Recent Blog Posts

SUNDAY POST

9 August

This is part of the weekly, or fortnightly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books they’ve read and share what they have got up to during the last week.
I’m not sure exactly where the last fortnight has gone. We are still having warm weather with lots of sunshine and scarcely any rain. Daytime temperatures are typically in the mid to high 70s, though we’ve had several days when they’ve climbed into the 80s. We are officially under Drought conditions, with a hosepipe ban and the local water company has applied to be allowed to take water from local rivers, even though they are below safe levels. Farmers are reporting a disastrous harvest.
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Castellan the Black and his Wise Draconic Tips on Life

8 August

We all agree that magic-users are generally evil fiends, determined to see dragons enslaved or dead. However, my belief that we need to learn how some of these vile magicks work in order to be able to fight them doesn’t make me evil or a fiend. And if you go on saying such nonsense, we’ll take it up in the air and sort it out with flame and claw.
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Review of NETGALLEY arc A Family Affair – Book 2 of the Smallhope & Pennyroyal series by Jodi Taylor

7 August

I love Jodi Taylor’s writing, which I first encountered in The Nothing Girl, which was unlike anything else I’d ever read. Her take on time travel is gripping, hilarious and heartbreaking in her remarkable The Chronicles of St Mary’s series – see my reviews of Just One Damned Thing After Another, A Symphony of Echoes, A Second Chance, A Trail Through Time and No Time Like the Past. I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed the spinoff series The Time Police – see my review of Doing Time. I’ve also enjoyed two of her Elizabeth Cage stories – see my review of Bad Moon. But my absolute favourite is her series charting the fortunes of two bounty hunters, who turn up in both the Time Police and St Mary’s series – Amelia Smallhope and Pennyroyal. I absolutely loved The Ballad of Smallhope & Pennyroyal, so was over the moon when this one popped up on the dashboard.
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Can’t-Wait Wednesday

5 August

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.
This week’s Can’t-Wait offering: Preaching to the Choir – Terrible Worlds: Transformations by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Release date for the ebook – 11th August, 2026
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Review of NETGALLEY arc The Castle & the Cloister – Book 1 of the Daughters of Light series by Laura E. Weymouth

4 August

It was the fabulous cover that snagged my attention – and then the intriguing blurb. I’ve fallen back in love with high fantasy tales, creaking with mysterious magic as ambitious and ruthless people jockey for position within Court circles. So would I enjoy this offering from an author I haven’t read before?
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Castellan the Black and his Wise Draconic Tips on Life

1 August

Burnt-brained fools, who label themselves ‘purists’ tend to forget there are far fewer of us these days. And a lot more dangerous enemies determined to see the end of us, so it makes sense to seek allies amongst other species who can be useful. Such as spider-rats. And no – using such creatures to help protect our aeries doesn’t ‘pollute’ our species.
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Review of INDIE Ebook Southern Spirits – Book 1 of the Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries by Angie Fox

31 July

This is another review that I didn’t get around to posting as I’d written it at the beginning of my four-year battle with Long Covid. So it’s finally getting an airing now!
I read and thoroughly enjoyed Fox’s paranormal series set in a medical unit in the middle of a war between gods and monsters – see my reviews of The Monster MASH, The Transylvania Twist and Werewolves of London. So when I spotted that Himself also had picked up this offering, I decided to give it a try.
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Can’t-Wait Wednesday

29 July

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.
This week’s Can’t-Wait offering: A Family Affair – Book 2 of the Smallhope & Pennyroyal series by Jodi Taylor
Release date for the ebook – 6th August, 2026
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