Review by Aswathy Raveendran of "Sisters of the Pentacle" by Paul Taylor-McCartney

Paul Taylor-McCartney’s Sisters of the Pentacle is the first book of The Broken Pentacle Series, and is a fascinating tale that mixes historical drama, witchcraft, time travel, and the quiet power of sisterhood. Set across three very different time periods in the same corner of Wales, the novel follows three young women who are bound by magic, prophecy, and a sacred but damaged pentacle. It’s the kind of book that rewards patient readers. It is layered, atmospheric, and full of heart. Fans of thoughtful fantasy with real historical grounding will likely find themselves pulled in.

The story shifts between 1650, 1900, and 2080, each period anchored by a compelling young witch. In the plague year of 1650, we meet Mary Harries, a twelve-year-old "Knowing One" with the gift of foresight. Tenby is locked down, bodies pile up, and suspicion falls hard on anyone suspected of witchcraft. Mary’s courage, as she helps with the dead, faces angry mobs, and confronts dark forces on Caldey Island, gives the opening section a raw, visceral edge. Her protective grandmother Nancy and a shape-shifting boy named Abe add warmth and danger in equal measure.

Jump forward to 1900, and we’re with Harriet Gordon, a sharp-witted artist living in St Catherine’s Fort. Harriet chafes against her family’s expectations and her brothers’ cruelty. Her discovery of latent powers, helped along by a mysterious ceremonial blade (an athame) and a voice from the future, brings both wonder and trouble. The inclusion of real historical figures like Winston Churchill and H. G. Wells during a dinner party is a clever touch, and it nicely highlights the tension between Harriet’s inner world and the respectable society closing in around her.

In 2080, Indigo Carmichael takes centre stage. Living in a world scarred by environmental collapse, she’s the daughter of a driven scientist whose time-acceleration technology holds both salvation and peril. Indigo’s sections feel more dystopian and introspective, tying the historical threads together through risky experiments and a desperate hope of mending what’s broken across time.

What holds these timelines together is Taylor-McCartney’s clever use of recurring symbols like the circles of power, glowing portals, animal transformations, and fragments of the pentacle itself. The non-linear structure mirrors the book’s central idea which is all about how the history isn’t a straight line but a looping, interconnected web. Some transitions in the story are seamless and some lean a bit heavily on exposition or convenient coincidences. Still, the overall effect is one of building momentum toward something larger.

Thematically, the novel has real weight. The sisterhood depicted in the story goes beyond blood. It’s about shared resilience, passed-down knowledge, and collective resistance against oppression. Each girl pushes back against the constraints of her time period. If it was persecution and plague for Mary, it was rigid Edwardian gender roles for Harriet, and technological hubris for Indigo. Taylor-McCartney handles the "grey area" of magic thoughtfully, refusing to paint it as purely good or evil. There are strong undercurrents about environmental responsibility, the cost of playing with time, and the long shadow of patriarchy. The pentacle becomes a potent symbol of wholeness in a fractured world, and the respect shown to real witchcraft traditions feels genuine rather than superficial.

The three protagonists are the novel’s greatest strength. Mary’s quiet bravery amid horror is moving. Harriet’s artistic eye and dry humour bring welcome lightness and emotional texture. Indigo, dealing with her own physical limitations and inherited burdens, adds a layer of vulnerability that makes her future feel lived in and urgent. Supporting characters like Nancy, Abe, and even the antagonistic Gordon brothers mostly ring true, though a few (particularly in the future sections) lean toward archetype. The historical cameos work better than they have any right to, adding flavour without derailing the story.

Taylor-McCartney’s prose shines when he leans into atmosphere. The plague-stricken streets of Tenby, the misty cliffs at Harrowing Point, and the sterile glow of futuristic labs all come alive. There are lyrical moments during rituals and invocations that genuinely feel magical. That said, some dialogue runs a touch expository, and a few descriptive passages could have been trimmed. Even though there are few quibbles like these, the book overall gives you an immersive reading experience.

Overall, Sisters of the Pentacle is a success. Its world-building across centuries is impressive, and the emotional core which centres around the bond between the "sisters" across time is something that would stay with you. Pacing occasionally lags, especially when lore or technology needs explaining, and the 2080 storyline feels slightly less developed than the historical ones. But these are the growing pains of an ambitious first volume in what promises to be a rich series.

If you enjoy fantasy that takes its time, respects its traditions, and weaves real history with the supernatural, this one is worth your attention. It’s a story about healing what’s broken across time, across families, and across the land itself. I closed the book eager to see where the pentacle leads next.

About the reviewer
Dr. Aswathy Raveendran is an Assistant Professor of English at Jain (Deemed-to-be University), Kochi, India. Her research focuses on twentieth-century female gothic literature, with broader interests in sensory studies, eco-gothic narratives, and cultural memory. She is also a practising artist whose work explores themes of nature, memory, and the sensory imagination.

You can read more about Sisters of the Pentacle by Paul Taylor-McCartney on Creative Writing at Leicester here. 

Review by Kimaya Tushar Patil of "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

"If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse": The Cruel Prince by Holly Black drags the readers into the twisted realm of Faerie, where smiles equal danger and beauty hides ruthlessness. And for a mortal, most days, survival means walking a knife's edge between wit and wavering morals. The narrative follows Jude Duarte, a mortal girl who was abducted along with her twin and half-sister, and whisked to the realm of Faerie after the brutal massacre of her biological parents by the Grand General of Elfhame. 

Growing up in the realm of Faerie, Jude learned early on to tread with caution even when being protected by the General's reputation. The only way to rise above her oppressors was to gain power over them. 

Black's narrative revolves around Jude's metamorphosis from a victim to a cunning strategist fuelled by political ambition. She twists the familiar, captivating beauty of Faerie with moral ambiguity, exposing the cruelty hiding beneath. Her prose is succinct and adds deeper layers of emotions to the atmosphere of the world. And while the political intrigue is multifaceted, the pacing sometimes stutters as scenes of intimidation and violence recur. Her worldbuilding is extensive, but it sometimes focuses solely on ambiguous emotion, rather than information for the reader.

The subtle romantic tension between Prince Cardan and Jude lays a foundation for the character arc to progress emotionally in the later books. Unlike most Young Adult leads, Jude's desire for power, along with her readiness to deceive, exploit, and accept cruelty for it, adds a twist to the traditional "moral heroine."   

The Cruel Prince excels in its incisive rendering of its characters and political intricacy. Black presents us with a dark and cunning fantasy that instead of appealing to sentiments, appeals to readers who crave a morally multifaceted heroine and worlds where survival hangs between the right choice or the necessary choice.  

About the reviewer
Kimaya Tushar Patil is a graduate of the University of Leicester’s MA in Creative Writing programme. A lifelong reader, writer and poet, she is particularly interested in fiction, narrative voice, and literary craft. She enjoys engaging critically with books that leave a lasting impression. You can read more about Kimaya's work on Creative Writing at Leicester here. 

Interview with Duncan Gill

Duncan Gill is a British author, born in England, Hemel Hempstead, in1987. The Ancestral Odyssey is the name of his epic fantasy book series that started with The Utopian Dream and was independently published in 2016 to positive reviews. Gill has published six volumes under The Ancestral Odyssey and is currently writing its continuation - a series that thus far has captured the essence of traditional fantasy storytelling, while reaching to bring fans of the genre something new. His goal is to honour what epic fantasy is but he strives to experiment and expand upon it, hoping to demonstrate that it can be more than what was once thought.

His official website is here. On X: @MegasTeque

Interviewed by Joyce Bou Charaa

JBC: What first inspired you to become a writer? Was there a specific memory or experience that drove you to start writing stories?

DG: That’s a good question, and unfortunately, I don’t have a definitive answer. I believe it all came from a concept that slowly formed in my early teens from various places, but I suppose this desire to write, this need to forge my own story was always there under the surface, it just needed some help to be discovered, and then of course once it was unearthed, you can begin to learn, refine, and polish the craft at your own leisure. Bu, going back before that moment if I may? I remember coming away from books as a child, walking out of films and finishing certain video games - I was left with annoying thoughts of what would come next and what would that look like? When such titles did not continue, I’d begin to craft the narrative myself in my own head, and because I grew up in a time without the noise of social media, I craved long walks and lengthy car journeys, but more specifically, I craved time alone, because only when I was alone could I indulge in this meditative state assisted with music that enabled me to continue the story of x, y and z, stories I’d build simply by thinking about them. The beauty of this was it could be anything I wanted it to be, and I believe that was my initiation to what was coming next, a project of my own making, one that I felt had to be written.

As for inspirations, I’m usually drawn to stories complete with their own worlds, and that world can look like anything so long as it’s grounded in its own unique signature and style. I like worlds that feel lived in, worlds that have been thought out, worlds with the weight of history, with wear and tear at the corners, worlds that encapsulate both beauty, danger with a lick of mystery, while enriched in their own fantastical setting. If done right, anything can be believed.

To no one’s surprise, Lord of the Rings is a champion when it comes to world building, Harry Potter is indeed excellent, worthy of a mention for inspiration. I think all modern fantasy writers have to have read or at least indulged in these worlds, but I personally leaned further into Tolkien having started to read the trilogy at sixteen and finishing it at seventeen while visiting my Grandparents in Suffolk, which was a year or so into creating my own fantasy world set in a place called Equis. However, before I discovered Tolkien and Rowling and everything hence, I remember reading and becoming invested in a magazine that belonged to my elder brother called The Ancestral Trail; the first issue was published by Marshal Cavendish in 1992, while its final issue was released in 1994. Written by Fergus Fleming and Ian Probert and illustrated by Julek Heller, this trail follows a story that is very much in line with what inspires me and my own work: a dark, fantasy tale born out of an unsettling world of magic and monsters. Of course, there are so many other inspirations, such as Amy Hennig’s Legacy of Kain series that’s set in the rotting, gothic, vampiric world of Nosgoth, Lorne Lanning's Oddworld, and the biomechanical worlds depicted by the artist H. R. Giger, the mind behind the universe of the nightmarish Star Beast, better known as Alien. Such brilliant works all meld together; they mix with your own unique senses and perception, and from this ooze you slowly but surely build.

JBC: You've written six volumes of your fantasy series, The Ancestral Odyssey. Could you tell us more about the book idea and how it started? Also, can you share some behind-the-scenes moments from crafting the plot?

DG: Sure. The idea is to create a series of books coupled with their own themes distinct from each other, yet at their core tell a story about inheritance, what we pass down to future generations. This thread might not be clear to begin with, but as the stories unfold, it all centres around a question; what is the most important thing to inherit? What is the most important thing worth preserving? These ideas, loose and flimsy at the time, became my base, and from this foundation grew what we see today. It’s hard to pin down where it all exactly started; as I mentioned earlier, when I was a child I was always lost in my own head making things up, doing everything I could to stay in that place rather than face bitter reality, but if I had to accurately point to a time where Odyssey started, I’d say it was around 2002, perhaps 2003. It didn’t exist as a book back then, but instead it was a humble collection of sketches, hand-written descriptions of locations, a simple hand drawn map, and loads of notes scribbled on the backs of receipts from where I worked at the time. Despite not having a goal or endgame in mind, I continued to work on it, I kept building it for reasons I was uncertain of, but something was telling me that this was a calling, that there was something here worth exploring, and that’s what I did, I kept building it, I kept adding to it little by little and expanding this jargon until semblances of ideas formed. Were all these ideas any good? No, not all of them, but those that I believe are good have either been executed, or are still being tended to today, and are yet to flower.

A few years later, I’d submit this huge body of work as part of a college project in 2006, a project which earned me a place in university in 2007, and that was when I started writing the book in my dorm, and the book was called Mythology: Seeds of War. This is where I encountered my first problem as a storyteller. Seeds of War wasn’t fit for a beginning, there was already too much going on, most of the characters were well established, the journey was already in full swing, huge events had taken place that deserved to be experienced, and there was no real weight to the dialogue. It didn’t feel right to start here, so I decided to shelve it for what I thought would be a short time (eighteen years, give or take) and got to work on something that feels more and more like a history now. I dialled the clock back twenty years on the timeline and got to work on the first instalment which was called Mythology: The Perfect World, only for it to evolve after my backpacking travels of Western and Eastern Europe in 2016 into The Ancestral Odyssey: The Utopian Dream, a story focusing on two protagonists, a young General, Lethaniel Presian and a spiritual Star Caller, Isabelle Verano - two characters who fight on the same side but in very different ways. Lethaniel relies on his swordplay, his military strategy and brute force to survive, while Isabelle depends upon her magic, her faith, and mysterious foresight. These two characters at times cross paths, but ultimately there are two different stories that orbit around finding one’s place and one’s purpose in a beautiful yet unforgiving world, a world called Equis, where word spreads fast and mercy is something of a rarity.

JBC: Out of all your characters, which one is your favourite? What makes this character so unique to you?

DG: I do have a soft spot for one character in particular, someone who I will detail as to why in a moment, but before I get there, I have to say that this question is like asking someone to choose your favourite film, book or band, sure you have a handful you immediately think of, but every so often the order switches around and you just need "that one" for that moment in time.

I feel that Alexius Marsay, Lethaniel’s best friend, is a favourite. The feedback I’ve gotten suggests people like him, and having re-read The Utopian Dream recently in preparation for the audiobook, his lines are witty, he often succumbs to his vices and adds some much-needed comic relief to an otherwise bleak story. I feel like Alexius is someone the everyday man can relate to, he loves to smoke, he loves to drink, he loves to eat and sleep in, he enjoys the company of women, he usually says what everyone is thinking and yet somehow, despite it all, he delivers each and every time, becoming that guy you can rely on, fighting with a ferocity that matches those of a knight's status.

Counter to this is Ridian Messiah, a character who fulfils the role as one of the Odyssey's key antagonists, and this guy I believe steals every scene he’s in - for example, the scene where he makes himself known to Lethaniel and his group, appearing rather casually before a burning cathedral, standing up to our heroes with a quiet stoicism, an unwavering confidence enriched with fiendish cunning, which gets the better of Lethaniel time and time again, exploiting his weaknesses that go beyond his ability to wield a sword, a skill that Ridian too is highly proficient with.

The character that is unique to me, though, I think is and always will be Isabelle. She’s special, because when I made the decision to shelve Seeds of War and write The Utopian Dream, that takes place two decades earlier, Isabelle was the character that more or less guided me through this world, and what I find even more peculiar is that I wasn’t the only one she guides, creating a narrative that wasn’t intentionally planned, but one I am thankful that formulated. Isabelle will always be special in that regard.

JBC: If you wanted to choose a new genre outside of fantasy, what would it be and why?

DG: Horror is actually my favourite genre for a plethora of reasons; it even trumps my love of fantasy. Horror is almost always the genre I turn to when it comes to selecting films to watch, books to read or games to play. There is something oddly fascinating and daring about exploring those parts of your psyche that genuinely disturb you, whether this involves an external tormentor or something that comes from within. The genre is fluid, it is malleable and when it’s done right, when a piece of horror well and truly finds you, it has the power to keep you in that space for hours, and in some cases, days.

I’ve also learned when thinking, studying and writing about larger-than-life topics, these steps inevitably slip into dark and disturbing places. If you don’t like the horror genre, of course that’s acceptable, but whether you like it or not, horror exists all around us, it is never far away, you cannot avoid it forever; the genre is but another avenue to explore a very real presence of the human condition, and that is important.

Please, do not misunderstand, I write in fantasy because it suits a personal desire, a need that can only be satisfied with the creation of a world married to a massive landscape with many characters to navigate, and when it comes to consuming fantasy, I’ll certainly indulge. I also feel like I’m better at writing fantasy than horror; just because I find horror more compelling in most cases does not mean I’m better at crafting it, fantasy comes out on top in that regard. However, I find that horror is easier to digest: where fantasy is an occasional visit, horror is something weekly. Some of the best examples of horror I can think of include the short story called "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream," written by Harlan Ellison in 1967. The video game Soma, developed by Frictional Games and released in 2015, is easily up there as one of the most disturbing games and concepts I’ve ever played, and as for House of Leaves written by Mark Z. Danielewski and published in 2000, what can I say: never in my life have I ever been terrified of a blank page, but this book achieved it. It’s unsettling to say the least, expertly written and furthermore, it can only exist in a book format, which makes it fascinating.

JBC: Lately, we've been seeing a rise in book-to-screen adaptations. What's your take on this trend? Do you envision The Ancestral Odyssey being adapted into film one day?

DG: I think Hollywood is in a spot of turmoil right now. I’m not exactly sure when it began, but we’ve been through approximately fifteen to twenty years of non-stop superhero movies adapted from old comic books. Some of these films are very good and adapted faithfully, most however are fun watches that ride that line of mediocrity, but the more recent ones have just been content for content's sake. They’re forgetful and are like to media junk food, that’s the vibe I’ve been getting when browsing the web or talking amongst friends, and I cannot argue with that. The era of the superhero flick is coming to an end. Sure, there will always be one or two sprouting up here and there, but I think we can all agree that the peak of superheroes was the Avengers finale. Since then, it’s just been on a downward spiral, and Hollywood must know that this once-deep well is running dry.

So, where do they turn to next and what can they capitalise on? Books have and always will be the best resource Hollywood can dip into, and I think that is the answer to their problem in the hunt for new ideas, because I don’t know about you, but I am getting sick of all these remakes. I am seeing a lot of popular video games being adapted to the screen, The Last of Us, Resident Evil, Fallout to name a few. I’m not opposed to this, I love gaming, so long as the material is treated with respect, remains true to the source material and is crafted by people who know what they’re doing, to make something that honours the artist or artists that made it originally. Therein lies our problem, film makers these days and their writers often don’t know what they’re doing - whether they lack the wisdom and knowledge to translate the source material to the screen or are in thrall to the committee, the board of directors, the suits (as I like to call them) who are only in it to turn a profit, caring little for the actual art. Either way, what used to be exciting news, hearing about a classic game or book being adapted into a film, is now something to dread. Yes, I’ve been hurt far too many times now to get excited, and this segues nicely into my thoughts on a TAO (The Ancestral Odyssey) adaptation, if there ever was one.

There was a time when this was all I could think about; the fantasy, the idea of TAO being adapted into a film or perhaps a TV show, seeing this world and all these characters coming to life that mirror their personas on the page - this was something to aspire to; it would be exciting, and a dream come true. However, in the current climate, and with what I have seen with other book to film adaptations, I’m not so sure it would ever be allowed or could work if greenlit, from both a bureaucratic and practical point of view. In order for it to work, the project would need to be managed by people who genuinely cared, by people who are talented artists in their own right and would want to make the best collection of movies possible, because if anyone knows anything about movie making, it's that it is a team effort, no one man or woman can do everything, and only when everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet can you then hope for the best outcome, which is a well-written story, coupled with flawless acting and magnificent visuals. Also, and I am not even sure that this is possible, but I would want to organise a contract where I am on the board, to be part of the writing team, involved with the casting and would have a say on the direction of the story. This is my vision, after all, and of course I want what’s best for it. So, if by some miracle this does get the attention it needs, to be adapted onto the big screen by a dedicated, passionate team, and if by another miracle I’d have some executive power, then yes, let’s go, let’s get it done, let’s minimalize the inevitable heartbreaks and let’s make it into the best it can be, and I promise you it would be something spectacular. But if not, if it is to fall into the wrong hands and my power over the decision making was severely limited or, worse, stolen and undermined, then no, it’s never going to happen. I’ll be happy with just the completion of the books and have them sitting on a shelf collecting dust.

JBC: We know that you're working on an audiobook for Volume 1. How is the process going so far? And do you think audiobooks are becoming more appealing to readers today?

DG: It’s frustrating. Working on an independently made audiobook really locks you into your workstation. Once you start working on a session, you quite literally cannot be doing anything else, you need your eyes, your ears and 100% of your mind focused on the task at all times, and before you know it, that glorious welcoming morning sun is gone and it's night time, and to make things worse, you’ve not eaten anything and most of the tea and coffee you made has gone cold. You might be thinking that the solid stretches of work would yield something to be proud of and justify the days lost to the project, but when you analyse what you’ve accomplished, it’s not nearly as much as you hoped for. In fact, more often it's the case that you’ve achieved very little for something that is at best, satisfactory. I suppose because I am fresh to this new media, because I am still learning how to use the software and figuring out what works best, it’s reasonable to think that my frustrations thus far might be down to simple growing pains, especially when it comes to using AI voice techniques. That being said, the voice I am using does belong to a real voice actress, all I’ve done is recorded, cloned, and trained the voice to save on time (ironically) and money, money that I simply do not have in 2025. Had I the resources to do this the traditional way, then absolutely I would be all over it, but that is not the reality I live in, so with said advancements in AI, I’ve met the technology half way, meaning I’ve worked with someone talented, a singer-songwriter Emmy Lila, and with her consent (of course) cloned her voice, so I don’t have to be in studio for hundreds of hours. I did think despite the setbacks, I was making headway, but alas I learned that the voice needed a little more range. So, I contacted Miss Lila and to my delight, she came through with some more recordings; however, when the voice was updated, I needed to pass another verification checkpoint, and the only way to do this was to contact Emmy again, but tragedy struck! A death in the family has ground this project all the way down to a halt, and it could be weeks, perhaps some months, before work proceeds. It will take a long time, but when the audiobook does release, it will be presented professionally, the voice will read the work beautifully, it will come with sound effects and musical transitions, all of which besides the voice clone will be independent from AI.

Do I think that audiobooks are becoming more appealing? Yes, even though we live in an age where a lot of our basic needs are taken care of, people are busier than ever, and attention spans are dwindling due to the onslaught of social media. Everyone I have spoken with recently openly admits that they’re not reading as much as they’re used to and are turning to audiobooks instead. Reading will never cease, there will always be readers, but it would be naive of me to say that audiobooks aren’t having a huge impact on the industry as a whole.

JBC: Can you tell us about your upcoming projects? What awaits readers of The Ancestral Odyssey? And are you working on a new book outside the series?

DG: The Ancestral Odyssey will have five episodes in total under this name. The first episode is The Utopian Dream – Volumes 1, 2 and 3. The sequel, Rise of the Black Doves – Volumes 4, 5 and 6 - was completed last year, while work on episode three, Seeds of War – Volumes 7, 8 and 9 - is underway. I am thoroughly enjoying the story thus far, it certainly has an interesting opening and what will be a fantastic ending. I’m unsure about the middle due to all of the moving parts, but I assure you, there will be some surprises in this next instalment. The lead villain is dark and dangerous; someone you’d least expect to challenge this selection of characters. You’ll get an expansion on some of the technology, the magic, the Celestial’s will make their most dramatic appearance yet, and we’ll just get to continue with all these different stories left over from Rise, stories that I hope will capture the reader's imagination. Progress is sadly slow due to the demand of my day job and other projects, such as editing shorter stories, writing articles for the blog, a horror book I have in the making that needs attention, and the preparation of the re-release of The Utopian Dream, it all takes its toll. Episode four, Rainbow Dawn, and the final episode in the series called The Chosen Kindred will be undertaken when the time comes, but that will not be for some time yet.

While slaving away on The Utopian Dream's audiobook, I decided that a clean-up of the material was necessary, so in the coming months we will see it removed and swiftly re-published. The story will remain the exact same, nothing will be changed on that front, but its structure, its grammatical errors will be ironed out where needs be on all current formats, from Kindle, Paperback, and Hardback. The same will follow with Rise of the Black Doves, because after my enormous review/analysis of this monster of a book, a review titled "A Thought on Rise," an essay stretching to 100 pages long published on my blog on the 23rd of August, I did pick out a few mistakes that need adjusting, but it is less of a priority at the moment.

I am in the throes of writing my own speculative fiction, a story that’s separate from TAO called Viewer One, and it will wade into the murky waters of H. P. Lovecraft and lonely psychological horror. We’ll see how that turns out as it’s something of a side project right now. If you’d like to know where to find me, my website is the best place to start. From there you have access to articles, artwork, videos and a list of my books. 

Thank you for your questions, I hope my answers satisfied, it’s been a pleasure.

About the interviewer
Joyce Bou Charaa is a Lebanese writer and editor. Her works are featured in Aniko Press, Tint Journal, The Indiependent, Newpages, Wijdan platform, and other outlets. She covers culture, books, and literature. Her recent work is featured in Shadows of The Mind anthology. You can find her on Instagram: Joyboucharaa/ and on X: @joyceboucharaa.

Review by Kimaya Tushar Patil of "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros

"A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead."

Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing plunges the reader's mind into the cut-throat world of Basgiath War College, where your only options are to survive or die. The narrative follows Violet Sorrengail, a young woman who has been training her whole life to become a scribe, only to be thrust into the elite and ruthless Rider’s Quadrant of Basgiath War College by her mother, against her own will. In a place built to eliminate the weakest cadets, Violet now faces threats and physical challenges that could claim her life every second of every day.

Albeit physically disadvantaged by her fragile body due to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), Violet’s strengths lie in her observation skills and her ability to think outside the box. This creates a tense atmosphere, and her resilience against all odds and the normalisation of chronic disabilities is relatable and inspiring to many readers. 

This story teeters on the edge of military romantasy with an emphasis on a coming-of-age plotline. The magical creatures a.k.a. dragons are not just portrayed as objects, but as separate, sentient entities with their own private agendas. Rebecca Yarros masterfully wields the power of foreshadowing in her book, keeping the clues subtle enough to be overlooked at first glance, but seeming to fit seamlessly into the intriguing puzzle that is Fourth Wing. Her careful crafting of not just the world, but the characters and the magic-system is nothing short of awe-inspiring. 

This book falls under the new adult fantasy category and is perfect for people who are just beginning to dip their toes into the genre. With its exciting easter eggs, and a consistently intriguing plotline it keeps the reader hooked from start to finish, leaving them wanting more. 

About the reviewer
Kimaya Tushar Patil is currently pursuing a postgraduate Master’s degree in Creative Writing at the University of Leicester. She is a dreamer, and passionate about reading and writing stories in all forms and genres.

Interview with Roppotucha Greenberg

 

Roppotucha Greenberg is the author of a flash and micro-fiction collection Zglevians on the Move (TwistiT Press, 2019) and four silly-but-wise doodle books for humans, Creatures Give Advice (2019), Creatures Give Advice Again and it’s warmer now (2019), Creatures Set Forth (2020) and Cooking with Humans (2022).

Roppotucha has lived in Russia, Israel and now Ireland. She speaks three languages fluently and has tried to learn six more. Arachne Press has previously published Roppotucha’s stories in the Solstice Shorts Festival anthologies, Noon and Time and Tide. She shares regular micro-fiction on X/Twitter: find her @roppotucha.

Below, she talks to Laura Besley about her new novella, Getting by in Tligolian. 

Interviewed by Laura Besley

LB: Firstly, congratulations on the publication of Getting by in Tligolian – it’s a fantastic novella! 

RG: Thank you so much! 

LB: Often, while I’m reading – whether it be a novel, novella or one of the various forms of short fiction – I find myself wondering what sparked the story. Was there a moment or a character or an image or something entirely different that led you to write Getting by in Tligolian? 

RG: It was the image of that city: those huge glass enclosures, the traffic, and the narrow streets with tired looking shops, and the river. The giant as well. His presence was almost instantly apparent in my imagination. 

LB: There are various strands to this novella, one of which being ‘language.’ In the story ‘Appendix,’ the main character states: ‘I tried to learn Tligolian so many times and forgot it just as many.’ Did you purposefully use language, or the lack of language, to disorientate her and set her up as ‘an outsider’?

RG: I think she would be an outsider regardless of the language. Apart from the physical fact of immigration, her chronic naiveté both protects her and isolates her from the world. Through learning Tligolian, which is not necessary for communication in Tligol, she attempts to ground herself in the world. Language learning makes things seem simple, especially in the beginning when one talks of girls eating apples and your mother being a teacher and things like that. Of course, this does not work, because language turns into layers of forgetting, while its difficult tenses wrap around her and make her confusion grow. 

LB: The main character describes Tligol, the fictional city in which the novella is set, as ‘so beautiful, I convinced myself that I was in charge of the perfect expression of its beauty.’ Do you feel the city functions as a character within the novella and if so, how did you go about conjuring that feeling? 

RG: Thank you for citing this line. In a way, Jenny spends the whole book chasing the city, trying to express its beauty, learn its language, find its giant, take the trains to all its time layers. The city is a character. Like other places in real life, it is alive and wonderful, but it also evades easy capture. One comes near, but only just near enough, and being in the midst of the thing you want to capture complicates matters. 

LB: Another aspect of the novella is ‘time.’ Did you layer in that complexity through multiple versions and/or edits, or was that aspect of the novella clear in your mind from the outset?

RG: That was something that became apparent very soon, in one of the early drafts. Time-travelling trains are an inherent part of the city.  Though other aspects of the city became apparent earlier – the way its spaces are not quite stable, for example, or the way living people get recorded as ‘reflections.’ 

LB: All of the chapters are short, some only a few lines. Was this a conscious choice? What is the effect of this on the reader? And what benefits do you feel you gain as a writer by learning to write/writing concisely? 

RG: Yes, this was a conscious choice, but it was motivated by the needs of the story. For me, the novella in flash works so well for fragmented narratives and stories that work with negative space - in the sense that the narrative gaps are a part of the story. Without giving away too much, I feel that the form of the text works well with its ending.  

LB: Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions!  

RG: Thank you for being such a generous and attentive reader. I am very grateful. 

About the interviewer
Laura Besley is the author of 100neHundred and The Almost Mothers. She has been widely published in online journals, print journals and anthologies, including Best Small Fictions (2021). Her work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, twice nominated for Best Micro Fiction and she has been listed by TSS Publishing as one of the top 50 British and Irish Flash Fiction writers. She is an editor with Flash Fiction Magazine and a Creative Writing MA student at the University of Leicester. Having lived in the Netherlands, Germany and Hong Kong, she now lives in land-locked central England and misses the sea. 

Review by Rosalind Taylor of "Heaven Official's Blessing" by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Heaven Official's Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu is a series of historical Chinese fantasy novels about the once-prosperous crown prince of Xianle, Xie Lian. He is banished from the heavens and becomes a "scrap-collecting God," only to ascend to the heavens again to a  laughing-stock. The novels also follow Xie Lian's most devoted believer, Hua Cheng, also known as "The Crimson Rain Sought Flower," who is the most feared of the Four Ghost Calamities. Set 800 years after the fall of the kingdom of Xianle, the now-unlucky Xie Lian meets up with the mysterious Hua Cheng at a "ghost marriage."

I really like these novels and especially the main characters Xie Lian and Hua Cheng. I really enjoy that Mo Xiang Tong Xiu uses Hua Cheng to show respect to Xie Lian even though no one else does. Xie Lian is shown as a character who cares for both the heavens and normal people whoever they are, and yet never gets anything in return for it, apart from the love and care of Hua Cheng: "If your dream is to save the common people, then my dream is only you." Hua Cheng waits 800 years just to speak to Xie Lian, and I find the novels really heart-warming in their representation of love. 

Some of my favourite scenes include "The Gamblers Den" story arc, which follows Xie Lian meeting Hua Cheng in the Ghost City. It shows how much Hua Cheng cares and that he would make any sacrifice for Xie Lian. Another favourite scene is one in which Hua Cheng gives Xie Lian 3,000 lanterns in the "Battle of the Lanterns" arc, again which demonstrates to the reader how fond Hua Cheng is of Xie Lian. I really like Xie Lian and Hua Cheng interacting across the story and how they communicate with each other.

About the reviewer

Rosalind Taylor is fifteen years-old and likes cats and webcomics. 

Review by Jon Wilkins of "The Cry of the Icemark" by Stuart Hill

 

This is a thrilling fantasy novel from Stuart Hill's acclaimed Icemark series. Written mainly at the tills of Waterstones in Leicester during the stores quiet times, this is an epic contribution to the fantasy world. The book was reissued mid-Covid and is well worth a read. 

When her beloved father dies in battle, the fourteen-year-old Thirrin becomes Queen of the Icemark, a tiny kingdom situated between dangerous neighbours. Thirrin needs to raise an army to protect her people from the seemingly invincible Imperial invaders. She searches for allies far beyond her kingdoms borders, and meets former enemies in the Land-of-the-Ghosts and the frozen Hub of the World. But the one question that haunts her is: can she save her kingdom?

Thirrin is a true Warrior Queen and a major force in Hill’s fantasy world.

The book and others in the Icemark Trilogy deserves a new audience, a new generation of readers who will delight in the battles in the Icemark.

It is beautifully written, a true page turner that rampages across the pages, drawing the reader into the story, delighting them as they enter the vivid imagination of Stuart Hill.

About the reviewer

Jon Wilkins is 66. He is married to the gorgeous Annie with two wonderful sons. He was a teacher for twenty years, a Waterstones bookseller and coached women’s basketball for over thirty years before taking up writing seriously. Nowadays he takes notes for students with Special Needs at Leicester University. He has had a work commissioned by the UK Arts Council and several pieces published traditionally as well as on-line. He has had poems in magazines and anthologies, art galleries, studios, museums and at Huddersfield Railway Station. He loves writing poetry. For his MA, he wrote a crime novel, Utrecht Snow. He followed it up with Utrecht Rain, and is now writing a third part. He is currently writing a crime series, Poppy Knows Best, set at the end of the Great War and into the early 1920s.

Review by Mark Mayes of "Turquoise Traveller" by David John Griffin

Another very intense novel from David John Griffin. I enjoy stories about dreams and dream worlds, and also the concept of the quest, both are aspects of this novel. The imagery was rich and well-described, and almost hallucinogenic, like some extended hallucinogenic trip.

The further you go on into the story, the more apparent it becomes that this is a spiritual quest which Stave must fulfil, both for himself and for others. The book looks at dream states as their own kind of reality, with rules and a purpose. Tremelon Zandar, who is a keeper of nightmares, is a formidable foe for any dreamer, and his concern is to corrupt any dreamer's dreamscape, and turn all beauty into ugliness and pain and, quite frankly, nightmare.

Towards the very end we have some deeper sense what Tremelon might represent.

As said, the descriptions are powerful and vivid, and in some ways Stave's nightmarish journey reminded me of a computer game, with he as the hero passing through various 'levels' of skill and understanding, in order to fully manifest his spirit.

At times, the imagery is so rich and comes so thick and fast, you need to pause in order to take it in and visualise it in your mind. Aspects of the story reminded me of Jung's concept of the shadow self and needing to face that in order to fully integrate oneself in life.

I found the ending satisfying and was glad that Stave and Cassaldra had made it through - I won't mention who Cassaldra is here, as this may spoil your reading of this book.

So, in some senses this is fantasy, and in another it is more a psychological adventure into the dreaming mind, and the nature of being, and the quest for a full manifestation of the pure self. In that sense, it has a spiritual component, as well as being an intriguing and at times startling ride into the unconscious.

About the reviewer
Mark Mayes has written three novels (The Blue Box; The Grass Below; Crimes of Others), a children's book (Is it Tomorrow Yet?), a collection of short stories (Take Away the Sky, and Other Stories), and a collection of poems (Winter Moon). He is widely published in magazines and anthologies. Mark also writes songs.

Review by Evie Doyle of "Sabriel" by Garth Nix

Garth Nix is a talented and well-known author but his Old Kingdom series is definitely one of my favourites. Sabriel combines magic, adventure and death in a completely original way. The story follows Sabriel, a young necromancer who has spent her whole life outside the Old Kingdom, where free magic and death roam. On the disappearance of her father, however, Sabriel is forced to cross the Wall and embark on a quest to find him.

This book begins with a beautiful prologue which thrusts you into the Old Kingdom, inspiring so many questions about the realm that are not answered straight away, forcing you to turn that extra page before putting the book down. There are countless enchanting descriptions of the Old Kingdom and every explanation of its rules and features is written in a way that is neither tedious nor expository. 

The magic in this series takes on an entirely new form in the charter, an ordered power which has rules and limits. Formed of charter marks that can be spoken, whistled or drawn, your power is as great as your knowledge when delving into the unending sea of the charter. These rules ground the charter and the story as a whole as every action has a purpose and it means that not every problem is solved by magic. As well as the charter, the seven bells of a necromancer are unique and are wonderfully described. Their chilling properties add an even greater sense of danger to the plot and I cannot imagine the book without them. 

Sabriel’s characters are just as intriguing as its locations. The namesake of the book is instantly likeable, and charmingly realistic. She is mature and clever but made more interesting by her own desires. Her flaws only make her more compelling; I found myself hoping again and again that her confidence and knowledge would be enough to save her from the dangers that lie north of the Wall.

One of the other most intriguing characters within the book, interestingly enough, takes the form of a cat. Mogget is by far the biggest mystery in the book. A servant bound to serve the Abhorsen, a powerful necromancer, we know that Mogget is not to be trusted, and yet he proves to be a true companion to Sabriel. His quips and sarcastic nature making you forget the potentially bloodthirsty creature that is kept at bay by the collar round his neck.

I would seriously recommend this book for anyone who loves fantasy, adventure and strong female role models who can do amazing feats of magic.


About the reviewer
Evie Doyle is currently studying Psychology, Biology and Performing Arts at Charnwood College. She is an avid reader in her spare time as well as a scout and guide. She is also part of an amateur theatre group.

Interview with Katherine Hetzel

Katherine Hetzel has been an egg-pickler, weigher-outer of pic ’n’mix sweets, bacon-and-cheese-slicer, a pharmaceutical microbiologist (the serious job choice), a mum, a learning assistant, and a volunteer librarian at a primary school. She’s a published author who writes fiction for children (StarMark and Kingstone with Dragonfeather Books, Granny Rainbow and More Granny Rainbow with Panda Eyes) and visits schools to share her love of creative writing. She also writes short stories for adults, and blogs about life and writing at Squidge’s Scribbles, http://squidgesscribbles.blogspot.co.uk 

Interviewed by Evie Doyle

ED: Where did the idea for Kingstone start?

KH:  It started with a challenge at our writer's group - find a picture you like, and write something inspired by it. I ended up with a picture of a woman whose skin was covered in square patterns. I had it in my head she was a priestess and wrote 'Puzzle Piece.' In that piece of flash, the priestess was going to 'read the destiny' of a girl deemed unworthy by her parents. That little nugget grew and filled out ... and I decided I wanted to write a novel that explored faith. I had wanted to write a novel that explored faith for some time, but had a couple of failed attempts before Katia jumped out at me and demanded for her story to be told! As a Christian, I try to live by a certain 'code,' but I'm all too aware that I often fall short and question what I believe. That sort of grew into an idea for a story where, if you were forced to do 'wrong' things for the sake of your faith, how would that turn out? What would happen if you had to lie or steal to protect something you really believed in? The Triple Gods and belief system of Katia's world in Kingstone became something which reflected some of my own beliefs and experiences. 

ED: Where did the idea come from for the gods to be of sun, moon and mountain? Sun and moon are common deities, but 'mountain' less so. 

KH: I needed three gods to reflect the Trinity with which I'm familiar. Sun and moon, like you say, seemed obvious ones to pick and didn't need too much thinking about! But I needed something to anchor them. My first attempt was sun, moon, earth, but as I played around with the earth bit, I had the idea of earth reaching towards the sun and moon, and bingo - mountain. It sounds good when you say it - as Katia would have had to in the temple. There's a rhythm to the words and the images lend themselves very well to both a recognisable faith symbol and hand gesture. I have great fun making it all up! 

ED: How in-depth is the lore behind the story? Are there myths and procedures within the temple that didn't appear in the book? 

KH: I tend to write character-driven stories, so write to infuse my books with enough detail to let the reader know the important things about the world the characters inhabit - in this case, Katia's home, her desires, and the impact they have on her. It's a fine balance, trying to make a fantasy world believable without overwhelming the reader with so much that's different to their experience, they get lost. Having said that, I'm sure there are lots more myths and procedures I could've written ... it's only really limited by my imagination! There are lots of scribbled ideas in my handwritten notes which play around with the temple procedures and outlines of myths, but not all of them made the cut, as they say. 

ED: How long did it take you to write Kingstone?

KH: This is the only book I can tell you exactly! An author friend (the lovely Amanda Berriman) had begun a writing chart, where she challenged herself to write every day for a year. I'm not a very disciplined writer - I don't have set times to work - but I thought I'd give it a go. I set myself the target of 100 days. I didn't write every day, and not always on Kingstone, but I had a first handwritten draft after 74 days. It took another 65 to edit and type up before I showed it to anyone. Those writing days were spread over a good six month period, and after that, there was more work to do before I was happy enough to send it to Bedazzled Ink. I think I was relatively lucky in that the idea had been in my head for some time and when I started to write, it came fairly easily. Other novels have taken much, much longer. 

ED: Both Kingstone and Starmark could be described as fantasy novels. What is it about fantasy that you enjoy writing?

KH: As a reader, I've always loved losing myself in different worlds (my favourite has got to be Discworld), so I suppose it was natural I'd end up writing fantasy myself. I like the fact that you can shape the world how you want it to be, and stretch the muscles of imagination of both myself as a writer and of the end readers. I've tried to write stories about 'the real world,' and somehow they never feel as real as what I create in my head. Perhaps I just have a desire to escape 'real' life and lose myself for a while. 

ED: Is Kingstone inspired by any specific period in history?

KH: Not consciously. I suppose it might be that I tend to a more olde-worlde (definitely pre-tech) setting because it can help highlight the differences between what we experience nowadays and the life my characters live in my imagination. I do look to past history for inspiration for certain scenes and settings, but I don't replicate them exactly; I'd be worried about getting the details right!

ED: What age range is Kingstone directed at? And why that age range?

KH: It's aimed at middle grade readers, or 9-12 years according to the way the publishing industry likes to label books. I prefer to write for children because they are still able to let their imaginations fly and ready to believe the worlds you present them with, but my main motivation in writing for children is to try to encourage a love of reading from an early age. Having said that, I think adults also enjoy reading children's books because of the escapism they offer; so long as the books I write are read and enjoyed, I don't really mind how old the reader is.

ED: For a while, I didn't think we'd get to see the triple gods. Why did you decide to have them appear?

KH: I wasn't sure myself, until I reached that point in the novel! For many who believe in God or other deity, there is often a personal encounter which impacts on their faith, which serves to strengthen their belief. It felt right for Katia to have that kind of encounter for herself, at a point when she's at her lowest and believes that she isn't worthy of the gods she worships - and to see how that affected her. What was more fun was making them appear for others.

ED: And finally, have you got anything I can look forward to reading next?

KH: Well, I signed a contract earlier this month with Bedazzled Ink for publication of The Mage of Merjan, the first in what I hope will be a series of five fantasy adventure novels collectively called The Chronicles of Issraya. I don't have a publication date yet, but I would imagine it'll be out sometime next year. (It usually takes up to eighteen months from signing a contract to getting the book 'out there'). I'm writing up No 2 in the series at the moment, working title The Black Diamond. The stories focus on a young girl called Tilda as she learns to use the Power of Issraya and helps to protect it - and the people of Issraya who depend on it - from those who would steal it for their own dark ends. So fingers crossed, there's lots more for you to look forward to - providing I can get them written reasonably quickly.

About the interviewer

Evie Doyle is currently studying Psychology, Biology and Performing Arts at Charnwood College. She is an avid reader in her spare time as well as a scout and guide. She is also part of an amateur theatre group.

Review by Evie Doyle of "Kingstone" by Katherine Hetzel

Katherine Hetzel's second novel Kingstone introduces us to a world in which the triple gods reign supreme, where temples lie in every corner and where a devious plot is hatching. From the very first page, Hetzel's descriptions of Indigon will draw you into a world of fantasy, treachery and adventure. 

The hero of this story is Katia, a simple temple novice who is struggling to learn the arts and nuances of religion. Katia is written is such a way that makes it impossible not to feel sympathetic for her. Her ambition and determination make her a compelling character, despite her flaws. Perhaps it is those flaws, in fact, that make Katia such a well rounded character. Even while disguised as a boy, Katia wheedles her way into your heart, so that by the climax you are left on the edge of your seat, heart pounding and praying that she will survive.

This novel is most definitely a page turner; each moment is filled with action or suspense, and the story never loses speed or tension. From the moment Katia finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time - or perhaps it is the right place at the right time - her faith guides her to take the Kingstone and run. We see her moral struggle as she breaks rules and laws to get the stone to its final destination: Eraton and the prince. The story has essentially a religious plot line, Katia's desire to work in the temple and her faith being the main driving forces behind the story.

There are so many intriguing characters, minor characters and antagonists included. I wanted to know more about all of them. Katherine is a splendid writer who kept me interested through the entire book and still managed to shock me with the ending. This book is definitely worth a read.

About the reviewer
Evie Doyle is currently studying Psychology, Biology and Performing Arts at Charnwood College. She is an avid reader in her spare time as well as a scout and guide. She is also part of an amateur theatre group.

Review by Evie Doyle of "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire

Every child knows the wonderful story of The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum: a light-hearted children’s tale of a wicked witch and a pair of magical shoes. Gregory Maguire took this world and twisted it into something new, dark and political. In Wicked Maguire built a world where talking animals, dwarves and magic are real; but the world he envisioned involves issues of race, class and a corrupted dictator. He creates a sense of an entirely original world that has its own dialect, quirks, charms and hidden secrets. The story of Elphaba Thropp will leave you unsettled, but intrigued to the last page.

Born with unnaturally green skin, Elphaba faces discrimination from the beginning, though perhaps this is what makes her such an intriguing character. Sarcastic, witty and cynical, Maguire writes her as a protagonist you cannot help but root for. The main secondary character is Glinda, Elphaba’s roommate due to an unfortunate accident. She is pompous and childish, which is what makes her development throughout the book even more satisfying. Over the many years that the book takes place, not only do we see the growth of their relationships and the growth of all the characters within the book, but we are introduced to the mystery of the Wizard, a dictator who has begun dark workings reminiscent of Nazism. 

The issue of racism is the main dilemma within the book, seen not only with the segregation of Animals but with the Vinkus and Quadlings as well. It is the motivation behind many of Elphaba’s actions and sets a wondrously dark theme to the whole story. The religious undertones, though not essential to the plot, help create a realistic world, for in a world where there is magic wouldn’t there be a great controversy about religion? I personally was captivated by the religions Maguire has created, and can only attribute this to his skill in writing something unique but relatable.

Inspired by the likes of Orwell and C.S. Lewis, Maguire has been unafraid of broaching subjects that shroud the story in a sinister mystery: death, discrimination and torture, awaiting young Miss Elphaba around every corner. As mysteries unfold and the intent of the Wizard comes to light, we witness the formation of his private army, and Elphaba living underground. Maguire amps up the tension in this final section as we wonder whether Elphaba will survive.  

This novel, though quite long, is an intriguing read that introduces a completely new take on the Land of Oz. Filled with tragedy and suspense it does not fail to create empathy for a whole host of characters, including multiple animals and Miss Elphaba Thropp from start to finish. Perhaps this novel's greatest asset is, as I’ve mentioned before, the unique nature of the world it presents: dark though it is, it draws one in and I for one will remember it for a long time to come.


About the reviewer
Evie Doyle is currently studying Psychology, Biology and Performing Arts at Charnwood College. She is an avid reader in her spare time as well as a scout and guide. She is also part of an amateur theatre group.

Review by Amirah Mohiddin of "Howl's Moving Castle" by Diana Wynne Jones

Diana Wynne Jones’s terrifically funny Howl’s Moving Castle has long been eclipsed by other fantasy novels of our time. Published in 2001, it humorously pokes fun at the traditions of fantasy and fairy tales. This pleasantly chaotic novel that can be universally enjoyed by all ages has been shelved behind more popular books for too long. I say, no more!

Jones’s extraordinary novel begins with Sophie being cursed into old age. She runs away from home and ends up at Howl’s castle. To the people of Ingary, Howl is known to eat young girls’ hearts. This doesn’t stop Sophie, though. She sees Howl for the eccentric and ridiculous man that he is. And so their banter begins, as Sophie looks for a cure to her curse, whilst also learning more about magic and Howl.

Sophie is an incredible protagonist. She is witty and strong. She is one of my all-time favourite characters (I definitely say that too often about a lot of characters). But I don’t think there’s ever been a character so blasé about being cursed into old age that they would essentially react along the lines of meh, it could be worse. Sophie fiercely argues with Howl, and gets exasperated with Calcifer, the little fire demon with his vague hints. She has the heart of a young girl, but the body and wit of an old woman.  We’ve all had those grandparents, or elderly friends that said whatever they wanted. That’s Sophie! She takes no prisoners as she says exactly what she wants and means, effectively turning Howl’s life upside down. Poor Howl, in response, can do nothing against Sophie - other than throw a tantrum because he accidentally dyed his hair ginger because of her.

Jones’s characters are irresistible. They are so ordinarily extraordinary. Word by word, sentence by sentence, I found myself deeply engaged in the narrative, interacting with the characters to the point that I was arguing or laughing along with them. And that’s where the charm is. They argue, they laugh, they’re infuriating, making them so much more than characters and more like family, so we stick with them, even whilst they go on dangerous missions and make ambiguous deals with little fire demons.

To be honest, my interest in this novel started with Studio Ghibli’s movie with the same name. Though they follow a loosely similar plot, the novel and movie feel like separate entities to me. It is in reading this novel that I became involved with the narrative, retelling it to myself, rolling my eyes at Howl’s dramatics and reliving the laugh-out-loud moments.

Diana Wynne Jones deserves a place in the fantasy writer’s hall of fame for her riveting Howl’s Moving Castle. This charismatic novel crosses boundaries of target audiences, as readers young and old will both inevitably find that when they read the last sentence they’ll be itching to begin the book again, just as I’m about to do now.


About the reviewer
Amirah Mohiddin, born in Birmingham U.K, is an MA Creative Writing student. She specialises in fantasy, speculative fiction and magical realism.

Review by Paul Taylor-McCartney of "StarMark" by Katherine Hetzel

As a creative writer myself, and one already drafting a cycle of children’s stories, I came to this novel with a keen interest in seeing how an established author manages to appeal to both adults and younger readers alike. In StarMark, Katherine Hetzel manages this difficult tightrope walk with apparent ease. The fantasy world of Koltam is brimming with original myths and legends that appear to have their roots in Pagan and Celtic lore, but have a distinct character all their own. 

The central appeal of the novel though lies in the author’s careful crafting of a simple, yet engaging tale of one girl’s journey from childhood to adulthood, and all that implies.  Irvana is both brave and determined, highly likeable and appeals to all readers. She’s an excellent role-model for younger girls, particularly, in that she proves both fallible and willing to learn from her mistakes, whilst never appearing vulnerable. 

Hetzel’s profound skill is in presenting Irvana and those around her with a series of perils and encounters that develop the characters, but also encourage you to devour this short tome in one or two sittings. The dialogue is snappy and well-observed, as are the passages of description, which never detract from the immediacy of the action; the cast of antagonists are even given their own space to develop a connection with the reader, and this helps younger minds consider the grey shades of morality, not just its contrasting tones. I look forward to reading more by Hetzel, and seeing her expand this specific universe still further, taking her developing fan base with her. 


About the reviewer
Paul Taylor McCartney is currently Head of Secondary Teacher Education at Warwick University. He has enjoyed a long and varied teaching career in the discipline of English/Theatre Studies and is following a part-time PhD in Creative Writing with Leicester University, His research interests include dystopian studies, narratology and 20th century literary criticism.