Blighted by the effects of climate change, humanity looks to the stars.

The Rings of Mars, a ‘spy-fi’ thriller, sees mankind begin a mass migration to Mars in an endeavour to preserve the future of the species. 

However, not everyone supports the evacuation. The journey aboard the shuttle Sleipnir sees cracks begin to emerge amongst the crew, revealing the fragility of social cohesion in a high pressure environment.

It’s a great concept, though the novel isn’t without its issues. Pacing is a problem, characters feel undeveloped, and frequent grammatical errors threaten to undermine the reading experience.

And yet in spite of this, Rachel Foucar’s debut novel is an undeniably exciting journey with some very good sci-fi elements.

The Living Sword is a curious book.

On the one hand, it has a well-realised world with a good supporting cast. Plus it’s intriguing enough to pique one’s interest in future entries in the series.

On the other hand, the quality of writing is inconsistent.

Nineteen Eighty-Four is one of those timeless novels and a testament to the power of language.

Such is its influence, adaptations have spanned film, television, radio, the theatre, and even ballet! Not to mention the numerous pop culture nods to the novel.

Penguin’s latest edition is an audiobook, narrated by the incredibly charismatic Peter Capaldi – the second ‘doctor’ of Dr Who fame to be involved in a production, following Christopher Ecclestone’s 2013 dramatisation.

Capaldi’s a perfect fit for the role. His austere narration captures the solemnity of Orwell’s dystopian classic. It’s bleak, atmospheric, and terrifying – mirroring the novel itself.

Leave any assumptions about Seven Nights at the Flamingo Hotel firmly in the foyer.

No, really.

Bearded Badger Publishing’s debut publication is hilarious, tragic, and downright bizarre – all at the same time.

And for the most part, it works. I can’t remember the last time I laughed, cocked an eyebrow, and experienced such solemnity within a single page or two.

Author Drew Gummerson has created a truly unique piece of literature, though not without its issues.

Ronan Hession’s debut novel is a delight.

A tale of two seemingly unremarkable people, the novel’s introverted protagonists spin entirely on their own axis to the rest of society.

And yet, despite this, both Leonard and Hungry Paul – the latter’s hungriness remains to be established – are really quite relatable.

Inside Story, Martin Amis’s latest autobiographical novel**, is brilliant at times.

It’s well written and a sombre ennui pervades his entries on late father-figure Saul Bellow and now-departed best friend Christopher Hitchens.

Other times, the novel** falters with frustratingly smug and self-indulgent meanderings.

Such is the nature of autofiction, I suppose.

*Disclaimer: I received a free advance reading copy from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In Absurdia is a curious novel. It’s also rather rather on-brand for this blog.

But how did I feel about it?

It’s a dizzying, disorientating piece of absurdist fiction that’s harder to pin down than an otter coated in vaseline. After finishing it, I needed a lie down. Conveniently, it was bed time.

At times it’s touching, sometimes hilarious, and other times, it’s really quite bizarre. I’m not entirely sure what just happened. And yet, I enjoyed the time I spent with Glenn Whalan’s debut novel.

*Disclaimer: I received a free advance reading copy from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.