Reviews and Comments

Keith Stevenson

keithstevenson@books.theunseen.city

Joined 2 years, 11 months ago

I'm the author of the sf thriller Horizon. I'm also publisher at coeur de lion publishing and a past editor of Aurealis - Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine from 2001 to 2004. I hosted 30 episodes of the Terra Incognita Speculative Fiction Podcast, and edited and published Dimension6 the free Australian speculative fiction electronic magazine from 2014 to 2020.

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Arkady Martine: Desolation Called Peace (Paperback, 2022, Pan Macmillan)

Sequel to A Memory Called Empire.

An alien armada lurks on the edges …

Review of 'Desolation Called Peace' on 'Goodreads'

I loved A Memory Called Empire but I think A Desolation Called Peace is even better. Empire did have some slow spots, particularly in the middle where I felt it dragged a little. But Peace is all killer no filler. Get it now!

Review of 'Revenant Winds' on 'Goodreads'

Huge fun in this adventure set in Mitch Hogan's fantasy world of Wiraya. An unlikely group of mercenaries and church enforcers come together to save a village from a monstrous threat and discover what ancient secrets lie in the nearby caves. Deception, old rivalries and hidden agendas among the group - plus the threat of the legendary and evil Tainted Cabal - make for a fast-paced story where you're never sure what's going to happen next.

Aliya Whiteley: The Arrival of Missives (Paperback, 2018, Titan Books) No rating

Review of 'The Arrival of Missives' on 'Goodreads'

No rating

Beautifully written and with a plucky hero in Shirley Fearn, The Arrival of Missives takes the feel of classic children's/YA novels of the 60s, 70s and 80s - think Alan Garner and Susan Cooper - and gives it a fresh twist.

Aliya Whiteley: The Loosening Skin (Paperback, Unsung Stories)

Rose Allington is a bodyguard for celebrities, and she suffers from a rare disease. Her …

Review of 'Loosening Skin' on 'Goodreads'

A great idea beautifully written. Though I'm still not sure about the point of view change at the two-thirds mark to a far less sympathetic character - and from that point on the narrative doesn't really enhance what the earlier part achieved in exploring the book's themes.

Mitchell Hogan: Corruption (Paperback, 2021, Crucible Press)

Review of 'Corruption' on 'Goodreads'

A great follow up to Incursion. Anskar's journey from the relative safety of Branil's Burg takes more than a few unexpected turns. Alliances shift and secret's uncovered point to deeper mysteries as Anskar grows in power and strives to change his destiny.

Simon Jiménez: The Vanished Birds (Paperback, 2021, Del Rey)

A "highly imaginative and utterly exhilarating" (Thrillist) debut that is "the best of what science …

Review of 'The Vanished Birds' on 'Goodreads'

Whimsical first chapter that draws you in (almost more like a short story), slightly more formulaic second chapter that tries to build mystery, and a tangential third chapter that pummels you with telling, telling, telling. I lost the will to keep going.