JOHN RICHARDS The Gorgon Flower. Reviewed by Paul Anderson
John Richards’ stories explore the phantasmagoric, the mysterious, and the follies of empire. The Gorgon Flower, John Richards’ first book, is an intriguing collection of speculative short fiction of impressive range that explores the space-time continuum. It...
DEBORAH CALLAGHAN The Little Clothes: extract
Deborah Callaghan’s sharply observed debut explores what can happen when a woman feels invisible – and starts pushing the boundaries. Audrey, the 38-year-old protagonist of The Little Clothes, is a smart lawyer who lives alone with her pet rabbit, Joni. As the...
SHARON EMMERICHS Shield Maiden. Reviewed by Amelia Dudley
Sharon Emmerichs gives the legend of Beowulf a makeover from the point of view of Beowulf’s niece. And yes, there is a dragon. Fryda, niece of the legendary King Beowulf, has always dreamed of becoming a warrior herself, despite her father’s refusal to allow her to...
BEL SCHENK The Most Famous Boy In Town. Reviewed by Michael Jongen
Bel Schenk’s deceptively simple novel of a teenage boy’s response to a small-town scandal has a lot to say about gender relations. The Most Famous Boy in Town is the first novel from Bel Schenk, a Melbourne-based poet with three published poetry collections. It has a...
KATE KRUIMINK. Heartsease. Reviewed by Sally Nimon
Set in an old house in the Tasmanian countryside, nothing is quite as expected in this second novel from Vogel-winner Kate Kruimink. The first thing to say about Heartsease is that – despite its title – it is not a comforting read. This is a story about loss...
NATALIE BAYLEY Bone Rites. Reviewed by Sandra Nichols
The protagonist of Natalie Bayley’s novel embarks on an unusual and increasingly dangerous quest to honour the brother she lost in childhood. They are hanging me tomorrow … Each second is an eternity. I cannot sleep, I cannot eat. I lie wretched on the bed while...
LAUREN CHATER The Beauties. Reviewed by Ann Skea
Set in 17th-century London, Lauren Chater’s new novel brings together a royal artist, a young woman’s quest and the real-life Anne Hyde. What do you do if the king invites you to share his bed but you find the idea repulsive? A wave of nausea ripples through her...
GABRIELLE ZEVIN Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Reviewed by CJ Pardey
Gabrielle Zevin’s bestselling novel set in the world of game designers has a lot to say about writers, too. In Macbeth’s soliloquy beginning ‘Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,’ Macbeth foreshadows his own death, the finality of it and the ephemerality of life....
OLIVER K LANGMEAD Calypso. Reviewed by Robert Goodman
Oliver K Langmead combines science fiction with poetry to deliver a fresh and thought-provoking take on the genre. Just when you think you have come across every possible version and trope of the generation-ship (taking hundreds of years to take colonists to a new...
LEIGH BARDUGO The Familiar. Reviewed by Ann Skea
The bestselling creator of the Grishaverse turns to the history of 16th-century Spain for this story of a young woman with magical powers. If the bread hadn’t burned, this would be a very different story. So it would. Luzia would not have used her magical skills, Doña...
JOHN WISWELL Someone You Can Build a Nest In. Reviewed by Robert Goodman
John Wiswell gives an outsider’s view of human behaviour in this novel of a shape-shifting monster told with violence and dark humour. John Wiswell must be in the running for title of the year for his debut fantasy novel Someone You Can Build a Nest In. The title not...
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