Erased - Miha Mazzini

She Doesn't Exist.

Neither Does Her Baby.

Now What?

When a “software error” erases Zala from the system, she discovers that officially, she and her newborn don’t exist.

As Zala fights desperately to prove her existence, and save her child from adoption, she uncovers the Kafkaesque reality of Slovenia’s system — one that erased 25,671 citizens on February 26, 1992.

A chilling thriller about bureaucracy as violence, and one mother’s battle against the state. 

What did I think?

Oh my word, Erased by Miha Mazzini is an emotional and heartrending book that is astonishingly based on real events.  It just blew my mind that this could happen but also reminded me how easy it is to press the delete button on a keyboard.  I thought identity theft was scary but deletion of identity is even worse!  This isn't an imaginative dystopian novel; this deletion actually happened in Slovenia in 1992. Wow!

Zala is about to give birth to her first child so she attends her local hospital, only to be told that she doesn't exist on the computer system.  She is accused of being an illegal immigrant and presented with a bill for her hospital stay, oh and the hospital is keeping her baby.  I can only imagine what Zala felt like and I had feelings of shock, outrage and devastation as I followed every step of her journey as she fights for her baby and her identity.

It's an incredibly emotional read as I really felt for Zala as she is on her own.  She is a very strong character though and there's nothing more powerful than a mother fighting for her child.  Miha Mazzini's evocative writing brings Zala to life so the reader can't help but take her to their heart.  I actually forgot that it was a translated novel when I was reading it so I have to give a shout out to the impeccable translation by Gregor Timothy Čeh.

Shocking, disturbing and harrowing, Erased is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that really makes you think about your own electronic identity and how easily it could be erased.  I would highly recommend this outstanding book to readers of all genres.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Fly on the Wall Press (use code BOOKMAGNET10 for 10% off)

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Witchborne - Rachel Grosvenor

In medieval Locklear, Agnes harbours a dangerous secret—she can touch fire without being burned. As war rages beyond the town and whispers of witchcraft echo through its streets, Agnes navigates arranged marriages, rivals' schemes, and the threat of the hangman's noose.

When a desperate bargain with a local widow goes awry, Agnes's world erupts in flames—she is accused of witchcraft. In a society that fears female power, can Agnes find the strength to forge her own destiny?

 

What did I think?

I absolutely loved Rachel Grosvenor's magnificent debut, The Finery, so I couldn't wait to read her next novel, Witchborne and it is as stunning as I thought it would be.  I love novels about witches/healers and their persecution so Witchborne is going straight on my favourites list.

17 year old Agnes has been born with the gift of fire but it's a gift that she must keep hidden or she will be accused of being a witch.  With her brother away fighting in the war against the crown, it falls to Agnes to bring back respectability to her family by being matched with the tanner's son at the Spring Feast.  Nobody asks Agnes how she feels about this, she is just expected to go along with the arrangement.

Agnes is very feisty and I loved her.  She shouldn't have to keep her gift hidden but the consequences of showing who she really is could be deadly.  It's heartbreaking to think how women were treated in the past and even something as innocent as visiting a local healer to help conceive could see both women branded as witches.  It made me ask myself the question: "What makes a woman a witch?" and the answer "the church" springs to mind.  Heaven forbid people should believe in something other than whichever god is being forced down their throats.

Mesmerising, compelling and immersive, Witchborne is a hugely atmospheric novel that immediately draws the reader in and refuses to let go.  I really couldn't put it down once I picked it up and I read it in two sittings (it would've been one sitting if I'd picked it up earlier in the day).  A very highly recommended read and another magnificent novel from Rachel Grosvenor.

I received a gifted ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Fly on the Wall Press (use code BOOKMAGNET10 for 10% off)

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: New Gillion Street - Elliot J Harper

 

Straight-laced and content with the comforts of his home on politically-neutral Neo-Yuthea, Albert Smith leads a quiet and unremarkable life. His days are filled with sipping tea with his beloved wife and tending to his cherished garden—a picture of tranquillity in an otherwise chaotic universe. Little does he know that destiny has extraordinary plans in store for him.

When Mr. Zand, an agent of extra-terrestrial chaos, launches his mayoral campaign, the once peaceful colony faces uncertain and unsettling times.  Striking deaths attributed to mysterious forest creatures, forced arranged marriages, and a looming threat of suppressing secret garden meetings propel the community toward the edge of turmoil. In the face of this encroaching darkness, Albert and his neighbours must band together to resist oppression and fight for their freedom before their world collapses.

What did I think?

Well you don't get more escapism from a book than one set in a fictional world and, although New Gillion Street is a little outside of my reading comfort zone, I really enjoyed my virtual visit to Neo-Yuthea.

The Odds and the Evens of New Gillion Street have been living in relative harmony until one of the Odds decides to appoint himself as mayor.  Mr. Zand is an evil little man but he seems to have the Odds wrapped around his little finger and he wins a landslide election.  Then the full extent of his tyranny is revealed...

Albert Smith just wants to live a peaceful life with his wife and children but he stands up for what he believes in, even if that means disagreeing with Mr. Zand.  Good on you, Albert!  Albert's willingness to accept other beings, whatever their appearance, stands him in good stead and also introduces the reader to a fabulous talking gnome.

The world of Neo-Yuthea is beautifully portrayed through Elliot J Harper's vivid prose and I had a clear picture in my mind of New Gillion Street and the unknown area beyond its boundary.  It took me a little while to get into the story as I don't read a lot of speculative fiction but I really got behind Albert's fight to save his community.

Highly original and incredibly imaginative, New Gillion Street is a very entertaining novel with a strong sense of community at its heart.  A recommended read for fans of fantasy or science fiction and anyone looking for something a little different.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Elliot J Harper is a speculative fiction writer who lives in Leeds, England with his wife, Naomi. His short story, In the Garden, won The Molotov Cocktail magazines' Flash Vision 2021 contest. 

He has short stories in print as follows:

The Curious Case of the Speaking Telegraph in the Spirit Machine: Tales of Seance Fiction & Into the Forest in The Wild Hunt: Stories of the Chase by Air and Nothingness Press, There's a Dead Bear in the Pool in Black Telephone Issue 1 by Clash Books, and Blackout in The Protest Issue of Popshot Quarterly Magazine. He has various short stories online in Maudlin House, Storgy, Neon Books, Coffin Bell, Horrified Magazine and Idle Ink. 

His monthly blog, A Brief Chat, hosts interviews with publishers, magazines, authors, and other creatives.

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