INSTAGRAM TOUR: Future Song - Tim Kindberg

Near-future Bristol. When the daughter of Laia, a climate refugee, is kidnapped, who can she trust as she desperately searches for her baby girl? Francis, the mysterious private detective who turns up out of the blue, has his own reasons for helping her scour the city. Then there’s Shalott, the folk figure with flowers in her hair – surely she and her many followers could help? But up close, her motives are sinister.

Above all, is Laia’s stolen daughter, rumoured to be the ‘child of the future’, the key to survival that this climate-ravaged city is so desperate for? Or a sacrifice for the witches in business suits? Laia’s running out of time to find her.

A compelling story of fusing hope, realism and justice as we live through the time of climate change.

 

What did I think?

I have been enjoying speculative fiction so I was immediately drawn to Future Song from the intriguing blurb.  I knew I would enjoy it but I didn't expect to love it as much as I did; it is simply breathtaking.

The story is split into four parts and I couldn't read it fast enough; devouring every word as if I had been starved of reading for weeks.  Much like the Bristol of the future where food is scarce and anyone who is perceived as being different is targeted. 

It is very thought-provoking, not just the climate change effect but also the power of social media and the way that people are manipulated and influenced by what they see and hear online.  I felt my own fury bubbling under the surface on several occasions as Laia's story really got under my skin.

Future Song is very well written and easy to read so it will appeal to readers of all genres.  It's incredibly compelling, difficult to put down and impossible to forget.  Very highly recommended.

I received a gifted paperback for the Love Books Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Waterstones

Amazon

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: The Gap (The Schelldhardt Series Book 2) - S. Frogley

For fans of blurred-reality stories like Inception, The Matrix, and The Truman Show.

It’s all in your mind…

The gap is the place where our intentions meet our actions.

The gap is the place where our failings are exposed.

All humanity exists in the gap.

The gap is the next global battlefield, and the war has already begun.

Two organisations are locked in battle to control the mysterious gap.

Schelldhardt, the largest company in the world, is using its powerful online reach to divide the global population.

The Friary is a secretive institution aiming to stop them.

Lana Carter is a young woman searching for her sister, Grace. Grace was working for Schelldhardt before her sudden disappearance. Enlisting the help of another former Schelldhardt employee, Joe Massey, Lana must unravel Grace’s fate and shape the ultimate destiny of the gap.

A new speculative thriller and sequel to The Path of Good Response.

 

What did I think?

The Gap is the sequel to The Path of Good Response and I would recommend reading the books in order otherwise it might feel like falling down the rabbit hole on acid.  It's a real mind-bender of a book and I was completely mesmerised from start to finish.

The Schelldhardt company is still going strong and Lana Carter plans to infiltrate the headquarters based on a ship to find out what happened to her sister Grace who used to work for Schelldhardt.  She needs the help of Joe Massey, who we met in book one, but Joe is more of a secondary character in this book.

It is so incredibly thought-provoking and quite scary to see how people's minds can be accessed and manipulated.  Yes, it's fiction but honestly I could totally see it happening in real life in the future.  We already rely on AI for many things but it did make me wonder how much we can trust AI and I would be both horrified and not surprised if our smart devices were hypnotising us in our sleep to access our memories.  YIKES!!!  I'll probably not sleep again now that I've thought of that.

The Gap is a very imaginative and highly original speculative thriller.  If you're looking for something different to read then look no further; this is a scarily realistic and action-packed thriller that I would highly recommend.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the Love Books Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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The Cartography of What Remains (The Going Back Series Book 1) - Eva Schep

She can go back. Not in memory. In fact.

Since Tomas died, Lena has made her life small enough to survive. The chipped cup on the left side of the sink. The bread folded twice. The keys in the bowl by the door.

And one impossible thing her grief allows.

She can step into the kitchen they shared and stand in the fixed afternoon light — close enough to count the threads at his cuff — watching her younger self refuse the coffee, the bread, the man across the table.

She goes back to gather evidence. Of his care. Of her failures. Of the small, ordinary cruelties that filled the last rooms of a love before a phone call ended it.

But nothing there can be undone, and the past is not a photograph. Each return wears it thinner. The edges go first — the jars on the shelf, the calendar by the fridge, the street beyond the window — while the centre stays unbearably clear. She is spending the one thing she cannot bear to lose.

And the living are waiting: a stubborn downstairs neighbour, a colleague’s dry kindness, and Noor, who mends damaged things behind a blue door two streets away and asks Lena for nothing. They can be lost by neglect as easily as the dead are lost by too much remembering.

The Cartography of What Remains asks what it costs to stop going back — and stay in the room you are actually in.

The Going Back Series — Book One. Each book stands alone.

 

What did I think?

I don't read a lot of literary fiction but I do like to push my boundaries and Eva Schep's The Cartography of What Remains caught my eye at just the right time.

I didn't really know what was going on at first but what I did know was that Lena was grieving and she was lonely.  It really broke my heart to see her stepping back into the kitchen and reliving such painful memories.  It was a very powerful image as Lena physically steps back into her memories rather than remember moments in a more positive light as their sharp edges get rounded off over time.

It is very well written and gently paced so it's a book to savour rather than devour.  I didn't study English Literature at school but I think it would have been beneficial to do so in order to fully appreciate the nuances of the narrative.

I also found it quite thought-provoking and a sobering reminder that we only get one shot at life.  It's like that old saying that you should never go to bed on argument so I think what Eva Schep is trying to tell us is that we should treat each conversation as if it was our last or we will have guilt to cope with as well as grief.

The Cartography of What Remains is a poignant and profound novel that gave me with food for thought and reminded me that life is not a rehearsal.  

Many thanks to Eva Schep for sending me a digital ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Amazon

BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: The Path of Good Response (The Schelldhardt Series Book 1) - S. Frogley

For fans of blurred-reality stories like Inception, The Matrix, and The Truman Show.

What if there were a way to make a perfect decision? If poor choices, even addictions, could be controlled from within the mind.

Schelldhardt is the largest company in the world and will do anything to grow. When Joe Massey is unexpectedly offered a role aboard Schelldhardt’s luxurious corporate headquarters at sea, his main priority is Rachel. Joe has trailed Rachel through school and university into the workplace and cannot imagine life without her.

Realistic dreams disturb Joe’s sleep as he is drawn deeper into a dark corporate world. As an inexperienced graduate, his opinion seems far too important to Schelldhardt. Why is he really there? The deposed CEO, Arnold Shendi, may have Joe’s answers, though Shendi has secrets of his own.

A new speculative thriller, set aboard a vast ship at sea.

 

What did I think?

The Path of Good Response is quite a short book with 303 pages but it incredibly thought-provoking and action-packed.  S. Frogley has gone for for quality over quantity in his gripping speculative thriller and the best news is that this dystopian series is continuing.

Joe is madly in love with Rachel but unfortunately for him, Rachel sees Joe as just a friend.  When Joe is offered an intriguing new job, he will only accept it if Rachel can come too.  I mean it's sweet but also a bit obsessive and if I was Rachel I think I would be running in the opposite direction.  It's well described as for fans of The Truman Show as once I started to read the book I wasn't sure what or who was real and what wasn't.  Mind-blowing but great!

There's a lot more to the story than first meets the eye and I loved all of the twists, turns and mysteries just waiting to be discovered along the way.  The chapters are quite short too so I kept reading 'just one more chapter' and finished the book a lot quicker than I expected.   I asked myself some of the questions that Joe was presented with and honestly, I wouldn't like to answer them, especially not in a real life situation.

Gripping, intriguing and mind-blowing, The Path of Good Response is one of the most provocative speculative thrillers I've read.  I can't wait to find out what happens next and I don't have to wait long as I have The Gap (book two) waiting (im)patiently on my bookshelf.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the Love Books Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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The Water That May Come - Amy Lilwall

As rising seas threaten to engulf Britain, four lives are on the brink: Pinko, a privileged heir clinging to decadence; Jane, a working-class veterinary nurse racing to reunite her family; her pregnant teenage daughter Ashleigh, grappling with impending motherhood; and humble young artist Gavin. With sanctuary beckoning across the Channel, each faces impossible choices. Who will they save? What will they sacrifice?

A lyrical, thought-provoking novel which blurs borders and challenges notions of identity and belonging. In a future where we all may become refugees, it asks: how far would you go to stay afloat? 

What did I think?

I. Am. Broken.  What an outstanding novel!  I didn't expect The Water That May Come to break my heart as much as it did but it really affected me and I have to admit that I may have shed a tear or two.

The timeline in the book ebbs and flows like the tide as the past is gradually revealed.  It is so incredibly thought-provoking and really made me think about the consequences of your actions, however small, causing ripples across time.  It's very much a sliding doors moment where things could have been completely different if only...

It is so beautifully written by Amy Lilwall with tension and suspense of the possible flood weaving through the prose as people try to flee to safety.  The four main characters all have contrasting circumstances and views but they are linked together by fate.  It made me wonder what I would do in the same situation and also made me consider refugees of today who leave their homeland in search of a better and safer life.

I went into The Water That May Come expecting a speculative, dystopian cli-fi thriller but it is so much more than that.  My heart was pounding so much it's no wonder that it eventually broke and I was absolutely devastated at a particularly poignant moment.  I'm feeling upset just thinking about it now; thar's how much the beautiful, evocative writing affected me.

Unputdownable and unforgettable, The Water That May Come is one of the most addictive books I've read this year.  A very highly recommended and unmissable read.  An easy five stars!

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

BLOG TOUR: Luminous - Silvia Park

The lonely worlds of three very unusual siblings collide in this breathtaking tale of what it means to be human

Three siblings. Two human, one robot. The spectacular new debut about what it means to be alive.

In a recently reunified Korea, robots have integrated seamlessly into society. They are our teachers, our bus drivers and policemen. They are our lovers. They are even our children.

Eleven-year-old Ruijie sifts through scrap metal in a Seoul junkyard, searching for anything that might repair her failing body. There amongst the piles of junk she happens across a robot boy: lifelike, strange and unlike anything she's seen before.

Across the city, estranged siblings Jun and Morgan Cho haven't spoken since the abrupt disappearance of their robot brother Yoyo, which shattered their childhoods and left a gaping hole in their lives. But Ruijie's discovery is about to bring the lives of brother and sister hurtling back together, forcing them to confront the reality of Yoyo's true nature, and the dark purpose their father never revealed.

At once a dazzling work of speculative fiction and a poignant family drama, Luminous is a timely, unforgettable story about what it really means to be human.

 

What did I think?

Luminous is an original and imaginative debut novel that is set in a scarily realistic future where robots live among us.  To say it is thought-provoking is an understatement as I can't stop thinking or talking about since I finished reading it.

There are two strands to the story and both are linked by Yoyo, a robot who was once the sibling of Morgan and Jun but is found in a junkyard by Ruijie.  Ruijie's story really got to me as despite all the robotic enhancements to her body, her time on this earth is limited.  At least getting to know Yoyo enhances her life as her previous solitary existence is turned into an adventure.

Morgan and Jun have very different memories of Yoyo and memory is a very thought-provoking theme in the book.  I couldn't help but wonder whether what makes us unique is perhaps our own individual memories but if you could transfer these memories to another being when you die, do they effectively become you?  This is just one of the thoughts that this inventive book has planted in my brain but there are many more to provoke and challenge every reader.

I don't read a lot of speculative fiction so I did get a bit lost in the narrative sometimes, however, I couldn't put the book down as I was completely immersed in the fascinating world created by Silvia Park.  It's a world that is very easy to imagine as its reality is perhaps closer than I might think.

Evocative, thought-provoking and alluring, Luminous is a wonderful debut novel that has stayed with me long after turning the final page.  It's well worth a read if you're looking for something different and a must-read if you're already a fan of speculative fiction.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

SILVIA PARK grew up in Seoul and has spent most of their life in Korea. They received their BA from Columbia and their MFA from NYU, in addition to completing the Clarion Workshop in 2018 on the George R.R. Martin “Sense of Wonder” Fellowship. Their short fiction has been published in Black Warrior Review, Joyland and Tor.com, nominated for a Pushcart and reprinted in the 2019 Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. They teach fiction at the University of Kansas and split their time between Lawrence and Seoul.  LUMINOUS is their first novel and a TV series is under development with Media Res Studio. 

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BLOG TOUR: Intervention - Harrison Murphy

Disillusioned archaeologist, Greg, has often wondered what death felt like. Little does he know, he will prematurely find out.

After a fatal car accident, he enters The Cloud – a viewing platform with the ultimate box set of everything that has ever happened, and has yet to happen, on Earth.

As Greg excavates the artefacts of his own history, journeying across time and realities, he discovers he has a power he could never have imagined: Intervention. The ability to change one thing on Earth but sacrificing his eternal existence in exchange.

Will he take the deal? What will he change? And what ripples will spread from his Intervention?

 

What did I think?

Intervention has a very thought-provoking premise and it's a book that I have continued to think about, long after turning the final page.  Whether you believe in eternal life after death or not, this book really gets the old grey matter working and it would be a fabulous book to discuss at book group.

It's like several books in one as the story is told from the point of view of whoever has died and is in The Cloud.  The Cloud is a place where you can select a viewing of events from any point in time.  The person in The Cloud has a difficult choice to make: do they stay in The Cloud forever watching reruns of their old life or do they choose to intervene in an event and end their own existence.  

If I had to describe Intervention in one sentence I would say: it's like a horror version of a mashup of The Truman Show, Sliding Doors and Groundhog Day but with real consequences of manipulating people's lives.  There's a wonderful thread running throughout the book and I loved how it linked Christopher Columbus to characters in the story.

Wonderfully inventive and incredibly thought-provoking, Intervention is an intriguing and compelling piece of speculative fiction that really impressed me.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

About the author:

Harrison Murphy is a writer from Motherwell, Scotland. He specialises in downbeat speculative fiction with elements of sci-fi and fantasy occasionally thrown into the mix. Intervention is his fourth novel. He also wrote the Chrysalis trilogy which focuses on the societal impacts of an implant which allows the people who can afford it to design their own minds and tinker with the minds of others. He is working on his fifth and sixth novels: one about a computer program that harvests people’s secrets and pits them against each other in a gameshow; the other a dystopian, cli-fi reimagining of Rapunzel.

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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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