Red River Seven by AJ Ryan
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Post apocalyptic with a twist
Red River Seven is a fast paced, well written story that brings together seven complete strangers on a small boat, none of them know who they are or why they’re here and each seems to possess individual talents that they have clearly been chosen for. But why?
The river in question is the Thames, the ‘Red’ in question seems to relate to the swirling-red-tinged mist that constantly surrounds the small boat giving the space a small claustrophobic feeling and the seven are of course the members on board. I can’t really say too much more without giving away spoilers other than this is a mystery set in what should be a familiar setting but has been changed by circumstances beyond our knowledge. Perhaps post apocalyptic, certainly populated with some strange and dangerous new inhabitants. That’s all I can really say. The real mystery is how the occupants came to be there and what their task will be. Eventually, a computerised voice at the other end of a phone, will give them dispassionate directions that they are expected to follow to the letter. And so the story begins.
My overall thoughts.
This is certainly a fast paced novel and one that I was keen to press on with to find out what was going on. Of course, a little way into the read you begin to get a feel for the place and what’s happening around our characters and whilst I wouldn’t exactly call this particularly unique the eventual objective does manage to be the opposite of what I expected.
The characters are all suffering from what can only be described as selective amnesia. They each seem to have an area of expertise that will be important to the mission. The character that we predominantly follow is Huxley, believed to be a detective by the other members. In fact all the characters are named for authors, Plath, Rhys, Pynchon, Golding, Dickinson and Conrad and as with Huxley they all have there own capabilities such as weapons expert, knowledge of medical procedures, information about history, etc. I’m not overly fond of the use of ‘amnesia’ to be honest but I think it works well here although clearly it has the disadvantage of not really allowing you to get to know your characters or form real attachments. That said, you immediately have the strong sense that you can trust Huxley and that he’s a straightforward, no nonsense sort of guy and in spite of the limitations Ryan manages to tease out individual characteristics making some characters a lot less likeable than others.
The story is something of an onion with layers being removed one by one to allow the characters and the readers to find out what’s really going on at the same time. There’s plenty of drama and action, small on-board scuffles as our cast stand up to each other and much larger skirmishes as they come to grips with what’s out there.
In terms of criticisms. Well, more an observation really. I wouldn’t particularly say there’s anything astonishingly new here in fact I’d say the author really plays into the idea of ‘tropes’ by allowing us initially to only define the characters by their own abilities and place in the mission, in fact I kind of like this really, it feels a little tongue in cheek almost. There were a couple of elements that I am puzzled about but I can’t really discuss them here – one of them it’s possible I missed something but the other is more a question relating to the members chosen for the mission.
I don’t want to go any further with this review as it would be very easy to spoil the story for others so I’ll conclude by saying this was a fast paced, easy to read, well written mystery with an ending that was not what I expected. Entertaining, easy to imagine and with a quality that would easily adapt to the big screen.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 3.5 of 5 stars (rounded to 4)
Monthly Wrap Up/What’s on my Plate: November
1 November 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books Bones and Buffy, Monthly Wrap Up, November books, What's on my Plate
I’m going to post a wrap up for the end of each month, mainly to help me to keep track of my reading and at the same time look at what I’m intending to read during the month ahead (inspired by Books Bones and Buffy’s What’s on My Plate.
October wasn’t a bad month. I completed three SPFBO semi finalists and reviewed them all. We also chose our finalist – which wasn’t easy because seriously, folks, some good books amongst these. This was my line up last month with an update of which books I’ve read – also obviously plus the 3 SPFBO.:
I read and reviewed :The Pale House Devil by Richard Kadrey
I started Edenville by Sam Rebelein but it didn’t quite work for me atm so I’ve put it down for now.
I read and reviewed The Waking of Angantyr by Marie Brennan
A Haunting in the Arctic by CJ Cooke – Unfortunately I haven’t managed to get to this one yet but will be intending to do so soon.
I read Red River Seven by AJ Ryan – I’ve not reviewed it yet but will be doing so shortly. A pacy and entertaining read.
Starling House by Alix E Harrow – I’m currently reading this one. It’s intriguing so far.
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due – I’m keen to pick this one up soon.
I also read one of my November books which I really enjoyed and will be reviewing shortly. The Star and the Strange Moon by Constance sayers
Here’s my month in covers:
During NovemberI have a nice line up planned plus a little catching up to do if possible:
From October:
From my November line up:
The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper
What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez
Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry
The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird by Louisa Morgan
The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater
Can’t Wait Wednesday: Relight My Fire (Stranger Times #4) by CK McDonnell
1 November 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Can't Wait Wedesday, CK McDonnell, Relight My Fire, Stranger Times #4, Wishful Endings
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is : Relight My Fire (Stranger Times #4) by CK McDonnell. I’m loving this series and can’t wait for the next instalment. Here’s the cover and description:
Some comebacks can be murder . . .
Stella is enjoying life as an almost student, or at least she is until a man falls from the sky right in front of her, leaving a big old hole in the pavement for Manchester Council to fill. The obvious question of how he ended up in the sky in the first place has no obvious answers, which is where The Stranger Times come in. This isn’t just the hunt for another story though. Dark powers think Stella might have been involved and the only way she and the team can prove her innocence is to find out what the hell is really going on. What have dodgy gear, disturbed graves and a decommissioned rock star got to do with all this?
Vincent Banecroft has problems of his own in the form of a tall, dark but-definitely-not-handsome man dressed like a one-man funeral who has been sent to make the paper’s editor atone for his sins. Once he finds out exactly what that entails, Banecroft is not keen. Being banished to a Hellscape for all eternity looks like being no fun at all, not least because he has that pale Irish skin that burns really easily . . .
All that plus territorial ghouls, homicidal felines, eternal (and seemingly unstoppable) gnomes and a celebrity ‘Who’s Who’ that’d put a royal wedding to shame, and you’re looking at a wild few days for The Stranger Times .
Expected publication : January 2024
#SPFBO 9 Finalist Announcement
What is SPFBO 9? This is a competition where authors of self-published fantasy can enter their work. The objective to find a winner out of the 300 entries submitted. Ten judges (or judging teams) each receive 30 entrants. Each judge/team will eventually submit one finalist to the second round where a winner will eventually be decided upon. Check out Mark Lawrence’s post here to look at this year’s entrants, judges and allocations list.
Our batch of 30 books was split equally between myself and the Critiquing Chemist’s team. We have both now completed our reading, we chose three semi finalists each and we have read each others choices. So, today is tough decision time. And, I can say, all these semi finalists were so good. I really enjoyed them and have no hesitation recommending them all, which certainly made choosing just one even more difficult.
However, I’m not going to prolong the announcement – details of the semi finalists can be found below. We went back and forth with debate and our chosen finalist for SPFBO 9 is:
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A Rival Most Vial by RK Ashwick is a wonderful cosy fantasy that we thoroughly enjoyed. Congratulations to the author.
My condolences to the other authors. We had six superb SFs this year – all quite different. Here are my reviews for the others.
The First and Last Demon by Hiyodori. This is a unique story, really engaging and quite compelling and I loved the twist in the tale. It’s quite insular with a very small cast of characters but is a standalone that leaves no threads hanging. I literally read this in two sittings because I had to have answers.
Twicetime by Carol Carman. This story was like my very own personal ‘pick me up’. It was such good fun. I simply don’t know why this book isn’t receiving oodles more attention. I loved it and can’t wait to read my next book by Carol Carman.
Dream of Death City by PJ Nwosu. Wow, what a fantastic imagination this author has. This world is dramatically painted in reds and golds. The way of life is harsh. I love the ideas on display and the two central characters are easy to get on board with. A must read. I want more.
Under the Lesser Moon by Shelly Campbell. This book is a difficult read and undoubtedly not for everyone but I thought it was brilliant to be honest. It’s a cruel world, bad things happen (really bad things) but there is hope as well and the ending had me immediately rushing to see when or whether the next book was released.
The Many Shades of Midnight by CM Debell. Another standalone. A story with epic scope but told from a much smaller perspective and focused primarily on the characters. Lovely writing and a fascinating world not to mention a lovely character in the apprentice surgeon.
Finally, don’t forget to stop over to the Critiquing Chemist to read their thoughts.
#SPFBO 9 Semi Finalist Review : A Rival Most Vial by RK Ashwick.
30 October 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #SPFBO 9, A Rival Most Vial by RK Ashwick, Semi Finalist Review
What is SPFBO 9? This is a competition where authors of self-published fantasy can enter their work. The objective to find a winner out of the 300 entries submitted. Ten judges (or judging teams) each receive 30 entrants. Each judge/team will eventually submit one finalist to the second round where a winner will eventually be decided upon. Check out Mark Lawrence’s post here to look at this year’s entrants, judges and allocations list.
Our batch of 30 books was split equally between myself and the Critiquing Chemist’s team. I have now completed my batch and announced my semi finalists and the CC have also now chosen their three semi finalists.
My three semi finalists can be found here.
So, today is my final review of the three semi finalists put forward by the Critiquing Chemists. A Rival Most Vial by RK Ashwick.
ARMV was my final SPFBO book and I will say it was a great way to conclude phase 1. This is a cosy fantasy story that feels like a great big hug of a book.
Imagine, if you will, you’re on the Google Maps equivalent of the fantasy world. You pan out (I mean, really pan out). Orcs and goblins are terrorising the countryside, men and elves are forming alliances, dragons are awakening – one sleepy eye surveying their stash of gold. Now, zoom in. Zoom in a bit further. Zoom in some more. Perhaps just a tad more. And here we are. Rosemond Street. More to the point we’re on the doorstop of a quaint looking shop that sells potions for all your adventuring needs. No politics, no sweeping or majestic settings, no bloody battles. Instead we look at the everyday lives of those who cater for those taking part in battles and dallying with dragons. On Roasmund street you can find the finest crafted armour, any number of gadgets, wands and healing potions and other necessities aplenty. But right now, we have a problem, a newcomer is on the block – a rival potion shop! The calamity is real.
Okay, so I’m joking around a little here, but also, I’m being perfectly serious. This is a deliciously cosy fantasy. I’m not saying that we don’t encounter any threats at all (particularly when cleaning underground drains or looking for bright blue moss) but for the most part this is a delightful story with engaging characters, found family and fantastic representation. Seriously, I would love a bunch of friends like these.
Ambrose is the prickly potion expert whose livelihood is threatened when Eli’s Elixir’s opens. The two rivals get off to a tricky start although the other shopkeepers try to encourage them to be friends. They find themselves being commissioned to undertake a piece of work for the Mayor which is both tricky and lucrative and from there, a tentative friendship begins to develop. What could possibly happen? *wiggles eyebrows meaningfully*
In one way ARMV doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the scene, this is cosy fantasy and in that respect you can pretty much expect that you’ll have a lovely read and probably come away quite enchanted. I, for one, am quite happy to be enchanted on any number of occasions though so I’m certainly not knocking that. What I would add though is that this is very well done, it made me smile and when I finished reading I felt genuinely happy with the ending and the characters and world that I’d been so absorbed with. On top of this the author has a great way of twisting things round, orcs that make delicate jewelry and mama bear types who are always ready with a pot of tea and some home baked cookies but also run the local blacksmiths forging weapons and armour. Tropes that are breaking the rules, or at least putting things on their heads a little in a very satisfying manner.
My favourite part of the story was Ambrose. I liked his rival Eli too, and the two of them share alternating perspectives, but Ambrose felt more like the predominant character here and thankfully he’s easy to like. Prickly and a little proud he may first appear but he is dealing with his own issues underneath that exterior and is a wound up bunch of nerves and anxiety. In fact both these characters are dealing with their own quite different issues and these play really well into the story and give it added depth.
This is fast paced, fun, amusing and frankly illegally cute and cosy. I can see a great series in the making with this one. There’s so much scope here that it’s a bit mind boggling and I hope that the author has many more books planned.
I received a copy from the author, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Tomorrow, we will be announcing our finalist.
Books and travelling with Lynn 