For people of a ‘certain age’ (myself included), there may be fond memories attached to school years, especially being assigned to a special school house – very handy for Sports Days, in which we competed against fellow classmates to secure a win for our school house and earn a chance to gain some precious popularity.

Remember also, the time in that final year of school when the Careers Officer would make an appearance and suggestions as to your future job.

Now imagine a scenario whereby your school house not only meant how many points you got in the Sports Day egg and spoon race, but actually dictated your entire life from birth to death; ranging from everything you owned, your style of clothing and the type of foods you were allowed to eat, along with your politics, your social behaviour, your friends, your career path, the types of housing you could inhabit, and even how you were allowed to decorate such dwellings.

At the age of sixteen, instead of a Careers Officer, you would be sent for an intense bout of psychometric testing, which would determine which house, or ‘faction’, you should become a part of during adult life.

Herein lies the conceptual basis of Veronica Roth’s 2011 debut novel, Divergent – the first in a series of three books based on the characters within post-apocalyptic Chicago, along with a series of five short stories based on characters from the book. It is also the source of a 2014 movie.

The story, told from a first-person perspective, is seen through the eyes of Beatrice Prior – a sixteen-year-old girl. The opening pages focus on her mental turmoil as she faces the challenges of the tests to find her ideal faction, along with her inner thoughts on how she personally wishes to spend the rest of her life.

Beatrice’s family all consist of members of the faction known as ‘Abnegation’ – a selfless group of people whose sole purpose is to devote their whole lives to the welfare of others, via kindness, compassion and service. As such, Beatrice has only known the values of her own faction, including dressing in shades of grey so as to not stand out in a crowd and draw any attention to the self, not to focus upon learning or education, but simply to find ways to serve others. All politicians are from this faction, as they are believed to be incorruptible.

At the ‘Choosing Ceremony’, Beatrice would be expected to fall in line with the wishes of her parents, although the choice is hers.

Therefore, within the very early stages of the book, we reach the first dramatic conflicts – will Beatrice stay true to her upbringing and serve the people of Chicago, or will she choose another role in life? – thereby disconnecting herself from her family, forever.

There are five main factions in this dystopian, future Chicago. Alongside Abnegation, there is ‘Erudite’ (The Intelligent) – people who live only for knowledge and education. At the Punk rocker edge of the factions are ‘Dauntless’ (The Brave) – people who would not look out of place in a ‘Mad Max’ movie and act as the security and bravado of the city. Beatrice’s other choices are ‘Amity’ (The Peaceful) – people who dress in bright colours and serve the city as counsellors and diplomats, or perhaps ‘Candor’ (The Honest) – the most truthful of all factions who generally work within law.

Outside of these groups lie the poor, unfortunate souls of the ‘The Factionless’ – people who do not fit into any faction, or those who have failed the initiation and training of their former factions. These people live outside of society and generally as vagrants, only deemed suitable for the most menial of tasks.

Only one other type of person remains – ‘The Divergent’. Those rare souls who appear to fit not just into one faction, but cross over into several different ones.

From the early pages, we learn that Beatrice Prior is such a rarity.

The writing style of the book is simple and direct, and it’s clear that Veronica Roth knows exactly how to put a compelling story together. Because of the first-person perspective, the reader is pulled more directly into the action, and the author does an excellent job of relaying all of Beatrice’s greatest hopes and fears. The situations of the characters, along with the locations, are all utterly believable, thanks largely to the descriptive writing talents of the writer. The action is steadily paced and never leaves the reader standing about for any length of time. In short, there is always something going on; invariably, it’s exciting and pushes the story forward at every opportunity.

For all fellow students of the writing craft, it may also draw large dollops of hopeful inspiration to learn that, having written a bunch of best-selling books, along with a movie (with several more on the way) and the winner of assorted literary awards, Veronica Roth is still only 27 years old.

It may also be of interest to know that she wrote Divergent while attending a creative writing program at university, aged just 22.

Truly, there is hope for all of us.

Ottilde and Oriabel Dominax are identical twins with opposite personalities. Ottilde is a warrior trained, strong, brash, exiled from her country and imprisoned for killing her lover, Prince Chroy. Oriabel is gentle, caring, a gifted healer and much loved by the inhabitants of her home village of Corlaan.

As Ottilde, also known as prisoner 296, languishes in a jail miles from her twin, she is visited by a mysterious being who promises to help her escape. She learns that her beloved sister is in danger and will do anything to reach her. Due to Ottilde’s war criminal status, Oriabel is under the control of an overseer and royal envoy, Sir Kester Hugo, who along with his wife, only has ill intentions for the Dominax sisters.

Oriabel hides a dark secret behind her innocent eyes. She’s a witch and up until this point has only used her power for the good of her people. Corlaan is a superstitious and religious place with a history of bloodshed of those with magical abilities. Oriabel has no choice but to hide her mentor, Jacind the elderly witch, along with the truth about what she really is.

The arrival of Lord Hito Varon, sent by the King to relive Sir Hugo of his duties, turns Oriabel’s world upside down. He is handsome, noble and she responds to him in a way she has never to anyone before. Hito also has a secret of his own. He is an Onkai, a shapeshifter, the knowledge of which is only shared with his mother, Merin. As Hito and Oriabel’s relationship progresses they fall deeply in love with each other and also closer to danger.

We are drawn into a race against time as Ottilde desperately tries to reach Oriabel before the schemes of Sir Hugo reaches their evil conclusion.

The dialogue is quick and humorous, the themes dark despite the magical overtones. The relationships portrayed are complicated but believable. Some of the characterisation appears cliched in parts but R.L.Martinez is successful in creating an inviting portrait of an exciting but perilous new world

The sisters are at the heart of a tale of magic, deception, love, power and greed controlled by a force much bigger than them. The story combines witchcraft trails and superstition with other magical elements with many twists and turns to keep you engaged.

The characters of Oriabel and Ottilde compliment each other well, what one sister lacks the other possesses in abundance. It’s a winding tale of sisterly devotion and the ties of the blood.

If you’re looking for an accessible fantasy read, look no further.

‘This is not an autobiography. I would never write a history of myself. On the other hand, throughout my young days at school and just afterwards, a number of things happened to me that I have never forgotten…I didn’t have to search for any of them. All I had to do was skim them off the top of my consciousness and write them down. Some are funny. Some are painful. Some are unpleasant. I suppose that is why I remembered them so vividly. All are true.’

At some point, probably within our earlier years of life, countless of us will have been captivated and enthralled by the words of Roald Dahl – a gifted writer who brought his imaginative stories to life with a succession of memorable fictional characters in books such as: ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, ‘The BFG’ & ‘James and the Giant Peach’.

A lesser-known book of the author – who would have celebrated his 100^th birthday in 2016 – is a 1984 autobiography, simply entitled ‘Boy’. Within these pages lie a multitude of adventures and tales from the author’s childhood during the 1920’s and 30’s. It is also the first half of Roald’s autobiographical accounts, being followed by his amazing story during World War II in a book entitled ‘Solo’ – a thoroughly recommended read.

‘Boy’ begins in his father’s native Norway and gives a fascinating account of the Dahl family.  At times, even though the accounts are true, it’s difficult not to get caught up in Roald’s writing style and wonder if he is building up more fascinating characters for a new novel. Tales abound, such as how his father lost an arm aged 14, yet successfully managed to adapt without it and never saw it as a problem in life…the only mild inconvenience ever aired being the fact that he could never manage to remove the top from a boiled egg.

Clearly, school years play a pivotal role in Roald’s childhood and it is here that we gleam fascinating insights into life during the 1920’s. In particular the reader is witness to the cruel barbarity of life within the interior of educational facilities; mostly undiscovered by the parents of the poor children enduring often-terrible treatment by vicious teachers.

Not that Roald was an angel. Carried along by his words, the reader is exposed to the planning and operation of ‘The Great Mouse Plot of 1924’ – a true escapade of naughty boys doing naughty things.  With a suitably wincing expression we can also discover how adenoids were removed in the 1920’s and also how Roald nearly lost his nose when the entire Dahl family decided to drive an early, massive car along tiny country lanes, complete with just an hour’s driving lesson. (No tests required back then).

The writing style of the book is magnetic, but then it’s Roald Dahl and perhaps we might expect nothing less from a writing master. However, there is something magical occurring between the pages of ‘Boy’. Writing this in 1984, Roald was already 68 years of age and yet the writing appears fresh; spoken like a child in a child’s wondrous, enquiring voice.

Through his words we witness the horror of public schools, with often-vile headmasters and the rigmarole of ‘fagging’. Yet we also hear of pleasant, inspiring teachers. We also visit the Norwegian fjords and delight in Roald’s innocence at encountering such natural beauty, alongside his loving, caring family.

By the time we reach the final pages of the book we have walked alongside Roald through his entire childhood and watched him arrive at a responsible adulthood, just prior to the outbreak of war in 1939. The fact that this is the easiest of processes is due to the beautiful writing structure of Roald Dahl.

Always the story-teller.

 ‘The writer walks out of his workroom in a daze. He wants a drink. He needs it. It happens to be a fact that nearly every writer of fiction in the world drinks more whisky than is good for him. He does it to give himself faith hope and courage. A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul and that I am sure is why he does it.’ 

‘Anyone who has loved two men at once knows that it’s not an abundant feeling, but mean and sweaty and undignified.’

Aemilia Bassano is an extraordinary woman in an ordinary time. Well educated and witty, possessing a sharp and brilliant mind, yet at the mercy and limitations of her gender. The story is set in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, a time when men wore entitlement like a cloak, ruling their wives and mistresses with iron fists. Reared in the court environment and a favourite of the Queen, Aemilia is in a privileged position for someone of humble origins. This is courtesy of her role as mistress to Lord Hunsdon, cousin to the Queen and a married man, who has treated Aemilia favourably for six years.

Aemilia is outspoken, talented and beautiful, attributes that are rare, making her unforgettable and highly sought after. When she meets William Shakespeare, after initial resistance, a tumultuous and all-consuming love affair begins. The result of this is a pregnancy which changes everything for her. Lord Hunsdon, unable to keep Aemilia at court and under the illusion the child is his, sets Aemilia up with a gambling husband and small house to rear the child, bringing her love affair with Shakespeare to a premature end. Aemilia refuses to tell Shakespeare that Henry, her son, is his own flesh and blood and they live separate lives until fate brings them together.

The events that follow centre around a mother’s love and devotion to her son, the downfalls of desire, and also serves as a cautionary tale to the consequences of anger. There is a strong feminist narrative throughout with Aemilia constantly questioning society and her place in it. The story often referred to throughout is of Lililth, said to be Adam’s first wife, who was created equal and refused to be subservient to Adam. There are many comparisons to Aemilia and Lilith; a woman scorned but also a woman determined to do anything to get what she wants.

The language is coarse yet poetic, the imagery visceral and honest, painting a devastating picture of Tudor London and the struggles of women of that time.

This is a story of witchcraft, women’s liberation, love and loyalty. Aemilia is loosely based on a real individual whose poems were said to be the first published by a woman. It’s an interesting story with many twists and turns that you don’t see coming. If you’re a fan of historical fiction with a twist this book is for you.

http://www.myriadeditions.com/books/dark-aemilia/

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I read this for the book club I recently joined. It’s not something I’d have chosen if I’d seen it in a shop or library, but neither is it the kind of thing that would make me recoil in disgust.
What Remains is the sixth novel in a series of crime novels featuring private investigator David Raker. I have never read the previous five books and it’s possible that I would have appreciated this novel more if I had.

The story is set in London and starts on 14 January 2014 when Raker meets up with ex-police officer Colm Healy, who he knows from previous adventures. Raker has been helping Healy, who is in a desperate situation after losing his job, becoming homeless and alienating his ex-wife and children. The trigger for Healy’s demise has been the unsolved case of the murder of a young, single mother (Gail) and her little twin daughters. Healy cannot let go of this case, and is more interested in talking about the murder case with Raker than in sorting out his own life. Healy drags Raker into re-investigating the case.

The main story is told in first person by David Raker, but it’s really Healy’s story. Raker seemed more like a prop than a fully developed character and I found his devotion to Healy over-the-top and implausible. Perhaps if I’d read the previous books in the series and had a little more background on their relationship I would’ve understood it better, but in What Remains it was just weird.

There is a second storyline which occasionally interrupts the main story and is conveniently printed in italics. It describes how a mysterious man lived with Gail, the murder victim, and her daughters in the flat where they died.

What Remains is written in an entertaining and accessible style, but because of its many twists and turns it’s not an uncomplicated read.

Thriller fans will enjoy its many exciting, high-tension scenes, narrow escapes and baffling mysteries. The mysteries intrigued me enough to try to ‘solve’ them while reading the book. The author skilfully guided me into thinking up a totally wrong solution. Once my error became clear, I was astonished. I couldn’t think of any other explanations than the one I’d come up with, and I wondered how the author had managed to mislead me so completely. I was duly impressed and kept reading, desperate to get to the bottom of the mystery – quite like poor old Healy.

*Spoiler alert*
The following paragraphs contains (minor) spoilers, so if you plan to read this novel you might want to skip this part of the review.

The reason I’d missed all the hints and signs that led to the true solution of the mysteries was that they weren’t there. Everything and everyone that had to do with what really happened to Gail and her daughters is only brought up in the last third or so of the book, which annoyed me. It was like reading a list of ingredients for a gooey chocolate cake, and then, when you reckon you’re finally going to read how to prepare that cake with those ingredients, you are told how to steam broccoli instead. My admiration for the author’s skill in misleading his reader evaporated and I became a lot less interested in finding out what had happened. Even more disappointing was the solution of the second mystery (Gail’s boyfriend): This was resolved with the old let-down of ‘It was all a dream’.

*End of spoiler*

I wasn’t incredibly impressed with What Remains but it did keep me moderately entertained throughout.

It reads a bit like an action film, so I think it will appeal to people who like a lot of action and courageous characters who work their way out of various predicaments – and judging from the glowing reviews this novel gets on Amazon and in various newspapers, there are plenty of people like that.

‘The Spook’s trained many, but precious few completed their time,’ Mam said, ‘and those that did aren’t a patch on him. They’re flawed or weak or cowardly. They walk a twisted path taking money for accomplishing little. So there’s only you left now, son. You’re the last chance. The last hope.’

Although I live in a house where female family members digest fictional books on an industrial level, it can still take me a while to catch on to new reading trends. While aware of regular visits from the postman bearing many book-shaped packages, along with mother and daughter phrases such as ‘it’s the next one in the series, you’d like them’, ‘you really should start reading them’ and ‘they’re right up your alley’, it’s taken me the better part of 2015 to finally succumb to temptation and agree to begin reading a series of books focusing on a shady, supernatural character known as The Spook.

The founding premise for this series of books (known as The Wardstone Chronicles and now totalling thirteen in number, with some spin-off books and a movie) is – like all the best creative ideas – refreshingly simple.

Thomas Ward is born into a Lancashire farming family around the year 1700. As the youngest of seven children, it is unlikely that the farm will ever find its way into his keeping, yet, unknown to him, his canny mother already has a plan. For Thomas is no mere farmer’s son. He is the seventh son of a seventh son…as is his father. Born with such a fine, supernatural pedigree, his mother decides that there is only one clear career pathway open to Thomas – he will become an apprentice to the most frightening man in the county. Therefore, aged thirteen, Thomas is given a month’s trial as an apprentice with The Spook – an elderly man who carries a double-edged reputation.

First, as the person assigned to deal with all supernatural problems across the entire county, The Spook carries immense respect and gratitude from locations besieged by ghosts, boggarts, witches and many other slithering, creepy beasties. Here is a man whose job description includes the imprisonment of evil spirits and cleansing houses of bothersome poltergeists.

Second, as the person assigned to deal with all supernatural problems across the entire county, The Spook is someone to fear; a man who walks the paths of darkness and magic. Here is a man who likely brushes shoulders with Satan himself as a natural part of his daily work and is therefore shunned by the very same society that occasionally demands and pleads for his help.

Thomas Ward is introduced into this eerie world – starting with the very basic elements of his apprenticeship; namely being left in a haunted house overnight, armed with one lit candle to test his courage and mettle against something long-dead and unseen (but definitely not unheard) that still resides within the house’s cellar…mostly.

‘When the clock strikes twelve, take the stub of the candle and use it to find your way down to the cellar…listen carefully – there are three important things to remember. Don’t open the front door to anyone, no matter how hard they knock. Don’t be late going down to the cellar.’

He took a step towards the front door.

‘What’s the third thing?’ I called out at the very last moment.

‘The candle, lad. Whatever else you do, don’t let it go out…’

The author, Joseph Delaney, has a writing style that immediately captures the reader and draws them into his world. In some ways he may remind the reader of Stephen King, in that he writes simply and directly. They also share the honour of being effortless, master storytellers. This is not to say that there is no descriptive content within the pages; far from it. While the reader is left in no uncertain terms about location, the main focus is upon the story itself, along with the development of the characters who inhabit this early 18^th century world.

As with all masters of their writing craft, Joseph Delaney instantly sets vivid scenes and fills them with gloriously rich and detailed characters; making the process of imagination an easy and pleasant journey. As such, the story moves quickly, yet, as readers, we never feel a sense of feeling disjointed or being detached from the action.

Everything is related in first-person, through the eyes of an often terrified thirteen year old.  We’re in there from the start and Joseph Delaney makes sure that we stay the course, hanging on to every word of the tale as it unfolds around us.

Accordingly, this set of novels could be used as prime training material and sources of inspiration for all budding authors, of any genre – namely, grasp the reader’s attention from the very first line and never let it drop for a single moment.

It’s a true writing gift and Joseph Delaney demonstrates it with admirable ease.

Thoroughly recommended.