Category: Reviews

Reviewed by Mandy Wrangles

Tanyana is special. Her career as an architect – a pionner – makes her one of the most highly regarded people in society.  By manipulating pions, the particles that hold all matter together through a blend of ritual and innate talent, Tanyana and her team are working on a giant construction; a prestigious statue named Grandeur in the city of Movac-Under-Keeper. And then something goes wrong. Tanyana is left injured, humiliated and without the ability to see or manipulate pions. She is cast into a world quite the opposite to what she knows – that of a lowly Debris collector.

Tanyana is denied justice at every turn. No one wants to know or listen to her; no one wants to be the one to help her find who – or what – caused her fall from grace. Her critical circle, the nine skilled binders who worked below and in harmony with Tanyana have abandoned her, and sinister undercurrents sweep and still her every movement.  Money ebbs from her bank account, the mysterious collection suit (and its creator) she finds is now part of her physical being is without explanation or an instruction booklet. Blank-faced ‘Puppet Men’ are watching, but no one can tell her why, or who they are. Not only is she is shunned by the society she once knew, she’s not exactly accepted with open arms by the debris crew she’s allocated to. Tanyana is alone, lost and powerless.

Debris collectors are the lowest of the low in the country of Varsnia, but without them, debris – the waste product left behind by pions – threatens to cause some serious damage. It’s when Tanyana finds her feet as a collector that this story really amped up for me. The relationships between the collection team are cautious and real, they trust each other but are innately suspicious of Tanyana – she represents everything they’re not. Each team member is drawn extremely well, and it’s easy to care about them very quickly, particularly the mystifying and childish Lad. The relationship Lad has with his brother Kichlan is an especially beautiful and intriguing bond; one that I’m looking forward to learning more about.

Debris is an exceptional novel. I have to admit, it’s taken me a long time since I finished reading to write this review. There are so many layers (yep,
just like an onion only tastier) I wasn’t sure where to begin. The physical aspect of Tanyana’s fall is the tip of the iceberg; Anderton’s observations of society and class system – and then the layers within that system – are written in a way that stays with you long after the story is finished. This is a story that sits somewhere in between fantasy and science fiction with a good dose of steampunk thrown in, but the themes covered and revelations about humanity are decidedly real. I’m a huge fan of a well-built world, and Debris ticks every box. The reader is treated intelligently, there are no over explanations to the workings of this world, just enough to keep you questioning and looking for the drip-fed answers while the action moves at a fast pace around you.

Debris is the first novel from Australian Jo Anderton, but not her first published work; she has a serious sackful of short fiction credits to her name. I for one will be sourcing those short stories to tide me over until the next instalment in The Veiled Worlds (Suited), is available later this year. I can’t wait to see what else Anderton’s  remarkable imagination has dreamed up.

Debris by Jo Anderton

Published by Angry Robot

Paperback – 408 pages

ISBN – 978-0-85766-153-1

Storm Born: Graphic Novels by Richelle Mead, Grant Alter and Dave Hamann

Eugenie Markham never asked for any of this. Until now, she’s been content with her job as a freelance shaman, battling and banishing Otherworldly creatures. When a prophecy suddenly makes her the Otherworld’s most popular bachelorette, Eugenie finds herself fighting off unwanted supernatural suitors, as well as the evils that begin emerging from her past…

In volume one, as Eugenie is going about her normal business of banishing the Otherworldly creatures from disrupting people’s lives, she comes to discover several of them mentioning her by her real name. Not only that but they seem to be getting a little frisky. She seeks out the opinion of her stepfather who calms her down. He says that sometimes it’s a normal occurrence in the business. Then she tells him that she has been approached by a gentleman to travel into the underworld to rescue his sister who was kidnapped a year ago.  Her stepfather discourages her from crossing over because it’s dangerous on the other side and who knows what could happen to her there.

In volume 2

Eugenie Markham never asked for any of this. Until now, she”s been content with her job as a freelance shaman, battling and banishing Otherworldly creatures. When a prophecy suddenly makes her the Otherworld”s most popular bachelorette, Eugenie finds herself fighting off unwanted supernatural suitors, as well as the evils that begin emerging from her past…

A sexy night with a one night stand is interrupted by an Ice Elemental. Surprisingly it’s Kiyo who attacks the Elemental first, while Eugenie runs to find her purse containing her weapons in which she can help Kiyo banish the Elemental. At this point they realize that they really don’t know each other, and Eugenie becomes guarded deciding she does not know if she can trust Kiyo. The next morning she realizes the scratches on her back that Kiyo made during their night together are not healing. She also decides to take on the job of finding the guy’s kidnapped sister.

Volume 3

Eugenie Markham never asked for any of this. Until now, she”s been content with her job as a freelance shaman, battling and banishing Otherworldly creatures. When a prophecy suddenly makes her the Otherworld”s most popular bachelorette, Eugenie finds herself fighting off unwanted supernatural suitors, as well as the evils that begin emerging from her past.

As the story progresses in volume 3 trouble erupts when Eugenie crosses over and discovers more than she was ready for. She’s learning that everything she has ever known about herself and her family…and her job, may not be as is seems.

She also finds an unexpected friend.

Volume 4

Eugenie Markham never asked for any of this. Until now, she”s been content with her job as a freelance shaman, battling and banishing Otherworldly creatures. When a prophecy suddenly makes her the Otherworld”s most popular bachelorette, Eugenie finds herself fighting off unwanted supernatural suitors, as well as the evils that begin emerging from her past…

Things become way to intense for Eugenie. Her family is in danger and her world is falling apart. Now is time for her to find the power inside her and kick some Demon ass!

The integration of Richelle Mead’s Storm Born series into a graphic novel was really well done. It was the first time I wanted to read one volume after the other, just devouring the story and really enjoying the artwork as well. There is enough of the story line to really keep the reader engaged and anticipating what will happen next.

I give this series 5 stars, highly recommended!

MDP: We don’t review books as a rule on the main site (here!) but occasionally a book comes along that I’m keen to give some air-time. I’ve long been a fan of Kim Westwood’s writing – and Mandy Wrangles has written a through appraisal of her new book. Enjoy!

The Courier’s New Bicycle – Kim Westwood’s second novel – is provocative and, at times, confronting. It’s a glimpse into a not-so-impossible near future, thrusting the reader into a world that’s so familiar, and so real it’s unsettling.

Salisbury Forth is a bicycle courier in post-pandemic Melbourne. After the government rolled out a flu-vaccine to a panicked public, an unexpected side-effect screws with hormone levels and leaves most of the population infertile and desperate for cures. The religious party ‘Nation First’ has been voted into power, prohibiting ‘unnatural practices’ including gene therapy, hormone replacement and surrogacy. The only cure they condone for the return of family is prayer. Salisbury delivers ethical hormone treatments for her boss, Gail, who has been forced to move her business underground – a dangerous occupation that could get Sal killed at any time.

But delivering contraband isn’t Sal’s only reason to beware the religious zealots and vigilante groups operating under the guise of the law. Sal is a sexual transgressor, androgynous and prefers women as her sexual partners. Her very existence has become illegal.

When a batch of deadly, tainted hormones packaged as Gail’s makes its way onto the street, Sal is charged with finding out who is behind the plot to wipe out her boss’s business. Is it someone wanting to take over Gail’s lucrative patch, or are there even more sinister motives behind the pesticide-enhanced kit circulating the streets with Gail’s stamp on them?

The Courier’s New Bicycle has it all. Page flipping pace, almost as fast as Sal’s bike itself, this is a story that will not only make you pause and ponder your own ethical standards and acceptance of government policies, but it’s beautifully and sparsely crafted:

‘I am a machine, legs and lungs pumping, body tucked flat and low, eyes on the route ahead. Speeding along the city streets, a shadow with lights and reflectors flashing, a savage joy ripples through me. Adrenaline courses, quicksilver, in muscles and ligaments, joints and skin, and I feel nothing of the cold, the dark, the jolting surfaces…’

As a Melbourne native, I particularly found Westwood’s use of the city as a backdrop fun and enlightening. Some of the city’s landmarks and streets have retained their original names and appearance, yet others, though still recognisable have been renamed in accordance with the country’s new religious obsession. Westwood has rebuilt Melbourne as a dark and dangerous place, while losing none of its gothic beauty along the way. Prayer groups huddle under sparse streetlights, and the wealthy financial districts have morphed into safe places for brothels and surrogacy teams.

This is a gritty story that brings bare-bones emotion to the fore. One particular scene early in the book, where Sal takes part in a clandestine animal rescue operation was so raw and graphic, was almost too difficult to keep reading. However this scene is pivotal to not only the story and its conclusion, but also in the way we get to know Sal and her ethical standards and beliefs. She is a character of immense backbone, willing to put her own safety on the line to stand by what she knows is right.

Westwood’s darkness is sprinkled with moments of humour – I particularly loved Sal’s cat, the purple glow-in-the-dark Nitro; just like Sal herself, his existence has been outlawed by moralistic bigots too frightened to think for themselves. There were also moments of true friendship and loyalty so tender, it felt as though I was intruding on private conversations and thoughts.

The Courier’s New Bicycle is not what I would label as an easy read, purely for the subject matter. While Westwood’s word craft is stunning, the reader is shocked over and over again by the feasibility of a near future just like this one. This is a story that will – and should – stay with you long after the last page is read, as commentary on a society that just may well be where we’re heading.

Published by Harper Voyager.

Paperback, 327 pages.

ISBN – 978 0 7322 8988 1