Secret Ones – Nicole Murphy (Dream of Asarlai #1)
Harper Collins, 2010
416 pages
RRP: AU$22.99
ISBN: 9780732291617

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

Secret Ones is the first in the Dream of Asarlai trilogy from Australian author Nicole Murphy. It follows Maggie, a teacher who has a talent for annoying the wrong people and a big secret. She’s not quite human. She is one of the Gadda, magical beings who look and seem to be indistinguishable from humans, apart from their amazing and sometimes terrifying talent with magic. Secret Ones starts with Maggie being banished from Sclossin, the Gadda enclave in Ireland, back to her family’s home in Australia. She resigns herself to a long while in banishment, until the arrival of Lucas, an intriguing American stranger who seems to have all the hallmarks of being Gadda, but doesn’t seem to belong to any of the known clans. As they become closer, we find out that there is something much bigger afoot than Maggie’s disgrace: someone is sending magical monsters to harm her grandfather. Can the two work together to save the family, and the Gadda, from this new threat?

(more…)

Chalice – Robin McKinley
Penguin Firebird, 2010 (reprint)
264 pages
RRP: US$8.99
ISBN: 978-0-14-241720-1

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

As an avid reader of Robin McKinley since I was a young ‘un, I couldn’t wait to devour Chalice. My favourite McKinley tale has to be the original and the best, Beauty. Chalice has a lot of the magical fairytale atmosphere that I adored in that first reading, so it couldn’t possibly disappoint.

(more…)

The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance #2 – Trisha Telep (ed)
Constable & Robinson, 2010
532 pages
RRP: £7.99
ISBN: 978-1-84901-370-3

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

This collection contains a broad range of short stories loosely bundled into the paranormal romance genre. Some are more real and contemporary than others, with a couple of great reads between these covers. You certainly get bang for your buck – at over 500 pages, this gives a good overview of the genre. Most of the heroines are suitably spunky and interesting, and the situations they are in are varied throughout the book.

(more…)

Grave Secret – Charlaine Harris
Hachette Gollancz, 2010
320 pages
RRP: AU$22.99
ISBN: 9780575085565

Reviewed by Kate Smith

Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris was not what I expected it to be. Reading the earlier books first to gain an understanding probably would have helped and allowed for a greater impact from the tale.  Having said that, while it took me a little while to get into the story, Harris did smoothly integrated the uninitiated into the main people of her tale without providing a ‘summary’ at the beginning, something which is always disheartening to a reader.

(more…)

The City and the City – China Miéville
Pan Macmillan, 2010
500 pages
RRP: AU$22.99
ISBN: 9780330493109

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

The City and the City is an interesting read, exploring Inspector Borlu’s involvement in an international murder investigation of a body found in his city. I found it slow to begin, with the introduction of the two interlocking cities of the title being explored at length, somewhat to the detriment of the plot. I’ve seen many people compare this to 1984, and in structure and tone, I have to agree. The dark and initially confusing atmosphere of the twin cities and the ominous presence of the Breach and thought-crime makes this comparison an easy one.

(more…)