MARIA LEWIS The Rose Daughter. Reviewed by Amelia Dudley
Aurealis award-winner Maria Lewis has created an imaginative world that is both compelling and addictive. ‘All the best characters have scars…not just the villains.’ Set in a fantasy universe shared with her other novels, but still satisfying as a standalone read, The...
KAZUO ISHIGURO Klara and the Sun. Reviewed by Paul Anderson
Kazuo Ishiguro’s latest novel is as much about what it is to be human as it is about artificial intelligence. Klara and the Sun is Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel since he was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature. He touches on AI towards the end of his Nobel...
DAN FREY The Future is Yours. Reviewed by Robert Goodman
Dan Frey’s novel is both a critique of Silicon Valley and an exploration of what it might mean if we really could see into the future. Time travel is one of the most persistent and fun tropes in science fiction. The list of time travel books, TV shows and movies...
BRANDON SANDERSON Rhythm of War: Stormlight Archive Book 4. Reviewed by Amelia Dudley.
Brandon Sanderson’s epic fantasy series encompasses battles both mental and physical. A thousand quotes from noted scholars leapt to her mind. Accounts of what it was like to be in war. She’d read hundreds; some so detailed, she’d been able to smell the blood in...
JONATHAN LETHEM The Arrest. Reviewed by Robert Goodman
In his twelfth novel Jonathan Lethem delivers a post-apocalypse story that is also a commentary on the genre. It seems everyone wants to write post-apocalyptic fiction at the moment. But Jonathan Lethem cannot be accused of just jumping on the bandwagon in his twelfth...
From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back. Reviewed by Robert Goodman
Forty writers celebrate the lesser known characters and corners of the Star Wars universe with this celebration of the blockbuster sequel. The Empire Strikes Back is one of the most famous sequels in cinema history, and arguably still the best of the Star Wars films....
MATTHEW BAKER Why Visit America. Reviewed by Robert Goodman
Matthew Baker casts a critical eye on his country in these timely short stories that present alternate versions of America. While there have always been books of short stories, at the moment there seems to be a resurgence of anthology TV series, particularly in genres...
JAY KRISTOFF Truel1f3: Lifel1k3 Book 3. Reviewed by Amelia Dudley.
Truel1f3 delivers a satisfying conclusion to Jay Kristoff’s dystopian Lifel1k3 series, a tale of love, sacrifice and betrayal. ‘You built a world on metal backs. Held together by metal hands. And one day soon, those hands will close. And they’ll become fists.’...
MICAIAH JOHNSON The Space Between Worlds. Reviewed by Robert Goodman
Micaiah Johnson delivers a fresh take on multiple worlds and explores issues of power, nature and fate in her novel The Space Between Worlds. The idea of multiple worlds or multiple realities is a common one in science fiction. In her debut, The Space Between...
TRUDI CANAVAN Maker’s Curse: Millennium’s Rule Book Four. Reviewed by Amelia Dudley
Trudi Canavan provides a suitably epic final instalment to her Millennium’s Rule series with Maker’s Curse. ‘All you can do is make sure you only have enemies because you are a good person.’ The bestselling author of four previous series, including...
JASPER FFORDE The Constant Rabbit. Reviewed by Robert Goodman
In his latest novel Jasper Fforde departs from his famous Tuesday Next series and explores themes of fear and prejudice in Britain. It is not very far into The Constant Rabbit that readers familiar with Jasper Fforde’s work will know, without doubt, they are in a...
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