Tymon’s Flight – Mary Victoria (Chronicles of the Tree #1)
Harper Voyager, 2010
576 pages
RRP: AU$22.99
ISBN: 9780732290986

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

Tymon’s Flight is the first in Mary Victoria’s Chronicles of the Tree series, a vaguely steampunk-high fantasy world nestled in the branches of a world-sized Tree. Tymon is the archetypal fantasy hero: an orphan with a rebellious chip on his shoulder, left to be brought up at the Argos seminary by the priests who rigidly stick with their interpretation of religion. While much of the story relies on familiar aspects of the fantasy genre, there are enough twists and turns to pique the reader’s interest.

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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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Steampunk – Ann & Jeff VanderMeer (ed.)
2008, Tachyon Publications
373 pages
RRP: US$14.95
ISBN: 9781892391759

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

This anthology is a diverse mix of novel excerpts and short stories from the canon of the steampunk subgenre and rounded out with some newer stories. They are balanced by some non-fiction writings on the genre. Steampunk aficionados will find the collection a useful addition to their libraries.

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Heartless – Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate #4)
Hachette Orbit, 2011
336 pages
RRP:AU$19.99
ISBN: 9780356500096

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

The whole of the Parasol Protectorate series so far has been a delightful romp, and Heartless is no exception. Carrying on from the previous novel, Alexia must deal with her “inconvenience” whilst solving mysteries, averting dastardly plans and most importantly, drinking enough tea. Thankfully, Alexia is back in England where she can indulge in her favourite beverage to her heart’s content.

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Familiar – Michelle Rowen (novella)
Amazon Digital Services/Smashwords, 2011
RRP: US$0.99
ASIN: B0050OWWIO

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

Familiar, a novella first published in Trisha Telep’s Kiss Me Deadly anthology of young adult paranormal romance, has been released separately as an ebook on Smashwords and Amazon. It’s about a young, reluctant witch-in-training, Brenda, who chooses a kitten as her familiar, only to find out that it’s no ordinary cat.

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Corsets & Clockwork – Trisha Telep (ed.)
Running Press, 2011
448 pages
RRP: US$9.95 (paperback), US$7.95 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-0762440924

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

Corsets and Clockwork is a collection of thirteen steampunk/romance stories. They range from sweet, gentle love stories with a hint of steampunk about them, to gritty and disturbing tales of power and corruption. Nominally focused at a young-adult audience, the anthology has a much larger appeal to those who enjoy steampunk.

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Light My Fire – Katie MacAlister (Aisling Grey: Guardian #3)
Penguin Signet, 2006
352 pages
RRP:US$6.99
ISBN: 9780451219824

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

It’s been a bit of a Katie MacAlister couple of weeks on this site, which is mainly due to the light and easy-read nature of her books. Light My Fire is no different. Following on from You Slay Me and Fire Me Up, it follows Aisling Grey, Guardian, Wyvern’s Mate, Demon Lord and general magnet for trouble. Like the previous two, Aisling spends the novel being chased by various bad guys as she falls in and out of every possible dilemma.

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Cupid Cats – Katie MacAlister, Vicki Lewis Thompson & Connie Brockway
Penguin Signet, 2010
400 pages
RRP: US$7.99
ISBN: 9780451230720

Reviewed by Liz Grzyb

Cupid Cats is a collection of three novellas centred around kitties from the “Cupid Cats” shelter, who true to their name, help to bring a little romance and a hint (or more) of the paranormal into the protagonists’ lives. Each author’s Cupid Cats refuge is different, which is a bit disconcerting, but as long as the reader doesn’t compare the stories’ worlds, each works well.

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You Slay Me (Aisling Grey: Guardian #1) – Katie MacAlister
Penguin Onyx, 2004
352 pages
RRP: US$7.99
ISBN: 9780451411525

Fire Me Up (Aisling Grey: Guardian #2) – Katie MacAlister
Penguin Signet, 2005
368 pages
RRP: US$7.99
ISBN: 9780451214942

You Slay Me and Fire Me Up are the first two novels in Katie MacAlister’s Aisling Grey, Guardian series. Aisling Grey is a Guardian, as the title states, however she has only just become aware of the fact, being thrown into the world of the supernatural and paranormal. Her Guardian status isn’t the only surprise in store for Aisling; she also finds out she is destined to be a dragon’s mate…

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Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol – Toby Haynes (director), Steven Moffat (writer)
BBC
Originally broadcast: 25 December 2010

Reviewed by George Ivanoff

With the rebirth of the Doctor Who series in 2005, it has become the done thing to produce a yearly Christmas Special — an extra-long episode with a rather tenuous link to the holiday season. Generally, the Christmas Specials have not been the best examples of what the series is capable of. The 2010 special, A Christmas Carol, now released on DVD, is without a doubt to best of the lot.

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