Revolution is brewing in the semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, between humans and the fathomfolk who live in its waters. This gloriously imaginative debut fantasy, inspired by East Asian mythology and ocean folk tales, is a novel of magic, rebellion and change.
Welcome to Tiankawi – shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, that’s how it first appears. But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on top: peering down from shining towers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk – sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas – who live in the polluted waters below.
For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to help her downtrodden people. But if earning the trust and respect of her human colleagues wasn’t hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when Nami, a know-it-all water dragon and fathomfolk princess – is exiled to the city, under Mira’s watch. When extremists sabotage a city festival, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Both Nami and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth paying, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.
About the Author
Eliza Chan is a Scottish-born Chinese-diaspora author who ‘writes about East Asian mythology, British folklore and reclaiming the dragon lady, but preferably all three at once.’ Eliza’s work has been published in The Dark, Podcastle, Fantasy Magazine and The Best of British Fantasy, and her non-fiction has appeared on Tor.com. She lives in the North of England with her partner and young child. Fathomfolk is her first novel. @elizawchan
My thoughts: I rarely comment on book covers, because what’s inside is the important but this is a gorgeous cover. I really love it.
What’s inside is a clever, thought provoking, enjoyable story about colonialism, sacrifice, striving to build a better world and love.
In Tiankawi, a South Asian and South East Asian inspired world, humans and fathomfolk – beings who can live both underwater and on land, with hybrid bodies of sea creatures like mermaids, manatees, octopus, kelpie, seal, siren, try to survive alongside each other.
There’s a constant struggle between the ruling human class and the fathomfolk, living in shanty towns, many refugees from destroyed cities and towns further afield, or from civil war. The border guards, captained by half-siren Mira attempt to keep order, and protect the citizenry from arrest by the human city guard.
A group of fathomfolk, the Drawbacks, are agitating for reform, but the violent methods they deploy leave destruction of life and homes that threaten the fragile peace.
A manipulative seawitch plays both sides, using her skills at shape-shifting to keep her place in human society, while making bargains with the fathomfolk.
Kai, a sea dragon and the only folk on the council attempts to balance things more fairly, but he’s struggling to get humans onside. It’s all a powder keg primed to explode.
A rip roaring adventure follows both on the fragile city and in its depths, as both humans and folk struggle to belong and be part of this complex and conflicted world. The characters are well drawn and their internal lives reflect the turmoil around them, their struggles and the secrets they’re all keeping.
The first in what I can only imagine will be a gripping and intelligent series, it’s so far one of the best books I’ve read this year.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own
“One must be careful practising deception. The easiest to deceive will always be one’s self.”
The skilled thieves of the Takers Guild plot to overthrow the kingdoms of Baelon, but when their plans are thwarted by a prescient woman and her brooding daughter, they must turn to the League of Assassins for assistance.
Meanwhile, retired royal guard Rolft Aerns returns to the palace of King Axil with an old score to settle. When they all cross paths–and swords–in the dark shadows of Fostead’s south end, nothing is as it seems and the murder count rises quickly.
The long fingers of the Guild reach everywhere, and one overly ambitious thief is all it takes to spark a chain of events that will haunt the world of Baelon for many years to come.
Six Moons, Seven Gods is book one in The Legends of Baelon.
Award-winning author Robert A. Walker grew up in Northwestern Massachusetts. After graduating college, he packed his scant belongings in a car with rusted-out floorboards and headed west. He’s lived in California ever since, and now resides along the Pacific Ocean with his wife and dogs. When not fabricating stories, he can be found roaming local tennis courts or working on a never-ending list of DIY house projects.
Praise: “A fascinatingly detailed and murder-fueled adventure in a violent fantasy setting.” — Kirkus Reviews
“In Robert A. Walker’s Six Moons, Seven Gods, loyalty and treachery entwine, friendships are tested, and dangerous secrets are held close to the heart… a brilliant, compelling narrative that hooks the reader from start to finish.” — Literary Titan 5-star Review
“…an exceptionally rewarding fantasy. There are twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat, unable to stop reading.” — Ronél Steyn for Readers’ Favorite, 5 stars
SIX MOONS, SEVEN GODS EXCERPT
Sibil sat on a bed in a servant’s quarters, her head spinning. Had it not been for previous visits to the palace with Princess Lewen, she would not have known where she was. The steward had escorted her briskly to the room some time ago, leaving her to entertain herself. There seemed no end to the mystery surrounding her mother. Supposed premonitions of death had been unnerving enough, but now… an audience with the king? At his request! It was surreal, and Sibil’s wildest conjectures did not begin to explain it. Her attempt to seize control of her own life seemed waylaid once again. She was imagining herself a bit of flotsam from a shipwreck, at the mercy of the ocean’s currents, when the steward returned, shutting the door angrily behind himself. “Where is my mother?” she asked as he approached. “With the king.” Without warning, the steward sat so close to her their thighs touched. “I should like to see her.” Sibil started to rise. “In due time.” The steward caught her arm and pulled her back to the bed. “What are you doing?” “If your mother were more forthcoming, you would not be so inconvenienced.” “How do you mean?” Sibil’s eyes darted toward the door. “The woman’s hiding something. Perhaps you’d like to tell me what that is.” “My mother has nothing to hide from the king!” “I could be convinced of that, I suppose.” The steward loosened his hold and placed a palm against Sibil’s cheek. “There are many ways for you to prove your loyalty to the throne.” His hand brushed her breast as he withdrew it. “Are you prepared to do so?” Before Sibil could respond, he leaned in, his lips seeking hers. Sibil pushed him away, struggling to stand. “How dare you!” “Need I remind you where you are?” The steward rose, positioning himself between her and the door. “Or who you’re talking to?” “I mean no disrespect, m’lord, but if you —“ “Take off your blouse.” “What?!” “Like mother, like daughter. Take off your blouse and let us see what you are hiding there.” “I’ll do no such thing,” said Sibil breathlessly. “And if you lay another hand on me—“ The steward grasped her sleeve. Sibil twisted violently away, her blouse ripping at the shoulder seam. The steward grinned. “You see? One way or the other!” He started to laugh, sobering quickly at the sight of the dagger Sibil produced. “Put that away before you hurt yourself.” “Take me to my mother!” Sibil waved the dagger at him. “Did I not warn you about making demands?” The steward lashed out, recoiling as Sibil’s blade pricked his arm. He swore loudly as he inspected the spot of crimson staining his white blouse. “You’ll not soon forget what I’m going to do to you.” “Touch me and I’ll kill you!” Sibil lurched past the steward and onto the bed, clambering quickly over it, but he intercepted her before she could reach the door. He kicked a stool separating them toward her. Sibil grabbed it and flung it back at him. The stool sailed past the steward’s head and crashed against the door. “Make all the noise you want,” the steward said. “No one cares!”
What advice would you give budding writers?
Three pieces of advice: first, writing’s a journey. Don’t look too far ahead. Focus on your passion and the here and now. Write, write, write, and enjoy the travelling, one step at a time.
Had I known early on what it would take to be published, and all the work involved in getting one’s book into the hands of readers, I might never have finished my first novel, let alone started it. I was so naïve to think that–you know–if you write something worthwhile, someone’s going to want to publish it and people will then read it. Simple, right? The truth, of course, is so much more complex and challenging, regardless of whether you are trying to secure the representation of a traditional publishing firm, or you have decided to self-publish. Unless your intended audience is limited to friends and family, finishing your novel (quite the accomplishment in and of itself) is only half the battle. So my advice is to take it slowly and enjoy the journey—don’t peek too soon or too closely behind the publishing world’s thick curtain lest that cause you to turn back. Tackled one issue at a time, none of it as overwhelming or intimidating as the big picture first appears; there’s lots of support out there, and if you persevere, all those little challenges just make reaching your destination that much more rewarding. Carry on!
My second piece of advice is to listen to your heart while you are writing. Mine will generally tell me when I’m on the right track, and when I’ve gotten lost. The characters and scenes that I have been most engaged with during the creative process typically turn out to be those the reader also finds most entertaining. So now, when I find myself slogging through some piece that I don’t find particularly exciting or enjoyable to write, I ask myself: why is that? Am I asking the reader to suffer with me? Is there not something I can do to the storyline or character to make writing this more entertaining?
Lastly, I strongly suggest that you read your work aloud and slowly, either to yourself or to an interested listener. You’ll be surprised at the number of errors and opportunities that expose themselves. This advice was given me by my father, a professional editor by trade, and I have benefited from it ever since.
My thoughts: This was a complex and layered fantasy, with some fascinating characters and dastardly villains. The Takers Guild wants to change the monarchs of two countries, but their assassins have all failed so far, thanks to the strange visions of one woman. Her daughter was the late princess’ friend and the king brings both women into the castle to keep them safe, but also in the hope that any future visions will keep him safe.
The King’s soldiers search for a killer or killers in the capital, the body count is rising and it turns out that a familiar face may have some hand in it. A secret promise to the princess and queen has kept a former guardsman on his path, one none of his former colleagues were aware of.
As all of the different storylines and characters are brought together, revenge will be served, things will change, criminals will be charged and the war might just be averted.
Clever and enjoyable, this sets up what will hopefully be a fascinating and interesting series.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog, but all opinions remain my own.
When the body of a young girl is found exhumed from her grave, DCI Emma Gardner knows there’s more to this grisly find than just misadventure. Penny Maiden was killed in a hit and run accident forty years ago, and her killer was never found…Could someone be trying to right an old wrong?
A DI on the rails…
Determined to bring a dangerous gang of drug dealers to justice, DI Paul Riddick is trying hard to play by the rules. After his previous reckless actions, he knows this is his last chance to stay in the job he loves. But when his private life takes an unexpected turn, Riddick begins to lose control again.
Emma needs Paul to help her with her case, especially when more bodies are found in the same graveyard. But hurt badly by Riddick once before, Emma’s not sure she can trust him again. But as Paul’s behaviour begins to spiral even more, Emma worries she may have left it far too late to save her old friend Riddick from his own destruction…
Wes Markin lives in Harrogate and is the bestselling author of the DCI Yorke crime novels set in Salisbury. He is also the author of the Jake Pettman series set in New England. You can find out more by following him.
My thoughts: another shocking and gripping case has DCI Emma Gardner calling on her old friend DI Paul Riddick for help as a case of his is connected to hers.
A wave of murders and bodies in the local graveyard has the usual reporters and gossips up in arms. The first has been buried in another person’s grave, that body disinterred and placed on her mother’s final resting place. And if that wasn’t terrible enough, two young people are found bludgeoned to death and placed on a bench in the same graveyard.
Could a local drug dealing gang be involved? The young man was one of them, dealing super strong ecstasy to his friends and other people, and he and his girlfriend were last seen arguing. Did she want him to quit?
And what is the connection between all of this and retired MP Sebastian? And with Riddick’s vendetta back in Bradford?
There’s a lot for Emma to solve, and she’s worried about a strange man who keeps popping up at her house, scaring her au pair, are her kids safe?
Clever, highly readable and enjoyable, this is Emma’s most complicated case yet, but I know she can figure it all out.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
My thoughts: I wasn’t born until 1986, a year after Chris Mullin was asked to write about the Birmingham Six, but I was vaguely aware of it as a huge miscarriage of justice.
Until I read this book I didn’t know exactly how egregious the behaviour of the West Midlands police, and their Lancashire colleagues, truly was. Not only did they violently assault the six men, they fabricated confessions, threatened their lives and basically tortured them. The police falsified their own records and even the officers not directly involved turned a blind eye to the activities of their colleagues.
This led to six men spending over almost two decades in prison despite being completely innocent of all of the charges they were convicted on. All they were guilty of really was being Irish in Birmingham and locatable.
Mullin was a journalist and MP and always seems to have been supportive of the six men’s innocence and the culpability of the police and legal system that allowed the real bombers to go free – and even leave the country. He identified and interviewed the real culprits and names them in this edition of his book, they are dead, and he is not at risk of reprisals.
The book is compelling reading, like the best thriller, but not fiction at all – the lives of six men, their families, friends and the victims of the bombings in 1974 were altered forever and despite being set free eventually, there was no real justice done here.
The police officers were never convicted, the judge and lawyers never apologised for their roles, the dodgy forensic scientist might have lost his job but never admitted fault, and of course the actual bombers never saw the inside of a court room (one of them did, but he claimed to have only been involved in making the devices).
It’s a terrible tragic story and one that should really be more widely understood as the repercussions from the case reverberate in the justice system even today, and should remind us all that the system, from police to courts is not always blind or indeed just.
The book itself is a feat of investigative work and determination, Mullin is a great writer and conveys the sense of hopelessness and then the glimmer of light given as this case moves back and forth between courts, Parliament and the press. His attention to detail, critical eye and engaging style make this both an enjoyable reading experience and a jolting horror at how so many were so betrayed by the system.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
The thrilling new historical adventure from New York Times bestselling author Boyd Morrison and expert medievalist Beth Morrison. Fox and Willa find themselves on a dangerous quest for the treasure of the Templar Knights.
A Perilous Quest. A Deadly Legacy.
Italy, 1351. English companions, knight Gerard Fox and the resourceful Willa, have come through a death-defying journey across war-torn Europe. Now looking towards a future together, they must first find a way to reconcile with their difficult pasts.
In a small village between Florence and Siena, Fox and Willa are caught up in a deadly ambush. After rescuing Luciana, the target of the attack, they take refuge in her opulent villa and learn her heartbreaking story – a tale of loss, deception, and a burning desire for freedom. Soon, Fox and Willa are involved in a perilous quest to save Luciana’s family legacy. To do so, they will have to solve a mystery that points the way to the fabled lost treasure of the Knights Templar.
‘Complete with mysteries, secrets, and adventure, rich in detail, delivering exactly what a reader craves. This writing duo knows all the right chords to touch.’ Steve Berry, #1 New York Times bestselling author
‘A mesmerizing sequel to the hugely entertaining The Lawless Land…. There is action galore. What a ride!’ Elizabeth George, #1 New York Times bestselling author
‘Any lover of historical mysteries or great tales of adventure will find much delight in this novel!’ James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author
‘A triumphant follow-up to The Lawless Land, with a puzzle that will dazzle fans of The Da Vinci Code. There’s so much breathtaking excitement that the book should come with an oxygen tank.’ Lee Goldberg, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Boyd Morrison is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twelve thrillers, including six with Clive Cussler. His first novel, The Ark, was an Indie Next Notable pick and was translated into over a dozen languages. He has a PhD in industrial engineering from Virginia Tech. Follow Boyd on: TwitterInstagramFacebookWebsite
Beth Morrison is Senior Curator of Manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum. She has curated major exhibitions including ‘Imagining the Past in France, 1250-1500’, and ‘Book of Beasts: The Bestiary in the Medieval World’. She has a PhD in the History of Art from Cornell University. Follow Beth on: TwitterInstagramFacebook
My thoughts: I do enjoy a well researched historical novel and as one of the authors is a medievalist, and their author note explains all the work they did in putting the geography and history together, I am happy to say this feels very well realised.
I haven’t read the preceding book so I hadn’t met Fox and Willa before, but I thought they were tremendous fun and lively protagonists. I also really liked Luciana, she’s an incredibly brave and rather modern woman for the 14th Century. Her husband is a horrible man and she is determined to be rid of him and his influence for good, and that’s before she learns of the true extent of his treachery.
Their quest takes them all over Italy and even across the Mediterranean to Rhodes in Greece, on the hunt for the hidden treasures of the Templar knights, via the rhyming clues left by Luciana’s father, the Templars’ banker.
It’s a race against time as Luciana’s awful husband, once her father’s squire, and his hired mercenaries are also after the treasure, and more importantly a letter that reveals his crimes and could see him lose everything. Thankfully his enemies are many and happy to help his wife bring him down.
A rollicking romp of am adventure on horseback and by ship, seeking treasure in the churches and cities of Italy at the height of the city states’ powers.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Love across the colour bar is a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment.
John Terreblanche, a police reporter seeking redemption, tells the story of a Xhosa nurse, Promise Madiba, a Dutch doctor, Willem Jansen, and a Malay prostitute, Marja de Koning, who engage in a passionate love triangle in the shadow of the Sharpeville massacre, as South Africa lurches towards becoming a Republic.
Violent yet tender, Immorality Act spans from Indonesia to Cape Town and is a moving account of the impact of apartheid, racism and colonialism on lives in the twentieth century, as well as a celebration of the ungovernability of the human spirit.
Dr Berend Mets was born in Indonesia of Dutch parents, and amongst other countries grew up in apartheid South Africa where he became a doctor, anaesthetist and scientist. He came to fiction through an MFA degree after a career of medical, historical and scientific writing. Berend is a Professor of Anesthesiology at the Pennsylvania State University and divides his time between America, the Dutch Caribbean, and Cape Town, South Africa.
My thoughts: inspired by his experiences and those of his father, Dr Berend Mets has crafted a fascinating and moving story of the second half of the twentieth century. From Indonesia under Japanese occupation and the horrors of WW2 to the Netherlands and then apartheid South Africa, the story of Willem, Marja and Promise is both terribly sad and full of joy.
Falling in love across the colour bar is illegal in 1961, but not something Willem and Promise do intentionally. Meeting in the hospital where they both work, the damaged doctor and the impassioned nurse fall in love and work secretly to end apartheid.
Marja is Willem’s childhood friend, his first love, long thought lost to him. Near death, he saves her life in the operating theatre. As she recovers in Promise’s home, the net is closing in on them. Promise’s political activities and the fact a white doctor has been spending so much time with her has brought scrutiny on them. The Immorality Act forbids sex between the races and it is this law that sees Willem and Marja in court, Promise having escaped.
The framing narrative of a book written by Afrikaans journalist John Terreblanche is interesting and allows for the inclusion of court documents and police reports but does at times feel intrusive – as does his presence in their lives. He’s not part of their tangled relationship and doesn’t really belong. His guilt at his involvement in the case, only confessed later on, drives him to tell their story, but is it his to tell?
Powerful and moving, evocative and provoking, this is an interesting and intelligent book about a time when love was illegal and the government of South Africa felt it had the right to involve itself in people’s personal lives.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Lori has been in love with her best friend Aiden since college. Now Aiden (handsome, fair, All-American dream doctor) is getting married, and Lori desperately needs a date to the wedding. So she asks the best man, Jace (tall, dark, and brooding), to pretend their platonic friendship is something more not to have to face the worst day of her life alone. Fake dating one best friend to forget the other should be easy… Plot twist—it’s not. When Jace starts acting like the sweetest, most attentive boyfriend, Lori begins to wonder if she’s been seeing him wrong all this time? They’ve been an inseparable trio since freshman year, but now everything is changing — and that’s not even bringing Jace’s feelings into the mix. Basically? It’s complicated.
Camilla Isley is an engineer who left science behind to write bestselling contemporary rom-coms set all around the world. She lives in Italy and her first title for Boldwood, The Love Theorem, a Hollywood-meets-STEM romance was published in June 2023.
My thoughts: Lori loves Aiden, but Aiden’s marrying Kirsten, and Jace loves Lori, but they’re just friends…or are they?
When Lori asks her pal Jace to fake date till they get through Aiden’s wedding, she doesn’t realise that her friend has been in love with her since college, roughly the same length of time she’s been in love with Aiden, or is she?
Realising there’s more to Jace than she thought, and that he could be more than “just friends” totally blows Lori’s world view apart, maybe The One isn’t the friend she fell for all those years ago (Aiden) but the The One Next To Him.
With the humour and romance you expect from one of Camilla Isley’s delightful rom coms, this is Doctors Do Dating and Falling in Love, turns out they’re smart, just not when it comes to love!! Lots of fun and with a perfectly charming happy ever after.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Explore the hidden world of magnetic and mysterious villains, often cast aside and misunderstood in tales of mythology and folklore. Through the pages of Queer Villains of Myth and Legend, discover a diverse community of fascinating characters, ranging from seductive and cunning to powerful and awe-inspiring.
Experience the dark allure of Circe and Medusa through to David Bowie’s Jareth in Labyrinth and delve into their complex and multifaceted personalities and motivations. Take a deep dive into the intersection of queerness and villainy, re-examine some of our favourite characters, and discover why so many ‘bad’ characters are queer-coded.
From ancient mythology to contemporary pop culture, Queer Villains of Myth and Legend celebrates the fascinating stories of these often-overlooked characters.
Join Dan Jones on a journey of discovery, as he explores the hidden depths of queer villainy and sheds light on the queer identities of these compelling figures. It’s a powerful celebration of queerness through the ages in all its legendary complexity.
Dan Jones is a freelance writer and author based in Brooklyn, New York. Originally from the UK, he has previously covered men’s style and grooming as an editor for several fashion and lifestyle magazines – including the New York Times’ Wirecutter – and ecommerce brands. A big myth nerd and martini fan, Dan has published books on both legendary queer mythological characters and cocktails alongside a series of fashion titles.
My thoughts: in this book each short chapter focuses on one character from mythology or pop culture that is either overtly queer or queer coded; historically there are times when being openly gay or trans was criminalised or put you at risk, even if you were producing art rather than bring queer yourself.
While some of the chapters feel a bit rushed and lack details, others are more thorough and use examples from the tales these characters come from and retellings or scholarly work, especially the mythic figures.
Some of the names will be familiar and others less well known, unless you’re a mythology nerd like me, and some, such as the Knights Templar, don’t really have much evidence – they didn’t leave records behind, so we have to go on rumour and theory.
It’s a nice volume collecting some interesting figures from history, mythology, literature and pop culture, from Circe to Buffy’s Dark Willow.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own
Kweku Ashworth is a child of the cataclysm, born on a sailboat to parents fleeing the devastation in search for a refuge in the Southern Ocean. Growing up in a world forever changed, his only connection to the events that set the world on its course to disaster were the stories his step-father, now long-dead, recorded in his manuscript, The Forcing.
But there are huge gaps in the story that his mother, still alive but old and frail, steadfastly refuses to speak of, even thirty years later. When he discovers evidence that his mother has tried to cover up the truth, he knows that it is time to find out for himself.
Determined to learn what really happened during his mother’s escape from the concentration camp to which she and Kweku’s father were banished, and their subsequent journey halfway around the world, Kweku and his young family set out on a perilous voyage across a devastated planet. What they find will challenge not only their faith in humanity, but their ability to stay alive.
Canadian Paul E Hardisty has spent 25 years working all over the world as an engineer, hydrologist and environmental scientist. He has roughnecked on oil rigs in Texas, explored for gold in the Arctic, mapped geology in Eastern Turkey (where he was befriended by PKK rebels), and rehabilitated water wells in the wilds of Africa.
He was in Ethiopia in 1991 as the Mengistu regime fell, and was bumped from one of the last flights out of Addis Ababa by bureaucrats and their families fleeing the rebels. In 1993 he survived a bomb blast in a café in Sana’a.
Paul is a university professor and CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). The first four novels in his Claymore Straker series, The Abrupt Physics of Dying, The Evolution of Fear, Reconciliation for the Dead and Absolution all received great critical acclaim and The Abrupt Physics of Dying was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and Telegraph Thriller of the Year. The Forcing (2023) was a SciFi Now Book of the Month, with The Descent out in 2024.
Paul is a sailor, a private pilot, keen outdoorsman, and lives in Western Australia.
My thoughts: The Forcing was a heck of a book and I thought a tough act to follow, but The Descent is incredible. Chronicling not only a sequel featuring Teacher’s step-son, but also exploring how a cabal of wealthy and powerful men helped destroy the world, this is timely, powerful and moving writing.
After the safety of their home is violated, his mother, brother and sister-in-law murdered and their toddler daughter kidnapped; Kewku, his wife and son board Providence, the boat that brought his family to Australia, and head out in search of answers.
Retracing elements of his family’s journey to safety, Kweku hopes to find members of his biological father’s family still alive and rescue his stolen niece. Fuelled by the mysterious Sparkplug’s dispatches from the past, and Teacher’s own account of the terrible climate catastrophe and war, Kweku creates his own narrative of this second voyage of hope.
Sparkplug was the assistant and sometime mistress of Derek Argent, one of the rich, morally corrupt men who orchestrated the events that have so divided the remnants of humanity. Kweku, Juliette and Leo will risk their lives, their family and their souls on this voyage into the unknown. There are dangers they could never have imagined lurking on the edges of what remains, desperate people and manipulative leaders, many of whom seem to offer much.
Kweku is reading an old copy of The Odyssey, and being a mythology nerd who studied that book, I can see the echoes of some of Odysseus’ misadventures in Kweku’s. As well as those of Teacher and his family in The Forcing. I could probably write whole essays on the similarities and comparisons in these three books, but here is not the place.
There isn’t a lot of hope for humanity here, stripped down to our basest instincts, it’s all murder and sex and violence and greed. Which is a little depressing. But when they return to Australia and the Aboriginal community there, amongst descendants of one of the oldest communities in the world, is hope for a better future. And there’s something incredibly powerful in that. This is a book that deserves to be on the bestseller lists and in readers’ minds for a long time.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Jackson and Lydia Hemsworth are pillars of the community, feted for having the perfect marriage and three wonderful children – Florence, Jessica and Ezra. But appearances can be deceptive.
Because behind closed doors Jackson Hemsworth rules his family with cruelty and control. His marriage is a sham; his children for years have cowed in fear. Until the day that Jackson and Lydia throw themselves off Newport Bridge in a joint suicide pact – the final cruel blow by Jackson to control his wife and torture his adult children.
As the Hemsworth siblings return to their family home, they must try to make sense of their parents’ last act. But there are many dark secrets waiting to be unearthed at Armett House.
Like, why are the townsfolk so suddenly hostile towards them? And who are the strangers who arrive at Armett House unannounced? And why has their mother’s body still not been found?
In the aftermath of their parents’ death, it becomes clear that something terrible is about to be exposed about the Hemsworths’ perfect parents.
J. A. Baker is a successful psychological thriller writer of numerous books, previously published by Bloodhound. Born and brought up in Middlesbrough, she still lives in the North East, which inspires the settings for her books. Her first title for Boldwood will be published in December 2022.
My thoughts: Florence, Jessica and Ezra gather at the family home after the funeral of their parents, dead in a terrible suicide pack. Things have changed in the village – people are hostile and their controlling father didn’t pay his bills before killing himself, leaving the people who worked for him in debt.
The siblings don’t feel welcome in the village, and have a lot of stuff to wade through in the house, their parents left a lot up in the air and all three have questions.
But as they sort through everything, more questions rear their heads – is their mother still alive? When handyman Coop takes off all of a sudden without a word, it seems suspicious. Then there’s a terrible accident that turns their world upside down and makes it more important than ever to get some answers.
Gripping, with twists and turns I didn’t see coming, this is an incredibly enjoyable and clever thriller.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 