Timeless (The Parasol Protectorate #5)- Gail Carriger
Hachette Orbit, 2012
384 pages
RRP: AU$19.99
ISBN: 9781841499871

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

Gail Carriger’s previous Parasol Protectorate books are all witty, engaging, and really, just a lot of fun. Timeless is no exception, as Alexia and her erstwhile entourage travel to Egypt to investigate the God-Breaker Plague and to pay a pressing social call on the ancient Queen of the Alexandria vampire Hive. Those who have adored the series over the past three years will be saddened to know that this is the last we see of the Protectorate, but will certainly not be disappointed in the send-off Alexia has been given by Carriger.

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Rogue Gadda (Dream of Asarlai #3) – Nicole Murphy
Harper Voyager, 2011
408 pages
RRP: AU$22.99
ISBN: 9780732291631

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

All three stories in the Dream of Asarlai series from Nicole Murphy shared interesting characters, saucy love stories and an added spice of the intrigue surrounding Asarlai’s story as she tried to take down the gadda, the magical beings inhabiting Murphy’s world. Rogue Gadda, as the last in the series, is fittingly about the most powerful of the magical guardians, the Sabhamir, the protector of all the gadda. Like the others in the series, Rogue Gadda is a light but compelling read: a lovely way to while away an afternoon or two.

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The Wicked Wood (Tales from the Tower #2) – Isobelle Carmody & Nan McNab
Allen & Unwin, 2011
356 pages
RRP: AU$27.99
ISBN: 978-1-74237-441-3

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

After reading the first instalment in Isobelle Carmody and Nan McNab’s stellar reworked fairytale anthologies The Wilful Eye, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Wicked Wood. This volume certainly didn’t disappoint. With a selection of retellings that were generally less recognisable than the first, this anthology really opened my eyes to the possibilities offered by revisiting some of the old tales.

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The Spider Goddess (Pandora English #2) – Tara Moss
Pan MacMillan, 2011
348 pages
RRP: AU$22.99
ISBN: 9780732290733

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

The second in Tara Moss’s Pandora English series, The Spider Goddess continues the adventures of intrepid (and Talented) young journalist hopeful, Pandora, as she comes across the usual and unusual traps of living and working in the fashion industry in New York. Like the first novel The Blood Countess, this is a fast-paced, easy read that will appeal to teens and adults alike.

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Swimming Without a Net (Fred the Mermaid #2) – MaryJanice Davidson
Jove Penguin, 2007
281 pages
RRP: US$7.99
ISBN: 978-0515143812

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

The second in MaryJanice Davidson’s Fred series, Swimming Without a Net continues half-mermaid Fred’s trials and tribulations with her family and dating, and asks the big question: should mermaids reveal themselves to humans? This is the question being discussed at the mer-people “family reunion” Fred is invited to, and since she’s half human, she’s supposed to be able to tell them a definitive answer! However, the big question Fred seems to be spending all her time pondering is which of her paramours she actually wants.

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Roil – Trent Jamieson
Angry Robot Books, 2011
432 pages
RRP: US$7.99
ISBN: 978 0 85766 184 5

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

Roil is set in a dystopian world where the Roil, an evil force thriving on darkness and heat, is advancing. It is told from multiple perspectives, centring around Margaret Penn, daughter of Engineers in Tate in the south, and David, son of one of the politicians of Mirrlees to the north. Those who enjoy harrowing apocalyptic stories will enjoy Roil, although at times I found it a little too dark for my taste.

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The Wilful Eye (Tales from the Tower #1) – Isobelle Carmody & Nan McNab
Allen & Unwin, 2011
302 pages
RRP: AU$27.99
ISBN: 9781742374406

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

The Tales from the Tower duet are a collection of revisited fairy tales from Australia’s best-loved fantasy authors. Collected by Isobelle Carmody and Nan McNab, the first instalment, The Wilful Eye, takes a new look at “The Tinderbox”, “Rumpelstiltskin”, “The Snow Queen”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Babes in the Woods” and “The Steadfast Tin Soldier”. I’ve always been a sucker for retellings of fairy stories, and these were no disappointment.

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The Blood Countess – Tara Moss (A Pandora English novel)
Pan MacMillan, 2010
389 pages
RRP: AU$26.99
ISBN: 9781405040143

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

Having read a couple of Tara Moss’s previous mystery novels, I was intrigued to see she’d branched out into the paranormal, one of my favourite genres. The Blood Countess didn’t disappoint. It is an easy read, quite young-adult in the pacing and tone, but this meant it was a quick and interesting read.

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Sharp Turn – Marianne Delacourt (Tara Sharp #2)
Allen & Unwin, 2010
288 pages
RRP: AU$29.99
ISBN: 9781742370033

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

Tara Sharp, a private detective who can see auras, is the protagonist of Marianne Delacourt’s captivating, funny and exciting series that started with Sharp Shooter. Sharp Turn is an excellent continuation of the series, following Tara as she falls in and out of trouble, becoming more used to using her abilities in investigating.

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The Spell of Rosette (Quantum Enchantment #1) – Kim Falconer
HarperCollins Voyager, 2009
528 pages
RRP: AU$20.99
ISBN: 9780732287719

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

The Spell of Rosette is a great read. A mix of dystopian science fiction and high fantasy, it introduces the interconnected worlds of Gaela and Earth. Near-future Earth is familiar, but technology has failed with the destruction of the environment, causing the breakdown of society. Gaela is an idyllic pseudo-medieval world of magic, travelling bards and swordplay.

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