Two Heads Are Better Than One

From the Sunday Times bestseller, Elizabeth May

Book 1 in These Monstrous Gods duology,

To be published 24 February from Daphne Press

Pre-order: https://www.daphnepress.com/book-landing-pages/to-cage-a-god

Artwork : Tom Roberts @tomrobertsillustration

designer: Jane Tibbetts @chattynora

Inspired by Slavic fantasy, To Cage a God explores a world of gods and magic similar to Leigh Bardugo’s smash hit, Shadow and Bone

 

To cage a god is divine. To be divine is to rule. To rule is to destroy.

Using ancient secrets, Galina and Sera’s mother grafted gods into their bones. Bound to brutal deities and granted forbidden power no commoner has held in a millennia, the sisters have grown up to become living weapons. Raised to overthrow an empire―no matter the cost.
With their mother gone and their country on the brink of war, it falls to the sisters to take the helm of the rebellion and end the cruel reign of a royal family possessed by destructive gods. Because when the ruling alurea invade, they conquer with fire and blood. And when they clash, common folk burn.
While Sera reunites with her estranged lover turned violent rebel leader, Galina infiltrates the palace. In this world of deception and danger, her only refuge is an isolated princess, whose whip-smart tongue and sharp gaze threaten to uncover Galina’s secret. Torn between desire and duty, Galina must make a choice: work together to expose the lies of the empire―or bring it all down.

Join the rebellion to burn down a cruel tyrant in this heart-racing new fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone and The Wolf and the Woodsman

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elizabeth May is a Sunday Times bestselling author of science fiction and fantasy novels, including Seven Devils, Seven Mercies, and the Falconer trilogy, and historical romances under the pen name Katrina Kendrick. She writes about monsters and monster slayers, empire destroyers and rebellions, assassins and spies. Sometimes they live in palaces, and sometimes they live in the stars, and some of them fall in love. @_ElizabethMay

Becky Hunter

Publication day: 2/3/23 HB ; 31/8/23 PB

Publisher: Corvus

SYNOPSIS

One moment in time can change everything…
The day Scarlett dies should have been one of the most important of her life. It doesn’t feel fair that she’ll never have the chance to fulfil her dreams – all because she stopped to help a stranger. And now, she’s still … here – wherever here is – watching the ripple effect of her death on those she loved the most.
Evie cannot contemplate her life without Scarlett, and she certainly cannot forgive Nate, the man she blames for her best friend’s death. But Nate keeps popping up when she least expects him to, catapulting Evie’s life in directions she’d never let herself imagine possible.
If you could go back, knowing everything that happens after, everything that happens because of one choice you made, would you change the course of history or would you do it all again?

MY REVIEW

I am so pleased the postman didn’t deliver a parcel today as I was a mess after that ending! But in a good way!

Evie and Scarlett have been friends since they met and bonded when they were young in A&E. Going to the same school then both going to Manchester for their respective uni courses; Evie for music and Scarlett for fashion. They were inseparable.

Whilst sharing a flat in London, Scarlett dies when she is hit by a car whilst helping a stranger.

Evie is devastated, already having her MS to cope with then the death of her supportive best friend.

What happens next is a story of friendship, of the support of a stranger with his own sad past and an unexpected love story. With a very unexpected ending.

The story follows Evie but we also have Scarlett as a secnarrator, who is able to watch events as they unfold after her death, and she goes back to visit old memories.

The author depicts living with MS and also writes about a suicide, which I felt were both dealt with sensitively. Evie, living with MS, overcomes some of her fears of not being able to do things by just going for it. You never know what you can achieve if you don’t try.

Certainly a book to make you think about what is important in life and shows Becky is not only a fabulous publicist but also a very talented author!

Thank you Becky for gifting me a beautiful signed copy of your book which I will be recommending far and wide.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Becky grew up in Berkshire, UK, and has loved reading since before she can remember. After studying social sciences at Cambridge university, this love of reading led her to a career in publishing, where she worked as a book publicist in London for several years before taking a career break and moving to Mozambique to volunteer with horses. It was here that she decided to give writing a proper go, though it was still a few years, a few more destinations, and a couple more jobs before she had the idea that would become ONE MOMENT, her debut novel. 

She currently splits her time between London, Bristol and Falmouth, and works as a freelance book publicist and editor, alongside her own writing. 

Find Becky on Twitter (@Bookish_Becky) or Instagram (beckyhunterbooks) – she’d love to hear from you!

Rachel Abbott

Publication date: 3/8/23

Publisher: Wildfire Books

SYNOPSIS

Eleven years ago my sister Lola vanished from my aunt’s cottage in Cornwall. Now I’m back, and I’m no closer to understanding why she ran away. What secrets was she keeping?

Memories come to me in snippets, but something is still missing. Then a body is discovered in a cave below the cliffs. No one knows how long it’s been there. Is it Lola?

The next night I wake, knowing someone is there, standing by my bed. I can hear them breathing. What do they want? Am I getting too close to the truth?

Did Lola ever leave?

MY REVIEW

This is one of those books I constantly thought about when I wasn’t reading it, and I couldn’t put down when I was!

Nancy has inherited a cottage in Cornwall from her aunt. The last time she was at the cottage was 11 years ago when Lola, her 15 year old sister, disappeared during their holiday there with their father. The police didn’t spend much time investigating as they presumed she had run away.

Now Nancy is determined to find out what really happened, and after finding some new evidence, DS Stephanie King has reopened the investigation into Lola’s disappearance. Stephanie has just begun her investigation into a skeleton which was found in a cave just off the beach. Are the two cases connected?

A very cleverly plotted psychological thriller which has a blinder of a reveal! And the ending just got better and better!

I have read a couple of Rachel’s books and knew I was in for a page turner. I was not disappointed.

I have already recommended this to a friend!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Abbott’s debut thriller, Only the Innocent, was an international bestseller, reaching the number one position in the Amazon charts both in the UK and US. This was followed by the number one bestselling novels The Back Road, Sleep Tight, Stranger Child, Nowhere Child (a short novel based on the characters from Stranger Child), Kill Me Again, The Sixth Window, Come a Little Closer, The Shape of Lies, Right Behind You and Close Your Eyes. The new thriller in the Tom Douglas series – No More Lies – was released in February 2023. 

In 2018 Rachel released the first book in a new series – And So It Begins. This was followed by The Murder Game in 2020 (The Invitation in the US).

Rachel’s novels have now been translated into over 20 languages and have sold over 5 million copies.

In 2015 Amazon celebrated the first five years of the Kindle in the UK, and announced that Rachel was the number one bestselling independent author over the five-year period. She was also placed fourteenth in the chart of all authors. Stranger Child was the most borrowed novel for the Kindle in the first half of 2015.

Rachel now lives in Alderney – a beautiful island off the coast of France – where she devotes her time to her love of writing fiction. For more information, see Rachel’s website at http://www.rachel-abbott.com, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Anita Frank

Publication date: 17/8/23 in Hardback

Publisher: HQ

SYNOPSIS

From the author of stunning historical fiction books comes a Sunday Times bestselling new story of crime, deceit, and murder, set in the early 1920s…

In the summer of 1914 a boy vanishes, never to be seen again.

Now, in 1920, the once esteemed Stilwell family of Darkacre Hall find themselves struggling with the legacy of the First World War. Leonard bears the physical scars, while his brother Maurice has endured more than his mind can take. Maurice’s wife Ida yearns for the lost days of privilege and pleasure and family friend Victor seems unwilling to move on.

But their lives are thrown into further disarray when the missing boy’s case is reopened – and this time they themselves are under police scrutiny.

As the dead return to haunt the living, old resentments resurface and loyalties are tested, while secrets risk being unearthed that could destroy them all.

MY REVIEW

Many thanks to HQ for an advance E-copy.

Having read two of Anita’s books previously, I knew I was in for a fantastic read.

Set just after the First World War, we begin with Sarah walking the long road towards her new place of employment, Darkacre Hall, with a sense of foreboding.

She arrives to find the hall in need of a good clean. Since the last member of staff left, the owners have let the housework slip.

She finds the house occupied by a couple, his brother and a friend. And a parrot. This is an unhappy house, full of secrets.

Then the police arrive to re-investigate the case of a missing young man following a tip off. They intend to dig up the woods surrounding the hall.

The whole story is set in the suffocating surroundings of the hall, other than a few flashbacks to the war and to an event they would rather remain hidden. The terrible weather adds an extra layer to the bleakness of the situation.

Loved it!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in Shropshire, Anita studied English and American History at the University of East Anglia. She now lives in Berkshire with her husband and three children.

You can connect with Anita via social media:

Twitter – @Ajes74

Instagram – @anitafrankauthor

Follow her to find out the latest news on her books, details of forthcoming events and for the chance to win in book giveaways!

To be published 28 March, 2024 by UK Tor

Pre-order

SYNOPSIS

The planet of Kiln is where the tyrannical Mandate keeps its prison colony, and for inmates the journey there is always a one-way trip. One such prisoner is Professor Arton Daghdev, xeno-ecologist and political dissident. Soon after arrival he discovers that Kiln has a secret. Humanity is not the first intelligent life to set foot there.
In the midst a ravenous, chaotic ecosystem are the ruins of a civilization, but who were the vanished builders and where did they go? If he can survive both the harsh rule of the camp commandant and the alien horrors of the world around him, then Arton has a chance at making a discovery that might just transform not only Kiln but distant Earth as well.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Lincolnshire before heading off to Reading to study psychology and zoology. For reasons unclear even to himself he subsequently ended up in law and has worked as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds, where he now lives with his wife and son. He’s the author of the
critically acclaimed Shadows of the Apt series, the Echoes of the Fall trilogy, The Doors of Eden, and The Final Architecture series.
for Best Science Fiction Novel. @aptshadow.
Children of Time was the winner of the 30th Anniversary Arthur C. Clarke

Praise for Adrian Tchaikovsky:

A Book of the Year — The Times, Guardian,

New Scientist on Shards of Earth
‘Deft and clever, expansive and readable’–

Guardian on Shards of Earth
‘A rip-roaring space opera…I can’t wait to read the next one’

New Scientist on Shards of Earth ‘Filled with enough plot for a whole season of a TV show’ —

SFX Magazine on Shards of Earth
‘Emotionally complex and intellectually satisfying’

— Guardian on The Doors of Eden ‘Brain-ticklingly clever stuff’ — Daily Mail on The Doors of Eden
‘Full of sparking, speculative invention . . . a terrific timeslip / lost world romp in the grand
tradition of Turtledove, Hoyle, even Conan Doyle. If you liked Primeval, read this book’

— Stephen Baxter on The Doors of Eden
‘Unlike anything I’ve read in a very long time, and all the better for it . . .
Tchaikovsky is clearly at the top of his game right now’

— James Oswald on The Doors of Eden
‘What a ride . . . talks like big-brained science fiction and runs like a fleet-footed political thriller’

— John Scalzi on The Doors of Eden
‘Tchaikovsky has created a fantastic and highly imaginative new genre: evolution SF’

— Peter F. Hamilton on The Doors of Eden
‘A joy from start to finish. Entertaining, smart, surprising and unexpectedly human’

— Patrick Ness on Children of Time
‘Inventive, funny and engrossing, this book lingers long after you close it’

— Tade Thompson on The Doors of Eden
‘Superior stuff’ — Financial Times on Children of Time

By Deborah Meaden

Part of the Little Experts series for children ages 6-9

Out now from Red Shed

SYNOPSIS

Mystified by money? Discover how it shapes the world we live in with Dragons’ Den investor and entrepreneur DEBORAH MEADEN.

Our EXPERTS are famous for their incredible know-how and passion for their subjects, and now they have made it their mission to share that knowledge with you in LITTLE EXPERTS: the inspirational new non-fiction series for six- to nine-year-olds.

This jaw-dropping non-fiction journey has vibrant and inclusive artwork throughout by Hao Hao.

Little Experts is an unmissable series that will empower and inspire a new generation of experts.

Also available in the LITTLE EXPERTS series:

• Amazing Bodies by DR RONX, award-winning trans non-binary emergency doctor and TV presenter.
• Marvellous Vehicles by JAMES MAY, a writer and broadcaster who is best known for co-presenting Top Gear and The Grand Tour.

Deborah Meaden’s book ‘Why Money Matters’ was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 03-07-2023.

MY THOUGHTS

This is such an important subject and I wish every child could read this book to understand the basics of money, credit and debit cards, saving and borrowing, interest, tax and much more.

Deborah has written so concisely a basic introduction to money which covers just about everything a child needs to know at the age. She begins with explaining how money came into being from the first days of bartering.

Colourfully illustrated by Hao Hao, this is sure to catch, and more importantly hold the attention of a child.

Be prepared for your child to ask to start doing chores to earn money!

I can’t recommend this book highly enough!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DEBORAH MEADEN is a highly successful entrepreneur and one of Britain’s best-known business names. She has been an investor on Dragons Den since 2006 and she also hosts BBC Radio 5 Live’s The Big Green Money Show podcast.

By James May

Part of the ‘Little Experts’ series

Published 6/7/23 by Red Shed

SYNOPSIS

Mad about marvellous vehicles? Hit the road with writer and broadcaster JAMES MAY to discover incredible human-powered vehicles – from bicycles and submarines to amphibious vehicles and even a helicopter. Yes, really!

Our EXPERTS are famous for their incredible know-how and passion for their subjects, and now they have made it their mission to share that knowledge with you in LITTLE EXPERTS: the inspirational new non-fiction series for six- to nine-year-olds.

This jaw-dropping non-fiction journey has bright, inclusive and stylish artwork throughout by Emans.

Little Experts is an unmissable series that will empower and inspire a new generation of experts.

Also available in the LITTLE EXPERTS series:

• Why Money Matters by DEBORAH MEADEN, entrepreneur, Dragon’s Den investor and host of the BBC Radio 5 Live’s The Big Green Money Showpodcast.
• Amazing Bodies by DR RONX, award-winning trans non-binary emergency doctor and TV presenter.

MY THOUGHTS

Being a fan of James May, I was over the moon to be given a chance to review his new book written especially for children age 6 – 9 years.

My first impression was ‘wow – that artwork!’ This will absolutely stand out on the bookshelves just shouting to be read!

And in this case, you can absolutely judge the book by its cover. The inner pages are just as brightly illustrated, with each vehicle discussed having the artist’s illustration.

James May is a wealth of knowledge on vehicles, and many other things, but here he shares some of his vehicle knowledge. Discussing how many ‘human powered’ vehicles work from skate boards to skis to submarines, with plenty of his witty personality included. And some physics. Of course there is!

I would absolutely recommend this book and I will be reading the rest of the series with more due out next year.

Many thanks to FMcM Associates for my review copy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JAMES MAY is a writer and broadcaster. He is best known for co-presenting The Grand Tour and Top Gear, and his previous books for adults include Carbolics and Car Fever. This is James’s first official book for children.

By Joanne Lefson

Published 3/8/23 by Octopus Books

SYNOPSIS

When Joanne Lefson took on a piglet at her animal shelter, the young sow proceeded to eat everything in her stable but a paint brush. In a flash of inspiration, Joanne attempted to introduce the pig to the art of painting – and thus Pigcasso was born.
Starting out with a humble canvas on the sanctuary wall, Pigcasso’s paintings are now owned by the likes of George Clooney, she has a Swatch watch design partnership, a wine label, and has eclipsed the previous world record holder for animal art. She’s been commissioned by Nissan and has had exhibitions in Cape Town, Munich and Amsterdam. More than that, Pigcasso’s art funds the food and veterinary services for all the animals at the sanctuary.
Pigcasso is the story of this unique pig and of the circumstances that brought her and Joanne together to take the art world by storm and form a unique and unbreakable bond.

MY REVIEW

What a – yes real life – story! What a pig!

I absolutely love pigs, and no I don’t eat them!

I couldn’t believe my eyes when Anne sent out the email about a blog tour for this book. Why had I never heard of Pigcasso?

Well I absolutely devoured this book.

Joanne is an amazing woman, enlightening people about the horrendous lives of factory farmed animals. If you are considering going vegan, this book will seal the deal.

She set up a donkey sanctuary whilst travelling through Asia, initially taking in 100 donkeys.

She rescued a dog from a shelter and travelled around the world with her new best friend, Oscar.

To honour his memory, she set up another rescue shelter this time at home in South Africa, to rescue dogs. The other half of the plot she had bought was spacious and she decided to take in farm animals in need of rescuing. And so the story of Pigcasso and her new life began.

Witty, but also difficult to read in places for animal lovers, Joanne takes us through Pigcasso’s rise to fame, the challenge of exhibiting her work in the art world, and the money she makes which remarkably pays for the upkeep of the shelter.

I absolutely loved it.

Thank you Anne at Random Things Tours for my spot on the tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanne Lefson is an animal rights activist and the founder of Oscar’s Arc, a dog adoption agency, and Farm Sanctuary SA, a sanctuary for rescued farmed animals – with a painting pig hogging the limelight. Oscar’s Arc has saved the lives of thousands of shelter dogs since its inception in 2017 and Pigcasso’s Abstract Expressionist masterpieces are sold all over the world and have raised over 3 million rand for the sanctuary.
Lefson’s unique collaborations have been featured on ABC , NBC , C BS News, SABC , SKY News, ZDF, CNN and National Geographic as well as The London Times, Sunday Times, USA Today and Spiegel. Lefson’s goal is to find a unique voice for vulnerable animals within a lost, loud world defined by human disconnect.

Publication Date: 3/7/23

Publisher: Cloverdilli House Press

SYNOPSIS

An enchanting, standalone, modern rom-com inspired by Jane Austen’s EMMA, about a
matchmaking young woman whose heart may be in the right place… some of the time.
Emmeline – Em to her friends – has very little to vex her, except that she hasn’t left her beloved home, Midwynter Hall, in over two years.
But her isolation doesn’t stop her interfering in the lives of others, particularly when it comes to love.
As a romance writer, Emmeline obviously knows what she’s doing, increasingly plotting real-life matches rather than fictional ones.
When best friend Polly gets mixed up with the wrong sort of man, Emmeline has no choice but to swoop to the rescue. And when old family friend Jordi seeks solace after women and work troubles, Emmeline has the perfect solution. You see, everything she’s written lately – pairing up lovelorn locals – has somehow (maybe magically) come true. So, if she pens a tale about Polly and Jordi
despite their many protests, they’ll thank her eventually, once they’re blissfully happy together. But no one is more surprised than Emmeline when she finds she wants to write herself into the story, especially if someone she cares about may get hurt in the process.
Because as it turns out, believing you’ve never been in love, doesn’t mean you’ve never
(unknowingly) given your heart away…

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/MidsummerMagic

MY REVIEW

I absolutely loved A Christmas Wish on a Carousel which was the first in this series so I was looking forward to reading book 3, which although set in the same area is read as a standalone.

Although she is quite a prickly and controlling character, presumable being neurodiverse, I enjoyed getting to know Em. She has been a successfull romance author but now struggles with agoraphobia so shunned the spotlight and hasn’t left her huge estate where she lives with her father for a few years.

Polly arrives to work for Em’s father, and over a cup of Yorkshire Tea they become firm friends.

As she feels she is quite the matchmaker, she decides to match Polly up with her lifelong friend Jordi. Jordi has just come out of a long term relationship and is in quite a state, and Polly has just started casually seeing the young gardener so it’s all a bit of a tangle. However Em is confident she can write their story and make it happen because she has done that before!

With Lottie’s brilliant witty writing and such a gorgeous setting for Midwynter hall, complete with its own maze and secret garden, this was an absolute joy to read .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lottie Cardew writes uplifting, contemporary romcoms set around the picturesque village of
Pebblestow, and is an advocate for diversity in fiction.
Regarded as the bossy one at Novelistas Ink, Lottie often subdues the other members if they
misbehave (they don’t really) including the popular authors Trisha Ashley and Sophie Claire. She is a
longstanding member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, scooping their New Writer’s Award in
her twenties under a different pen-name. More recently, Lottie also joined the Society of Authors
where as an active participant in the ADCI group (Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses) she
interviewed bestselling author Holly Smale in 2021 for the first ever Disability Issue of The Bookseller.
Lottie is diagnosed autistic with suspected ADHD. Her home in North Wales is overrun by husband,
not-very-small children, and a ball of fluff masquerading as a Pomeranian, so Lottie frequently takes
refuge at her desk.
Social Media Links – Twitter: https://twitter.com/MsLottieCardew
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bossynovelista
Newsletter sign up form: Subscribe to my Newsletter
Website: http://www.lottiecardew.co.uk/
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/LottieCardew.Books

Gabriela Romero Lacruz

Publisher: Daphne Press

Publication Day: 15/8/23

SYNOPSIS

Enter a lush world inspired by the history and mythology of South America, where twisted family politics deceive, dark magics thrive, and fantastical creatures roam.

Reina is desperate.

Stuck on the edges of society, Reina’s only hope lies in an invitation from a grandmother she’s never met. But the journey to her is dangerous, and prayer can’t always avert disaster.

Attacked by creatures that stalk the mountains, Reina is on the verge of death until her grandmother, a dark sorceress, intervenes. Now dependent on the Doña’s magic for her life, Reina will do anything to earn―and keep―her favor. Even the bidding of an ancient god who whispers to her at night.

Eva Kesaré is unwanted.

Illegitimate and of mixed heritage, Eva is her family’s shame. She tries to be the perfect daughter, but Eva is hiding a secret: magic calls to her.

Eva knows she should fight the temptation. Magic is the sign of the dark god, and using it is punishable by death. Yet it’s hard to ignore power when it has always been denied you. Eva is walking a dangerous path, one that gets stranger every day. And in the end, she’ll become something she never imagined.

MY REVIEW

This is a huge chunk of a book to get stuck into!

I enjoyed getting to know the world the author has created, although it was difficult initially to get my head around. The author has included a list of the characters at the beginning of the book to refer back to which I did many times until I got into the swing of the story. As with many fantasy books with their own created worlds, there is a lot to take in – a unique world with lots of characters many of which are not human. Plenty of magic. Plenty of lore. Politics. Religion. The search for belonging and acceptance features strongly from the main two female characters. And let’s add to the mix a dangerous God, whose followers want to bring back to life.

Reina. Half human, half nozariel and looked down upon by humans. She is living a difficult life when she receives a letter from the grandmother she has never met beckoning her to meet. Raina is not aware that her grandmother is a powerful sorceress. Raina sets out alone on a freezing cold and perilous journey and is almost killed when she is attacked by a pack of vicious creatures. Saved by the magic of the badge her grandmother sent her, she is found and taken to her grandmother’s home. She wakes to find the agony of her grandmother inserting a piece of ore into her chest where her heart should be. This ore is expensive, highly sought after and is used in magic. Raina feels she needs to prove her worth to be accepted fully into her new life and family.

Eva. Three quarters human and one quarter valco. Father unknown. She has been promised to a man 20 years her senior and twice her age, whom she does not want to spend her life with so plans her escape. She is being called towards magic but it is forbidden in her land so she sneaks attempts at magic when no one is around. She finds she has even carried out dangerous magic by accident with pretty scary consequences for one sleeping mother.

I enjoyed reading both of the stories, and wondered how and when the paths of Reina and Eva would cross.

A fantastic, immersive read for lovers of fantasy, which I enjoyed more and more the further it progressed.

Thank you to Black Crow PR for my beautiful proof and my spot on the blog tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born and raised in Venezuela, GABRIELA ROMERO LACRUZ now lives two thousand miles from home, in the land of bayous and astronauts. She graduated with a BS in chemical engineering from the University of Houston and, after a stint in Oil and Gas, decided to dedicate herself to the arts. She writes young adult and adult fantasy stories set in places that remind her of home, so in her mind, she’s never too far from the beaches and mountains of Venezuela. She also scratches that ChemE itch with a science fiction story or two. She illustrates as The Moonborn.