Author Archive: PaulineMorgan
Paper And Fire (The Great Library book 2) by Rachel Caine (book review)
When a group of young people leave home for the first time to further their education, it can be likened to the situation of students heading off to university. All are reliant on their own resources, all experiences, new situations and all need to find how they fit into the new world. In the first […]
Darksoul by Anna Stephens (book review).
Second books and especially second books in trilogies are a challenge to any author. The first book as a debut novel has probably had much more time in the gestation than publishing schedules will ever allow for subsequent ones. That is the first pressure. If it is the second in a trilogy, others kick in. […]
The Glass God (Magicals Anonymous book 2) by Kate Griffin (book review).
This book is a humorous urban fantasy, volume 2 in the ‘Magicals Anonymous’ series, which is itself a spin-off of the four-volume ‘Matthew Swift’ series. Swift, the Midnight Mayor, comes into ‘The Glass God’ and its predecessor, ‘Stray Souls’ as a minor or perhaps it’s more accurate to say a major but mainly off-stage character. […]
Immortal Nights: Unchained :An Argeneau Vampire novel by Lynsay Sands (book review).
With the plethora of dark fantasy novels that have vampires in the mix, it is becoming increasingly difficult to be original. This is why some authors, such as Seanan McGuire and Keri Arthur, have shied away from making the vampire the focus of the novel, preferring to concentrate on exploring the habits of other supernaturals. […]
A Lot Like Christmas by Connie Willis (book review).
Bibliographical stuff first: this is a hugely expanded edition of Willis’s ‘Miracle And Other Christmas Stories’ from Bantam, 1999. Added is her story ‘All About Emily’, previously published only as a slim hardcover by Subterranean Press and several of her stories that have appeared in December issues of ‘Asimov’s Magazine’ since 1999. So this is […]
Occult Detective Quarterly Presents edited by John Linwood Grant & Dave Brzeski (book review).
Writing even a contemporary detective story at short length is difficult. It is not the setting of the scene that causes the problem but being able to show how the mind of the detective or, in some cases, the villain works. If there is insufficient space the detective has to either be regarded as an […]
An American Story by Christopher Priest (book review).
An American Story by Christopher Priest is my novel of the year, a grabbing, electrifying and chilling read. It’s probably best categorised as a conspiracy thriller, with settings in the near past, the present and the near future. Ben Matson tells the story. He’s an English freelance science journalist, living in Scotland (independent and a […]
Godblind: Tome 1, by Anna Stephens (book review).
There seems to be a trend to sub-divide fantasy into smaller and smaller sections. It may just be that the publishers are attempting to tickle the jaded palate. Once the fashion was for the sagas as written by David Eddings and Terry Brooks with hidden royalty and quests against magical odds. When sales fall off, […]
Deadlands: Boneyard by Seanan McGuire (book review).
While the novelisation of a film makes sense, especially as some viewers like to have a record, particularly of the dialogue. Admittedly this was more relevant when it wasn’t possible to own the film on DVD. Shared worlds, too, have value. An author may not have the time or energy to explore all the characters […]
Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire (book review).
The genesis of a novel can sometimes be as fascinating as the book itself. In his later years, some of Ray Bradbury’s short pieces – stories, fragments and essays – were gathered in single volumes. In particular, ‘Match To Flame’ shows how his concern for the demise of books and reading developed over the years […]
