The Inferior by Peadar Ó Guilín

The Blurb On The Back:

There is but one law: eat or be eaten

Stopmouth and his family know of no other life than the daily battle to survive. To live they must hunt rival species, or negotiate flesh trade with those who crave meat of the freshest human kind.

It is a savage, desperate existence. And for Stopmouth, considered slow-witted hunt-fodder by his tribe, the future looks especially bleak. But then, on the day he is callously betrayed by his brother, a strange and beautiful woman falls from the sky.

It is a moment that will change his destiny, and that of all humanity, forever.

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The Verdict:

A dark, stunning YA novel that adults will also enjoy, the combination of cannibalism, hunter gatherer societies, aliens and space craft make for an engrossing read with plenty of action adventure that boys in particularly should enjoy. Don’t let the subject matter put you off because Ó Guilín’s original story is told with surprising sensitivity and never feels lurid or cheap.

Spellwright by Blake Charlton

The Blurb On The Back:

Nicodemus Weal has trained at the stronghold of Starhaven since he was a boy. His mentor, the famous wizard Magister Shannon, taught him how to cast spells made from luminescent magical runes, how to peel written words off a page and make them physically real. Initially, Nicodemus showed great promise. Able to forge runes with great speed, he was once thought to be the Halcyon – a powerful spellwright prophesied to prevent the apocalypse known as the Disjunction.

There was only one problem: Nicodemus couldn’t spell. Every time he touched a magical text, he unintentionally corrupted it, creating a dangerous, potentially deadly misspell. Now aged twenty-five, while his peers advance as wizards, he is still an apprentice, dealing with the devastating knowledge that he has failed to live up to prophecy.

But not everyone interprets prophecy in the same way. There are factions who believe someone like Nicodemus could hold great power – power that might be used as easily for evil as for good. And when two of the wizards closest to Nicodemus are found dead, it becomes clear that some of those factions will stop at nothing to find the apprentice and bend him to their will.

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The Verdict:

With its original take on magic that uses dyslexia as its starting point, this is an imaginative and well thought through fantasy that takes traditional fantasy tropes and subverts them to good effect. At times the explanations do get in the way of the action, but it’s a small price to pay for something so different and enjoyable.

The Blackhope Enigma by Teresa Flavin

The Blurb On The Back:

An old painting ...

A strange labyrinth ...

The sudden appearance of skeletons in a locked room ...

For centuries, Blackhope Tower has been shrouded in intrigue, which seems to centre around a curious painting hanging in the Mariner’s Chamber.

Its meaning has baffled historians, but when fourteen-year-old Sunni Forrest visits the tower, she finds herself transported to the very heart of the Blackhope enigma, and the painting itself. Can she and her friend Blaise overcome its dangers and evade their ruthless pursuers? And will they find their way home ... alive?

An age-old mystery is about to unravel.

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The Verdict:

Although this book has an exciting premise, the delivery fails to meet up to expectations. The passion for art that comes across the page isn’t enough to sustain what’s ultimately a bland story with bland characters. It’s an okay read, but no better.

THE BLACKHOPE ENIGMA is published in the United Kingdom in July. Thanks to Templar Publishing for the ARC.

The Lost Art by Simon Morden

The Blurb On The Back:

The world has turned.

The past awakens.

A millennium after the formidable war machines of the User cultures devoured entire civilisations and rewrote planetary geography, Earth is in the grip of a perpetual Dark Age. Scientific endeavour is strongly discouraged, while remnant technology is locked away – hidden by a Church determined to prevent a new Armageddon.

This is the world to which Benzamir Michael Mahmood must return. A descendant of the tribes who fled the planet during those ages-old wars, he comes in pursuit of enemies from the far reaches of space. The technology he brings is wondrous beyond the imaginings of those he will meet, but can its potency match that of the Church’s most closely guarded treasure?

For centuries it has lain dormant, buried in a lead-lined tomb deep beneath the flagstones of a remote Siberian monastery. But it is about to be unearthed, and the powers that will be unleashed may be beyond anyone’s capacity to control. Even a man as extraordinary as Benzamir ....

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The Verdict:

Although this is billed as YA science fiction novel, I think that it would also appeal to adult SF fans. The characters, world building and plot all come together to make a really interesting read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

The Blurb On The Back:

In WOLF HALL, one of our very best writers brings the opulent, brutal world of the Tudors to bloody, glittering life. It is the backdrop to the rise and rise of Thomas Cromwell: lowborn boy, charmer, bully, master of deadly intrigue, and, finally, most powerful of Henry VIII’s courtiers.

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The Verdict:

The multi-award winning historical novel that depicts the early years of Thomas Cromwell’s life is a brilliant account of period and person, humanising and contextualising him while bringing the period to life. It’s one of the best novels I’ve read all year.

The Returners by Gemma Malley

The Blurb On The Back:

A past life doesn’t mean a good one

Will Hodge’s life is a mess! His mother is dead, he has no friends and he is being followed by a strange group of people who tell him they know him. But Will can’t remember them ... at first. And when he does, he doesn’t like what he knows.

While Will is struggling with unsettling memories, he learns that his past is a lot deeper than many people’s. Is he strong enough to break links with the powerful hold that history has on him?

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The Verdict:

Although this is a flawed novel, there are interesting ideas at play here and I liked the way it integrates current racial politics with past historical events. For that alone it’s worth checking out.

THE RETURNERS was published in the United Kingdom in April. Thanks to Bloomsbury for the ARC.