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Friday 5 June 2015

Sand by Hugh Howey


Title: Sand

Author: Hugh Howey

Publisher: Arrow

Rating: 4/5

Attention to all fans of dystopian fiction! The king of science fiction is back with another novel to satisfy his audience. And I’m pleased to say he manages to do just that!

Don’t worry if you haven’t read any of his previous work (although why on earth haven’t you read Wool?) because according to Hugh Howey himself, Sand is the perfect first book to get a feel for his writing if you haven’t yet acquired his novels on your reading list. With a plot that keeps readers gripped, it is easy to see why.

Set on planet Earth at an unknown point in the future, Sand follows a family, consisting on four siblings and their prostitute mother, who must ultimately pull together when disaster strikes their town, and a ghost from their past reappears. The consequences of past events are still rife in the daily lives of the family, and the reader is forced to do some guesswork as to what happened. However, the family feud becomes eclipsed half way though the novel, as bigger problems become apparent. Palmer, one of the siblings and the first character introduced to the reader, is in trouble, and needs his family to help him. He has, unwittingly, discovered the one thing everyone in their small world has spent their lives searching for; an underground city, part of the ‘Old World’. Palmer knows this means wealth beyond anything he can imagine, but it also means big trouble.     

As with Howey’s previous novels, the writing is the best feature; it brings the novel to life in ways that other authors fail. His distinctive writing style tells things as they are, rather than taking three pages of poetic prose to explain a characters mood. This style somehow seems to fit his genre of choice, dystopian fiction.

Howey chooses to tell his characters stories through first person narration, usually through the siblings. However, it is the viewpoint of their parents that the audience craves the read. Every other chapter jumps from one character to another which is risky in a novel like this, sometimes a writer can pull it off well, any other times readers get confused and lost along the way. Luckily, Howey’s cliffhanger-endings of each chapter is enough to urge readers to carry on. This is actually because Sand was first published in five separate parts; but together as a whole book it works as a method to keep readers interested.

The unusual universe that these characters reside in is an instant point of curiosity, grabbing the reader’s attention. As you would expect with the first, in what I imagine is possibly going to grow into a series, Sand raises more questions than it answers. What happened to result in everyone living in this desert? Why is the family split up? And unlike most science fiction/dystopian novels, Sand is relatively easy to understand and follow. The characters names are simple, and Howey explains any jargon in handy little asterisks, which explain any new sand-related words at the bottom of the page.

There is strong imagery throughout the novel of the sandy desert the family live in. Grains of sand get everywhere, in their mouths, their food, and their eyes… To them it is a way of life, albeit a difficult one. Readers will almost be able to feel sand between their toes as they read. Howey is excellent at making you feel uncomfortable  but almost putting his audience inside the pages of his book.

Something else taken from reality and molded into science fiction is ‘diving’, and the majority of the book revolves around sand diving.  It works as you would imagine diving in the real world to work, only the characters in Sand dive into, well… sand. The reason for doing so is mainly to find treasures from the ‘Old World’; however, this is a dangerous job, as the characters soon discover for themselves. The character of Vic, possibly the most likable for her presentation as a strong female lead, similar to Jules in Wool, is a champion sand diver. She knows what she’s doing when it comes to her job. And it seems that this talent runs in the family, supposedly beginning with their absent father.

The character development within Sand is another pro for the novel. The mother, Rose, comes across as an uncaring, cold-hearted woman, more interesting in running her brothel, than making amends with her estranged children. However, as the situation grows worse and they pull together, the reader discovers her anger and frustration with the world she has been left with, after the disappearance of her husband and the father of her children.

The younger members of the family, Conner and Rob, also have a big part to play, and it is with them that Howey’s writing is most impressive. For all the roughness of his language, there is a tenderness that readers will recognise as young men missing the presence of a father figure in their lives.

Despite the family drama that it revolves around, Sand is an action packed novel with plenty of shocks and twists right up to the last page. It is a unique book with only Howey’s previous trilogy, Wool, as a rival. It will grab your attention and stay with you until well after the last page; this is a world not easily escaped from.


Sand has the ability to be expanded into a series, but whether Howey has any immediate plans for this will remain to be seen, and although there is a strong sense throughout that there will be at least one more book, I can’t find anything confirming this. Watch this space…

Thursday 28 May 2015

Red Blooded by Amanda Carlson

Title: Red Blooded
Author: Amanda Carlson
Publisher: Orbit
Rating: 3/5

Amanda Carlson returns with Red Blooded, the four novel in the Jessica McClain series. I have been away from reviewing for a while, due to university work and dissertation writing, so it was great to get back into the swing of things with another action packed read from Carlson.
We are dropped straight into the action with Jessica being transported straight to…Hell. In the literal sense. As fan’s will remember, Jessica’s brother, Tyler, was kidnapped by the Prince of Hell at the end of the last installment, Cold Blooded, and of course Jess is heading straight there to get him back. Things don’t got to plan and she winds up there alone, unarmed and unprepared. Jess’s reluctance is more than just not wanting to enter the Underworld, but she knows that her Fate is in some way linked to her presence in Hell. However, she must take the risk if she wants to see her brother again.
Ninety-percent of Red Blooded takes place in the Underworld, and luckily it is a very interesting setting, with no end of problems for our heroine. She meets some interesting characters along the way, some more mysterious than others, and there are plenty of plot twists to keep readers satisfied.
Carlson’s energetic writing is spot on as always, and as a result this can be a quick read. Once you get stuck into this series, you will be hard pressed not to finish this novel in only a few sittings, which was also the case with the first three books.
That’s not to say this book is perfect; I did have a few niggles it. Mainly, the absence of of the usual characters. Of course, this is due to the fact that because the entire novel takes place in the Underworld, there is no contact with Jess’s pack, or anyone back in her world. Secondly, there is little interaction between Jessica and Rourke. Although he does follow Jess into Hell, and is the only other character who features in the novel almost as much as Jess, I still felt there was a lack of dialogue between the two compared to the pervious instalments.
Having said that, there are some massive plot developments towards the end and the series takes an unexpected turn. Luckily, the next book is out in June, because there are plenty of cliffhangers to keep fans eager for book five.

Tuesday 15 October 2013

The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell


Title: The Twistrose Key
Author: Tone Almhjell
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: 17th October 2013
Rating: 4/5

The Twistrose Key is fundamentally based on a friendship, and this is where our story starts. Eleven year old Lindelin Rosenquist is best friends with her pet redback vole, Rufocanus. She is understandably devastated when he dies. Living in a rented house with her parents can get pretty lonely, and Lindelin thrives on adventure, so when a mysterious package arrives addressed simply to ‘Rosenquist’, Lin knows it is meant for her; it uses the childhood code name she gave herself.

She stealthy keeps the parcel hidden from her curious father and opens it in private, finding a key inside that opens the secret hidden door in the cellar. Lin knows there is only one thing to do – investigate. She tumbles headfirst into a whole new world, and she isn’t alone. She soon comes across her dear old friend, Rufus. But how is he alive? Where is Lin?

Rufus explains that she is in Sylvar, a land of eternal winter, who’s inhabitants are all human-sized creatures that were once a beloved pet of a human, which is why Rufus is there. Soon, Lin’s quest is apparent, find the missing Winter Prince, Isvan, and save Sylvar before midnight, or never return home…

The Twistrose Key is a new fairytale for children, penned by the Norwegian author, Tone Almhjell. The book originally started out as an advent calander Tone was making for her sister, ‘twenty-four, one-page chapters, glued into a scrapbook,’ and seven years later is the completed book. And what an excellent book it is; the plot is a fresh idea that has the nostalgic element of Narnia hidden within it. The characters are likeable and it is easy to believe in the world of Sylvar; what child wouldn’t want to go to a world filled with their long lost pets?

As you would expect, not all the pets are out to help Lin on her quest, and a particularly nasty cat will do anything to stop her. This is a perfect read for children, ages 8+, and would be ideal as a Christmas gift. The story has that Christmassy, winter feel to it. As soon as you turn the last page, you just want to relive the adventure all over again!

The Twistrose Key is Almhjell’s first novel, and I’m certain it won’t be the last. She certainly has a gift for writing for children, and I would love to see more from the world of Sylvar. 

Thursday 3 October 2013

Skulduggery Pleasant: Last Stand of Dead Men by Derek Landy [Book 8]


Title: Skulduggery Pleasant: Last Stand of Dead Men
Author: Derek Landy
Publisher: Harper Collins
Age Range: 11+
Release Date: Out now!
Rating: 5/5



Last Stand of Dead Men is the eighth book in the amazing Skulduggery Pleasant series, and the penultimate book overall.

War has finally broken among the Sanctuaries around the world, and things are looking bad for the Irish Sanctuary and everyone has had enough. Allies turn to enemies, leaving Valkyrie and Skulduggery to team up with the rest of the Dead Men and it seems to be their only chance of survival.

But Valkyrie has another problem to deal with much closer to home; the other half of herself, Darquesse, has also had enough and is ready to take control of our heroine to wreck havoc across the world. But will it all become too much for Valkyrie to handle?

Now, my family and myself are huge fans of Landy’s Skulduggery series, and I have followed the series from the start (Last Stand of Dead Men is book eight).  They are sold as children’s fiction, and you will find the series in the children’s section of the bookshop, however, I am 20 and adore this series; my mother and younger brother also love it, so please don’t assume that this series is too young for you to read, you would be sorely missing out! The humor in the books is what makes me come back to Landy again and again, they really are very funny; the humor isn’t crude or rude, it is the kind of comedy that everyone – no matter their age – can enjoy. Having said that, this series is perfect for getting younger children, especially boys, involved in reading.

So, how does this book compare to the rest in the series? Well, there are important plot developments, not all of which are good. We loose one or two characters in one way or another in this installment, and things are definitely heating up for the next book – last in the series. I won’t say anymore about that, but I was pretty upset.

My favourite characters, by far, are the (now former) zombies, Scapegrace and his useless sidekick, Thrasher. Truth be told, I read the books to see what kind of hilarious situation they’ve found themselves in now. And if you thought Scapegrace’s journey from human to zombie to a head-in-a-jar to man in an attractive woman’s body was bad enough, you probably haven’t been following the series. Very funny, as always!

Tanith and Sanguine turn to different tactics to achieve their goal (what actually in their goal? I know Tanith’s but… anyway) and try and gain the trust of Skulduggary, Valkyrie and co., which works surprisingly well, actually.

In Last Stand of Dead Men, we learn more about the other Sanctuaries around the world, rather than just the Irish Sanctuary; in previous books the world Valkyrie and Skulduggery live in has felt small, confided to Roarhaven, which I loved but now things are getting out of their control.

Needless to say, I cannot wait for book 9, the last in the series, which is due out August 2014. But until then, enjoy this penultimate adventure!

Thursday 19 September 2013

The Other Woman by Graham Thomas (The Roxy Compendium #2)


Title: The Other Woman (The Roxy Compendium #2)
Author: Graham Thomas
Publisher: The Never Press
Release Date: Available Now!
Rating: 5/5



The second book in the excellent Roxy Playhouse series by Graham Thomas, The Other Woman takes us back years into the past, before the events of the first book, Hats Off to Brandenburg. It features a few characters from the previous novel, and we revisit Abigail Hardwoode, and discover the truth of her having to leave her love, Benjamin Ananas.

In Hats Off To Brandenburg, we saw Benjamin Ananas rediscover his lost love, Abigail Hardwoode, whom vanished years ago and left him with a broken heart from which he has never fully recovered.  

The Other Woman is her story and fills us in on the missing years from her viewpoint. It was 1789 when Abigail’s life is irreparably shaken; in her small, safe home in the heart of London, she has everything a seventeen-year-old could wish for; she has the London social scene and all of her friends close by, and her developing relationship with Benjamin looks like she has a promising future ahead. But Abigail couldn’t be more wrong. One dark night, a strange man visits her parents, a man named Hilary Weaver, a British secret agent. Hilary’s life collides with Abigail’s and they must fight to prove that her parents, supposedly involved in the French Revolution, are innocent. They embark on an adventure that sees Abigail cutting all ties with her old life, including Benjamin…

There is plenty of action within the pages of The Other Woman; the French Revolution is presented in an interesting and readable way.
Readers will find that they can sympathize with Abigail; a young innocent girl who has no idea of Revolution’s or fighting, and so the readers can learn along with her, and she can voice their questions, What is happening in France? How have her parents become involved?

Another element Graham adds to the mix is the character of Elise, a feisty, hotheaded young girl. She is the ‘old beyond her time’ girl that initially defensive of Abigail. Soon they are best friends, sisters. Elise has a strong heart and deeply hidden emotions, but she has a troubled past due to events that take place at the beginning of the book involving her parents; she is left with her life as shaken as Abigail’s and they bond over this.

As with Hats Off to Brandenburg, this second book also features the secretive movement, The Black Arm. There are a lot of men with very different aims in The Black Arm, with so-and-so double crossing another character there are many surprises when you realise they’ve been working against our main characters the whole time.

Another thing to mention is the artwork, which is sometimes as important to the actual plot of a book and can greatly affect book sales. Graham’s work always has excellent cover art but for this series it is really nice to see the artists impressions of the characters.

As for Graham’s writing, it is top-notch as always, particularly in the fighting scenes, which would usually easily bore me but instead kept me glued page after page. The Other Woman is a great addition to an ever-growing series. Now I just have to wait for book number three… No pressure, Graham!

As always, a quick thank you to The Never Press who sent me this book to review, and to Graham for signing my copy and being an amazing guy!