Category Archives: Book Review

 

  • Platform Decay: Everyone's favourite SecUnit is back in a new adventure. It is a good job no soft and squishy humans are involved. Oh, wait... Children?!!

  • Oathbound: Tracy Deonn's Arthurian-themed YA fantasy trilogy has reached its conclusion.

  • Cynefin: What does Welsh nature poetry have to teach us about the world? Quite a bit, actually.

  • The Prince of Annwn: Cheryl embarks on reading the most famous adaptation of The Mabinogi: that by Evangeline Walton

  • Celtic Magic: A Practitioner’s Guide: Do you want to cast spells like an actual druid? Sadly historical sources tell us little, but Brigid Ehrmantraut does her best with what we have.

  • The Monster and the Clown: The second book in Mats Strandberg's children's series pits little Frank Steen against a deadly foe: A CLOWN!

  • Human Voices, Alien Conversations: A book of interviews from across the SF&F community. Lots of famous subjects, and also Cheryl

  • Project Hanuman: Stewart Hotston's debut novel bravely takes on The Culture and does something interesting with it

  • Y Dydd Olaf: The most famous Welsh science fiction novel starts off with the best of intentions and ends up in a horrifying dystopia.

  • Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd: The first science fiction novel written in Welsh was an advert for Welsh nationalism

  • The Orb of Cairado: What's that you say? A new novella set in the world of The Goblin Emperor? Take my money!

  • Welsh Witches: How many witches have there been in Wales? Here are the stories of 100 of them.

  • The Ghosts Who Sit Upon Imaginary Thrones: A whole book full of Anne Sudworth art? Catnip to Cheryl!

  • The Hymn to Dionysus: The latest Natasha Pulley novel does not feature Katsu the Clockwork Octopus, but Cheryl loved it anyway.

  • Epic of the Earth: These days we know that war is an environmental disaster, but that's nothing new. As Edith Hall points out, the Trojan War, as reported by Homer, came at massive environmental cost.

  • The Bacchae: Natasha Pulley's The Hymn to Dionysus is based heavily on an ancient Greek play by Euripides. What is the original like, and why is it more queer than Pulley's version?

  • The Curve of the World: Vonda McIntyre's final novel befor eher death has been prepared for publication by her friends. It will be releasd by Aqueduct later this year. Cheryl got an advance peek.

  • A Sword of Bronze and Ashes: A Bronze Age themed issue cannot be complete without a look at Anna Smith Spark's contribution to the period.

  • Introduction to the Mabinogi: As ancient legends go, the Mabinogion is seriously weird. Perhaps a simple introduction is what the story collection needs.

  • Slow Gods: Space opera is alive and well in the sure hands of Claire North

  • The Owl Service: The Owl Service is one of the UK's best loved fantasy stories for young adults, but it is a story set in Wales, and inspired by Welsh mythology. How does it read in Wales?

  • Killing Hares: It is not easy, being the village witch. People have expectations of you, and they are not always very grateful for what you do.

  • The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire: This one is a straight up romantasy novel, set in Wales. Get your annoying but handsome fairy prince here.

  • The Great God Pan: The biggest name in Welsh fantastic fiction is undoubtedly Arthur Machen, but his work is well over a century old now. How does it stack up?

  • The Book of Three: The Chronicles of Prydain are very obviously rooted in Welsh mythology, but Lloyd Alexander was American. How does he do?

  • She Is Here: Finally, Nicola Griffith arrives at the PM Press Outspoken Authors series. About time, in Cheryl's opinion.

  • The Everlasting: Alix E Harrow's The Everlasting is one of the stand-out books of 2025, not just for the beautiful writing, but also for the issue it addresses

  • The Incandescent: Emily Tesh's follow-up to Some Desperate Glory is a very different type of book, but no less entertaining

  • Winter’s Orbit: A few years late, Cheryl finally catches up with one of the new stars of UK science fiction

  • Frank the Monster: Swedish writer, Mats Strandberg, has written a series of books for children about a small boy who becomes a monster. Cheryl has a look at the first of the series.

  • Brigands & Breadknives: It is time once again to curl up with a cosy tale of lovely people in a fantasy universe. Yes, Travis Baldree is back.

  • Once Was Willem: Mike Carey's latest novel is a big departure from his previous work, but very welcome in any case

  • When There Are Wolves Again: A new E J Swift novel is cause for excitement these days. How does the latest one stack up?

  • Carved in Stone: Ever wanted to write a story, or run a game, in the world of the Picts? This book has all of the worldbuilding that you need.

  • Emberclaw: L R Lam's gay dragon romance is up to its second installment.

  • These Burning Stars: Is science fiction dying? Hopefully not, and Bethany Jacobs is busily trying to keep it alive.

  • The Salt Oracle: Lorraine Wilson has produced a sequel of sorts to We Are All Ghosts in the Forest, and it is set in Åland. This is a source of great excitement in these here parts.

  • What Stalks the Deep: The next Alex Easton novella is out. Naturally Cheryl jumped on it.

  • A Mouthful of Dust: Cleric Chih and Almost Brilliant are on the road again. They have been tasked to gather stories from a town that suffered a famine, but not all of the survivors want to talk about what happened.

  • Patriarchy Inc.: Cordelia Fine's latest book suffers from some unfortunate timing, but it is fascinating nonetheless.