Frasier Armitage (Author of Rememory)

Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing A River from the Sky (Natural Engines, #2) by Ai Jiang (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A River From The Sky is a lyrical slice of science fantasy that flows so beautifully, you could sail to the heavens on how lush and rich it is. It concludes the Natural Engines duology that began with A Palace Near The Wind, and it provides an incredi ...more
Apr 21, 2026 07:04AM · like · see review
Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing The Misheard World by Aliya Whiteley (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The Misheard World is an ode to the power of storytelling, how the things we hear can shape our identities, our loyalties, and our very realities. It’s a stunning work of speculative fiction that left me changed for having experienced it. If the act ...more
Feb 26, 2026 09:03AM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Misheard World by Aliya Whiteley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Misheard World by Aliya Whiteley <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing An Unbreakable World by Ren Hutchings (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Wow! Ren Hutchings has delivered a flawless standalone sequel set in the same world as Under Fortunate Stars. It’s so good, it left me physically punching the air. I loved Ren’s debut, which was a character-driven timey-wimey adventure that boasted a ...more
Dec 10, 2025 01:22AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of An Unbreakable World by Ren Hutchings. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — An Unbreakable World by Ren Hutchings <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Frasier Armitage and 2 other people liked Paige's review of Cage of Stars: "Thank you Frasier for sending me a copy to review! Frasier was kind enough to invite me to his launch party and you can see the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P2_f... I am a huge fan of Frasier's writing, and Cage of Stars is no diff" Read more of this review »
Nov 12, 2025 09:26AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Cage of Stars by Frasier Armitage. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Cage of Stars by Frasier Armitage <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing Red City (The New Alchemists, #1) by Marie Lu (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Red City reads like Romeo And Juliet meets The Godfather in a gangland fantasy that possesses its own unique brand of magic. Do you like new and inventive magic systems? What Marie Lu has cooked up in Red City is nothing short of alchemy itself. She ...more
Nov 08, 2025 01:53AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Red City by Marie Lu. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Red City by Marie Lu <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Ray Naylor doesn’t write unimportant books. With The Mountain In The Sea, he had something to say that could change the way we think about life. The same with Tusks of Extinction. So it shouldn’t have surprised me that every single sentence in Where ...more
Nov 08, 2025 01:53AM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing Red City (The New Alchemists, #1) by Marie Lu (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Red City reads like Romeo And Juliet meets The Godfather in a gangland fantasy that possesses its own unique brand of magic. Do you like new and inventive magic systems? What Marie Lu has cooked up in Red City is nothing short of alchemy itself. She ...more
Nov 08, 2025 01:37AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Red City by Marie Lu. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Red City by Marie Lu <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Ray Naylor doesn’t write unimportant books. With The Mountain In The Sea, he had something to say that could change the way we think about life. The same with Tusks of Extinction. So it shouldn’t have surprised me that every single sentence in Where ...more
Nov 07, 2025 12:48PM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing The Salt Oracle (We Are All Ghosts In The Forest #2) by Lorraine Wilson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
If Guillermo Del Toro adapted Jules Verne like an Agatha Christie mystery, you’d end up with something like The Salt Oracle. It’s oceanic in its scope and beauty, and like the sea, it left me in a state of awe. It’s no secret that I’m a massive Lorrai ...more
Nov 07, 2025 12:47PM · like · see review
Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing The Salt Oracle (We Are All Ghosts In The Forest #2) by Lorraine Wilson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
If Guillermo Del Toro adapted Jules Verne like an Agatha Christie mystery, you’d end up with something like The Salt Oracle. It’s oceanic in its scope and beauty, and like the sea, it left me in a state of awe. It’s no secret that I’m a massive Lorrai ...more
Nov 06, 2025 04:50AM · like · see review

Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing

A River from the Sky (Natural Engines, #2)
by Ai Jiang (Goodreads Author)

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A River From The Sky is a lyrical slice of science fantasy that flows so beautifully, you could sail to the heavens on how lush and rich it is.

It concludes the Natural Engines duology that began with A Palace Near The Wind, and it provides an incredi A River From The Sky is a lyrical slice of science fantasy that flows so beautifully, you could sail to the heavens on how lush and rich it is.

It concludes the Natural Engines duology that began with A Palace Near The Wind, and it provides an incredible conclusion to the journey. In my opinion, it surpasses the first book and really cements this series as a must-read for any fan of SFF.

There might be some who argue that these novellas should have been lumped together into one novel-length story. However, I believe the decision to keep these books as two independent stories pays off in so many ways, not least in the dual narrative that is introduced in this book.

A Palace Near The Wind is told entirely from Liu Lufeng’s perspective. She has tree bark for skin, belonging to a tribe of tree-folk, and is selected to become a princess in the palace. This leads to conspiracies and secrets being revealed that threaten to disrupt the natural order of things, and Lufeng is forced to escape.

A River From The Sky is what happens once Lufeng has escaped, and it takes place primarily from the perspective of Lufeng’s sister, who is acting as a kind of gifted rebel in an industrial city. The story flashes back and forth between the viewpoints of the two sisters and this allows greater scope for speculation and exploration. The book is a lot more like a conversation around the issues of nature vs progress and the impact of technology on the natural world, as opposed to a manifesto. And I really loved how the tone allows your mind to absorb more than just the story being told. It lets you soak up the themes and ideas too.

Ai Jiang has such a knack for writing complex family dynamics, and that’s on show here. Both sisters are powerful characters in their own right, but it’s the relationship between them that really crackles. For most of the story, they’re kept apart physically, but the slow yawning of realisation that they will meet acts as a fantastic method to propel the story onwards, and it helps to keep the pace up from beginning to end. It’s very easy to devour this book in one sitting, and I thoroughly recommend that you do.

Overall, this first series from Ai Jiang mixes philosophy with emotion, the cerebral with the heartfelt, and allows room for big ideas to breathe even in a small space. It’s mature and insightful, and told with the skill of a true master. This is a thoroughly worthwhile and satisfying end to a fantastical duology that takes a look at our relationships with each other and the world we inhabit, and it will leave you with plenty to ponder, and even more to feel.

A River From The Sky is a spring of fresh water that will sate your SFF thirst. ...more

Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing

The Misheard World
by Aliya Whiteley (Goodreads Author)

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The Misheard World is an ode to the power of storytelling, how the things we hear can shape our identities, our loyalties, and our very realities. It’s a stunning work of speculative fiction that left me changed for having experienced it.

If the act The Misheard World is an ode to the power of storytelling, how the things we hear can shape our identities, our loyalties, and our very realities. It’s a stunning work of speculative fiction that left me changed for having experienced it.

If the act of telling stories makes us teachers, then you can’t find a better professor than Aliya Whiteley. She’s written some of the most beautiful, interesting and exquisite speculative fiction, weird and wild, imaginative and illuminating. But this is by far her most accessible book, while also being one of her lengthiest offerings to date.

It all surrounds the repercussions of a conversation between two characters from either side of a long-laboured war. To say anymore than that would be to spoil the surprise and the nuance of the way this story unfolds. Sufficed to say, just as a conversation builds, so too the book grows and expands, shifting in unexpected and mind-altering ways.

Expect changes in perspective and direction, mysteries raised and solved, and an atmosphere about the world that will captivate you (rather appropriately, I might add). Holding it all together are the three participants in this huge conversation: the questioner, the answerer, and the listener.

The book is framed from the viewpoint of the listener, raised as a soldier, she has the most to learn about the reasons for the conflict that has been her life. She’s strong-willed, capable, and intuitive. But most of all, despite the thirst for revenge that burns inside her, she’s a gentle soul embroiled in the needs of a violent world. I loved how her quietness permeated the entire book, how the wildness simmering inside of her patient heart is also acting as an undercurrent that drives the narrative forwards.

Then there’s the illusionist. He’s the one with all the answers, and his intrigue is matched only by his flamboyance. What an enigmatic character! From the moment he becomes the target of interrogation, you can’t look away. His words drip with magic, and the secrets he’s hiding are every bit as fantastic as you hope them to be.

And finally, the questioner. The interrogator. A woman who commands authority and respect, whose fierceness is tempered only by the fur she wears. She’s written with the presence of a predator, and you’re never sure whether she’s about to pounce.

Each character is so strong in their own right, but when they all come together, the story comes alive. It acts as an absolute masterclass in how to create drama from dialogue, how to make a conversation epic, and how to imbue power into words. You don’t know who to trust. You don’t know what games are being played and by whom. And as the answers begin to come, you won’t believe how many layers are peeled back.

The unfolding plot will take you to new places and give you so many things to ponder. It’s a conversation starter, and you’ll find yourself wanting to talk about the themes it raises: the nature of conflict, the consequences of control, the accountability of knowledge, the yearning of discovery, the dynamics of loyalty, and the shifting balance of our relationships with ourselves, each other, and the worlds we build.

The prose is beautiful. The structure is sublime. The world-building is incredible. The craft that has gone into this story is second to none. Aliya Whiteley has always been a master of her own peculiar brand of weird fiction, but this feels like something new, something broader, something with a scope that is altogether more intimate and infinite at the same time.

And as for the ending, well, I’ll leave you to decide on that one.

Let the conversations commence. Let the stories be told. But let them all reflect the achievement that is The Misheard World. Aliya Whiteley strikes again. This is a masterpiece. Yes, I said masterpiece. And no, you have not misheard. ...more

Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing

An Unbreakable World
by Ren Hutchings (Goodreads Author)

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Wow! Ren Hutchings has delivered a flawless standalone sequel set in the same world as Under Fortunate Stars. It’s so good, it left me physically punching the air.

I loved Ren’s debut, which was a character-driven timey-wimey adventure that boasted a Wow! Ren Hutchings has delivered a flawless standalone sequel set in the same world as Under Fortunate Stars. It’s so good, it left me physically punching the air.

I loved Ren’s debut, which was a character-driven timey-wimey adventure that boasted a stellar ensemble of characters. If you take out the time-travel aspects, you’ll find all of those elements carried through into this book too. The way she writes characters on the shady side of the law is so addictive, I couldn’t resist falling in love with them, and I found myself torn between wanting to race through the pages for more and wanting to slow down so I could be with them for as long as possible.

The tropes that carry across both books are found family and a reformation arc. Who doesn’t love a good reformation arc? The scoundrel who mends their ways and comes through — it’s a crowd pleaser, and one that Ren has seemed to have mastered. And do I have to even mention how awesome a found family narrative can be? Well, you won’t find it done better than here.

So yes, An Unbreakable World shares a lot of DNA with Under Fortunate Stars, but make no mistake — these are very, very different books. Ren hasn’t tried to rehash her debut. She’s expanded on the lore of the Felen War brilliantly while somehow managing to write unique and unexpected flavours into this universe. If her debut was a starter, this feels like the main course.

Her writing style is to die for. The balance she’s struck from a sentence level up between theme and character and plot and world building and concept and context is so rich. It’s such a superbly rendered and well-balanced cocktail of space opera. It reads like Iain M. Banks meets Taran Hunt and belongs on the shelf next to the masterworks of the genre.

And the ending — the way it all comes together so that she resolves the mystery you haven’t even realised she’s been weaving through the story — is one of the most satisfying conclusions to a book I’ve read in ages.

This is a serious contender for my favourite book of the year. It’s as entertaining as it is thought-provoking, immersive and innovative, an absolute delight and a total triumph. It’ll get you thinking, feeling, hoping, all while keeping you riveted to the edge of your seat.

An Unbreakable World breaks the mould. This is next-level awesomeness on an intergalactic scale. Pure storytelling magic. ...more

Frasier Armitage and 2 other people liked Paige's review of Cage of Stars:

"Thank you Frasier for sending me a copy to review!

Frasier was kind enough to invite me to his launch party and you can see the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P2_f...

I am a huge fan of Frasier's writing, and Cage of Stars is no diff" Read more of this review »

Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing

Red City (The New Alchemists, #1)
by Marie Lu (Goodreads Author)

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Red City reads like Romeo And Juliet meets The Godfather in a gangland fantasy that possesses its own unique brand of magic.

Do you like new and inventive magic systems? What Marie Lu has cooked up in Red City is nothing short of alchemy itself. She Red City reads like Romeo And Juliet meets The Godfather in a gangland fantasy that possesses its own unique brand of magic.

Do you like new and inventive magic systems? What Marie Lu has cooked up in Red City is nothing short of alchemy itself. She takes the science of transformation and turns it into something new and delicious. I was obsessed by the levels of intrigue and intricacy that have been poured into crafting alchemy as a system of magic. Every time the book introduced something new about the way this world works, I devoured it with relish.

I could talk for days about all the cool stuff that’s in the book. I could wax lyrical about the characters and the way they were portrayed, their relationships, the world building—all that kind of stuff. But let’s face it, if you’re intrigued by the idea of two gangs at war over the magic of alchemy, you’re going to be absolutely satisfied with Red City, and then some. What I want to talk about is the main concern you might have with the book, and that’s the target audience.

Marie Lu has achieved success as a YA author. She’s a bestseller and a big name in the YA sphere. This is her first attempt to step out of the YA sphere in order to tell an adult story, and the question you might be asking yourself is: is this really an adult book, or is this just YA dressed up a little darker?

Well, you can breathe a sigh of relief. I’m beyond ecstatic to report that this is very much an adult book for adult readers, and here’s why.

First of all, the tone of the writing is dark and gritty. There’s no glossing over the seedier aspects of gang life. There’s no Hollywood sheen to the proceedings or punches pulled for a PG-13 friendly version of gang warfare. There’s a reason I compared this to The Godfather, and it’s not just the gangster element that’s similar, or the levels of violence, but the undercurrents and the subtext and all the things that are happening below the surface. There’s a real maturity about the way the story is handled, and it belongs on the shelf right alongside anything Mario Puzo has written.

The characters are complicated and contradictory. This isn’t some YA love triangle beefed up to be a bit more graphic. There’s an internality in the different perspectives that goes beyond the simple “I like him, but I like him too.” The characters are grown up people with grown up problems and grown up relationships. If there’s any love triangle element, then it’s less a triangle and more of a venn diagram! Romance is incidental to the plot, and not the driving force behind it. It never veers into melodrama or simplistic tropey territory.

The pace is breakneck too. There’s not a dull moment, and yet, the way the story lingers in the different stages of the two protagonists’ lives is unhurried and allows plenty of room to connect with them. This isn’t a thriller, but it feels like it’s got that kind of pace to it. You’ll be hard-pressed not to zoom through it.

It feels like Marie Lu has been writing adult fiction her entire life. I was totally enthralled by every aspect of Red City. The curious blend of alchemy and gangsters makes for something bold, memorable, and unique. This is the first book from an author who has undergone her own kind of transformation, and I hope Marie Lu continues writing adult books for a very long time to come. ...more

Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing

Where the Axe Is Buried
by Ray Nayler (Goodreads Author)

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Ray Naylor doesn’t write unimportant books. With The Mountain In The Sea, he had something to say that could change the way we think about life. The same with Tusks of Extinction. So it shouldn’t have surprised me that every single sentence in Where Ray Naylor doesn’t write unimportant books. With The Mountain In The Sea, he had something to say that could change the way we think about life. The same with Tusks of Extinction. So it shouldn’t have surprised me that every single sentence in Where The Axe Is Buried felt like it was packed with urgency and meaning.

I know it’s the job of a good review to give you a flavour of the book and to highlight what it does well and any areas that it doesn’t work quite as well. But I honestly don’t know how to be objective over a book as timely and absorbing as this one.

I didn’t put it down. I picked it up and read to the end, and knew that it would stay with me forever. And part of why I knew that is not just because of the plot twists and layers upon layers so masterfully interwoven together, but the message that it left me with. The questions it raised. It’s not preachy. It’s not following an agenda. It’s just a powerful statement about the amount of time we’ve got left to make changes in the world, and what’s required of us to do so.

When I got to the end of Where The Axe Is Buried, I felt like I’d just read something like 1984 or Brave New World right at the moment those stories were released. It’s amazing, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. This is going to be one of those books we talk about in years to come, and we say, “Isn’t this getting more and more relevant?” It’s a book we’ll keep talking about and listing alongside the greats because the things it says actually matter.

The speculative elements of the future are so brilliantly conceived, I felt like I was living in this world even though the technology is impossible right now. There’s a believability about all of it, and it’s very easy to imagine. The plot twists were expertly timed and delivered in just the right way. The different strands come together to form a satisfying whole. And on a sentence level, there’s usually a number of points in any given chapter where you could stop and meditate on a single line and spend the entire day just trying to absorb the fullness of it.

If you feel like you want to read something important, something that says more than just, “Here’s a good escape for a while,” something that’ll entertain AND edify you, something that’ll make you think, feel, and question, then you absolutely have to pick up this book. This is the kind of scifi that we need right now. The kind that asks the right questions and spotlights the right issues. The type of scifi that you feel could actually make a difference.

Where The Axe Is Buried is a future classic. It’s another essential book from an author who is building a reputation for saying the hard things in inventive, new, stylish, challenging, and remarkable ways. ...more

Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing

Red City (The New Alchemists, #1)
by Marie Lu (Goodreads Author)

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1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Red City reads like Romeo And Juliet meets The Godfather in a gangland fantasy that possesses its own unique brand of magic.

Do you like new and inventive magic systems? What Marie Lu has cooked up in Red City is nothing short of alchemy itself. She Red City reads like Romeo And Juliet meets The Godfather in a gangland fantasy that possesses its own unique brand of magic.

Do you like new and inventive magic systems? What Marie Lu has cooked up in Red City is nothing short of alchemy itself. She takes the science of transformation and turns it into something new and delicious. I was obsessed by the levels of intrigue and intricacy that have been poured into crafting alchemy as a system of magic. Every time the book introduced something new about the way this world works, I devoured it with relish.

I could talk for days about all the cool stuff that’s in the book. I could wax lyrical about the characters and the way they were portrayed, their relationships, the world building—all that kind of stuff. But let’s face it, if you’re intrigued by the idea of two gangs at war over the magic of alchemy, you’re going to be absolutely satisfied with Red City, and then some. What I want to talk about is the main concern you might have with the book, and that’s the target audience.

Marie Lu has achieved success as a YA author. She’s a bestseller and a big name in the YA sphere. This is her first attempt to step out of the YA sphere in order to tell an adult story, and the question you might be asking yourself is: is this really an adult book, or is this just YA dressed up a little darker?

Well, you can breathe a sigh of relief. I’m beyond ecstatic to report that this is very much an adult book for adult readers, and here’s why.

First of all, the tone of the writing is dark and gritty. There’s no glossing over the seedier aspects of gang life. There’s no Hollywood sheen to the proceedings or punches pulled for a PG-13 friendly version of gang warfare. There’s a reason I compared this to The Godfather, and it’s not just the gangster element that’s similar, or the levels of violence, but the undercurrents and the subtext and all the things that are happening below the surface. There’s a real maturity about the way the story is handled, and it belongs on the shelf right alongside anything Mario Puzo has written.

The characters are complicated and contradictory. This isn’t some YA love triangle beefed up to be a bit more graphic. There’s an internality in the different perspectives that goes beyond the simple “I like him, but I like him too.” The characters are grown up people with grown up problems and grown up relationships. If there’s any love triangle element, then it’s less a triangle and more of a venn diagram! Romance is incidental to the plot, and not the driving force behind it. It never veers into melodrama or simplistic tropey territory.

The pace is breakneck too. There’s not a dull moment, and yet, the way the story lingers in the different stages of the two protagonists’ lives is unhurried and allows plenty of room to connect with them. This isn’t a thriller, but it feels like it’s got that kind of pace to it. You’ll be hard-pressed not to zoom through it.

It feels like Marie Lu has been writing adult fiction her entire life. I was totally enthralled by every aspect of Red City. The curious blend of alchemy and gangsters makes for something bold, memorable, and unique. This is the first book from an author who has undergone her own kind of transformation, and I hope Marie Lu continues writing adult books for a very long time to come. ...more

Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing

Where the Axe Is Buried
by Ray Nayler (Goodreads Author)

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1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Ray Naylor doesn’t write unimportant books. With The Mountain In The Sea, he had something to say that could change the way we think about life. The same with Tusks of Extinction. So it shouldn’t have surprised me that every single sentence in Where Ray Naylor doesn’t write unimportant books. With The Mountain In The Sea, he had something to say that could change the way we think about life. The same with Tusks of Extinction. So it shouldn’t have surprised me that every single sentence in Where The Axe Is Buried felt like it was packed with urgency and meaning.

I know it’s the job of a good review to give you a flavour of the book and to highlight what it does well and any areas that it doesn’t work quite as well. But I honestly don’t know how to be objective over a book as timely and absorbing as this one.

I didn’t put it down. I picked it up and read to the end, and knew that it would stay with me forever. And part of why I knew that is not just because of the plot twists and layers upon layers so masterfully interwoven together, but the message that it left me with. The questions it raised. It’s not preachy. It’s not following an agenda. It’s just a powerful statement about the amount of time we’ve got left to make changes in the world, and what’s required of us to do so.

When I got to the end of Where The Axe Is Buried, I felt like I’d just read something like 1984 or Brave New World right at the moment those stories were released. It’s amazing, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. This is going to be one of those books we talk about in years to come, and we say, “Isn’t this getting more and more relevant?” It’s a book we’ll keep talking about and listing alongside the greats because the things it says actually matter.

The speculative elements of the future are so brilliantly conceived, I felt like I was living in this world even though the technology is impossible right now. There’s a believability about all of it, and it’s very easy to imagine. The plot twists were expertly timed and delivered in just the right way. The different strands come together to form a satisfying whole. And on a sentence level, there’s usually a number of points in any given chapter where you could stop and meditate on a single line and spend the entire day just trying to absorb the fullness of it.

If you feel like you want to read something important, something that says more than just, “Here’s a good escape for a while,” something that’ll entertain AND edify you, something that’ll make you think, feel, and question, then you absolutely have to pick up this book. This is the kind of scifi that we need right now. The kind that asks the right questions and spotlights the right issues. The type of scifi that you feel could actually make a difference.

Where The Axe Is Buried is a future classic. It’s another essential book from an author who is building a reputation for saying the hard things in inventive, new, stylish, challenging, and remarkable ways. ...more

Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing

The Salt Oracle (We Are All Ghosts In The Forest #2)
by Lorraine Wilson (Goodreads Author)

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If Guillermo Del Toro adapted Jules Verne like an Agatha Christie mystery, you’d end up with something like The Salt Oracle. It’s oceanic in its scope and beauty, and like the sea, it left me in a state of awe.

It’s no secret that I’m a massive Lorrai If Guillermo Del Toro adapted Jules Verne like an Agatha Christie mystery, you’d end up with something like The Salt Oracle. It’s oceanic in its scope and beauty, and like the sea, it left me in a state of awe.

It’s no secret that I’m a massive Lorraine Wilson fan. Her previous books have always delivered beautiful prose, emotional resonance, and subtle power. For anybody else who adores Raine’s style of writing, you’re going to be very pleased to hear that The Salt Oracle continues this rich legacy of hers. New readers are going to fall in love with what she can do with a story, but it’s perhaps her most loyal readers that will get the biggest surprise from this book, and it’s all thanks to the pace she’s imbued it with.

When I say pace, you might picture a sprinter. There are thrillers out there that race with such breakneck speed to the finish line, they possess the kind of pace that makes Usain Bolt look like a slowpoke. This is not one of those books. But neither is it a slow meander around luscious landscapes or the gentle burn of an internal quandary. Raine excels at a glacial speed, but with The Salt Oracle, she’s written a story that actually moves. It may not sprint, but it definitely contains a sense of pace that adds an extra dimension to the book, and makes it differ ever so slightly from her other works.

This may be her first novel that prioritises plot, but that doesn’t mean to say that it’s lacking in character development or world building. The balance that’s struck between these elements is perfectly in harmony. It’s like listening to a trio of singers all delivering a complementary melody, heightening the beauty of the song. You’ll fall in love with the characters. Your heart will break and soar. But your mind will not be left behind as you’ll spend the entire book trying to figure out exactly who is responsible for the chaos that ensues, and what’s really going on below the surface.

In terms of Raine’s ability to weave beautiful sentences, every line in The Salt Oracle is a work of art. You won’t read a more lustrous locked room mystery when it comes to prose, or elegant dark academia when it comes to substance. The blend of literary experimentation and genre-conventional aspects are so well balanced that I cannot fault the telling of this tale in any way. It’s just a really beautiful book, okay?

As it’s a standalone sequel, you may be wondering: Do I need to read We Are All Ghosts In The Forest before diving into The Salt Oracle? The answer is no. But will it enhance the book if you do? Absolutely. The world of digitised ghosts where the Internet has bled into reality and is infecting humans is absolutely brilliant. How Raine tackled this in Ghosts blew me away. But the way this world has been expanded upon here left me even more stunned.

As to the mystery at the core of the book — its resolution and the eventual revealing of the true antagonist behind the primary conflict — I was left amazed. This doesn’t just give you a clever plot or a twisty murder to solve, it poses questions to ponder that will stay with you long after the final page.

Salt is a garnish that enhances the flavour of food. The Salt Oracle is aptly titled, because it does the same thing with the world Lorraine Wilson established in We Are All Ghosts In The Forest, deepening the flavour of her writing to absolutely delicious effect. If you’re looking for something dark and juicy to sink your teeth into, sprinkle your TBR with some of this salt. ...more

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The Salt Oracle (We Are All Ghosts In The Forest #2)
by Lorraine Wilson (Goodreads Author)

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If Guillermo Del Toro adapted Jules Verne like an Agatha Christie mystery, you’d end up with something like The Salt Oracle. It’s oceanic in its scope and beauty, and like the sea, it left me in a state of awe.

It’s no secret that I’m a massive Lorrai If Guillermo Del Toro adapted Jules Verne like an Agatha Christie mystery, you’d end up with something like The Salt Oracle. It’s oceanic in its scope and beauty, and like the sea, it left me in a state of awe.

It’s no secret that I’m a massive Lorraine Wilson fan. Her previous books have always delivered beautiful prose, emotional resonance, and subtle power. For anybody else who adores Raine’s style of writing, you’re going to be very pleased to hear that The Salt Oracle continues this rich legacy of hers. New readers are going to fall in love with what she can do with a story, but it’s perhaps her most loyal readers that will get the biggest surprise from this book, and it’s all thanks to the pace she’s imbued it with.

When I say pace, you might picture a sprinter. There are thrillers out there that race with such breakneck speed to the finish line, they possess the kind of pace that makes Usain Bolt look like a slowpoke. This is not one of those books. But neither is it a slow meander around luscious landscapes or the gentle burn of an internal quandary. Raine excels at a glacial speed, but with The Salt Oracle, she’s written a story that actually moves. It may not sprint, but it definitely contains a sense of pace that adds an extra dimension to the book, and makes it differ ever so slightly from her other works.

This may be her first novel that prioritises plot, but that doesn’t mean to say that it’s lacking in character development or world building. The balance that’s struck between these elements is perfectly in harmony. It’s like listening to a trio of singers all delivering a complementary melody, heightening the beauty of the song. You’ll fall in love with the characters. Your heart will break and soar. But your mind will not be left behind as you’ll spend the entire book trying to figure out exactly who is responsible for the chaos that ensues, and what’s really going on below the surface.

In terms of Raine’s ability to weave beautiful sentences, every line in The Salt Oracle is a work of art. You won’t read a more lustrous locked room mystery when it comes to prose, or elegant dark academia when it comes to substance. The blend of literary experimentation and genre-conventional aspects are so well balanced that I cannot fault the telling of this tale in any way. It’s just a really beautiful book, okay?

As it’s a standalone sequel, you may be wondering: Do I need to read We Are All Ghosts In The Forest before diving into The Salt Oracle? The answer is no. But will it enhance the book if you do? Absolutely. The world of digitised ghosts where the Internet has bled into reality and is infecting humans is absolutely brilliant. How Raine tackled this in Ghosts blew me away. But the way this world has been expanded upon here left me even more stunned.

As to the mystery at the core of the book — its resolution and the eventual revealing of the true antagonist behind the primary conflict — I was left amazed. This doesn’t just give you a clever plot or a twisty murder to solve, it poses questions to ponder that will stay with you long after the final page.

Salt is a garnish that enhances the flavour of food. The Salt Oracle is aptly titled, because it does the same thing with the world Lorraine Wilson established in We Are All Ghosts In The Forest, deepening the flavour of her writing to absolutely delicious effect. If you’re looking for something dark and juicy to sink your teeth into, sprinkle your TBR with some of this salt. ...more

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