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Book Reviews

These reviews cover some of the latest fantasy and science fiction book releases, including works by both popular and lesser-known writers.
They are as spoiler-free as possible so you can still enjoy the book.

Book Reviews

Mr Monster (2010) by Dan Wells
5 star rating
John Cleaver is on the trail of another killer in his home town. Can he solve the mystery before his dark side gets the better of him?
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The Poison Throne (2010) by Celine Kiernan
5 star rating
In book one of the Moorehawke trilogy a royal family is in conflict with itself. How can Wynter protect the people she cares about?
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The Waiting Room (2010) by F. G. Cottam
5 star rating
For TV ghost hunter Julian Creed spectres of the past turn out to be more dangerous than he thought possible.
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Johannes Cabal the Detective (2010) by Jonathan L. Howard
5 star rating
The necromancer is caught up in an airborne murder mystery in this Cluedo-meets-zombies adventure.
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Unholy Ghosts (2010) by Stacia Kane
5 star rating
The dead have risen, and Church witch Chess Putnam is one of the few who can protect the living from them. But Chess can't always concentrate on the job.
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Lex Trent Versus The Gods (2010) by Alex Bell
4 star rating
He may be a cheat, a liar, and a thief. But can Lex Trent steal a march on the gods themselves?
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Hell's Belles (2010) by Paul Magrs
4 star rating
Weird things happen when a film crew come to Whitby to remake a cursed horror movie. The fourth Brenda and Effie mystery.
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City of Dreams and Nightmare (2010) by Ian Whates
4 star rating
A young man goes on the run in an unusual city in this fantasy adventure.
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Walking The Tree (2010) by Kaaron Warren
4 star rating
In Botanica, life under the great Tree is all they know. What will a young woman learn as she journeys around it?
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King Maker (2010) by Maurice Broaddus
4 star rating
In an Indianapolis ghetto only an Arthurian-style hero can save the neighbourhood.
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Flirt (2010) by Laurell K. Hamilton
4 star rating
Anita Blake has trouble on her hands after she refuses a request to raise a zombie.
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Bullet (2010) by Laurell K. Hamilton
4 star rating
How can Anita Blake defeat the Mother of All Darkness, an ancient vampire with no body of her own?
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Spellwright (2010) by Blake Charlton
4 star rating
Spelling is a matter of life and death for apprentice wizard Nicodemus Weal.
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Tome of the Undergates (2010) by Sam Sykes
4 star rating
Lenk knows the life of an adventurer is likely to be nasty, brutish, short, and badly paid. So why won't he leave?
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Entangled (2010) by Graham Hancock
2 star rating
Two young women from different times take their fight against evil to the spirit world.
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Johannes Cabal The Necromancer (2009) by Jonathan L. Howard
5 star rating
An acerbic, over-educated necromancer tries to win back his soul in this occult comedy.
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Triumff: Her Majesty's Hero (2009) by Dan Abnett
5 star rating
Sir Rupert Triumff fights for queen, country, and sobriety in this humorous alternate history.
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I Am Not A Serial Killer (2009) by Dan Wells
5 star rating
Can a sociopathic teenager stop a demon on a killing spree?
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Best Served Cold (2009) by Joe Abercrombie
5 star rating
Revenge is on the agenda in this standalone novel set in the same world as the First Law trilogy.
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The Magician's Apprentice (2009) by Trudi Canavan
3 star rating
In this prequel to the Black Magician series a young assistant healer learns that she has magical gifts.
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The Edge of the World (2009) by Kevin J. Anderson
3 star rating
Explorers set out to map the edges of the known world in this epic fantasy adventure.
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The Killing Moon (2009) by Rod Glenn
2 star rating
In post-apocalyptic northern England the future of civilisation hangs in the balance.
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Joe Fury and the Hard Death (2009) by Paul Anthony Long
1 star rating
A private eye is faced with his one of toughest cases when reality begins to crumble around him.
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Bringing Forth The End Of Days (2009) by Simon Law
1 star rating
Can the last remnants of mankind survive in a world depleted of oxygen?
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Last Argument of Kings (2008) by Joe Abercrombie
5 star rating
In the third book of The First Law the kingdom faces war. But Superior Glokta wants to know who is really pulling the strings.
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Empire in Black and Gold (2008) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
5 star rating
A small group of agents take on the might of the encroaching Wasp Empire in this unconventional fantasy.
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The Way Of Shadows (2008) by Brent Weeks
5 star rating
A young man becomes an assassin to escape a life of poverty. But can he bear to leave all his friends behind?
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Little Brother (2008) by Cory Doctorow
5 star rating
When the state begins to remove the civil rights of ordinary people, a young man takes on the system.
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Beyond The Shadows (2008) by Brent Weeks
5 star rating
Kylar finds out that his extraordinary powers come at a price. The third in the Night Angel trilogy.
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Pretty Little Things To Fill Up The Void (2008) by Simon Logan
4 star rating
In a nightmarish urban dystopia five very different people search for what matters most to each of them.
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Of Quills and Kings (2008) by Joel Reeves
4 star rating
In a world of demonic hedgehogs and cannibalistic giants, Jonathan Quintain is a young man who can forget about a quiet life.
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The Tales of Beedle the Bard (2008) by J. K. Rowling
4 star rating
These fairy stories, mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, have been told to young wizards and witches for centuries.
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Shadow's Edge (2008) by Brent Weeks
4 star rating
In the second part of the Night Angel trilogy Kylar Stern tries to leave the life of an assassin behind him.
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The Sweet Scent Of Blood (2008) by Suzanne McLeod
4 star rating
A Sidhe fae takes on a host of supernatural threats in this modern murder mystery. The first book in the Spellcrackers.com series.
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The Painted Man (2008) by Peter V. Brett
4 star rating
Demons rise out of the ground at night to feast on people. The first book in the Demon Trilogy.
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The Iron Hunt (2008) by Marjorie M. Liu
4 star rating
Tattooed warrior Maxine Kiss is going to need more than a scary look to keep the demons at bay. Luckily her ink has a life of its own.
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Jeff Hawke: Overlord (2008) by Sydney Jordan and Willie Patterson
3 star rating
In this collection of stories first published in the 1960s, can Jeff Hawke talk his way out of trouble with the Overlord?
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Shadowmagic (2008) by John Lenahan
3 star rating
Conor is a normal student who finds himself transported to a land of myth, legend, and backchatting topiary.
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Brisingr (2008) by Christopher Paolini
3 star rating
The third instalment of the Inheritance cycle sees Eragon and Saphira attempting to keep some of their promises.
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House Of Suns (2008) by Alastair Reynolds
3 star rating
Millions of years into the future, the fate of the galaxy may depend on the lost memories of a damaged robot.
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Earlier book reviews









Reviews cover these genres :

  Fantasy
  Horror
  Science
  Science fiction
  Space opera
  Speculative fiction
  Steampunk
  SFF for Children and Young Adults

  Top 10 Lists

  Top 10 Lists In Books
  Top 10 Lists In Films



A Short List of Under-Appreciated Books
Not all great reads are hyped to within an inch of their papery lives. Check out these obscure gems.




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