But she’s a shackled prisoner, and somewhere under the mask is a spark of rebellion. When she learns of her father’s intention to marry her to a man she loathes, Natassa crafts a risky plan of her own—one dangerous enough to get her killed.
Two searching hearts. Two perilous paths. Velamir must find the courage to face his past and Natassa must find the strength to face herself before the war consumes them both.
Israh Azizi resides in the land of ten thousand lakes with her family and five cats. Since she was a little girl she has been a lover of words and fanciful tales. It was her dream to one day share a story of her own with the world. With sheer determination, lots of love, and a decent amount of caffeine, she managed to make that dream come true. Besides reading and writing, she has a dizzying number of hobbies, some of which include bossing around her younger siblings, experimenting with new baking recipes, and playing board games with her family and close friends. When life’s plot twists don’t cross her path and her fingers aren’t dancing across the keyboard building a fantastical adventure, she can usually be found in a quiet corner with a good book and a steaming cup of coffee.
Nothing is more important than family . . . Matt Forrester has followed in his dad’s footsteps, climbing the police ranks to become a DI. But when he receives an urgent call for help, Matt has to rethink his career. His dad has been murdered, and Matt’s not going to let this case go. It doesn’t help that his current boss is sleeping with his ex-wife. Hermia Forrester didn’t follow her brother into the police force, instead she works in research at the university. But, she’s not going to let that stop her from helping her brother find out what happened to their dad. But the siblings soon find themselves surrounded by more danger than they ever imagined. Can they both survive this case or will there be more of their family in the morgue? The thrilling first instalment in the Forrester Detective Agency Mystery series. Purchase
Anita Waller is the author of many bestselling psychological thrillers and the Kat and Mouse crime series. She lives in Sheffield, which continues to be the setting of many of her thrillers, and was first published by Bloodhound at the age of sixty-nine. Her first book for Boldwood will be published in August 2022.
My thoughts: I can already tell that this is going to a be a corker of a series. This book online sets off at a blistering pace and we’re thrown into a shocking and terrible case. Matt’s father and business partner are brutally attacked and killed by unknown assailants. Was it to do with their past careers as police, their current PI business, or something completely different?
Matt hands in his badge to be able to investigate and when his beloved sister Hermia, is also attacked, he and best friend Steve, as well as his former police partner Karen, step up the case. They will stop at nothing to find the perpetrators and land them where they belong – in prison.
Gripping and totally thrilling, this book rattles along at a fair clip, and what the gang uncover is dark and disturbing but if they can survive and solve the case, will change things forever. And then there’s the small matter of a bit of romance too!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
This year’s festival, taking place from 20th-23rd July in Harrogate, will be chaired by multi-award-winning crime writer Vaseem Khan, who has curated a programme featuring some of the biggest and most exciting names in crime fiction and thriller writing. Special guests on this year’s incredible line-up include: festival favourite and author of the much-loved Vera series Ann Cleeves, while festival co-founder Val McDermid will open the 2023 Festival with an unmissable in conversation event, as well as hosting the highly anticipated showcase of the four debut crime writers to watch in the New Blood panel. Two global bestselling thriller writers join forces as Lisa Jewell will introduce her new nail-biting suspense None of This is True with author of The It Girl and In A Dark, Dark WoodRuth Ware; Southern noir author of international hit Razorblade TearsS. A. Cosby and mastermind behind young detective Nell Buchanan Chris Hammer will be in conversation; historian Lucy Worsley will be revealing more about the life of the Queen of Crime and former resident of the Old Swan Hotel, Agatha Christie; crime writing brothers, Lee Child and Andrew Child will discuss collaborating on the iconic Jack Reacher, and Jeffery Deaver, author of the bestselling Lincoln Rhyme series will be returning to the festival to talk about the latest Colter Shaw thriller, Hunting Time.
Want a cheeky sneak peak of Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher’s upcoming book Never Never?
Charlie Wynwood and Silas Nash have been best friends since they could walk. They’ve been in love since the age of fourteen. But as of this morning… they are complete strangers. Their first kiss, their first fight, the moment they fell in love… every memory has vanished. Now Charlie and Silas must work together to uncover the truth about what happened to them and why. But the more they learn about the couple they used to be… the more they question why they were ever together to begin with.
Forgetting is terrifying but remembering may be worse…
The Number One Sunday Times bestselling author of It Ends with Us joins forces with the New York Times bestselling author of The Wives for a gripping, twisty, romantic mystery unlike any other.
1
Charlie
A crash. Books fall to the speckled linoleum floor. They skid a few feet, whirling in circles, and stop near feet. My feet. I don’t recognize the black sandals, or the red toenails, but they move when I tell them to, so they must be mine. Right? A bell rings. Shrill. I jump, my heart racing. My eyes move left to right as I scope out my environment, trying not to give myself away. What kind of bell was that? Where am I? Kids with backpacks walk briskly into the room, talking and laughing. A school bell. They slide into desks, their voices competing in volume. I see movement at my feet and jerk in surprise. Someone is bent over, gathering up books on the floor; a red-faced girl with glasses. Before she stands up, she looks at me with something like fear and then scurries off. People are laughing. When I look around I think they’re laughing at me, but it’s the girl with glasses they’re looking at. “Charlie!” someone calls. “Didn’t you see that?” And then, “Charlie…what’s your problem…hello…?” My heart is beating fast, so fast. Where is this? Why can’t I remember? “Charlie!” someone hisses. I look around. Who is Charlie? Which one is Charlie? There are so many kids; blond hair, ratty hair, brown hair, glasses, no glasses… A man walks in carrying a briefcase. He sets it on the desk. The teacher. I am in a classroom, and that is the teacher. High school or college? I wonder. I stand up suddenly. I’m in the wrong place. Everyone is sitting, but I’m standing…walking. “Where are you going, Miss Wynwood?” The teacher is looking at me over the rim of his glasses as he riffles through a pile of papers. He slaps them down hard on the desk and I jump. I must be Miss Wynwood. “She has cramps!” someone calls out. People snicker. I feel a chill creep up my back and crawl across the tops of my arms. They’re laughing at me, except I don’t know who these people are. I hear a girl’s voice say, “Shut up, Michael.” “I don’t know,” I say, hearing my voice for the first time. It’s too high. I clear my throat and try again. “I don’t know. I’m not supposed to be here.” There is more laughing. I glance around at the posters on the wall, the faces of presidents animated with dates beneath them. History class? High school. The man—the teacher—tilts his head to the side like I’ve said the dumbest thing. “And where else are you supposed to be on test day?” “I… I don’t know.”
“Sit down,” he says. I don’t know where I’d go if I left. I turn around to go back. The girl with the glasses glances up at me as I pass her. She looks away almost as quickly. As soon as I’m sitting, the teacher starts handing out papers. He walks between desks, his voice a flat drone as he tells us what percentage of our final grade the test will be. When he reaches my desk he pauses, a deep crease between his eyebrows. “I don’t know what you’re trying to pull.” He presses the tip of a fat pointer finger on my desk. “Whatever it is, I’m sick of it. One more stunt and I’m sending you to the principal’s office.” He slaps the test down in front of me and moves down the line. I don’t nod, I don’t do anything. I’m trying to decide what to do. Announce to the whole room that I have no idea who and where I am—or pull him aside and tell him quietly. He said no more stunts. My eyes move to the paper in front of me. People are already bent over their tests, pencils scratching. Fourth Period History Mr. Dulcott There is a space for a name. I’m supposed to write my name, but I don’t know what my name is. Miss Wynwood, he called me. Why don’t I recognize my own name? Or where I am? Or what I am? Every head is bent over their papers except mine. So I sit and stare, straight ahead. Mr. Dulcott glares at me from his desk. The longer I sit, the redder his face becomes. Time passes and yet my world has stopped. Eventually, Mr. Dulcott stands up, his mouth open to say something to me when the bell rings. “Put your papers on my desk on the way out,” he says, his eyes still on my face. Everyone is filing out of the door. I stand up and follow them because I don’t know what else to do. I keep my eyes on the floor, but I can feel his rage. I don’t understand why he’s so angry with me. I am in a hallway now, lined on either side by blue lockers. “Charlie!” someone calls. “Charlie, wait up!” A second later, an arm loops through mine. I expect it to be the girl with the glasses; I don’t know why. It’s not. But, I know now that I am Charlie. Charlie Wynwood. “You forgot your bag,” she says, handing over a white backpack. I take it from her, wondering if there’s a wallet with a driver’s license inside. She keeps her arm looped through mine as we walk. She’s shorter than me, with long, dark hair and dewy brown eyes that take up half her face. She is startling and beautiful. “Why were you acting so weird in there?” she asks. “You knocked the shrimp’s books on the floor and then spaced out.” I can smell her perfume; it’s familiar and too sweet, like a million flowers competing for attention. I think of the girl with the glasses, the look on her face as she bent to scoop up her books. If I did that, why don’t I remember? “I—”
“It’s lunch, why are you walking that way?” She pulls me down a different corridor, past more students. They all look at me…little glances. I wonder if they know me, and why I don’t know me. I don’t know why I don’t tell her, tell Mr. Dulcott, grab someone random and tell them that I don’t know who or where I am. By the time I’m seriously entertaining the idea, we’re through a set of double doors in the cafeteria. Noise and color; bodies that all have a unique smell, bright fluorescent lights that make everything look ugly. Oh, God. I clutch at my shirt. The girl on my arm is babbling. Andrew this, Marcy that. She likes Andrew and hates Marcy. I don’t know who either of them is. She corrals me to the food line. We get salad and Diet Cokes. Then we are sliding our trays on a table. There are already people sitting there: four boys, two girls. I realize we are completing a group with even numbers. All the girls are matched with a guy. Everyone looks up at me expectantly, like I’m supposed to say something, do something. The only place left to sit is next to a guy with dark hair. I sit slowly, both hands flat on the table. His eyes dart toward me and then he bends over his tray of food. I can see the finest beads of sweat on his forehead, just below his hairline. “You two are so awkward sometimes,” says a new girl, blonde, across from me. She’s looking from me to the guy I’m sitting next to. He looks up from his macaroni and I realize he’s just moving things around on his plate. He hasn’t taken a bite, despite how busy he looks. He looks at me and I look at him, then we both look back at the blonde girl. “Did something happen that we should know about?” she asks. “No,” we say in unison. He’s my boyfriend. I know by the way they’re treating us. He suddenly smiles at me with his brilliantly white teeth and reaches to put an arm around my shoulders. “We’re all good,” he says, squeezing my arm. I automatically stiffen, but when I see the six sets of eyes on my face, I lean in and play along. It’s frightening not knowing who you are—even more frightening thinking you’ll get it wrong. I’m scared now, really scared. It’s gone too far. If I say something now I’ll look…crazy. His affection seems to make everyone relax. Everyone except…him. They go back to talking, but all the words blend together: football, a party, more football. The guy sitting next to me laughs and joins in with their conversation, his arm never straying from my shoulders. They call him Silas. They call me Charlie. The dark-haired girl with the big eyes is Annika. I forget everyone else’s names in the noise. Lunch is finally over and we all get up. I walk next to Silas, or rather he walks next to me. I have no idea where I’m going. Annika flanks my free side, winding her arms through mine and chatting about cheerleading practice. She’s making me feel claustrophobic. When we reach an annex in the hallway, I lean over and speak to her so only she can hear. “Can you walk me to my next class?” Her face becomes serious. She breaks away to say something to her boyfriend, and then our arms are looped again. I turn to Silas. “Annika is going to walk me to my next class.” “Okay,” he says. He looks relieved. “I’ll see you…later.” He heads off in the opposite direction. Annika turns to me as soon as he’s out of sight. “Where’s he going?”
She stops outside a doorway. “This is me…” I say, to see if she’ll protest. She doesn’t. “Call me later,” she says. “I want to know about last night.” I nod. When she disappears into the sea of faces, I step into the classroom. I don’t know where to sit, so I wander to the back row and slide into a seat by the window. I’m early, so I open my backpack. There’s a wallet wedged between a couple of notebooks and a makeup bag. I pull it out and flip it open to reveal a driver’s license with a picture of a beaming, dark-haired girl. Me. Charlize Margaret Wynwood 2417 Holcourt Way New Orleans, LA
I’m seventeen. My birthday is March twenty-first. I live in Louisiana. I study the picture in the top left corner and I don’t recognize the face. It’s my face, but I’ve never seen it. I’m…pretty. I only have twenty-eight dollars. The seats are filling up. The one beside me stays empty, almost like everyone is too afraid to sit there. I’m in Spanish class. The teacher is pretty and young; her name is Mrs. Cardona. She doesn’t look at me like she hates me, like so many other people are looking at me. We start with tenses. I have no past. I have no past. Five minutes into class the door opens. Silas walks in, his eyes downcast. I think he’s here to tell me something, or to bring me something. I brace myself, ready to pretend, but Mrs. Cardona comments jokingly about his lateness. He takes the only available seat next to me and stares straight ahead. I stare at him. I don’t stop staring at him until finally, he turns his head to look at me. A line of sweat rolls down the side of his face. His eyes are wide. Wide…just like mine.
A seaside party at a Cornish mansion with plenty of fizz, what could be more perfect? But something fishy is afoot… a killer lurks among the guests, and only Cressida Fawcett can stop them.
When Cressida Fawcett is invited to stay at Penbeagle House on the Cornish coast for a fancy-dress ball, she is looking forward to sipping rum cocktails clad as a pirate, watching the red-sailed boats go by and relaxing in the sea air with her good friend Dotty. But before they can raise their glasses to toast Cressida’s former flame Lord Canterbury’s engagement, he drops dead in front of the horrified guests.
The local doctor determines that Lord Canterbury was poisoned, and soon Detective Chief Inspector Andrews is on his way from Scotland Yard. But Cressida is dismayed by the murder of the intrepid explorer who once asked for her hand in marriage, and she cannot simply leave the case to the police. Together with Dotty and her little pug Ruby, Cressida searches for clues only to discover that many of the guests have a motive for murder. Did an irate journalist or a bitter fellow explorer send Lord Canterbury on his untimely final journey?
And when a young maid is found dead, floating in the shimmering waters of the cove, Cressida knows time is running out to catch the killer. Could aclue hidden among some rather pungent crab sandwiches help her solve the case before there is another murder?
A witty and totally addictive cozy mystery packed with intrigue and glamour. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.
Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.
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My thoughts: this was so much fun, starting at a roaring 20s fancy dress party in a Cornish mansion, Cressida, Dotty and pug Ruby roar up in Cressida’s car dressed as pirates (Ruby’s a parrot – love it!) where a terrible event happens, Cressida’s ex fiancé Lord Canterbury, newly engaged to the host’s daughter, collapses. Poisoned. But who did it and why? There’s plenty of hijinks as Cressida investigates, despite detective Armstrong from Scotland Yard being on the case. There’s secrets, smuggling, another terrible murder and more.
This series just keeps getting better, I love Cressida, Dotty and Ruby. Ruby finds squirrels and clues, Dotty’s a real brick and Cressida is always dashing about, rooting out the truth. Marvellous stuff.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Captivating and engaging sci-fi and adventure the author expertly navigates the themes of space colonization, human existence, and the more personal themes of loss, grief, and moving on with one’s life after loss. The multiple POVs allowed readers to experience this expansive world the author crafted, showing everything from the discovery of this lush new world to the harrowing brush with death the protagonist has and the shifting perspectives that make the audience constantly question whom they can trust and whom they cannot.
The alien races are very enticing, especially the main villains. The story showcases some great mind-bending technologies and tools of war. The space journeys felt like descriptions of military ships in the ocean. This incredible story filled with interstellar conspiracy, betrayal, government corruption and foreign planets. Despite the settings, human greed and opportunism are never far behind and explored throughout the book.
The switch between multiple characters is seamless. All the characters are interesting with a flair of mystery and realism. The views and opinions were divided from the start. From then, the reader knows they are in for a rollercoaster ride. The story escalates and the situation becomes more and more critical. The characters are fascinating, the story unfolds and ended with a heartwarming finale.
This book has a strong opening that keeps readers hooked from start to finish, the characters are multifaceted, the narrative is absorbing, and the dialogues are sharp.
This book is, in a word, riveting. The multiple subplots set across the earth and various places in space make for an enticing read. Space travel, new age technology, politics, threats against humanity, compelling characters, conspiracy theories, backstabbing, and shrewd enemies will keep you entertained. No one concept in this story is far-fetched; humans are capable of both the good and the evil that happens in this book. If you love sci-fi and political thrillers, then don’t miss this book.
Fantasy genre lovers will appreciate having many of their favorite creatures not only in the same story but cooperating toward the same goals. Strong female characters that make a true difference and without whom there would be no story. Mermaids, Pixies, Dragons, Wizards, Elves, and assorted other fantastical characters fill the pages.
Imagine the Mageborn series, with a scoop of Paolini’s Eragon, a dash of Tolkien’s creative mastery and a sprinkling of Matthew Reilly’s action sequences, plus a little corny humour and romance thrown in for good measure. The story is UNPREDICTABLE and full of twists.
Conner is a master of world building. He shows great craftsmanship, and the reader becomes easily enveloped within the environments. The combination of diverse characters, unique mythical cities and complex plot lines have created a tale that is highly original, as well as memorable. Action sequences are fast-paced, yet clear, showing skill that is reminiscent of authors such as Matthew Reilly.
Characters are a work of art, exciting and intriguing, and the storyline is a masterpiece. It has depth and mystery with every page you turn; it is smooth and well written. Capture is another word that fits and is what will happen to you as you involve yourself in the book.
Not since the Dragon Riders of Pern has the bond between rider and beast played such an important role. This new twist on Griffins and the Delphens allowed for a much-needed change of pace, as does the lack of reliance on human characters to save the day.
Julia Hugh’s Griffin Rider Chronicles (Talon Press 2013) used Griffins, but these griffins are unlike anything Julia Hugh imagined. False Dragons employs a much more action-laden approach. This action and, more importantly, depth and diversity of characters will keep readers engaged and turning the pages. False Dragons is certain to attract a large following of fans unquestioningly hungry for a new approach to fantasy
This epic fantasy is like all good epic fantasies where the world building is impressive. The only completely original species created are the Delphens, and Conner does a great job of creating their biology, social structure, and characteristics while making them individuals. Delphens were once a mostly farming community, but dragons and griffins transformed some into a corps of warriors. The Griffin Corps can use their physical strength, hardiness, and closeness to nature to bond with and ride the griffins. They treat the griffins like more than just dumb steeds. They share consciousness, mind links, and emotions. The Delphens’ relationships with their griffins are that of friends, companions, and siblings in arms.
Two of the best Delphens are Shala and Flinch. Flinch is a quick-witted sometimes comic relief who has a running gag of dismounting badly. However, he also has inherited precognitive abilities, which requires him to have some dark visions. For him, this quest is one of maturity, as he has to shed his childlike impetuosity.
Even with characters that are common in other fantasies, Conner does different things with them. Pixies are present with their mischievous and naughtiness. One of the more humorous characters is Glow, a sweet, energetic pixy who will give any information if you provide enough sugary snacks for a bribe. However, what we see is that their sense of mischief has harmful long-term implications, plus they, Glow in particular, suffered a tremendous loss in the past.
The Merfolk are described here as they often are in legends: attractive, but stand offish and prone to emotion. However, they are capable of assisting others and looking at the big picture that what affects everyone else will affect them.
Of course there are the various romances, interspecies friendships and allies, and tremendous loss that develops during these struggles.
Ian Conner is retired and spent most of his adult life as a Marine and Army Infantry Sergeant. Now living near San Diego California with his wife Bonnie, a cellist, and their two dogs, Cookie and Isabella. Conner spends his days fostering kittens, gardening, crafting beautiful stained glass and creating worlds on the page.
Conner has authored several other novels:
Cooper’s Ridge – Science Fiction
The Long Game – Political Thriller
The Price of Partisanship – Political Thriller
Solaris – Political Thriller
Griffins Perch – Epic Fantasy
Ghost Witch – Horror
After a lifetime of destruction the thought of creating something tangible and lasting holds great appeal. He finds writing a cathartic way to redefine himself both in his eyes and the eyes of others.
Eva Mackenzie is back with a brand-new psychological thriller called Last Known Location and it will be available on February 9th! Read on for details and a chance to win a 8GB Kindle Paperwhite!
Last Known Location
Expected Publication Date: February 9th, 2023
Genre: Thriller/ Psychological Thriller
The past has a killer obsession…
Gwen’s life has turned into a nightmare after an ongoing feud with her neighbor turns volatile. Malicious allegations and police intervention drive Gwen out of her home for a long weekend, where she meets a mysterious, handsome stranger named Noah on the local hiking trail.
Gwen’s never fallen for someone so quickly, but when he’s gone by morning, she never expects to see him again.
Three days later, Gwen is working in the ER when Noah is brought in with unexplained injuries and no memory of what happened to him.
Soon, Gwen can sense someone stalking her home and vandalizing her things. She can’t help but think her ex will never let her go, or is this mysterious man’s past catching up with him?
How can she protect herself from an enemy she can’t identify?
Eva Mackenzie is an author who enjoys twisty, emotionally engrossing tales. She is a wife and mother living on the east coast. When she isn’t writing, she is spending time with her family, training for her next marathon or reading stacks of suspense novels. Some of her favorite authors are Minka Kent, Dean Koontz, Tami Hoag, and Lisa Jackson.
My thoughts: this was a clever, gripping thriller with a heck of a twist at the end, which I didn’t see coming at all.
Nurse Gwen is working in the ER when an unconscious man is brought in, she’s met him briefly and is able to tell the police that his name is Noah. Unfortunately he’s lost his memory and doesn’t know what he was doing in the woods. Can Gwen help him remember?
When his fiancée shows up, claiming to have been waiting in town for him for a week, the detective on his case is suspicious, as is Gwen. And then there’s the problems she’s been having with her ex too. Is it all coming to a head?
Twists and turns galore, you’ll be totally hooked and desperate to know what happens next!
ramblingmads 