Tag Archives: reviews

Sailing on an Hourglass Sea

Posted on November 22, 2021 by darrack1

Not too long ago I reviewed Mat MaCall’s The Dandelion Farmer. I was I think now perhaps a little too gushing in my praise of the novel, the first of a trilogy of which the second The Hourglass Sea is … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, fiction, goodreads, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, novels, publication, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, amreadingscifi, bookreview, books, reading, reads, reviews, sciencefiction, scifi, steampunk, writerslife, writing | 1 Comment

Brief reviews of wonderfulness #1

Posted on March 2, 2021 by darrack1

I have been known on occasion to promise to write a review for fellow authors. I have some fair firm rules on these promises, in that I don’t write a review unless I genuinely like what I’m reviewing. If I … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, dreamlands, druidry, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, pagan, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, supernatural, writes | Tagged amreading, bookreview, books, fantasy, goodreads, hopeless, horror, reading, reads, reviews, steampunk fantasy | 1 Comment

The romance of smugglers…

Posted on September 3, 2020 by darrack1

Smugglers of the 17th/18th century, like highwaymen, have always had a romantic air about them. There is something about remote windswept beach’s, moonlit seas, and of course gentlemen with a rough kind of honour to them that just appeals to … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, booksale, fiction, Harvey Duckman, horror, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, novels, opinion, reads, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged bookblog, bookloversday, bookreview, books, indie publishing, indiebooks, indienovels, indiewriter, reads, reviews | 1 Comment

Truth in fiction

Posted on June 2, 2020 by darrack1

Good fiction, good science fiction in particular, explores truth. In the case of good science fiction it often explores an uncomfortable truth by taking a concept and building upon it an extreme example of where that truth might lead. Really … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, fiction, goodreads, indie, indie novels, indie writers, novels, opinion, pointless things of wonderfulness, politics, reads, rights, sci-fi, writing | Tagged #scifi, bookreview, books, indie publishing, indienovels, indiewriter, newreads, psycology, reads, reviews, sciencefiction | 5 Comments

Nitschewo : Whatever

Posted on May 28, 2020 by darrack1

If your Russia is as rusty as mine you probably won’t know Nitschewo more or less translates as ‘Whatever’, an expression used throughout these memoirs by both the Russians and the author “You are only a plennie” Wilhelm Max Rose … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, books, goodreads, humanrights, indie, indie writers, indiewriter, opinion, reads | Tagged bookblog, bookreview, books, obsession, reading, reads, reviews | 1 Comment

Speculating on Emi…

Posted on April 12, 2020 by darrack1

There is nothing wrong with reading something that is predictable, trite, the average fare, boy meets girl, boy hates girl, girl hates boy, boy argues with girl over a foolish misunderstanding, boy goes and does something foolish, girl realises she … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, dreamlands, dystopia, fantasy, goodreads, Goth, Harvey Duckman, horror, indie, indie novels, indie writers, IndieApril, indiewriter, mythos, Nyarlathotep, pointless things of wonderfulness, reads, sci-fi, supernatural, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, amreadingscifi, bookblog, bookcovers, bookreview, bookreviews, books, horror, humanity, humour, reading, reads, reviews, steampunk | 1 Comment

Maybe: A Victorian Steampunk Mystery

Posted on March 21, 2020 by darrack1

Maybe, for anyone unaware, was released a week ago on the ides of march and despite all the current problems the world is facing, it’s done remarkably well. Sadly, however, several of the events I was due to attend with … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, booksale, Canadian steampunk, dreamlands, dystopia, errol the bookcase dragon, fantasy, goodnews, goodreads, Goth, Hannibal Smyth, Harvey Duckman, horror, humour, indie, indie novels, indie writers, IndieApril, indiewriter, Passing Place, pointless things of wonderfulness, reads, sci-fi, self-publishing, steampunk, supernatural, world book day, writes, writing | Tagged amwritingscifi, blogs, bookblog, bookreviews, books, Canadian steampunk, ebook, goodreads, greatreads, indie publishing, reading, reads, research, reviews, sciencefiction, scifiscarbrough, self-publishing, steampunk, steampunk fantasy, stories | Leave a comment

Hannibalisums #3

Posted on January 29, 2020 by darrack1

Old Hannibal says some strange things at times. As such this is an irregular series of quotes form the Hannibal Smyth novels, because occasionally one should probably remember to do some promotion work for ones own novels for a change… … Continue reading →

Posted in 2020 quotes, amreading, amwriting, books, Canadian steampunk, Hannibal Smyth, Harvey Duckman, humour, indie novels, indie writers, novels, quotes, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, writes, writing | Tagged blogs, bookblog, bookreview, books, Canadian steampunk, reading, reads, reviews, self-publishing, steampunk, steampunk fantasy | Leave a comment

The Indie Christmas List…

Posted on December 18, 2019 by darrack1

Christmas is coming, the annual festival of shiny barbarism and excess, and in theory at least good will and giving. Surprising as I doubt you find it, one of my favourite gifts to give or receive at Christmas are books. … Continue reading →

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Them That Ask No Questions…

Posted on October 14, 2019 by darrack1

Readers are seldom aware of just how much research can go into writing a novel. It’s a neat trick of smoke and mirrors most writers perform, in that the research gets hidden beyond plain sight, so the reader never see … Continue reading →