Sailor to a Siren Elsewhen Press, 272 pages Reviewed by Samantha Dolan This novel is Zoe Sumras’ debut and you can tell that she didn’t just happen upon space opera. The dept and breath of her worldbuilding is evident from the first dizzying battle between our protagonists, Connor Cardwain and his band of militarised
Abaddon, 400 pages Review by S-J McGeachy When a book’s prologue consists of quotations from Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Eric Morecombe you hope for a healthy combination of grim despair and hearty chuckles. Thankfully, Nate Crowley delivers both in spades. Schneider Wrack regains consciousness and slowly becomes aware that he is dead. His
New York 2140 Kim Stanley Robinson Orbit, 618 pages Review by Callum McSorley New York, New York, it’s a helluva town! So goes the song, and from Paul Auster’s New York Trilogy to Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, it’s certainly a city that’s inspired writers and artists for generations, and its prominence in media and finance
Infinity Wars Jonathan Strahan Rebellion, 356 pages Reviewed by Ian Hunter It was inevitably, I suppose, given that the previous five entries in Jonathan Strahan’s Infinity Project—at least from their titles—had a hopeful air about them starting way back in 2010 with Engineering Infinity right through to more recent offerings, that things would take a
Too Like The Lightning Ada Palmer Tor, 432 pages Review by Eris Young It is the year 2454, and the invention of flying cars has long since made geographical borders, and by extension nations, obsolete: if you live in Chile but work in Japan and have dinner in France, what does it matter what country
Off Beat: Nine Spins on Song Wicked Ink Books, 256 pages Review by Benjamin Thomas Off Beat: Nine Spins on Song is a collection of nine lengthy stories that follow inspiration derived from songs that meant something to each writer. Starting with Basil & Jade by A.G. Henley and wrapping up with Thanksgiving in the
Walkaway Cory Doctorow Head of Zeus, 504 pages Review by Joanna McLaughlin What would happen if instead of trying to improve a corrupt society – or even just survive it – we chose to turn our backs on it altogether? This is the premise of Cory Doctorow’s new novel, Walkaway, in which the main characters
Carapace Davyne DeSye Illuminus, 338 pages Review by Steve Ironside Some books you regret picking up, some are just a joy to read, and some feel like a bit of a slog, but at the last page you can put it down and say, “that was worth it”. Carapace initially felt like it belonged in
The Delirium Brief Charles Stross Orbit, 435 pages Review by Duncan Lunan The press release for this novel begins “James Bond meets H.P. Lovecraft in the latest occult thriller from Hugo Award winner Charles Stross, in a series where British spies take on the supernatural”. The Bond reference is apt because it’s sometimes alleged that
Under the Pendulum Sun Jeannette Ng Angry Robot, 416 pages Review by Marija Smits The central premise of Under the Pendulum Sun is a strong one: to what lengths will a missionary go to bring faith to the faithless? But here’s where the premise gets really interesting – the faithless are the inhabitants of Arcadia,