Stratus wakes in an unfamiliar place, with nothing but the knowledge that he is not human, with no memories of his past but possessing great strength, a powerful sorcery and the burning instinct to survive at any cost. Embarking on a journey of self-discovery, he sets out across a landscape torn apart by the ten year war between the Kingdoms of Krandin and Penullin, now reaching new levels of savagery as a dark magic drives the world to the brink of destruction. As his personality grows with each step he slowly uncovers the truth of what he has become and the unquenchable thirst for vengeance that has led him there. Over the last few years there have been some cracking new fantasy writers published in the UK. Jen Williams gave us The Copper Cat trilogy, Edward Cox unleashed The Relic Guild, Peter Newman brought us The Vagrant and I’d be entirely remiss if I didn’t mention Liz de Jager and the wonderful Blackheart Legacy. All these authors, and their work, have reignited my love of the fantasy genre. So much so that now I am always actively on the lookout for more talent to add to this list. The latest name…

Please note – The Girl on the Liar’s Throne is the third book in The Erebus Sequence and it is likely that if haven’t read the first two then this review may contain minor spoilers. Don’t say I didn’t warn you in advance. Anea, once the Silent Queen of Landfall, find herself imprisoned in the dark waters far beneath the vast castle of Demesne. Her throne, like her memories, have have been stolen. Eris, the impostor, discovers even the semblance of ruling is a lonely business in a place as corrupt as the Ravenscourt. Her rule, like her appearance, is a sham. They are a world apart but entangled in a web of subtle deceit, old secrets and dark ambitions. As an ancient enemy plots his rise, old alliances must be laid aside and new friendships formed. Can the Silent Queen regain her throne? Will Eris break free of her prison of lies? Can the kingdom escape the ruin that civil war will bring? It seems as though all the series I’ve started over the last couple of years are coming to an end at the same time. Earlier this month there was Judged by Liz de Jager, the final…

Another year draws to a close, and I find myself in the midst of the little book vacation I always give myself. A couple of weeks off means I can come back to the blog refreshed and reinvigorated for the coming year. It also gives me the opportunity to reflect upon what I’ve read over the past twelve months. Now, it’s time for the annual Eloquent Page awards. The rules are as arbitrary as ever. I make up the categories myself and the only real requirement are that the winners are taken from within the books I’ve read this last year. I’ve tried to reduce the number of books I read in a year; I’m aiming for one a week. In the past the blog has taken over my life a little, but in 2015 I came pretty close to my target. The grand total was 60 books. So without further ado on to the awards themselves. The They Will Be Missed Award – Sadly, all good things to an end. The biggest disappointment for me in 2015 was that way back in January, the final book in the Ack Ack Macaque series, Macaque Attack by Gareth Powell arrived. *Sniffle*…

Please note The Cathedral of Known Things is a direct sequel to The Relic Guild. If you haven’t read this first then it is highly likely there will be elements of this reviewed that could be considered a little bit spoilery. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…Still there? Good show, onwards! Divided, hunted and short on resources, the surviving members of the Relic Guild are in real trouble. Their old enemy, the Genii, and their resurrected master have infiltrated Labrys Town and taken over the police force. So the Relic Guild must flee their home, and set off on a dangerous journey across the worlds of the Aelfir. One that will lead them to a weapon which might destroy the Genii. Or the whole universe… And forty years before all this, the war which led to the fall of the Genii continues. And what happens to the Relic Guild during that conflict will change the course of their desperate flight. Over the last couple of years there have been a raft of exciting new talents appear on the UK fantasy fiction scene. Liz de Jager, Jen Williams and Den Patrick have all released multiple books that are great fun. Last…

Welcome to The Eloquent Page review of 2014. It’s been another barnstormer, genre fiction wise, in the last twelve months. I’ve managed seventy eight books and for the first time ever the site has had over two hundred thousand page views which equates to over fifty thousand unique visitors. That boggles my tiny mind. But never mind all this statistical mayhem. Let’s cut to the chase. It’s time for my awards for the year. Random as ever, and judged by a panel of one, me. The “They Did What?” Award – I’m a boring old sod at heart. I’m not massively interested in the vagaries of the book industry. I read what I like, and that’s about all there is to it. That said, even I’ll admit I was confounded and disappointed when I discovered that Angry Robot were discontinuing Strange Chemistry and Exhibit A. Both were brilliant imprints. Obviously, I appreciate there were probably entirely valid economic reasons why what happened happened, but personally I wish they were both still around. I read some cracking books from both imprints and I’m still disappointed that they are gone. One small silver lining is that Kim Curran’s final book in the…

For centuries, the five greatest kingdoms of North and South Tembria, twin continents on the world of Garn, have coexisted in peace. But the balance of power is destroyed when four of the kingdoms violate an ancient covenant and betray the fifth: Ithrace, the Kingdom of Flames, ruled by Steveren Langene, known as “the Firemane” for his brilliant red hair. As war engulfs the world, Ithrace is destroyed and the Greater Realms of Tembria are thrust into a dangerous struggle for supremacy. As a Free Lord, Baron Daylon Dumarch owes allegiance to no king. When an abandoned infant is found hidden in Daylon’s pavilion, he realizes that the child must be the missing heir of the slain Steveren. The boy is valuable—and vulnerable. A cunning and patient man, Daylon decides to keep the baby’s existence secret, and sends him to be raised on the Island of Coaltachin, home of the so-called Kingdom of Night, where the powerful and lethal Nocusara, the “Hidden Warriors,” legendary assassins and spies, are trained. Years later, another orphan of mysterious provenance, a young man named Declan, earns his Masters rank as a weapons smith. Blessed with intelligence and skill, he unlocks the secret to forging…

SHARKPUNK: an anthology of killer shark stories. Sharks – the ultimate predators, masters of their watery domain, a world that is entirely alien and inhospitable to man. So many aspects of the shark are associated with humankind’s most primal fears. The tell-tale dorsal fin slicing through the water, the dead eyed-stare, the gaping jaws full to unforgiving teeth, the remorseless drive to kill and feed…Inspired by such classic pulp movies as Jaws and Deep Blue Sea – as well as such ludicrous delights as Sharknado and Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus – the stories contained within are rip-roaring page-turners and slow-build chillers that celebrate all things savage, pulp and selachian. Covering the whole range of speculative fiction genres, from horror and Steampunk, through to SF and WTF, these are stories with bite! Come on in. The water’s fine… Dur duh… dur duh…dur duh, dur duh, dur duh, dur duh, duh duh dah!  I’m so sorry, I couldn’t resist, I just had to get that out of my system before I could even begin to start discussing this new anthology from Snowbooks. Sharks have always fascinated me. Ever since I first saw a certain movie as a child, I have been…

  Recently I sent out a call asking the creative author-ey types of Twitter if they would be willing to submit to some burning questions. A few foolish fools brave souls (twenty four to be exact) answered the call. Here, in case you missed any first time around, are links to every single response. I’d like to take this opportunity once again to thank all the contributors. These super talented folks write,  edit, produce and illustrate in all areas of the industry from self-publication through independent/small presses to traditional publishing methods. Every single one of them is worthy learning more about. Enjoy! Mark West Zoe Markham Geraldine Clark Hellery Marc Nash Sam Strong Lor Graham James Everington Jennifer Williams James Barclay Lou Morgan Alasdair Stuart Colin F Barnes Ren Warom K T Davies Victoria Hooper Andrew Reid Cat Connor Edward Drake Charlotte Strong Rob Haines Adam Baker Chris Farnell Gareth Powell Adam Christopher Which interview is my favourite? … well that would be telling and regular readers already know how I feel about spoilers 🙂 Inside The Author’s Head will return in the future.

Q1. What is your favorite word?  “Forlorn” – lovely word. Q2. What is your least favorite word? “Shorts” when used as an abbreviation for ‘short stories’ by people who should know better. Q3. How has social media helped your career? It has helped immensely, or rather all the brilliant/eccentric/book-obsessed people I’ve met through it have. For example, I doubt I’d have my current book out via the ace small-press who are publishing it if it wasn’t for social media. I hope social media has allowed me to help a few people back, too, in whatever small way. Q4. What would you say are the downsides to social media in your career?   Mainly by eating into what little writing time I have. Also, I’ve promised so many people on Twitter a drink should we ever meet in real life that I’ll be destitute if I ever encounter them all at onc Q5. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Lock-keeper. Somewhat naively, I imagine it allows you plenty of reading time. Q6. What profession would you not like to do? Driving instructor. Q7. What is your favorite curse word?   “Ruddy” Q8. If Heaven exists, what would you…

Behind urban life, weird and horrific things fester. The whispers and chills of things long gone… the promise of power from the darkness… the seduction of those that lie in the shadows… the occult is all around us: in town houses, in mansions, and in your very own street. Editor Colin F. Barnes collected together fifteen stories by a cast of critically acclaimed authors from around the globe who look into the stygian gloom, explore the dark corners of our houses, and peer into the abyss of human temptation.  When I get the time I like to try and include the occasional short story collection in my reading schedule. It’s nice to take a break from the confines of the novel and enjoy some fiction in the short form. I’ve always felt the horror lends itself particularly well to this format. Nothing better than a series of short, sharp shocks is there? Some of this particular collection highlights include: Just Another Job by Gary McMahon – Two men break into a house with a very specific task in mind. But wait, this is a story by Gary McMahon so you shouldn’t be surprised when I tell you that not everything is…