Sword in the Storm by David Gemmell

Sword in the Sword is the first of the late David Gemmell's Rigante series. I don't know why it's taken me so long to get round to reading these books as I read Legend many, many years ago and loved it. Anyway, I digress... 

This is the story of Connavar of The Rigante, a troubled young man who was born in the same storm that his father died in. I found this to be a very 'busy' book as there was a lot to set up for later volumes. The story covers Connavar's growth from young boy to warrior and the threat to his tribe and the other tribes around them from the Stone People. What did make a refreshing change was the character of Conn himself. No perfect hero this, not by a long chalk. He's not always likeable as a person but this makes him more believable. 

The setting of the book feels very much like England from the time of the Romans, Celts and the likes which always appealed to me as a young lad studying history at school so extra kudos to Gemmell for that. 

The story carries on in Midnight Falcon (below) and I will be reviewing that soon. 

Thanks as always to Anne Cater for inviting me onto this tour and reintroducing me again to the master of fantasy. And please, if you get the chance, have a look at the reviews by the other bloggers on this tour

 

The Trouble With Peace by Joe Abercrombie

 

 

 Welcome to my spot on the Blogtour for Joe Abercrombie's latest. I'll start by saying that, due to late arrival of the book (this troublesome time means the postal service is stretched to say the least) I haven't quite reached the end so my review is on what I have read so far.

  War is a nasty business but what happens when the fighting stops? That is exactly the situation we have here. The fighting is over (for now) but in this lull the battles of the general people come to the fore. Businesses will rise and fall, people will rise to the top and sink to the bottom while some struggle just to stay where they are. . . and the war is still on the horizon.

 What has really impressed me with Abercrombie's latest series is the way the world has moved on to an industrial phase. No more Middle Ages here (well, not much). As someone who spent a lot of his career on the industrial shop floor I can vouch for the realistic feel of the factories, the unions and the workers. It would be no stretch to say a lot of the characters in this industrial landscape wouldn't be out of place in a Dickens novel.

 And, as I said, war is still on the horizon so I'd better get back to the book. A full and updated review will be posted when I'm done. 

 Thanks to Patricia Deveer for inviting me onto this tour. Please try and find time to look at some of the reviews by the excellent bloggers on the tour. 

 

Misfits by Hunter Shea

 

Welcome to my spot on the Blogtour for Hunter Shea's 'Misfits' 

Local urban legends - seems most places have them and, well, don't you just love 'em eh? 😉 

In this instance said Urban Legend is the Melonheads, savage creatures that live in the woods near Dracula Drive - but nobody in their right mind goes anywhere near Dracula Drive...

The story starts in the late 70s when a young lad gets a bike for Christmas and his brother convinces him to come for a ride with him to. . . yeah, you guessed right. Once there big brother slashes little brothers tyres (the reasons become clear very quickly) but little brother legs it and big brother pays heavily. 

The story then moves to 1993, the birth of Grunge and our main protagonists a bunch of stoners/outcasts who may (or maybe not) be the Misfits of the title. Here a 'bad thing' happens to one of the gang and they decide it's time to fight back. 

Misfits is, in my opinion, just what the horror genre has been waiting for (yeah, I'm bored with zombies). This is horror that is visceral at times but well written, reminiscent I guess of the stuff published when the likes of King, Koontz, Hutson and the likes were at their peak. If anything I feel it's closest to early King with the gang feeling a bit like a slightly older version of IT's Losers Club. The nastiness is just that, people die and are maimed in horrible ways but it's not gore for gore's sake. 

What also stands out here is the way the author has really nailed the Grunge era - excellent writing all round. 

So yeah, Misfits really hit all the buttons for me. I like my horror 'Old Skool' and Shea really delivers. Highly recommended 

Thanks, as always, to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the tour, to Flame Tree Press for providing me with a review copy and please, if you can find time, have a look at the reviews by the other bloggers on the tour

Orfeia by Joanne M Harris

 

Welcome to my spot on the Blogtour for the new novella from Joanne M Harris's new novella 'Orfeia' 

I want to start by saying what an absolutely glorious book this is, even before reading it. It's just a lovely looking and feeling thing, a real pleasure to own. 

Anyhoo, to the story - Fay Orr is grieving after the death (suicide) of her daughter and the fact that she wasn't there to help her. Fay is basically going through the motions in her life and it seems the only time she feels alive is when she is 'night running'. On one of these runs she chats ends up chatting to a bunch of homeless people who may be more than they seem. They show Fay an 'alternate' London, London Beyond, (I'll admit, l'm a sucker for Other London) and while she thinks she sees Daisy. 

Is there a way to bring Daisy back to life, back to the real world? You'll just have to read and see for yourself, I'm not going to spoil it for you. 

The writing here is wonderful and the artwork too. A book that will touch your soul 5/5*

Thanks to Anne Cater, as always, for inviting me onto this tour, to Gollancz for providing the review copy and please, if you can, have a read of the reviews by the other bloggers on the tour

Nothin' But A Good Time by Justin Quirk

Welcome to Day 5 of the Blogtour for Justin Quirk's look at 'the spectacular rise and fall of Glam Metal' 

Glam was the big sound of the 80s. The sound, the performers and (especially) the hair were huge. This book takes a year by year look at where Glam came from, why it vanished and 'why nobody admits to being a Glam Rocker anymore'. The anecdotes are brilliant (like when Slash was an errand boy for Motley Crűe - he lasted one day and nicked  $100 from them into the bargain). As for where it went - well, it's no secret that Grunge came along and sucked all the fun out of Rock. 

It feels like the author has a real feel for the era and I can certainly say that this book took me back to my youth and 'the good old days' 

Highly recommended 4/5*

 

Thanks, as always, to Anne Cater for inviting me onto this blog tour, Unbound for providing the review copy and please, if you can, have a look at the posts by the other reviewers. 

Northern Wrath by Thilde Kold Holt

In the far North War is coming. The Christians are coming to convert the Norse - whatever it takes. Lives will be forged in the flames of battle... and, in Thilde Kold Holdt, a new name joins the ranks of great Storytellers.

I'll be the first to admit I have a passion for Norse stories and Viking tradition so as soon as I heard of this book I was after a copy. And it turned out much better than I hoped (and I had high hopes to start with). I love a story that takes you from wherever you are and transports you to the author's setting and this worked well here. Imagine, if you will, the far Northern lands, snow on the ground, cold winds blowing, a frost that bites. Now, when you are sat in the garden reading on a blazing hot day but you sense the cold rather than the heat - that is the mark of a good author.

And a good author is an understatement when it comes to Holdt. She writes from experience, having been a crew member on a Viking ship her knowledge comes through in her writing.

The world Thilde Kold Holdt has created is one I believed in and enjoyed spending time in, her characters feel real and I am very much looking forward to the next volume in The Hanged God trilogy - I can only see this saga getting better.

What surprised me (even though I knew already) is that this is a first time author - nobody should expect to be this good first time out. There are a lot of quality authors in the genre right now and with this debut it's time to make an extra space at the top table.

Northern Wrath - so good I read it twice 5/5*

It's only August but I can't see anything beating this so I'm naming Northern Wrath as The BlogCave's Debut Of The Year 2020 

The Last To Know by Jo Furniss

 

A family’s past pursues them like a shadow in this riveting and emotional novel of psychological suspense by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of All the Little Children.

American journalist Rose Kynaston has just relocated to the childhood home of her husband, Dylan, in the English village of his youth. There’s a lot for Rose to get used to in Hurtwood. Like the family’s crumbling mansion, inhabited by Dylan’s reclusive mother, and the treacherous hill it sits upon, a place of both sinister folklore and present dangers.

Then there are the unwelcoming villagers, who only whisper the name Kynaston—like some dreadful secret, a curse. Everyone knows what happened at Hurtwood House twenty years ago. Everyone except Rose. And now that Dylan is back, so are rumors about his past.

When an archaeological dig unearths human remains on the hill, local police sergeant Ellie Trevelyan vows to solve a cold case that has cast a chill over Hurtwood for decades.

As Ellie works to separate rumor from fact, Rose must fight to clear the name of the man she loves. But how can Rose keep her family safe if she is the last to know the truth?

So, English village ✔️ Family returning to set up home in husband's ancestral home ✔️ Mystery and rumours about husband's family past✔️ Secrets unearthed ✔️

Yes, this book was just the kind of read I like. I don't know why stories set in this kind of location pull me in but there often seems a more 'community' feel to the supporting cast - and that was very much the case here. Does hubby have a secret in his past? Does gossip and rumour grow until falsehoods are believed as truth?

For me the story flowed well, with the two different view points, Rose - the wife struggling to settle in, and Ellie - the local police officer investigating human remains found at a nearby dig. How it all comes together makes for a good, enjoyable read.

Recommended 4/5*

Thanks to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for inviting me to review this book