Hidden by Benedict Jacka

The Blurb On The Back:

Never look back.

Alex Verus can see the future – a talent that’s got him and his friends out of many a tough scrape. But what happens when someone doesn’t want Alex’s help?

Anne Walker distanced herself from Alex when she discovered his past as a Dark mage’s apprentice. Now her own past is catching up with her, but she wants nothing to do with the one person who can see what’s coming.

On top of that, rumours are swirling around London that Alex’s former master, Richard, is back in town. No one knows what he wants or where he’s been, but Alex is sure Richard hasn’t forgotten the apprentice who betrayed him so many years ago …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The fifth in Benedict Jacka’s ALEX VERUS SERIES is focused more on Anne than on Alex, although her experiences force Alex to examine his choices. The shift in the relationship between Alex, Anne and Sonder helps to shape each of the characters while adding tension to the plot and I enjoyed the movement in the over-riding Richard story arc, particularly the way things are set up for the next book. I enjoyed the shift of focus to Anne’s story because of the impact it has on Alex and how it forces him to re-examine his behaviour and choices but I am beginning to find the Dark mages a little ‘samey’ in terms of their behaviour and characteristics (although the glimpses of Richard promise a more sophisticated antagonist). This gripe aside, the plot packs a punchy pace and I enjoyed the way Jacka brings in characters and events from the preceding books, which is why I will definitely be checking it out.

The Damned Busters by Matthew Hughes

The Blurb On The Back:

After accidentally summoning a demon while playing poker, the normally mild-mannered Chesney Anstruther refuses to sell his soul … which leads through various confusions to, well, Hell going on strike. Which means that nothing bad ever happens in the world – and that actually turns out to be a really bad thing.

There’s only one thing for it. Satan offers Chesney the ultimate deal – sign the damned contract, and he can have his heart’s desire. And thus the strangest superhero duo ever seen – in Hell or on Earth – is born!

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The first in Matthew Hughes’s comedy fantasy trilogy is an amusing read with an interesting twist on superhero origin stories. Chesney is an interesting enough foil – a fundamentally decent guy who’s possibly on the autism spectrum – his stubborn refusal to sign a contract with Satan is the driving force for the book’s events. I enjoyed the relationship he has with sidekick Xaphan (whose conversation and attitudes comes straight from the 1920s) and the way he explores the limits and twists in the accommodation that he reaches with Satan. However, the trilogy came from a short story idea and that shows in the pacing, with a lot of time spent on the set-up rather than in the main story-arc that relates to the plans certain interests have for the city and the main conflict in the story is confined to the final quarter and summarily dismissed in an unsatisfying way. I was also disappointed with the female characters, who are confined to Chesney’s hypocritical and hectoring mother, the petulant, bitchy and unobtainable crush Poppy and the brassy and sexually forward Melda who doesn’t hide her designs on Chesney’s superhero alter-ego. Despite these issues, Hughes’s light touch and the potential of the material makes me interested in checking out the sequel to see where the overall story goes.

Changing Planes by Ursula Le Guin

The Blurb On The Back:

It was Sita Dulip who discovered, whilst stuck in an airport, unable to get anywhere, how to change planes – literally. By a mere kind of a twist and a slipping bend, easier to do than describe, she could go anywhere – be anywhere – because she was already between planes … and on the way back from her sister’s wedding, she missed her plane in Chicago and found herself in Choom.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Ursula Le Guin’s collection of 16 anthropologically-styled short stories hinge around the premise that people who find themselves stuck in airports are able to slip between dimensional planes. The first story SITA DULIP’S METHOD sets out the premise, with each of the following 15 stories taking place on a different plane and setting out aspects of its culture as experienced by other travellers or academics. It’s a fascinating collection with Le Guin using each of the worlds to make a point about this one and I enjoyed the combination of barbed acidity and satire that she deploys with an effortless sweep of her pen. This is the first Le Guin I’ve read in many years and it’s reminded me of how much I admired and loved her work and certainly encouraged me to check out more of her work.