Could this book be a little bit longer please? As the first few books from my Cannonball did not really grab me, I was glad when this one did. To say grab though is a bit of an understatement. It was like getting pulled by the ear over to a scene and someone shouting into my ear “LOOK AT THIS!” In the posting of my review, I see that it is going to be the Book Club on 9 March. Definitely get it and you’ll […]
Is there such a thing as a jazz vampire?
This is the second book in the books about DC Peter Grant and as such, this review may contain certain spoilers for book one, Rivers of London. That’s the book you want to start with. Something is killing jazz musicians in Soho. A promising jazz saxophonist, Cyrus Wilkinson, drops dead of an apparent heart attack after playing a gig. Doctor Walid suspects that something supernatural may have caused it and DC Grant can hear “Body and Soul” playing when he examines the body. Some investigation shows […]
Neil Gaiman treats us to another assortment of strange and haunting stories in his third collection.
Neil has produced some of my favourite short story collections over the years. He always has a knack for giving the reader a wide selection of tales that vary in style, genre and mood while still retaining the hallmarks that make Gaiman, well, Gaiman. And this collection is no different. In his introduction, Gaiman claims these shorts are far too random and unconnected to form an effective collection – but I’d beg to disagree. Several small connections hide beneath the surface, as little threads spider […]
Being the chosen one isn’t all fun and games, Alina
In a fantasy world heavily inspired by Russian folklore elements (which is also reflected in the gorgeous cover design of the books), Alina and Mal are orphans raised on the estate of a benevolent Duke. Growing up, they are inseparable, when they grow up, they (like most others) join the First Army, Alina as a mapmaker, Mal as a tracker. Alina is skinny, pale and insignificant, watching Mal mostly from afar. He’s grown up handsome, charming, popular and makes female conquests wherever he goes. Occasionally […]