Category: Reviews

Haven’t blogged any reviews for a while but these two both gave me such huge pleasure, so I wanted to share them with you.

The first is Alex Pierce’s review of Transformation Space for Asif, and her reflection of the series overall. There were two things I really liked about this review.

The first is that it’s most intelligently written (and believe me it’s often NOT the way of reviews!).

The second, is that Alex highlighted a couple of things I strived so hard to achieve. I took a bunch of characters who weren’t necessarily likeable, and were all terribly flawed, because I wanted to push myself to consider the nature of being human i.e. what are we really like on the inside when we have those dark, selfish, greedy, self aggrandising thoughts? And how do we respond under pressure, given those inherent weaknesses? I wanted to give my characters room to improve but also to fail, in the way we do every day. Yet, I still wanted the reader to keep reading, which required a gripping plot line.

The Sentients of Orion series is not for readers who don’t want to think. It is not a comfort read. It is meant to prickle and prod, and at the same time rob you of your breath. If Alex is the only reader in the world who I was able to do that to, then I have achieved what I wished. Hopefully there are more like her, and if that is so, then I’d love to hear from you.

The second review is only brief but it’s my first for Burn Bright and comes from Goodreads. The reason I liked this (apart from being my first for this book) is that it compares Burn Bright to books I love.

If Isobelle Carmody’s Obernewtyn Chronicles had a baby with Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series – then this novel would be the result! And trust me, that’s a compliment. What a funky, consuming, atmospheric, intriuging read. I eagerly await the next two installments.

I’m a huge fan of Isobelle Carmody as both a writer and a person, and was thrilled to bits when she agreed (against her normal policy) to give me a cover quote. Isobelle and I were guests at a convention a few years ago in New Zealand and I felt a strong connection with her after our very first conversation. Some things you don’t let go of in life.

Melissa Marr I have not met, but Wicked Lovely was one of the most enjoyable YA books I’ve read in a long time. So, there it is. The universe sent me some love and now I’m passing it on to you.

Hold on tight to those dreams.

My most excellent roving reporter Rena Nero attended the Peekaboo premiere screening at AFTRS and has sent in this short review:

Peekaboo:

I recently had the pleasure to see a screening of the short film Peekaboo, creation of producer Joe Weatherstone and director Damien Power, as well as meet some of the cast and crew that worked on it. I had no idea what to expect from the film but can say now I’m very glad I was given this opportunity.

Peekaboo is a short film that manages to fit a great deal of impact into a very short amount of time, leaving strong emotions in its wake. It follows a mother and her two young daughters as they return from a fun day out and turns into a mother’s worst nightmare that includes a stranger and a chance encounter. Justine Clarke is wonderful as the mother, Jillian, making every reaction and emotion in this film feel so very genuine and you understand each reaction and thought as if it’s your own. But, in the end, are they the right ones?

Beyond what was on the screen, what made this such a great short film was definitely the creative team behind it. Speaking to crew members after the screening, I got a real sense of love and passion for the project from everyone involved, from the producer and director to those in wardrobe and AV. That passion combined with so much creativity and out-of-the-box thinking (the entire thing was shot in high definition using a Canon 7D SLR instead of a standard video camera) created a film that fits right into our current social mindset and makes you think.

Rena Nero:

Rena is a Canadian costume designer and photographer who has spent most of the last decade living in Sydney, Australia. She has a background in the theatre, specializing in historical period clothing, and is currently working on the production of her first short film.

So excited to see the first Trans Space review, particularly from The Falcata Times who’ve read all my books. Here’s a snip:

“It’s fast paced, the characters rounded and Marianne always has a trick up her sleeve to keep the reader guessing as to what’s going to happen as she cleverly manipulates what you’re seeing like a talented word magician.

It’s beautifully written, the dialogue is crisp and the pace is the thing that really keeps you glued to the last page as she knows how to excite and calm the reader down. Finally add a great overall plot to the tale and you know that it’s going to give you something a little special which makes this a serious series for a new generation that will continue to build as well as maintain a hard hitting pace. Great stuff from this antipodean author.”

– And here’s a link to an interview I did for The Courier Mail recently.

– IO9 have a great explanation of NASA’s announcement on their discovery about arsenic-based life.

– Stand by for an update on a live chat I’ll be doing for ASFFWA soon.

– Peacemaker sample has officially gone to my publishers. YAY!