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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Transcendent Tide by Doug Johstone

Published August 14th, 2025 by Orenda Books
Science Fiction, Metaphyscial Fiction, Book Series

Today is my stop on the blog tour for the epic conclusion to the Enceladon Trilogy. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Orenda Books for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Lennox, Vonnie and Ava head to Greenland to meet up with Heather, Sandy and the Enceladons, commencing an epic showdown that will change everything … The emotive, devastating yet ultimately life-affirming conclusion to the bestselling Enceladons Trilogy, as seen on BBC2’s Between the Covers…

‘An affecting and thought-provoking read. Johnstone’s worldbuilding is top notch in this pacy eco-alien tale of peril and hope’ Tendai Huchu


‘Doug Johnstone has emerged as the unholy, octopoid lovechild of David Attenborough and Michael Crichton … a thrilling, action-packed adventure’ Callum McSorley

‘Surprising, compelling and out of this world’ Ann Morgan

‘A delight! We need more novels that take on human exceptionalism with such gusto’ Ever Dundas


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It’s been eighteen months since the Enceladons escaped the clutches of an American military determined to exterminate the peaceful alien creatures.

Lennox and Vonnie have been lying low in the Scottish Highlands, Ava has been caring for her young daughter Chloe, and Heather is adjusting to her new life with Sandy and the other Enceladons in the Arctic Ocean, off the coast of Greenland. But fate is about to bring them together again for one last battle.

When Lennox and Vonnie are visited by Karl Jensen, a Norwegian billionaire intent on making contact with the Encedalons again, they are wary of subjecting the aliens to further dangers. But when word arrives that Ava’s daughter has suffered an attack and might die without urgent help, they reluctantly make the trip to Greenland, where they enlist the vital help of local woman Niviaq. 

It’s not long before they’re drawn into a complex web of lies, deceit and death. What is Karl’s company really up to? Why are sea creatures attacking boats? Why is Sandy acting so strangely, and why are polar bears getting involved? 

Profound, ambitious and immensely moving, The Transcendent Tide is the epic conclusion to the Encedalons Trilogy – a final showdown between the best and worst of humanity, the animal kingdom and the Encedalons. The future of life on earth will be changed forever, but not everyone will survive to see it…

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MY REVIEW:

Doug Johnstone and the Enceladon’s are back for their final adventure in the epic conclusion to the Enceladon Trilogy. This is a difficult book to review because it is best discovered for yourself by going along for the ride. But I can tell you that the story sees Lennox, Vonnie and Ava head to Greenland to meet up with Heather, Sandy and the Enceladons. They hope to forge a positive connection between extra-terrestrials and humans, but humanity is predictable in its cruelty, resulting in a monumental showdown that changes everything.

Immersive, suspenseful and compelling, Johnstone has knocked it out of the park once again with this spectacular finale. I’m not usually a Sci-Fi girl, but I knew how good of a storyteller Johnstone is so I took a chance on this series. I’m so glad I did because it’s a series I’ve become very fond of and I’m really going to miss so many of these wonderful characters. I knew reading the final book was going to be hard, but I was unprepared for the emotional rollercoaster that this book took me on and the things that Johnstone put the characters through this time around. 

Johnstone explores a variety of real life issues in this book such as politics, capitalism, environmental issues, humanity and refugees. Yes, these particular refugees come from another planet but the parallels between them and the current political landscape rhetoric towards refugees is unmistakable. And there are huge lessons we need to learn from what happens to Sandy and the Enceladons. We need to be more like the  humans who fight for their extra-terrestrial friends and not like the ones who persecute and fear those who are different and seeking sanctuary in our borders. And it is here where we see that this is also a story about friendship, love, compassion and fighting for the rights of others.

A magnificent end to an extraordinary series, I highly recommend this book and the whole Enceladon Trilogy.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Doug Johnstone is the author of Fourteen novels, including The Great Silence, the third in the Skelfs series, which has been optioned for TV. In 2021, The Big Chill, the second in the series, was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. In 2020, A Dark Matter, the first in the series, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Independent Voice Book of the Year award. Black Hearts (Book four), was published in 2022, with The Opposite of Lonely (book five) out in 2023. Several of his books have been bestsellers and award winners, and his first science fiction novel, The Space Between Us, was a BBC2 Between the Covers pick. He’s taught creative writing, been writer in residence at various institutions, and has been an arts journalist for twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. He lives in Edinburgh.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*these links are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Quiet by Barnaby Martin

Published May 15th, 2025 by Pan Macmillan
Suspense, Science Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Cyberpunk

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this thing riveting debut. Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Bookbreak for the invitation to take part and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

‘Riveting. Martin weaves an inspired premise into an engrossing and wholly original adventure.’ – Ernest Cline, author of Ready Player One

‘An intellectually compelling, emotional and timely read. Martin has taken a motif of dystopian writing and films – a single parent and child – and has reworked it within a fresh landscape. The Quiet is a feat of writing that foregrounds the value of kindness and communication in a world bent on segregation and misinformation.’ – The Bookseller

* * *

A mother’s love can be deafening . . .

Isaac is Hannah’s entire world. She knows that her son is gifted, and that those gifts make him vulnerable. To keep him safe, she spends every waking moment by his side. If she lets her guard down, lets him out of her sight, lets him show what he’s capable of, he will be taken from her.

When the Soundfield arrived twenty years ago, the world changed with it. Now, people are forced to live at night due to the deadly heat of the day, food and water are scarce, and everyday life is punctuated by the constant and disconcerting hum from the Field. A brilliant scientist, Hannah spent her early career working on the enigma of the Soundfield, looking for answers; now, resigned, she has focussed all her energies on keeping Isaac living, not just alive.

To do so, she will have to lie to the people she knows and hope she can trust the ones she doesn’t. Because the only thing more dangerous than her lies, is the truth of what she has done.

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MY REVIEW:

What would you do to keep your child safe? That is the question at the heart of this original debut. Isaac is Hannah’s whole world. He can’t speak but he loves music and singing; a dangerous talent in this dystopian world. If his talent is discovered then Isaac will be taken from her. And Hannah will do anything to ensure that doesn’t happen…

From its heart-stopping prologue I was hooked to the pages of this riveting debut. Thought-provoking, emotional, intelligent and terrifying, The Quiet is humanity and science blended in perfect harmony. Set in a future where a soundfield appeared 20 years earlier, exposure to the sun is life-threatening and where people live by the night and sleep during the day. An ever-threatening presence lingers over every page, making my heart race and keeping me on the edge of my seat as I read.

Hannah is a mysterious character. We only know she is Isaac’s mother, she’s fiercely protective of him and that she lives in fear of him being taken. It’s her and Isaac against a frightening and dangerous world and she lives in a constant state of anxiety, her fear radiating from the pages. Slowly, we learn she has a past she feels the need to atone for, revealing itself in flashbacks to her time at university, and we follow on her journey of reckoning self-discovery and redemption. Our other main character, Isaac, never says a word, yet his presence is strong and memorable. But, like his mother, Isaac is a mystery. We don’t know why he is unable to speak yet he can sing. He clearly has a love of music and the joy he feels when he hears it – including the hum from the soundfield – is infectious. His relationship with music is beautiful and pure, and a stark contrast to the dangerous world around him that his mother experiences. 

And we have to talk about the soundfield, which is like a character in its own right. It has an eerie, curious and ominous quality but it is also strangely beautiful and I loved listening to the sound the author imagined it creating on the audiobook. I could see why Hannah found it terrifying and why Issac was drawn to it.

Powerful, heartbreaking and immersive, don’t miss this unforgettable debut. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Barnaby Martin is a multi-talented storyteller and creator. Besides his writing, he is an award-winning and self-taught composer, video essayist and teacher. His music has been performed widely in the UK and internationally by groups including the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra of Opera North and Westminster Cathedral Choir. His YouTube channel, Listening In, which he began in 2019 and for which he makes videos that explore the cross-section between pop culture and classical music, has garnered over 200,000 subscribers and ten million views. He studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge and now teaches in London, where he lives with his husband.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

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Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: The Family Experiment by John Marrs

Published May 9th, 2024 by Pan Macmillan
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Dystopian Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, Cyberpunk

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘If you love Black Mirror you have to read John Marrs. The Family Experiment is chilling, inventive, horribly plausible and brilliantly addictive.’ – C. J. Tudor, author of The Gathering

‘The books of John Marrs have become a quiet phenomenon. The Family Experiment will cement his reputation for writing intriguing thrillers rooted in the near future that tackle big issues . . .thoughtful, well written . . .and alarming’ Daily Mail

Some families are virtually perfect . . .

The world’s population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, breaking point has arrived. A growing number of people can no longer afford to start families let alone raise them.

But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality tv show. It will follow ten couples as they raise a Virtual Child from birth to the age of eighteen but in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their virtual child or risk it all for the chance of a real baby . . .

Set in the same universe as John Marrs’s bestselling novel The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and twisted thriller about the ultimate ‘tamagotchi’ – a virtual baby.

‘John Marrs is a writer at the top of his game and The Family Experiment is his best yet. Frighteningly plausible, gripping, dark, and so clever.’ – Claire Douglas, author of The Woman Who Lied

‘An unsettling and immersive roller coaster which hurtles towards a chilling denouement – a truly thought-provoking, single-sitting thriller. Loved it. ‘ – Ellery Lloyd, author of The Club

‘The Family Experiment is an eerie and darkly addictive thriller that will have your mind whirling throughout.’ – Culturefly

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MY REVIEW:

The UK is at breaking point thanks to a soaring population, overcrowded cities, and economic crisis. Many people can’t afford to live, let alone start a family and raise them. But there is a new way to raise a family for those who long to do so: meta children. For a monthly subscription, clients can create a virtual child from scratch, accessing them through a VR headset. To launch their new initiative, the company behind the Virtual Children has created a reality TV show following ten couples as they raise their Virtual Child from birth to eighteen, which will be condensed into a nine-month period. The winners will then pick their prize: keep their Virtual Child or try for a real baby. 

Dark, menacing, unsettling and twisty, The Family Experiment is the latest gripping thriller from John Marrs. Set in the same universe as his previous books The One and The Marriage Act, this is a masterclass in speculative fiction. Expertly written, skillfully plotted and cleverly constructed, he combines heart-pounding tension with complex family relationships and moral and social issues facing us today.  What makes the things that Mr. Marrs writes about in his speculative thrillers so compelling, is how deeply uncomfortable and terrifyingly plausible they are. With how far technology has come and the soaring cost of living, I can imagine a world where ‘tamagotchi children’ exist as an alternative to flesh and blood. Personally, I find it all deeply unnerving and only like the idea as a way to get an idea of what parenthood is like, not as a substitute for living children. 

A bingeable thriller filled with twist after twist, The Family Experiment keeps you guessing until  the very last page. Complex, clever, surprising and unnerving, this is a must-read for any thriller lover. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

*I listened to this on Bookbeat. Click here to get 2 months free with my affiliate link*

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

John Marrs is an author and former journalist based in London and Northamptonshire. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time author. His books include No1 bestseller and Netflix series The One, The Passengers, award winning What Lies Between Us and The Good Samaritan.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2023

BOOK REVIEW: The Marriage Act by John Marrs

Published January 19th, 2023 by Pan Macmillan
Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Dystopian Fiction, Science Fiction

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Bookbreak for sending me a proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

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BOOK DESCRIPTION:

‘Clever, compelling and terrifyingly plausible’ – C. J. Tudor, author of A Sliver of Darkness

What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey? Set in the same world as The One, now a Netflix Original Series, The Marriage Act is a dark, high-concept thriller from bestselling author John Marrs.

‘A page-turning and thought-provoking read’ – Daily Mirror

Britain. The near future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills – the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single.

But four couples are about to discover just how impossible relationships can be when the government is supervising every aspect of our personal lives, monitoring every word, every minor disagreement – and will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honour and obey . . .

Shortlisted for the Goodreads Awards 2023.

Black Mirror meets thriller with a dash of Naomi Alderman’s The Power.

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MY REVIEW:

The Marriage Act is a pacy speculative thriller set in Britain in the near future. A right-wing government has brought into law the Sanctity of Marriage Act, actively encouraging marriage by offering benefits for those opting for a Smart Marriage and punishing those who remain single. They believe it is the answer to society’s problems. After all, what could go wrong with a system where the government monitors and controls every aspect of your relationship? Four couples are about to find out…

John Marrs is at the top of his game and can do no wrong in my eyes. Everything he writes is golden; cleverly crafted with a merciless finesse that keeps his reader on tenterhooks from start to finish. A perfect marriage of complex moral and social issues, red herrings, shocks and suspense, this is a masterclass in speculative fiction. It grabs your attention from the dark opening pages that contain a promise of secrets just waiting to be revealed.  Much of this story seems far-fetched at first. But, as you read, you begin to realise that none of this is beyond the realms of possibility. Suddenly everything feels frighteningly real and the fact that I could imagine all of this happening chilled me to my core.

This is the fourth book set in The One Universe, the dystopian world that Marrs created which connects a number of his books, coming after The One, The Passengers, and The Minders. While it isn’t necessary to read these in order to follow what’s happening in this book, I highly recommend reading ALL of Marrs’ books. Now, back to The Marriage Act. Those who sign up to a Smart Marriage are monitored 24/7 by a device called an Audite. The Audite listens and records the couples conversations throughout the day, not only picking up on every word, but also their tone and the volume of their voices. This constant monitoring leads to a claustrophobic atmosphere, feelings of distrust, and people manipulating or avoiding conversations. If the Audite decides your marriage is in trouble they will send a Relationship Responder who then lives with you and helps you work on your marriage issues. In this complex and nuanced story there are many different clauses that also come along with a Smart Marriage, and as the story goes on we see the many flaws in the system. 

The story is told in mixed media from multiple points of view. I listened to it on audiobook and while the narration is fantastic, it did feel very confusing at first and I struggled to keep up with the many characters and threads of the story. But that didn’t last long, and I soon lost myself in the story, devouring the book in under a day. Marrs has created a large cast of interesting characters that come from different walks of life. Some were easier to root for than others, and there were some I couldn’t stand, but all of them were compelling, flawed, relatable and real. They are people you could imagine as your friends, family or neighbours, heightening the feeling that this could all actually happen. 

Ominous, tense, twisty and thought-provoking, The Marriage Act is a compulsive thriller charged with adrenaline charged with adrenaline that you won’t want to put down. Highly recommended.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

*I listened to this book on Bookbeat. You can listen for two months free by clicking this link*

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

John Marrs is an author and former journalist based in London and Northamptonshire. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time author. His books include No1 bestseller and Netflix series The One, The Passengers, award winning What Lies Between Us and The Good Samaritan.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These links are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

Categories
Audio Books Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Leave No Trace (Kat and Lock, Book 2) by Jo Callaghan

Published March 28th, 2024 by Simon & Schuster UK
Psychological Thriller, Science Fiction, Book Series

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this riveting and nerve-shredding thriller. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part, and to Simon and Schuster UK for the proof copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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SYNOPSIS:

DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock return in the provocative new thriller from the author of In the Blink of an Eye.

‘A smart, agile, immaculately plotted and moving thriller that is unswervingly gripping and scary, and at the same time beautifully tender and humane’ NICCI FRENCH 
‘Chilled me to the bone and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Callaghan writes with such intelligence; interspersing humour with moments of utter heartbreak’ NIKKI SMITH
 
One detective driven by instinct, the other by logic.
It will take both to find a killer who knows the true meaning of fear . . .
 
When the body of a man is found crucified at the top of Mount Judd, AIDE Lock – the world’s first AI Detective – and DCS Kat Frank are thrust into the spotlight as they are given their first live case.
 
But with the discovery of another man’s body – also crucified – it appears that their killer is only just getting started. With the police warning local men to be vigilant, the Future Policing Unit is thrust into a hostile media frenzy as they desperately search for connections between the victims. But time is running out for them to join the dots and prevent another death.
 
For if Kat and Lock know anything, it’s that killers rarely stop – until they are made to.

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MY REVIEW:

DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock are back thrust into the spotlight when they finally get to investigate their first live case in the second instalment of this gripping crime series. The pair are called to an unusual crime scene where a man has been found crucified at the top of Mount Judd. And when the body of a second man is found crucified it seems that their killer is just beginning. Local men are warned to stay vigilant as the Future Policing Unit face a race against the clock to find and stop the culprit before they kill again. 

Compelling, tense and surprising, I couldn’t put this one down. This time around the duo find themselves embroiled in a case that makes national headlines, putting them under even greater pressure. While the first book focused more on the sci-fi aspect of an AI detective, this time around there is less sci-fi and more crime, allowing Jo Callaghan to showcase herself as a crime writer to watch. I enjoyed the darker tone she took this time around and this is exactly the kind of twisted thriller that sings to me. After enjoying the audiobook last time I decided to listen again and loved it. I particularly enjoyed how the killer’s pov is told in an echoey way that is so eerie it sent chills down my spine every time I heard it. Even just thinking about it is making me shiver. 

I loved being back with the Future Policing Unit. Kat and Lock are a unique and fascinating detective team and I loved their banter and camaraderie, which has grown since their rocky start in the first book. But it is only their second case and they are still learning how to work together, something that can be tricky when one of them is driven by instinct and the other by logic. I like how well they balance each other out; one’s weaknesses being the other’s strengths, and how they both were learning to be better officers by including some of each other’s methods. I also really liked that Lock is no longer treated as a perfect detective. We see some of his limitations and flaws, which kind of humanises the AI detective a little. It certainly made me warm to him more this time around. 

Riveting, pacy, and filled with nerve-shredding tension, Leave No Trace is an action-packed thriller that will keep you on your toes. Now I just have to wait impatiently for book three. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

*I listened to this on Bookbeat. You can listen, too, with 2 months free listening with my affiliate link. Click here*

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jo Callaghan works fulltime as a senior strategist, where she has carried out research into the future impact of AI and genomics on the workforce.She was a student of the Writers’ Academy Course (Penguin Random House), was long listed for the Myslexia Novel Writing Competition and Bath Novel Competition. After losing her husband to cancer in 2019 when she was just forty-nine, she started writing IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, her debut crime novel. Published to critical-acclaim, it selected by Val McDermid for her New Blood panel of the best debuts of 2023 and for BBC Two’s Between the Covers Book Club. TV rights were sold in a major acquisition.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

Categories
Blog Tours Book Features book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Collapsing Wave (The Enceladons Trilogy, Book 2) by Doug Johnstone

Published March 14th, 2024 by Orenda Books
Science Fiction, Suspense, Adventure Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Collapsing Wave. Thank you to Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Orenda Books for the gifted proof.

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SYNOPSIS:

Ava, Lennox and Heather make contact with alien Sandy and head for a profound confrontation … The awe-inspiring, exquisitely moving sequel to The Space Between Us, as seen on BBC Two’s Between the Covers.
 
_________________
 
Six months since the earth-shattering events of The Space Between Us, the revelatory hope of the aliens’ visit has turned to dust and the creatures have disappeared into the water off Scotland’s west coast.
 
Teenager Lennox and grieving mother Heather are being held in New Broom, a makeshift US military base, the subject of experiments, alongside the Enceladons who have been captured by the authorities.
 
Ava, who has given birth, is awaiting the jury verdict at her trial for the murder of her husband. And MI7 agent Oscar Fellowes, who has been sidelined by the US military, is beginning to think he might be on the wrong side of history.
 
When alien Sandy makes contact, Lennox and Heather make a plan to escape with Ava. All three of them are heading for a profound confrontation between the worst of humanity and a possible brighter future, as the stakes get higher for the alien Enceladons and the entire human race…
 
Sequel to the bestselling The Space Between Us, The Collapsing Wave is an exquisite, epic first-contact novel, laced with peril and populated by unforgettable characters, and the awe-inspiring book we all need right now…

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MY REVIEW:

“How can you explain the depths of humanity to something like Sandy or Xander? The conspiracies, hatred and anger, the violence, deviousness and dishonesty.”

It’s six months since the events of book one in The Enceladon Trilogy, and things aren’t looking good for Lennox, Ava and Heather. Ava is nervously awaiting the outcome of her trial for murder, while Lennox and Heather are being held in New Broom, a makeshift US military base where they are subjected to experiments alongside Enceladons the authorities have  managed to capture. When Sandy contacts them for the first time in months, they make a plan to escape, leading to a confrontation that will impact the future for all of humanity.

Somehow this was even better than book one! It jumps straight into the action, succinctly catching the reader up on the extraordinary events of book one and filling in the gaps of what’s happened since. After sharing such a profound experience, the bond between Lennox, Heather, and Ava is stronger than ever, as is their bond with Enceladons, and we are taken on an even more remarkable journey alongside them. I wondered how they’d escape from a place that doesn’t officially exist and is run by a man drunk with power. It was terrifying, and my heart shattered as humans and Enceladons were subjected to his barbaric experiments. But what is most frightening is how plausible it all feels, and I was cheering them on while hoping for the downfall of others. 

Doug Johnstone really can do no wrong in my eyes. This storytelling master had me in his thrall and I was completely immersed from the start; devouring the book in under a day. Exquisitely written, multi-layered and fast-paced, danger and tension radiate from every page, and I was on the edge of my seat as I tried to predict what would happen next. But it isn’t only entertaining and really makes you think as Johnstone explores topics such as prejudice, humanity, and the power of connection. Examining how humans treat anything that is new or different, he reminds us that our way might not always be best and that there is much we can still learn. 

Breathtaking, moving, nerve-shredding and addictive, The Collapsing Wave is an outstanding instalment in an unmissable series. The only problem now is I have to wait impatiently for its conclusion.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Doug Johnstone is the author of Fourteen novels, including The Great Silence, the third in the Skelfs series, which has been optioned for  In 2021, The Big Chill, the second in the series, was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. In 2020, A Dark Matter, the first in the series, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Independent Voice Book of the Year award. Black Hearts (Book four), was published in 2022, with The Opposite of Lonely (book five) out in 2023. Several of his books have been bestsellers and award winners, and his first science fiction novel, The Space Between Us, was a BBC2 Between the Covers pick. He’s taught creative writing, been writer in residence at various institutions, and has been an arts journalist for twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. He lives in Edinburgh.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These links are affiliate links

********

Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in this tour.

Categories
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: The Space Between Us (The Enceladons Trilogy, Book 1) by Doug Johnstone

Published March 16th, 2023 by Orenda Books
Science Fition, Mystery, Suspense

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SYNOPSIS:

When three people suffer strokes after seeing dazzling lights over Edinburgh, then awake completely recovered, they’re convinced their ordeal is connected to the alien creature discovered on a nearby beach … an adrenaline-soaked, deeply humane, life-affirming first-contact novel from one of Scotland’s most revered authors…
 
**Selected for BBC 2 Between the Covers 2023**
 
‘All the drive, curiosity and wonder of his crime and mystery novels … science fiction gains a new author’ Derek B Miller
 
‘If you read one life-affirming book this year, make sure it’s this one’ Nina Pottell, Prima
  
‘The main characters, their lives and their struggles, are portrayed very vividly. I was straight into this, just like a thriller’ Ivo Graham on Between the Covers 
 
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
 
Connecting will change everything…
 
Lennox is a troubled teenager with no family. Ava is eight months pregnant and fleeing her abusive husband. Heather is a grieving mother and cancer sufferer. They don’t know each other, but when a meteor streaks over Edinburgh, all three suffer instant, catastrophic strokes… 
 
…only to wake up the following day in hospital, miraculously recovered. 
 
When news reaches them of an octopus-like creature washed up on the shore near where the meteor came to earth, Lennox senses that some extra-terrestrial force is at play. With the help of Ava, Heather and a journalist, Ewan, he rescues the creature they call ‘Sandy’ and goes on the run. 
 
But they aren’t the only ones with an interest in the alien … close behind are Ava’s husband, the police and a government unit who wants to capture the creature, at all costs. And Sandy’s arrival may have implications beyond anything anyone could imagine…
 
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‘This had all the makings of a film … such relatable characters. Writing a story about a mixed-race boy in the care system and two women so brilliantly is so impressive’ Sunetra Sarker on Between the Covers

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MY REVIEW:

A trio of strangers are brought together in extraordinary circumstances in the first book of The Enceladon’s Trilogy. This is a book that’s way outside of my comfort zone, so I’d put off reading it for a while. But I’m a big fan of Doug Johnstone’s writing and I have heard so many great reviews for this book that I decided to finally take the plunge and read it for myself.

Lennox is a troubled teen without any family. Ava is eight months pregnant and trying to escape her abusive marriage. Heather has terminal cancer, is grieving her daughter and feels she’s nothing to live for. What starts out as another ordinary day in their lives becomes something exceptional, starting with a meteor that streaks over Edinburgh and causes them to have catastrophic strokes. When they wake up in hospital the next day they are somehow fully recovered. No one can explain it. 
The group then learns that an octopus-like creature has been recovered, washed up on the shore near where the meteor was. Could an extraterrestrial force be behind what happened? They set out to find out, starting with rescuing the creature, who they call ‘Sandy’. But they aren’t the only ones after Sandy and must stay one step ahead of the police, a government unit and Ava’s furious husband. 

I am so glad I finally read this book. With a large cast of characters and intricate storyline, it took me a bit of time to get into it, but once I did I was hooked and on the edge of my seat as they tried to stay one step ahead of the people chasing them and get Sandy to safety. I loved the characters in this book. Lennox, Ava and Heather are fantastic characters and compelling narrators, each having a charisma that draws you in and makes you care about them. I loved the camaraderie that they built with each other and Sandy and I was rooting for them at every step, cheering for them to succeed in evading capture and finding a safe place for Sandy. And, speaking of Sandy, they are a richly drawn and fascinating character, feeling so real that I believed their existence was possible. I adored their bond with Lennox and their scenes together were my favourite moments in the book. The eclectic cast of background characters are all equally well-written and help provide a lot of tension and drama along the way, with Ava’s husband standing out in particular as the biggest villain of the story. I hated that man. 

This book is yet more proof of what a masterful storyteller and writer Doug Johnstone is. Anything he turns his hand to is phenomenal and I’m going to read it. I was so relieved to have book two waiting to be read when I finished this one as I was left desperate to know what happened next. My review for that book will be posted as part of the blog tour tomorrow. 

Exhilarating, tense and addictive, this is a brilliant start to what promises to be an exciting new series. Even if this doesn’t sound like your usual kind of book I recommend giving it a try. It might surprise you like it did me. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Doug Johnstone is the author of Fourteen novels, including The Great Silence, the third in the Skelfs series, which has been optioned for  In 2021, The Big Chill, the second in the series, was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. In 2020, A Dark Matter, the first in the series, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Independent Voice Book of the Year award. Black Hearts (Book four), was published in 2022, with The Opposite of Lonely (book five) out in 2023. Several of his books have been bestsellers and award winners, and his first science fiction novel, The Space Between Us, was a BBC2 Between the Covers pick. He’s taught creative writing, been writer in residence at various institutions, and has been an arts journalist for twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. He lives in Edinburgh.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These links are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024 Squadpod Squadpod Reviews

SQUADPOD REVIEWS: In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan

Published January 4th, 2024 by Simon & Schuster UK
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Police Procedural, Crime Series, Domestic Fiction, Urban Fiction, Science Fiction

I’m finally sharing my review for the brilliant In the Blink of an Eye, which was a Squadpod Reviews book. Thank you Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

As seen on BBC 2’s BETWEEN THE COVERS

‘I devoured this in one sitting’ Rob Rinder, as featured on BBC 2’s Between the Covers

‘Terrifyingly timely and provocative’ Val McDermid

‘The most original crime novel you’ll read this year’ Clare Mackintosh 

In the UK, someone is reported missing every 90 seconds.
Just gone. Vanished. In the blink of an eye. 

DCS Kat Frank knows all about loss. A widowed single mother, Kat is a cop who trusts her instincts. Picked to lead a pilot programme that has her paired with AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) Lock, Kat’s instincts come up against Lock’s logic. But when the two missing person’s cold cases they are reviewing suddenly become active, Lock is the only one who can help Kat when the case gets personal. 

AI versus human experience. 
Logic versus instinct.
With lives on the line can the pair work together before someone else becomes another statistic? 

In the Blink of an Eye is a dazzling debut from an exciting new voice and asks us what we think it means to be human. 

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MY REVIEW:

I’m a sucker for a crime series and In the Blink of an Eye is the first book in a crime series like nothing you’ve read before.

DCS Kat Frank is picked to lead a pilot programme where she will be partnered with AIDE (Artificial Intelligence Detective Entity) Lock. Kat isn’t a fan of AI or Lock, but when the two cold cases they are investigating become active investigations and things take a personal turn, she finds Lock is the only one willing to help her. 

Fast-paced, tense, twisty and gripping, this is an exciting and original take on the familiar detective buddy trope. I’m a big fan of these kinds of books but always enjoy finding something a bit different and Jo Callaghan’s debut really does stand out from the crowd. It explores whether AI and logic are superior to human experience and gut feelings when it comes to solving crimes, the truth about loss, and what it means to be human. The story is narrated by Kat but every so often we have a section that is narrated by an unknown man who is being held captive. His terror leaps from the pages and as the story gets darker the tension goes through the roof, my heart racing as I tried to predict what would happen next. 

I’ll admit that, like Kat, I had some apprehension about a robot detective. I needn’t have worried. In Lock Jo Callaghan has created a character who is obviously AI while also breathing the right amount of life and humanity into him to make him compelling. I liked that Kat is his total opposite and is a no-nonsense detective who relies on her instincts. I related to her in many ways on a personal level and enjoyed discovering more about her backstory. I enjoyed the banter between her and Lock and watching them learn how to work together rather than being at odds. The rest of Kat’s team were equally as well written and I am looking forward to returning to the whole cast of characters in the next instalment next month. 

Thought-provoking, thrilling and addictive, In the Blink of an Eye is a strong start to what promises to be a great new series. Highly recommended. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jo Callaghan works fulltime as a senior strategist, where she has carried out research into the future impact of AI and genomics on the workforce.She was a student of the Writers’ Academy Course (Penguin Random House), was long listed for the Myslexia Novel Writing Competition and Bath Novel Competition. After losing her husband to cancer in 2019 when she was just forty-nine, she started writing IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, her debut crime novel. Published to critical-acclaim, it selected by Val McDermid for her New Blood panel of the best debuts of 2023 and for BBC Two’s Between the Covers Book Club. TV rights were sold in a major acquisition.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: One by Eve Smith

Published July 20th, 2023 by Orenda Books
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Dystopian Fiction, Science Fiction, Political Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this outstanding, thought-provoking thriller. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part, and to Karen at Orenda for the gifted copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

A powerful, prescient, gripping speculative thriller: a woman’s job of enforcing climate-emergency Britain’s one-child policy is compromised when she discovers a personal link to an illegal sibling on the ministry hit-list, leading to a shocking discovery that changes everything…
 
‘A tightly paced plot set in an all-too imaginable future … a page-turning, thought-provoking read’ Jo Callaghan
 
‘Eve Smith is a master storyteller for our troubled times’ Simon Conway
 
‘A terrifying vision of a global climate emergency, a jaw-dropping government conspiracy and some truly devastating twists … one hell of a speculative thriller’ Tom Hindle
 
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One law. One child. Seven million crimes…
 
A cataclysmic climate emergency has spawned a one-child policy in the UK, ruthlessly enforced by a totalitarian regime. Compulsory abortion of ‘excess’ pregnancies and mandatory contraceptive implants are now the norm, and families must adhere to strict consumption quotas as the world descends into chaos.
 
Kai is a 25-year-old ‘baby reaper’, working for the Ministry of Population and Family Planning. If any of her assigned families attempt to exceed their child quota, she ensures they pay the price.
 
Until, one morning, she discovers that an illegal sibling on her Ministry hit-list is hers. And to protect her parents from severe penalties, she must secretly investigate before anyone else finds out.
 
Kai’s hunt for her forbidden sister unearths much more than a dark family secret. As she stumbles across a series of heinous crimes perpetrated by the people she trusted most, she makes a catastrophic discovery that could bring down the government … and tear her family apart.

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MY REVIEW:

One law. One child. Seven million crimes…

With a tagline like that, how could I resist picking up the latest speculative thriller by Eve Smith. Her debut, The Waiting Rooms, was one of my favourite books of 2021 and from that one sentence alone I knew I was in for a terrifying treat with this one. And I was right.

The story is set in a future where a catastrophic climate emergency has left our world in chaos. The UK is now run by the Nazi-esque ONE Party, who enforce a dictatorial regime. Everything is heavily monitored, there are consumption quotas in place, and there is a strict one-child policy that must be adhered to. 

Kai Houghton works for the Ministry of Population and Family Planning as a ‘baby reaper’, one of those in charge of enforcing the one-child policy and imposing severe  penalties such as forced abortions and imprisonment for anyone attempting to exceed their child quota. Then one day she receives an alert that turns her world upside down. When an illegal sibling is identified as hers, she begins a secret investigation in the hope of protecting her parents and her job. But Kai unearths more than she bargained for and is faced with a difficult choice: expose the heinous crimes she’s uncovered that could destroy the government, or keep her family together. 

Powerful, gripping, and thought-provoking, I devoured this outstanding thriller, enrapt by the nightmarish future that sprang from Eve Smith’s imagination. From the start this is a world that feels both familiar and foreign. It is clear that life has been infiltrated by technology and data even more than today, slowly revealing more of the tyrannical rules and regulations and offering what feels like a terrifying glimpse of what could be our future if we continue to abuse our planet and strip away human rights. 

Smith is a master storyteller, expertly merging complex moral dilemmas, social issues, dark secrets, and mystery, then weaving in compelling family drama that gives the story its beating heart. It is brilliantly written, tightly plotted and propulsive with a constant tempo of dread; the mercurial presence of ONE looming over every page. The unexpected twists left me blindsided and I found it impossible to put the book down, racing through it quickly with a desperate need for resolution. But would it be the one I hoped for?

Well written and memorable characters are a key part of a great book for me, and this book delivers. Kai is a fantastic protagonist. Smith makes the reader feel every emotion she does, leaving it impossible not to feel for her as her world is torn apart and everything she thought she knew crumbles into pieces. As she faces seemingly impossible choices that test her moral compass, you ask yourself what you would do in her shoes. Would I have the strength to do what’s right even if it means losing everything? Smith doesn’t shy away from the painful consequences of people’s actions while making the reader feel the character’s emotions and face the shades of grey that led to their decisions. 

Atmospheric, chilling, and uncompromising, this is one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year. An absolute must-read. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Eve Smith writes speculative fiction, mainly about the things that scare her. She attributes her love of all things dark and dystopian to a childhood watching Tales of the Unexpected and black-and-white Edgar Allen Poe double bills. In this world of questionable facts, stats and news, she believes storytelling is more important than ever to engage people in real life issues.

Longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize and described by Waterstones as “an exciting new voice in crime fiction”, Eve’s debut novel The Waiting Rooms, set in the aftermath of an antibiotic resistance crisis, was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize First Novel Award and was selected as a Book of the Month by Eric Brown in The Guardian who compared her writing to Michael Crichton’s.

Eve’s previous job as COO of an environmental charity took her to research projects across Asia, Africa and the Americas, and she has an ongoing passion for wild creatures, wild science and far-flung places. When she’s not writing she’s racing across fields after her dog, trying to organise herself and her family, or off exploring somewhere new.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Bert’s Books | Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the tour.

*These purchase links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Forcing by Paul E. Hardisty

Published: February 16th, 2023
Publisher: Orenda
Genre: Suspense, Dystopian Fiction, Science Ficiton, Political Fiction, Adventure Fiction
Format: Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this atmospheric, powerful and unforgettable novel. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Karen at Orenda for the ARC.

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SYNOPSIS:

Lured by rumours of tropical sanctuary, a disparate group of men and women escape their inhospitable exile to seek freedom, in a near future where civilisation has collapsed … A cataclysmic, clarion-call climate-change thriller from one of the world’s leading environmental scientists… 

‘Hardisty is a fine writer’ Lee Child 

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Civilisation is collapsing. Frustrated and angry after years of denial and inaction, a ‘government of youth’ has taken power in North America, and deemed all those older than a prescribed age responsible for the current state of the world, and decreed they should be ‘relocated’, their property and assets confiscated.

David Ashworth, known by his friends and students as Teacher, and his wife May, find themselves among the thousands being moved to ‘new accommodation’ in the abandoned southern deserts – thrown together with a wealthy industrialist and his wife, a high court lawyer, two recent immigrants to America, and a hospital worker. Together, they must come to terms with their new lives in a land rendered unrecognisable.

As the terrible truth of their situation is revealed, lured by rumours of a tropical sanctuary where they can live in peace, they plan a perilous escape. But the world outside is more dangerous than they could ever have imagined. And for those who survive, nothing will ever be the same again…

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MY REVIEW:

“This is the story of how I came to be here, so far from what I used to call home, and those who shared my journey. I have tried to record it faithfully, as truly as memory allows. Some moments remain as indelible scars, despite my best attempts to forget. Others are fading even now. And parts of the story, I fear, will never be revealed.”

David Armstrong, a scientist and teacher better known as ‘Teach’ to his friends and family, is looking back at what happened when the world fell apart. The younger generation has taken power in an attempt to save what is left of civilisation. Among their new policies is one of institutionalised ageism that sees all those of a prescribed age and above being forced to relocate as punishment for what is seen as their role in the destruction of the planet. Teach and his wife May are among the thousands relocated to ‘new accommodation’ in the desert. Given just one case each and two days’ notice, they pack up what they can and begin their journey to an unknown future. 

When they arrive it is immediately clear that what was promised will not be delivered, starting with forcing them into a shared apartment with five other people instead of the house they were expecting. Their new home is unorganised and so overcrowded that people are sleeping in corridors. Food and water is scarce and they face long days of hunger and thirst as they work the mandatory six days a week for the government. But it is only after witnessing a brutal crime by two of the guards that Teach really begins to understand the danger they are in. And so begins a story of their fight to survive against the odds in a world that wants to see them pay the ultimate price for their sins.

“Some things you never forget. The surroundings might fade, the faces blur, the circumstances of weather and place and time dissolving away as the decades pass. But other, seemingly random details somehow remain immune to the ravages of time and distance, and conscious, destructive will.” 

I have no idea how to review this book. Atmospheric, haunting, and powerful, this is an absolute masterpiece. Although it is marketed as a “clarion-call climate-change thriller”, it almost defies genre, being in a box all of its own. From the first pages I was awe-struck and hypnotised by the breathtaking beauty of what I was reading. Hardisty’s writing melts off the page. His poetic, intricate prose is acutely observed and there is a real talent to being able to write so delicately yet with such power. Taking us to some unsettling places, he transports us into the forbidding future he has created.  Quietly terrifying yet intriguing, this was impossible to put down.

Told in two timelines over seven parts, it moves between the harrowing events of that turbulent time to his present, where he is reflecting on what happened and pouring out his heart for his children, grandchildren and future generations. As we slowly unwrap the layers of his story, there is a melancholy woven into the pages that pierces your heart. The heartbreak on the pages is mixed with guilt and regret, the emotion so palpable you feel it in your own chest. Each of the characters are compelling and richly drawn and I found myself rooting for them, even Teach’s bitter wife, May, and the villainous Ardent, though I did find them hard to like. 

A thought-provoking and unforgettable story of the best and worst of humanity, and a warning call to all of us, The Forcing is one not to miss. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Canadian Paul Hardisty has spent twenty-five years working all over the world as an environmental scientist and freelance journalist. He has roughnecked on oil rigs in Texas, explored for gold in the Arctic, mapped geology in Eastern Turkey (where he was befriended by PKK rebels), and rehabilitated water wells in the wilds of Africa. He was in Ethiopia in 1991 as the Mengistu regime fell, survived a bomb blast in a café in Sana’a in 1993, and was one of the last Westerners out of Yemen at the outbreak of the 1994 civil war. Paul is a university professor and CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). The four novels in his Claymore Straker series, The Abrupt Physics of Dying, The Evolution of Fear, Reconciliation for the Dead and Absolution, all received great critical acclaim and The Abrupt Physics of Dying was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and a Telegraph Book of the Year. Paul drew on his own experiences to write Turbulent Wake, an extraordinary departure from his high-octane, thought-provoking thrillers. Paul is a keen outdoorsman, a conservation volunteer, and lives in Western Australia.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Amazon* | Bookshop.org*

********

Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the tour.

*These links are affiliate links