It has been seventy-five years since the dragons’ rule of fire and arcane magic over Vinkerveld was ended, and the Empire was born. Since, the tyrannical Synod has worked hard to banish all manifestations of the arcane across the lands. However, children are still born bearing the taint of the arcane, known to all as witchsign. So each year the Emperor sends out his Vigilants across the continent to detect the arcane in these children. Those found tainted are taken, and never seen again. Steiner has always suspected his sister Kjellrunn of bearing witchsign. But when their father’s attempt to protect her from the Invigilation backfires, it is Steiner who is mistakenly taken. However it is not death which awaits Steiner, but an Academy where the children with witchsign learn to master their powers – some at the cost of their lives. Steiner is determined to escape the Academy and protect his sister from this fate. But powerful enemies await him at every turn, and Steiner finds himself taken on a journey straight into the heart of the Empire’s deepest secrets, which will force him to reconsider everything he has known about witchsign. The Erebus Sequence is an excellent trilogy,…

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…

Please note The Boy Who Wept Blood is a sequel to The Boy With The Porcelain Blade and it is highly likely that if you haven’t read that first book then this review will contain something akin to spoilers. Be warned!    Ten years have passed since the disappearance of Lucien and his protégé, the young swordsman Dino, is struggling to live up to Lucien’s legacy. Sworn to protect the silent queen Anea as she struggles to bring a new democracy to Demesne, Dino finds himself drawn into a deadly game of political intrigue as the aristocratic families of Landfall conspire to protect their privilege. Always ready to prove himself as a swordsman Dino is anguished to discover that in order to fulfil his vow he must become both spy and assassin. And all the while the dark secret at the heart of Demesne is growing towards fulfilment. The King is dead, long live the Queen! Ten years have passed since the events in The Boy With The Porcelain Blade, and Demense is now ruled by Anea. She has promised to replace the old regime with a fairer society, hoping to ultimately create a republic where there is less of…

Lucien de Fontein has grown up different. One of the mysterious and misshapen Orfano who appear around the Kingdom of Landfall, he is a talented fighter yet constantly lonely, tormented by his deformity, and well aware that he is a mere pawn in a political game. Ruled by an insane King and the venomous Majordomo, it is a world where corruption and decay are deeply rooted – but to a degree Lucien never dreams possible when he first discovers the plight of the ‘insane’ women kept in the haunting Sanatoria. Told in a continuous narrative interspersed with flashbacks we see Lucien grow up under the care of his tutors. We watch him forced through rigorous Testings, and fall in love, set against his yearning to discover where he comes from, and how his fate is tied to that of every one of the deformed Orfano in the Kingdom, and of the eerie Sanatoria itself.  The main narrative follows Lucien as he finally confronts enemies who have been hounding him for his entire life. Lucien’s journey from early childhood to adulthood has been fraught with danger. The Orfano, orphans, live a privileged existence, but there are those who would gladly see Lucien and the rest of his…

Last year The Eloquent Page ran a series of interviews  based on my favourite part of Inside The Actors Studio. Not only was this a great opportunity for the interviewees to get creative with their answers, it also provided some nice insights into what makes a whole bucket-load of authory types tick. Recently I thought it might be nice to resurrect this feature and seeing as Den Patrick has got a new book out imminently, I decided it might be an idea to pick his brains. Without further ado then, over to Mr Patrick… Q1. What is your favorite word? I’m a big fan of susurrus, but I also really like solemnity. Umbral is good too. Q2. What is your least favorite word? Rent. Q3. How has social media helped your career? I honestly don’t have a clue. I try and stay upbeat and positive on Twitter, I think people respond to that. Facebook is close friends and family only (as of about a year ago). Pintrest helps me marshal my thoughts, visual thoughts, anyway. Q4. What would you say are the downsides to social media in your career? Seeing how atrociously people behave online. In general, and to women in…