The Workers’ Paradise – Russell B. Farr and Nick Evans (editors)
2007, Ticonderoga Publications
224 pages
RRP: AU$20
ISBN: 978-0-9586856-7-2
Reviewed by Kate Smith

Australia is still a relatively new nation and principles that existed in the beginning, such as workers’ rights and conditions, are still very important. However they have changed and will continue to, particularly considering the current world economic environment.  Such an important concept of the worker in Australia’s future is an important one and is not only intriguing but also appropriate to consider.

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The Dragon with the Girl Tattoo – Adam Roberts
Hachette Gollancz, 2010
320 pages
RRP: AU$17.99
ISBN: 9780575103726

Review by Kate Smith

Firstly I must admit ignorance of the story of which the title is based.  I did consider reading the book in question however this did not occur.  This means that I cannot comment on the cleverness or accuracy of any parody that may exist in term of that text.  What I can say is that The Dragon with the Girl Tattoo is a smooth and amusing read, perfect for a lazy afternoon in the sunshine.

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The Quantum Thief – Hannu Rajaniemi
Hachette Gollancz, 2010
336 pages
RRP: AU$32.99
ISBN: 9780575088887

Reviewed by Kate Smith

This was an interesting choice for me as I don’t usually go for science fiction.  Intrigued enough to give it a go, I was not disappointed.  The first thirty pages or so needed to be slogged through as the story was given its foundation but hang in there as the tale definitely gets more engaging.

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The Traitor’s Gate – Sarah Silverwood (Nowhere Chronicles #2)
Hachette Gollancz, 2011
352 pages
RRP: AU$22.99
ISBN: 9780575095809

Reviewed by Kate Smith

I was very happy to have this book offered to me as I enjoyed the first part to The Nowhere Chronicles in The Double-Edged Sword.  However, The Traitor’s Gate is a much darker story, and it gets darker very quickly.  In fact it is a very typical second part of a three part story – the introduction with hope, the darkest hour, and (one hopes) the dawn and resolution.  This particular darkest hour is very dark indeed, with everything that can go badly for the hero, going totally badly.  This does not make it the easy and happy read that the first part of the tale was, but it does allow for character and plot development.  Silverwood constructs her story well with pieces of the unknown past coming together smoothly but the twists and turns of the tale are not entirely unexpected.  The fact that there are no true surprises or shocks with developing events does not, however, detract from the enjoyment of the tale.

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The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss
Hachette Gollancz, 2008
672 pages
RRP: AU$24.99
ISBN: 9780575081406

Reviewed by Kate Smith

It was the back of the second book in this series, The Wise Man’s Fear, that caught my attention to begin with: a blurb on the basis of which I tracked down the first part of the tale so I could get the full story (as I always prefer to do).  As a frequent reader of this genre, I was interested but not desperately as I have often been let down by a blurb before.  Not desperately interested, that is, until I started reading.

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More Scary Kisses – Liz Grzyb (ed)
Ticonderoga Publications, 2011
260 pages
RRP: AU$25
ISBN: 978-0-9807813-2-8

Reviewed by Kate Smith

Having absolutely loved Scary Kisses, I approached More Scary Kisses with both anticipation and apprehension.  Scary Kisses was such a wonderful combination of stories, such a different take on the world, snapshots of lives from a different perspective.  Hence  my apprehension.  However I was assured by a friend that More Scary Kisses would not let me down.  That friend was absolutely correct.

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The Double-Edged Sword – Sarah Silverwood (Nowhere Chronicles #1)
Hachette Gollancz, 2010
352 pages
RRP: AU$22.99
ISBN: 9780575095793

Reviewed by Kate Smith

I have never been one to avoid books because of their targeted age range. I have come across both shockers and brilliant stories in all ages ranges, and The Double-Edged Sword lies far closer to the positive end of the spectrum, despite not being primarily targeted to an adult audience.

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Blameless – Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate #3)
Hachette Grand Central, 2010
400 pages
RRP: AU$15.99
ISBN: 9780316074155

Reviewed by Kate Smith

Too often it seems with series of books that authors are not able to sustain the vivid flash of inspiration that captivates the reader in initial works.  Happily with Blameless Carriger does not fall into that particular hole.  While I did not enjoy Blameless quite so much as her previous two novels, this was due to the path of the storyline rather than any inherent deficits in the writing.  Carriger does a lovely job of unfolding a more intricate world around her heroine, a world far more complex than the lady in question had been aware of, and she does this without unnecessary and lengthy detailed paragraphs that can slow down the reader and the bounce of the story.  In unfolding this larger world Carriger brings new characters to life and develops existing ones further.

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Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2) – Gail Carriger
Hachette Grand Central, 2010
374 pages
RRP: $14.99
ISBN: 978-031-607414-8

Reviewed by Kate Smith

Changeless is the continuing story of Alexia Tarabotti, however Alexia’s role in life has changed.  From a wallflower resigned to a life outside mainstream society, Alexia is now wife of the Lord Maccon (and therefore of great interest to London society), female Alpha of the Woolsey Pack of werewolves, and Mujah on Queen Victoria’s Shadow Council.  Alexia stands up to all these challenges in her customary practical manner.  The shift of location to Scotland is something particularly new that Alexia has to cope with but she deals with her husband’s past and a lot of hairy men in skirts much better than her friend, Ivy, and the sister she finds herself encumbered by.

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All Clear – Connie Willis
Allen & Unwin, 2010
656 pages
RRP: AU$32.99
ISBN: 9781741758429

Reviewed by Kate Smith

After having read Blackout, it was with some trepidation that I picked up All Clear. Blackout had not left me with a desperate desire to continue the story or find how it concluded, and as I trawled through the first half of the text I was not encouraged. As a reader who usually finds it difficult to put down a novel, in this case I found it difficult to pick it up between chapters. I was a little disappointed also with a few stereotypical plot devices and phrases at certain times but this was due to my feeling that Willis’ story was something different from the mainstream and I may have expected more from it because of this. These small negatives, however, do not mean that All Clear should be avoided. There is no doubt in my mind that Willis is a very good writer and the plot in overview was what piqued my interest in the first place.

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