Image of cover of book Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell, reviewed by Robert Goodman in the Newtown Review of Books.

JOHN WISWELL Wearing the Lion. Reviewed by Robert Goodman

by NRB | 24 June 2025 | Fiction, SFF | 0 Comments

His first novel has just won a prestigious Nebula Award; now John Wiswell puts his humorous and humanist spin on the labours of Heracles. The retelling of tales from Greek mythology is not new – Shakespeare did it, among others. But it feels like there are a lot of...

Image of cover of book The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz by Anne Sebba, reviewed by Justine Ettler in the Newtown Review of Books.

ANNE SEBBA The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz. Reviewed by Justine Ettler

by NRB | 19 June 2025 | Non-fiction | 0 Comments

British historian Anne Sebba’s account of the Nazi death camp describes the dissonance of beautiful music in a place of suffering and death. A monstrous, life-and-death version of sing for your supper, The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz fascinates as it horrifies with...

Image of cover of book The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and his kingdom of clay by Christopher Clarey, reviewed by Braham Dabscheck in the Newtown Review of Books.

CHRISTOPHER CLAREY The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and his kingdom of clay. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck

by NRB | 17 June 2025 | Non-fiction | 0 Comments

The French Open may be over for another year, but Roland-Garros will always belong to Rafael Nadal, its all-time champion. Rafael Nadal will always be regarded as one of tennis’s greatest players. He turned professional in 2001, aged 14, and retired in 2024. He won 92...

Image of cover of book First Name Second Name by Steve MinOn, reviewed by Ben Ford Smith in the Newtown Review of Books.

STEVE MINON First Name, Second Name. Reviewed by Ben Ford Smith

by NRB | 12 June 2025 | Fiction | 0 Comments

Winner of a Queensland Literary Award, Steve MinOn’s debut novel charts the lives – and afterlives – of a family of Chinese Australians. Queensland author Steve MinOn’s debut novel, First Name, Second Name, explores the complexities of family history and personal...

Image of cover of book The Incandescent by Emily Tesh, reviewed by Robert Goodman in the Newtown Review of Books.

EMILY TESH The Incandescent. Reviewed by Robert Goodman

by NRB | 11 June 2025 | Fiction, SFF | 0 Comments

Emily Tesh’s magical fantasy is as much about the art of teaching as it is about dealing with demons. There are so many magical academy books now that they have become a definable sub-genre. While the first fantasy book to feature a magic school was Ursula K Le Guin’s...