Ancient Wonders reviewed

Pop over to the Ginger Nuts of Horror website and read a rather splendid review of The Alchemy Press Book of Ancient Wonders edited by Jan Edwards and Jenny Barber. Jim McLeod says:

"The Alchemy Book of Ancient Wonders, is one of those anthologies that really does live up to the title. This is fourteen stories of pure magic, that will whisk to lands full myth, magic, and adventure."

Sex, Lies... reviewed

Sex Lies and Family Ties by Sarah J Graham has received a four-star review on Goodreads. The reviewer, Jan Ruth, says: "the author handles all of these issues with sensitivity and great insight ... well written and full of poignancy."

Available in print and ebook formats from Amazon and other online dealers.

Ancient Wonders reviewed

The Alchemy Press Book of Ancient Wonders edited by Jan Edwards and Jenny Barber.

Reviewed by Rod MacDonald

Being an old alchemist myself who took some time to get over the phlogiston theory, I was intrigued to see what was going on at The Alchemy Press. If you have not encountered them before, I would check out the website. This isn’t a weird and wonderful collection of 1960s hippies with crystals, wind chimes and astrology charts. Nothing like that here! Rather, it’s a site where you’ll find lots of interesting collections of stories and articles which have as a basis our past, our culture and the more mysterious aspects of our lives. I was actually quite impressed!

This particular collection contains 14 stories which have as their basis our history, sometimes with archaeological connections and stone circles with Celtic beginnings. You’ll be travelling back to ancient Rome, New York and even an Ithaca in space. However, the main link between all the stories is the quality of the writing which is very good. In selecting the works, the editors must have looked to readability as a major facet. They are all certainly very readable.

To give an example, “If Street” by James Brogden is all about a couple of childhood friends living near the site of a Roman settlement in Britain. As boys who investigated everything, they were intrigued by an old Roman road. One of the characters disappeared, to come back many years later. He had been living in the past as a Roman soldier fighting against invaders.

Bryn Forley’s “Ithaca Or Bust” is a parody of the legend of Troy, only the characters are vastly different. Taking place in a stellar empire, the beings have two heads, four arms and legs and are about five metres tall. Much of the conversation is between the two heads, one logical and thoughtful with the other forthright and adventurous. It makes for interesting reading.

It would be difficult to pick out a favourite story from out of the 14 available due to the fact that they are distinctly different despite having a common theme as their basis. Alchemy Press seem to have a large number of anthologies and according to their website, they are actively looking for new writers. This may represent a good opportunity for aspiring and established writers. I’m not sure what terms and conditions apply, so it would be best to make enquiries first. They do, however, have a comprehensive list of writing requirements.

This volume was produced in hardcopy a few months ago and now it’s available in Kindle and other formats. Being available from Amazon, it should probably sell reasonably well. It’s a sort of book you could carry about and dip into at any time and if you like this type of fiction, it represents a good purchase and one to recommend.

Originally published on SFCrowsnest website, February 2013. Reprinted by permission.

For more information on Ancient Wonders click here.

Sex, Lies... five star review

Sex, Lies and Family Ties by Sarah J Graham has received a five star review by Jenny Barber on Goodreads:

“On the face of it this is not a cheerful book to read, as the tragedy of the lead's childhood experiences are slowly revealed and accentuated by the troubled lives of her friends. However Carol refuses to let any of that break her and throughout the darkness there is a stubborn thread of hope that brightens the way as she overcomes both the physical threats directed at her and the more pervasive societal pressures that try to entangle both her and her friends.

There are deft moments of humour in the story, and definitely a giggle to be had at some of the 70's slang (especially if you're too young to have been born at the time!) and Carol makes for the kind of enthralling protagonist that you can't help but root for to the extent that when the book finishes, there's the immediate desire to know what happened to her next, and that's always the sign of a great story well told.

Highly recommended!”

Sex, Lies and Family Ties is available in printed and eBook formats from Amazon and other online dealers.

Sex, Lies & Family Ties -- review

Many thanks to Barry Lillie for allowing us to reproduce his review from Goodreads:

"A dark and gritty tale that focuses upon a handful of days in the life of a teenager in the 1970s and how those few days bring with them change and closure. Well written, compelling and deliciously dark. The sense of betrayal at the end was as sharp as a harridan's tongue. I'd recommend this book even to those not old enough to remember the era as there's very little to alienate a younger reader. The setting may be the '70s but the story and content is still pertinent to society and the coming of age today."

Sex, Lies & Family Ties reviewed

An excellent review of Sex, Lies and Family Ties by Sarah J Graham has been posted on Good reads.

Sex and Lies reviewed

Sex, Lies and Family Ties by Sarah J Graham has received a five star review on Amazon.

Rumours reviewed

Two recent reviews of Rumours of the Marvellous have appeared. Thank you to the two men with discerning taste:

“Rumours is a beautifully produced book … and will no doubt reach out to the collector demographic, but for those of us who worship content … its core appeal lies in the author’s undoubted ability to tell a story and to tell it well.” – Peter Tennant, Black Static #30, 2012

"Rumours of the Marvellous is a superb collection of short stories by Peter Atkins that fall in the borderland between SF, fantasy, horror and the supernatural." – David V Barrett, Fortean Times, November 2012

Rumours: another review

Peter Atkins' collection Rumours of the Marvellous has received another excellent review on the This Is Horror website. Simon Marshall-Jones says:

"What it does show above all, however, is that the best writers are those who take the base material of what’s gone before, wilfully dissolve it and then set about recombining it into something absolutely new and marvellous. It isn’t difficult to see where Mr. Atkins has done just that, but here we witness him working truly wonderful alchemy on that undifferentiated material, which results in literary gold." Read the full review here.

Rumours reviewed

Jim McLeod of the Ginger Nuts of Horror website has written a great review of Peter Atkins' Rumours of the Marvellous. Jim's review has been reprinted on the Shiny Shorts website.

Rumours reviewed

Two excellent reviews of Rumours of the Marvellous, by Ian Hunter and Paul Kane. Thanks, guys.

Five star review for Sailors

Sailors of the Skies is available as a Kindle eBook. It's received a five star review: "I LOVED this story and can't wait for the authors to write more about Damian Paladin and his beautiful associate." Read the full review here. But of course, you can read more of Damian's adventures: check out The Paladin Mandates. 

Rumours of the Marvellous -- reviewed by the BFS

"Atkins is also a great stylist with a truly original voice, so be prepared to be entertained, enlightened and educated in the fine art of short story writing. Oh, and be scared, really, really scared." -- Ian Hunter
Read the full review here.