Signor Finzione

Thank you Chrissy! It makes me so happy to hear that you enjoyed it. Don't be afraid to dish out criticism, too - I'd welcome any and all feedback to make my future writing better. Thank you Kat. This is the first piece of writing I've ever a) finished, and b) shown anyone, so I was kind of scared to see how it would be received! Thanks for running the competition - finishing this story and winning this has given me the motivation to start writing regularly again. (That sounded like a gushy Oscars acceptance speech or something )

That's exactly what I mean by it being wrongly categorised! It's a bit scary in places, but I would never class it as a horror. Have you read it Michelle?

I didn't even notice the apostrophe thing until you mentioned it . . . although now that you have, it makes the title seem quite sad. Great review. I really will get around to AFUtD . . . one day . . .

Aw, thank you sweetie!

Awesome, Claire, well done!

Review: 'The Girl with All the Gifts' by M.R. Carey Melanie is a very special girl. Dr Caldwell calls her "our little genius." Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh. Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad. The above blurb is as ominous as it is deliberately vague, and I’m not one for hedging and hinting; so if you haven’t read this book yet and don’t want to know any more details about its premise, then read no further. You have been warned. We’re in Southern England. It’s twenty years on from the cataclysmic outbreak that devastated the country, turning all infected into mindless, unstoppable killing machines known as ‘hungries’. In one of the country’s last remaining military outposts a group of children are kept under armed guard; children who only need to eat once a week, are kept underground in steel cells, and who people are only able to approach after coating themselves in scent-blocking chemicals. The children have never thought to question why this might be. Every now and again a child will be wheeled away to the research laboratory, never to return. It’s only when the outpost is overrun that those inside realise the true dangers of the world they live in, and that not all the hungries are the monsters they’re presumed to be. The Girl with All the Gifts is a wonderfully character-centred tale, set in a post-apocalyptic future and focusing on a rag-tag group of survivors with bucketloads of heart, conflict and chemistry. The main focus of the story is Melanie, a ‘hungry’ who retains her own personality and has a genius-level IQ, yet becomes a slavering monster at the barest scent of human flesh. The relationship between the girl Melanie and her former teacher Miss Justineau is the driving force behind much of the novel, and it’s a lovely thing to behold. In a novel filled with violence and despair – a novel that could just as easily have been written as an outright horror story – its focus on human relationships, particularly those based around children, makes it really compelling. It also creates a strong foundation of sympathy for the characters of Melanie and Miss Justineau, particularly when it becomes clear the astonishing lengths to which they will go to protect one another, and how determined they are to stay together against all odds. Almost as heartwarming is seeing how the other characters gradually come to change their outlook, all of which is based around little Melanie. That said, I would have liked a little more insight into the characters of Parks and Gallagher; their military background added a different perspective on the survivalist situation, but they remained very much supporting characters throughout. Another aspect of The Girl with All the Gifts that makes it so absorbing is the fact that it’s written in the present tense. This creates a real sense of urgency and immediacy that keeps the reader constantly on their toes. It makes for a lot of tense moments, one or two in particular involving hungry-infested streets that had me literally holding my breath. Yet another thing I really liked, and that brought the story to life all the more, was how much time the author spent detailing the ‘how and why’ of the infection, most notably through the character of the psychopathic yet brilliant Dr Caldwell. Not only was all the conjecture fascinating, it also sounds totally believable: the cause of the infection has its roots in an existing natural phenomenon (I Googled it!) which sounds both plausible and terrifying. Although I really enjoyed reading it, The Girl with All the Gifts was not what I expected, possibly because I had mixed signals about what to expect in the first place. I’ve heard it frequently described as a horror novel, yet the cover describes it as a thriller. I have to admit I was a little bit disappointed because, to me, it wasn’t quite either of these. Not that it isn’t thrilling (it is, frequently), and not that it isn’t frightening (it is, often), but there isn’t quite enough of either to give it that smack-in-the-gob impact I was expecting. In actuality it’s more of a post-apocalyptic road novel, philosophic and dystopian yet suffused with elements of horror. Which is absolutely fine (it’s actually incredibly effective) . . . it just doesn’t quite reflect the way it’s marketed. This aside, I’d highly recommend The Girl with All the Gifts and look forward to seeing the film adaptation when it’s released next year. 4/5

August?!?! I'm reading The Girl with all the Gifts by M.R. Carey. Really liking it so far.

He meant cat years.

Great reviews Gaia. Hmm, I have an odd craving for lemons, strawberries and cakes now . . .

Oops . . . I appear to have been round the charity shops in Bury today.

Thanks Gaia! I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I wonder what Tor will send me next? Thanks Tim. They've been coming out at the rate of 1 every 12-14 months, so I imagine the fourth book will be out sometime during summer next year. I was a bit underwhelmed with the first two books - they're good, but not that good - but the third one really was a fantastic read.

Wow, that's a lot of dedication Tim! You deserve a badge or something. LOVE the new style of covers!

Review: 'Ruin' by John Gwynne The Banished Lands are engulfed in war and chaos. The cunning Queen Rhin has conquered the west and High King Nathair has the cauldron, most powerful of the seven treasures. At his back stands the scheming Calidus and a warband of the Kadoshim, dread demons of the Otherworld. They plan to bring Asroth and his host of the Fallen into the world of flesh, but to do so they need the seven treasures. Nathair has been deceived but now he knows the truth. He has choices to make, choices that will determine the fate of the Banished Lands. Elsewhere the flame of resistance is growing - Queen Edana finds allies in the swamps of Ardan. Maquin is loose in Tenebral, hunted by Lykos and his corsairs. Here he will witness the birth of a rebellion in Nathair's own realm. Corban has been swept along by the tide of war. He has suffered, lost loved ones, sought only safety from the darkness. But he will run no more. He has seen the face of evil and he has set his will to fight it. The question is, how? With a disparate band gathered about him - his family, friends, giants, fanatical warriors, an angel and a talking crow he begins the journey to Drassil, the fabled fortress hidden deep in the heart of Forn Forest. For in Drassil lies the spear of Skald, one of the seven treasures, and here it is prophesied that the Bright Star will stand against the Black Sun. It’s not often that I care enough about a book to feel physically sick with nerves as I turn the pages, waiting to see what will happen to a beloved character. It’s also not often that a book makes me cry like a baby. Ruin drove me to both of these, leaving me a sobbing wreck after reading the final line. But I won’t hold that against it, seeing as it’s also an awesomely epic and ambitious tale that delivered everything it promised and more. Ruin is the third book in John Gwynne’s fantastic The Faithful and the Fallen fantasy quartet, a series which has so far woven an incredibly dense, complex and engaging story. Although the books appear to be getting longer and longer they are also becoming easier and easier to read, a testament to the author’s flowing style and continually improving writing skills. Ruin boasts a cast of no less than fourteen point-of-view characters – FOURTEEN!! – reflecting the epic scale of the series. Far from being confusing, this actually enables us to see the events of the story from conflicting perspectives; and while it’s clear who the true ‘baddies’ are, many characters are formed in shades of grey and it’s fascinating to see their internal conflicts and true motivations. Ruin is also notably populated with strong female characters – such as Cywen, Coralen, Fidele, Laith, Brina, and Kulla – who serve important roles even when relegated to the background. Although there are so many characters to keep track of, and although it’s been over a year since reading Valour, I found that I immediately remembered most characters from previous books. This made me realise just how much I’ve become invested in them during the many hundreds of pages of their story so far. While I’m still not overly-fond of the A Song of Ice and Fire-style ‘named chapters’, I have to admit that it really, really works here. Many chapters are fairly short and rapidly alternating, creating a sense of adrenaline and setting a breathless pace that had me fumbling to turn the pages faster and mumbling to myself, “just one more chapter”. Other chapters are longer and more detailed explorations of individual characters’ motives and emotions, providing intriguing insights into nearly every aspect of the overarching conflict. With so many disparate groups of characters to keep track of, each chapter becomes a keyhole through which we glean hints of what might happen, and through which we gain numerous perspectives on events. Viewing a battle – along with its associated victories, losses and deaths – from different sides of the conflict brings humanity to each and every character, whether ‘good’, ‘evil’, or in-between. I said in my review of Malice that I’d like to see future battle scenes to be more personal and character-driven, and wow has that wish been granted. The prophesied God-War has finally begun in earnest, but Ruin shows the true face of what this kind of war would entail. Gwynne gives us a story of well-meaning villains and tired refugees, a story packed with messy skirmishes and small-scale ambushes, confusing conflicts with people on both sides getting lost and making mistakes, losses slowly adding up and constant fighting taking its toll both physically and mentally. The action comes thick and fast and it feels as though the reader is there in the midst of it all, sweating and bleeding and dodging attacks from every quarter. The character-driven narratives and their focus on the immediacy of each situation makes it feel a lot less glorious, but a lot more real. Needless to say Ruin is much grimmer and gorier than its predecessors. The Banished Lands are at war: no longer charmingly rural, the Celtic settings have become wild and threatening, with large parts of the novel set in uncharted forests, treacherous marshes and daunting giant ruins. This makes for some weird and wonderful imagery, and creates a tangible atmosphere of threat and tension. In fact there’s a real gritty feel to the entire story, and I think the point the author is making here with Ruin is: shhhhhhh just got real. Despite this, Gwynne manages to create a sense of grimness and overwhelming odds without resorting to the George R R Martin method of mass-murdering every character in sight. Ruin’s underlying tone is one of optimism: its characters are strong and determined, working together to cope with their losses and continue their attempts to achieve the impossible. Although bleak in places and sickeningly violent in others, grimdark this ain’t. And I like that. It’s dark, thrilling and bloody. But Ruin’s strongest point is, for me, its characters. The author takes character relationships he has spent the first two novels crafting – between friends, family, loved ones and, especially, animals – and brings them beautifully to the fore without overstating them, and forging new ones along the way. He never lets us forget that this entire series is a sprawling net comprised of a thousand little strands of humanity, and that’s what makes it such an engaging and sometimes emotional read. Gwynne has really, really upped his writing game with Ruin, and I have every confidence that the final instalment of The Faithful and the Fallen will continue to thrill, continue to astound . . . and, of course, continue to make me cry like a baby. 5/5

I found that when I got married I was just glad to have it over and done with. Romantic I am not. I've read all three of the Gentlemen B@stards series - I loved the first two but was underwhelmed by the third (hasn't stopped me from pre-ordering the fourth, though). They're a lot of fun, full of roguish characters and daring heists. Highly recommend them. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on Mistborn. I've had book #1 on my TBR for a couple of years now but somehow never seem to get around to it. I also have Warbreaker and The Rithmatist by the same author, but again haven't read them. (I really need to stop hoarding books by authors I've never read. )

Have you seen the movie of Holes? It's awesome.

Please tell me you do that pose as you're looking in the windows? ETA: Or hailing a bus?

Sweet! Isn't it weird how they only do it in the bathtub.

Ah, fantasy is pretty much the only thing I read these days, so I've gotten pretty adept at juggling different worlds and characters. There are a couple of other Malazan books which can potentially be read on their own before GotM, such as Deadhouse Gates and Midnight Tides (which are, coincidentally, two of my favourites!) You must be really excited! At least all the hard work and planning is at an end - all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the big day.

Found these bad boys in a charity shop today: Gotta love the Gemmell covers. Look at the woman's armour!!

Heh, same situation with Mancunians in Manchester . . .

Erikson? Did someone say Erikson? Gardens of the Moon confused me the first time I read it too, and my first language IS English. Liam, I see you have GotM and Memories of Ice, which are books #1 and #3 in the Malazan series. While they do actually follow on from one another, I'd definitely recommend getting hold of #2, Deadhouse Gates. Although DG is about a different set of characters and doesn't necessarily need to be read before MoI, it's a fantastic book and one of the best in the entire series (in my humble opinion). ETA: Ignore that. I've just noticed Deadhouse Gates hiding away in your second picture! ETA2: Congratulations (and good luck!) with your upcoming wedding! How exciting!

Oh, you mean they were just charging outrageous prices as a matter of course? My apologies, they were obviously from London.

Where she runs really really fast in circles, banging crazily against the sides of the tub? Kili used to do that.

Whaaaa??? Were they wearing masks and striped jumpers?

Welcome to the forum LadyH!