Frasier Armitage (Author of Rememory)

Frasier Armitage 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 wants to read The Book of Spores: A Fungal SFF Anthology by Adrian M. Gibson (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
Oct 23, 2025 08:15AM · 1 like · like
Frasier Armitage rated a book really liked it Daedalus Is Dead by Seamus Sullivan	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
This mythological reimagining strikes some surprising notes as it plays a familiar tune in an unexpected way. We all know the story of Icarus. He escapes prison by flying too close to the sun. Why? Why throw away his escape? That’s the question Icarus ...more
Oct 23, 2025 03:25AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Daedalus Is Dead by Seamus Sullivan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Daedalus Is Dead by Seamus Sullivan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing For the Road by Stark Holborn (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
One minute, I was sitting down to start For The Road, and before I knew it, I was turning the final page. What an amazing story! It had me so gripped, I literally couldn’t look away! Stark Holborn proves yet again why she’s the reigning queen of the w ...more
Aug 10, 2025 04:37AM · 3 likes · like · see review

Frasier Armitage 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)

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 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)

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 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)

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 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)

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 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)

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 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

Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing

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

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 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

Frasier Armitage wants to read

The Book of Spores: A Fungal SFF Anthology
by Adrian M. Gibson (Goodreads Author)

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

Frasier Armitage rated a book really liked it

Daedalus Is Dead
by Seamus Sullivan

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

This mythological reimagining strikes some surprising notes as it plays a familiar tune in an unexpected way.

We all know the story of Icarus. He escapes prison by flying too close to the sun. Why? Why throw away his escape? That’s the question Icarus This mythological reimagining strikes some surprising notes as it plays a familiar tune in an unexpected way.

We all know the story of Icarus. He escapes prison by flying too close to the sun. Why? Why throw away his escape? That’s the question Icarus’s father, Daedalus, is struggling to answer. After all, he’s the other guy with the wings, and he managed to escape just fine.

The novella takes a speculative look at what happens to Daedalus after Icarus’s story ends. It follows the journey he goes on to understand why his son would do such a thing. The whole novella is being told by Daedalus as if he is talking directly to Icarus, recounting his life to his lost son, and this adds so much power to the touching and personal story being explored here. It really helps to put you in the shoes of a father who is grieving, unable to let go of his hurt until he’s found and understood his son.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Greek myth without a trip to the underworld and Mount Olympus. The way the gods are presented is done with style, and what’s most impressive is how the story feels grounded despite their fantastical and mythological presence. Importantly, it never comes across as gimmicky. Instead, you can almost taste the author’s passion for myths bleeding through the page as each character and emotion feels authentic and lived in.

As well as the Icarus legend, the book gives the whole context for what led up to that escape, including the incident with the minotaur. I’ve never thought so deeply about what it would be like to be a minotaur before. It really made me reconsider that whole scenario with the maze, and I loved how Daedalus, who so often is relegated to a bit-part in other heroes’ stories, wrestled with his own internal beasts for having committed atrocities in the name of serving kings and gods.

There’s a non-linear element to the way the novella unfolds, and I absolutely loved the whole flavour of it. It felt epic, but modern. Experimental, but mainstream. There’s so much to admire in this debut.

If you’re a fan of mythology, this is obviously going to tick all your boxes. But if you’re also on the lookout for a tender, deeply personal and sensitive portrait of a broken father trying to understand his lost son, then you should definitely pick this up.

What starts as a story you’ve heard before quickly spirals into something new and exciting. This is a novella that crafts its own set of wings and absolutely soars. ...more

Frasier Armitage rated a book it was amazing

For the Road
by Stark Holborn (Goodreads Author)

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

One minute, I was sitting down to start For The Road, and before I knew it, I was turning the final page. What an amazing story! It had me so gripped, I literally couldn’t look away!

Stark Holborn proves yet again why she’s the reigning queen of the w One minute, I was sitting down to start For The Road, and before I knew it, I was turning the final page. What an amazing story! It had me so gripped, I literally couldn’t look away!

Stark Holborn proves yet again why she’s the reigning queen of the weird west. She’s delivered a fast-paced fever-dream of an acid western, bristling with tension and brimming with intrigue. It’s a wild ride that grabs tight hold of you and never lets go.

The story centres around Jesse, a wounded man who wakes up in Dawn’s Holt — to describe it as a mysterious town is seriously underselling it — with no past and no future. He’s waiting for a train to come and deliver him from the family who’ve taken him in. But the world seems to stop in this rundown, unforgiving hellhole, and he starts to wonder if the train is ever going to arrive. Can Jesse escape Dawn’s Holt? Can anyone?

This book may be short in length, but don’t mistake it for being narrow in scope. The author’s Triggernometry Series proves that she can pack a punch with a condensed word count. But this does more than hit hard — it haunts you. The atmosphere and pace creep across your skin like the dry heat of a desert and leave you gasping for air (in a good way!).

There are flourishes of genius from scene to scene as the plot progresses, but considered as a whole, it’s insane how brilliantly this works as an allegory for so very many things. I don’t want to spoil the depths it mines, but rest assured that you’ll be left with plenty to think and talk about long before you turn the final page.

If you’re hungry for a contemplative western that’s gorgeous to read, heavy on themes, character-centric, and delivers a mesmerisingly weird experience, this is the road you want to take. Stark Holborn’s trademark style soars in what can only be described as an absolute banger.

I’ll only give you one word of warning, and it’s this — make sure you’ve got enough time to read it in one sitting, because once you pick it up, you may find it difficult to stop.

Strange, soulful, and stylish, For The Road speculates on the meaning of identity, love, death, and sacrifice. And it does so with confidence, charisma, and effortless cool. I dare you not to be hooked from page one. Sensational. ...more

Frasier Armitage’s Followers (42)

Frasier’s Bookshelves

Frasier’s Friends (10)

Frasier Armitage

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
Frasier Armitage’s books

rss
Frasier’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Cage of Stars by Frasier Armitage

See a Problem?

Preview — Red City by Marie Lu

See a Problem?

Preview — Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler

See a Problem?

Preview — Red City by Marie Lu

See a Problem?

Preview — Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler

See a Problem?

Preview — Daedalus Is Dead by Seamus Sullivan

recent posts
Frasier’s Groups

Frasier’s Friend Comments

	Rememory 4.95 avg rating — 22 ratings	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
	Crooked V.2 by Jessie Kwak (Goodreads Author) (Editor), G.J. Ogden (Goodreads Author), Austin Dragon (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 21 ratings — 4 editions	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
	Time’s Ellipse 4.59 avg rating — 17 ratings — 2 editions	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
	New Yesterday 4.47 avg rating — 17 ratings — 2 editions	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
	Yestermorrow: A Prelude To New Yesterday 4.80 avg rating — 15 ratings — 3 editions	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 Stitch Between Worlds 4.80 avg rating — 10 ratings	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
	Perspectives by Jessica E. Mondy (Editor), P.A. Hayden (Goodreads Author) (Foreword), Mitch Larkins (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2021	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
	Cage of Stars 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — 2 editions	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 Book of Spores: A Fungal SFF Anthology by Adrian M. Gibson (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Ed Crocker (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Frasier Armitage (Goodreads Author) (Editor) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	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

Frasier Armitage’s Followers (42)

Frasier’s Bookshelves

Frasier’s Friends (10)

Frasier Armitage

Goodreads Author

Learn moreAsk the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine EditionsFrasier Armitage’s books

rssFrasier’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Cage of Stars by Frasier Armitage

See a Problem?

Preview — Red City by Marie Lu

See a Problem?

Preview — Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler

See a Problem?

Preview — Red City by Marie Lu

See a Problem?

Preview — Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler

See a Problem?

Preview — Daedalus Is Dead by Seamus Sullivan

recent postsFrasier’s Groups

Frasier’s Friend Comments

Learn more
Ask the Author

Combine Editions
Frasier Armitage’s books

rss
Frasier’s Recent Updates

recent posts
Frasier’s Groups