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Tag: Fantasy Crime
Waiting on Wednesday – Dead Man in a Ditch by Luke Arnold
On April 22, 2020 April 22, 2020 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Fantasy, Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday7 Comments
Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can't-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this latest Waiting on Wednesday article, I check out the urban fantasy novel, Dead Man in a Ditch, the sequel to Luke Arnold's amazing debut, The Last Smile in Sunder City.
I have got to hand it to the feature author of this article, Australian actor and writer Luke Arnold: he is going out of his way to make sure that 2020 is his year. Not only did he have his writing debut with his first novel, The Last Smile in Sunder City, one of the more impressive fantasy releases I checked out in early 2020, but he is bringing out a sequel to this excellent debut less than seven months later, with Dead Man in a Ditch, which is currently set to come out in September 2020.
The Last Smile in Sunder City was the first book in The Fletch Phillips Archives, which follows the titular protagonist, Fletch Phillips. The series is set in a world formerly dominated by magic and magical creatures, with humans living as an oppressed and overlooked underclass. However, this all changed when a group of humans, guided by a young and naïve Fletch, somehow destroyed all the magic in the world, leading to a chaotic new landscape in which the formerly magical creatures do their best to survive and humanity is on the rise thanks to their technology.
I really enjoyed The Last Smile in Sunder City when I read it earlier this year, especially as Arnold crafted together an exciting and compelling murder mystery storyline and set it in a unique and impressive new fantasy world, the distinct nature of which really helped to enhance the story. As a result, I am rather looking forward to seeing another fun story set in this inventive universe, and I am very curious to see how Dead Man in a Ditch stacks up to The Last Smile in Sunder City, and whether Arnold can follow with another great book.
Goodreads Synopsis:
The name's Fetch Phillips–what do you need?
Cover a Gnome with a crossbow while he does a dodgy deal? Sure.
Find out who killed Lance Niles, the big-shot businessman who just arrived in town? I'll give it shot.
Help an old-lady Elf track down her husband's murderer? That's right up my alley.
What I don't do, because it's impossible, is search for a way to bring the goddamn magic back.
Rumors got out about what happened with the Professor, so now people keep asking me to fix the world.
But there's no magic in this story. Just dead friends, twisted miracles, and a secret machine made to deliver a single shot of murder.
Well, I like the sound of where this latest book is going. It looks like Arnold is going to combine together a bunch of competing mystery storylines and interweave them together into one intriguing narrative. It also looks like the protagonist is going to continue to explore the series' overarching storyline about the disappearance of magic in the world, and the various attempts by the former magical creatures to recover their lost power. I have a lot of confidence that this second book from Arnold is going to be just as entertaining and exciting as The last Smile in Sunder City, and I am really looking forward to grabbing Dead Man in a Ditch later this year.
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
On April 17, 2020 August 14, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Fantasy, Five-Star Books, Murder Mystery6 Comments
Publisher: Bloomsbury/Audible Studios (Audiobook – 3 March 2020)
Series: Crescent City – Book One
Lenght: 27 hours and 50 minutes
Prepare to meet your new obsession! One of the world's top young adult fantasy fiction authors, Sarah J. Maas, breaks into the adult fantasy fiction genre in a big way with the first book in her brand-new Crescent City series.
Sarah J. Maas is an author that needs very little introduction. She is one of the most highly regarded young adult fantasy authors in the world today, having written two major bestselling series and a couple of standalone young adult novels. Maas debuted in 2012 with Throne of Glass, the first novel in her acclaimed seven-book long Throne of Glass series, and she has since gone on to write a second major series, A Court of Thorns and Roses. I have been meaning to check out some of Maas's main series for a while now, especially Throne of Glass, as I have heard some very good things about them. Unfortunately, the only book of Maas's that I have so far read was her DC Comics tie-in novel, Catwoman: Soulstealer, which I really enjoyed, especially as Maas had an amazing understanding of some iconic comic characters. As a result, I was interested when I heard about her new book, House of Earth and Blood, and I was curious to see how her first adult fiction novel would turn out. This is the first book in the Crescent City series, which presumably will be the author's main body of work for the next few years. I received a physical copy of this book to review, although I eventually decided to listen to the audiobook format to fit it into my reading schedule, and I have to say I was rather impressed.
Welcome to Crescent City, a bustling metropolis where magic and technology meet in a world ruled over by all-powerful godlike creatures. Bryce Quinlan is a half-Fae, half-human, party girl at the low end of her world's magical hierarchy, content to live her days clubbing and celebrating with her best friend, the powerful werewolf Alpha Danika Fendyr. All that changes the night Danika and her entire wolf pack are brutally slaughtered while Bryce is out partying. Bryce arrives home just in time to encounter the demon that committed the act, chasing it out into the streets before it escapes, never to be seen again.
Two years later, Bryce is a shell of her former self. Still reeling from the death of the closest person in her life, Bryce finds herself without direction or purpose. However, the revelation that a fresh wave of killings that mirror the bloody way Danika and her pack were taken out quickly changes that. Due to her experiences with the unknown species of demon and her intimate knowledge of Danika's movements and history, Bryce is tasked by the governor of Crescent City to find who or what is summoning the destructive demons and unleashing them upon seemingly random members of the populace. However, Bryce will not be working on this case alone, as she finds herself teamed up with the governor's personal assassin, the brooding, dangerous and surprisingly attractive fallen angel, Hunt Athalar.
Begrudgingly agreeing to work together, Bryce and Hunt start to scour the dark underbelly of their city, attempting to find any leads to who summoned the demon. However, they soon run afoul of many of Crescent City's inhabitants, some of whom do not want the pair to uncover the truth. As they dig further, they begin to uncover a terrible conspiracy with terrible connections to Bryce's traumatic past and which threatens all of Crescent City. However, the closer they come to the truth, the more pain and torment the two damaged souls uncover, especially as both of them try to fight the intense feelings blooming between them. With the fate of Crescent City hanging in the balance, can Bryce and Hunt get to the bottom of these killings, or will they be overwhelmed by all the hurt that is about to come their way?
Well damn, that turned out to be one hell of a book. I do have to admit that I'm not usually a fan of major romantic subplots in the novels I read (I know, typical male, Bryce would probably be calling me an Alphahole), and I was a little apprehensive that the romantic angles described in the book's synopsis would overwhelm the fantasy story. However, any doubts I had about whether I was going to enjoy House of Earth and Blood were quickly blown away in the early stages of the story, especially once I hit the major plot development about 70 pages in. From there I was absolutely hooked on the story, as Maas kept piling on revelations, shocking moments, character development and an impressive murder mystery. I ended up really loving this amazing novel, and I ended up giving it a five-star rating.
I really enjoyed the way that Maas told this story, and this book contained an expansive and deeply addictive narrative that proved hard to put down at times. House of Earth and Blood is told from several character perspectives, most notably Bryce and Hunt, although quite a bit of the story is shown from the perspective of Bryce's half-brother, Ruhn Danaan. Having these three main point-of-view characters results in a much more expansive story, as each of them has their own contributions to the plot, although there is a huge amount of crossover between each of their storylines. While Mass tends to focus most of her character development and storylines around Bryce, Hunt and Ruhn, there are a number of additional supporting characters, some of whom have some rather interesting roles throughout the book. Maas also includes a huge amount of foreshadowing throughout the book, hinting at several things that are to come further along in the narrative. While it is obvious where some of this foreshadowing is going, some of it was only noticeable in hindsight, and some of these more subtle inclusions made me really appreciate the author's clever writing style.
One of the best things about this book was the incredible and intriguing new fantasy world. The Crescent City series is set on a version of Earth called Midgard, which was invaded thousands of years ago by vast armies of various magical creatures, ending humankind's dominance of the planet. The modern world of Midgard is a chaotic and fascinating place, filled will all manner of magic and creatures who live in a hierarchal system, with all-powerful beings at the top and humans at the very bottom. There are so many cool elements to this world, from the unique magical systems, the different factions and organisations, and a vast multitude of different magical creatures with their own traits and characteristics. Maas dedicates a substantial amount of time exploring all these different elements of her new world, and the result is an impressive and vast setting which serves as a fantastic backdrop to this exciting story. I also liked the rather fun similarities between this fantasy world and the modern world, and it was interesting to see fantasy creatures running around with modern technology such as phones and guns. I also had a rather good laugh at some of the television shows that the author featured in the book, including a rather trashy-sounding True Blood inspired television show, which was made fun of relentlessly for its sexual content (which is kind of ironic considering how much sex was in this novel). Maas is clearly a master of universe building, and she has come up with a really great fantasy world that holds a lot of potential for future novels in the series, as well as opening up the possibilities of spin-off stories around some of the fantastic side characters introduced. I personally would love to see a novel based around the character of Fury Axtar, the mysterious assassin friend of Bryce, who has a minor role in the book.
In addition, Maas has also come up with a rather clever murder mystery storyline that I had an outstanding time unwrapping. The vast majority of House of Earth and Blood's plot revolves around the murder of Danika Fendyr and her pack, as well as the similar murders that are occurring in the modern day. The subsequent investigation by Bryce and Hunt turned into a rather captivating storyline, as they explored the underbelly of their fascinating city, trying to find leads and uncover who had a motive to kill Danika. This whole mystery storyline goes to some very interesting places, and Maas comes up with a number of red herrings, alternate suspects, potential leads and side mysteries (a missing magical horn and a new street drug), all of which come together into a pretty incredible and clever narrative. I was actually rather surprised about who the culprit turned out to be, although Maas does set up the reveal rather well, and there are some rather clever hints in hindsight. That being said, while I didn't know who the culprit was in advance, I totally knew where the final showdown with them was going to take place, and how the whole confrontation was bound to go down (there was a literal Chekov's gun there). Still, it turned into quite a good confrontation scene, and I had a good laugh at the over-the-top way that the villain was taken down for good. This was a rather impressive element of the story, and I hope that Maas includes some more clever mysteries in her future books.
While I really loved the fantastic story, incredible world building and captivating mystery, the true centre of this book are the two compelling and exceedingly damaged main characters who Maas sets the story around, Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar. Maas does some outstanding work setting these characters up, exploring their pasts and developing their personalities and emotions throughout the book. Bryce starts House of Earth and Blood as a seemingly carefree party girl with major daddy issues. However, the loss of Danika in the book's first act severely changes her, as she has to deal with an extreme amount of guilt, isolation and social hatred in the following two years. This really alters her as a character and turns her into an extremely vulnerable person with a real emotional investment in the case, who hides all her true feelings behind a sassy and angry façade. Hunt, on the other hand, is a powerful fallen angel who lost his freedom and the love of his life in a failed rebellion against the ruling gods of the planet, and has spent the last several decades being tortured and used by the victorious archangels, and is now the personal assassin of the governor of Crescent City. Now known throughout the city as the Umbra Mortis, the Shadow of Death, Hunt is a simmering pot of anger who is resentful of how he has been treated all his life, and who is determined to be set free. Like Bryce, he is deeply invested in solving the case, as its resolution will allow him to take a serious step towards freedom, and on the surface he is the more serious of the duo. However, also like Bryce, Hunt has some major vulnerabilities and he is hurting deep inside. Both Bryce and Hunt are incredibly interesting protagonists, and I am really impressed with the layers that Maas was able bring to their characters, which added a significant amount to the story.
While Bryce and Hunt are amazing characters in their own right, the real magic comes when they are paired together. It is obvious from the start that these two are going to hook up at some point, but the journey to get there was written extremely well. The combination of these two exceedingly vulnerable and complex characters in the story is great, and it makes for some incredible and dramatic story moments, as Bryce and Hunt slowly work out all their issues and history. The way they slowly go from dislike to mutual respect to lust/romance is accompanied with a slow exchange of secrets, facts and personality reveals, and I had an amazing time seeing them come together as a couple. This turned into quite a good romantic subplot, although the two of them have some major bumps and betrayals along the way. Still, there are some rather nice moments in their relationship, from the way that they take care of each other after traumatic events, to funny reveals and mutual moments of protecting one and other. Bryce and Hunt make for a great pair, and I am really impressed with the way that Maas portrayed them and the complex story she wove around them. It looks like there are more secrets and backgrounds about both coming up in the future books, and I am looking forward to seeing where Maas takes them in the future.
While this book had some amazing elements, I did find this novel to be a tad trashy at times. As I mentioned above, this is Maas's first foray into non-young adult fiction, and she certainly did not shy away from adding all manner of adult content into her book. While I can certainly appreciate Maas wanting to differentiate this book from some of her young-adult fiction work, I honestly think she overcompensated. This book is filled with a huge amount of adult language and sexual content, as pretty much every character in this book is crude, rude, oversexed and incredibly thirsty. While some of this served a purpose, such as showing what sort of party-girl character Bryce was before the traumatic incident, the sheer amount of stuff that Maas included was a bit over the top, and I found it to be somewhat distracting at times. This book also introduced me to the brand-new term, Alphahole. In the context of this book, an Alphahole is the term that Bryce gives to any magical male who thinks that their abilities and power give them the right to control women and run their lives, especially those women with less magical power than them (i.e. humans and half-humans like Bryce). Unfortunately, in this book pretty much every male that Bryce encounters is an Alphahole in her opinion; even the more redeemable characters like Hunt or Ruhn are deemed Alphaholes at the start of the novel, especially once they venture an opinion about her behaviour or actions. While I appreciate that this dislike for domineering men is part of Bryce's character due to her father, and controlling guys really aren't that cool in either fiction or real life, I do think that Maas kind of overdid their inclusion just a bit and I was honestly getting sick of hearing Alphahole as a descriptive term by the end of the book (although it became less apparent as the story progressed).
As I mentioned above, I ended up listening to the audiobook version of House of Earth and Blood. This audiobook has a runtime of 27 hours and 50 minutes and is narrated by Elizabeth Evans. I am rather glad that I decided to check out this format of the book. While I probably would have finished it off faster if I had read a physical copy (it took me a few weeks to get through the audiobook), I always feel that I absorb more of the novel when I listen to it, especially with longer books. This proved to be really useful when listening to House of Earth and Blood, as Maas packed so much plot and world building into this immense novel, and I think I ended up getting more out of this book by utilising this format. I have to say that I was also immensely impressed with Elizabeth Evans's narration. Evans did an incredible job bringing the story to life, and her steady and emotional dictation of the story really helped me get to the end. I really loved the cool voices that Evans was able to come up with for all the characters, and I think that each of them matched the distinctive personalities of each character. Evans produced a huge range of different voices for these characters, and I really liked how she was able to alter them to reflect the ethereal or magical nature of some of the characters featured in the book, as well as hint at how powerful some of these creatures were by modulating her tone and adding a commanding quality to it. This was an impressive and deeply enjoyable audiobook adaptation, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in enjoying House of Earth and Blood. That being said, be careful where you listen to this book, as it can be a little awkward to hear some of the steamy sex scenes when you are out in public. I somehow managed to be out shopping during two separate and particularly graphic scenes, and it proved very hard to keep a straight face while I was trying to grab groceries.
House of Earth and Blood is an incredible adult fiction debut from Sarah J. Maas, who has produced another outstanding and captivating read. There are so many excellent and enjoyable story elements in this book, and I absolutely loved every second I spend listening to it, even though some parts were a little over the top at times. This was an awesome start to Maas's new Crescent City series, and I cannot wait to see what impressive and addictive story the author comes up with next. This novel comes highly recommended, and it gets a full five-star rating from me.
Waiting on Wednesday – False Value by Ben Aaronovitch
On October 17, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday8 Comments
Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can't-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I check out a book that is sure to be on most fantasy fans' November wish lists, False Value by the incredible Ben Aaronovitch.
False Value, which is set to be released in a few short weeks, is the eighth novel in Aaronovitch's highly acclaimed Rivers of London series. This series follows its protagonist, police officer and apprentice wizard Peter Grant, as he attempts to navigate the various dangers of London's magical underground, which is dominated by the powerful personifications of the various rivers running through the city, but which also features rogue wizards, hostile ghosts and talking foxes.
Peter Grant is facing fatherhood, and an uncertain future, with equal amounts of panic and enthusiasm. Rather than sit around, he takes a job with émigré Silicon Valley tech genius Terrence Skinner's brand new London start up—the Serious Cybernetics Company.
Drawn into the orbit of Old Street's famous 'silicon roundabout', Peter must learn how to blend in with people who are both civilians and geekier than he is. Compared to his last job, Peter thinks it should be a doddle. But magic is not finished with Mama Grant's favourite son.
Because Terrence Skinner has a secret hidden in the bowels of the SCC. A technology that stretches back to Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage, and forward to the future of artificial intelligence. A secret that is just as magical as it technological—and just as dangerous.
I am really looking forward to checking out False Value, as the Rivers of London series is probably one of the best examples of modern urban fantasy around at the moment. Aaronovitch's previous books have done an outstanding job of combining creative fantasy elements with police procedural investigations into intriguing mysteries to create first-rate reads. For example, the seventh book in the series, Lies Sleeping, was an absolutely incredible book that had me hooked from page one. This latest book has another fascinating-sounding story, and I look forward to seeing how the author combines magic with ancient and futuristic technology. Based on all of this, I am extremely confident that False Value will blow me away, and I am planning to grab my copy as soon as possible. I also have to say how much I like the new fluoro green cover; it is a very interesting look that ties in well with the series focus on ghosts and spirits.
Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch
On March 18, 2019 August 13, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Fantasy, Five-Star Books, Murder Mystery7 Comments
Publishers: Gollancz and Orion Audio (Audiobook format – 15 November 2018)
Series: Rivers of London – Book 7
Length: 10 hours 25 minutes
Prepare to dive headfirst into one of the best urban fantasy series in the world today, with the seventh book in Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series, Lies Sleeping.
London is a magical place, especially for Peter Grant, Detective Constable and apprentice wizard. Peter is a member of an elite unit of the London Metropolitan Police, known as the Folly, which is tasked with investigating magical crimes and protecting the city from all sorts of magical threats. The person at the top of the Folly's most wanted list is Martin Chorley, also known as the Faceless Man, a magical criminal mastermind who is determined to do whatever it takes to gain power. However, despite the Met and the Folly's considerable resources, Chorley is always able to stay one step ahead of those chasing him.
During a routine attempt to subtly panic several of Chorley's known associates, a magical creature attacks a potential witness. Peter's investigation soon reveals that the witness had ordered the forging of a large and mysterious bell, which Chorley is desperate to get his hands on. As Peter and his team dig deeper in the bell's construction, they quickly begin to realise that Chorley is the final stages of his master plan, a plan tied deeply into the heart of London's dark and bloody history, and one which could cause untold disaster for the entire city.
As the clock ticks down, Peter needs to work out the connection between London's past and the mysterious magical events occurring all over the city. Can Peter and his team once again save the day, or will their adversary finally obtain the power he has always desired? Moreover, what will Peter do when he comes face to face with the woman who betrayed him to Chorley, his old partner in the Met, Lesley May?
Ben Aaronovitch is a highly regarded author with an interesting writing history to his name. His writing career began back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when he wrote a couple of Doctor Who television serials, including the highly regarded serial Remembrance of the Daleks, as well as three entries in the Virgin New Adventures series of Doctor Who books. The Virgin New Adventure series chronicled the adventures of the Doctor after the television show's hiatus in 1989. Aaronovitch's three entries in this book series sound incredibly interesting, although they were considered to be somewhat controversial at the time due to their more adult content. Aaronovitch did not get around to writing his fantasy work until 2011, when he wrote the urban fantasy Rivers of London. This was the first book in the author's Rivers of London series of books (alternatively known as the Peter Grant series or the PC Grant series), for which the author is best known for. The Rivers of London series is very highly regarded, and Aaronovitch has worked hard to expand on the story and universe of this series, writing a number of novellas, short stories and graphic novels on top of the series' main seven books.
Before Lies Sleeping, I had never got around to reading any of Aaronovitch's books, despite hearing good things about his main series. As a result, I was very happy that I finally managed to check out the series earlier this year. I did receive a trade paperback edition from Hachette Australia, but in the end, I chose to listen to the audiobook version of this book, narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. I have to say that I was extremely impressed with this brilliant book and found that I really enjoyed the excellent and captivating story. Lies Sleeping easily gets a full five-star rating from me, and I fully intend to go back and check out the other books in this series. This book is an excellent blend of the fantasy and crime fiction genres, both of which come together perfectly to create an extremely compelling and complex read.
Lies Sleeping will prove to be extremely appealing to huge range of people; not only pre-existing fans of the series but also those readers who have not read any of the Rivers of London books before. As a first-time Aaronovitch reader, I found that it was incredibly easy to step in and enjoy this series, as the author did a fantastic job making Lies Sleeping accessible to everyone. While Aaronovitch has created a huge amount of lore around his series, including in his novellas and comics, the reader does not need to have any knowledge of these or the previous six books in the series to fully understand the entirety of Lies Sleeping's story. However, those readers who do have experience with this series will love how the story continues to development, as well as the massive and surprising twists that occur throughout the book.
At the core of this book lies a series of intriguing mysteries that take place throughout London. In order to achieve his villainous goals, the antagonist has embarked on a series of seemingly random and chaotic crimes and ventures, all of which apparently form part of his master plan. These various mysteries or criminal events were really interesting, and I liked trying to work out how they would all come together. I particularly liked how various parts of these mysteries were deeply tied into the history of London, and the protagonist needed to gain a historical understanding of some of various myths and legends surrounding London. Watching the protagonist attempt to unwind the complex plan of the book's villains was extremely compelling, and I had a great time trying to work out what was happening myself. One or two threads of these mysteries did go unsolved in this book, and I will be curious to see if they are picked up in any of the future entries in this franchise.
Aaronovitch is clearly a very creative writer, as he utilises a huge range of different and fairly unique fantasy elements throughout this book. While there are a large number of wizards, spells and elvish beings throughout the book, the main focus is on the titular rivers of the series. The more common magical beings encountered in this series are the personifications of the various rivers and waterways (current and historical) that flow through and around London. These beings are similar to gods, although the term genius loci may be more appropriate, and have a huge range of powers. These are a really intriguing addition to the book, and it was interesting to see the protagonist attempt to deal and interact with the various river characters, including his girlfriend, Beverly Brooke (yes, the main character of this series is dating a river). There is also a huge range of other genius loci, or similar beings, that are featured within the story, including the mysterious and insane Mr Punch. The magic that the human characters utilise is complex and slightly less ostentatious than some classic pieces of fantasy, but when the master wizards get to work it can be quite impressive.
One of the things I liked best about this book is how the author could create a realistic British police narrative and ensure magic became part of the procedure. The Folly may be a special branch of the Metropolitan Police, but it is still part of the police force, and as such the characters are forced to follow standard procedure when investigating magical crimes. Having these elite magical characters fill out paperwork and other various elements of day-to-day police life was deeply amusing. I did like seeing how regular law enforcement tactics, anti-crime strategies and police combat techniques could be utilised against magical opponents. The overall fantasy elements of this book are really enjoyable, but I really liked to see them be blended with a classic British police story.
Aaronovitch has done a fantastic job creating a huge and intriguing group of characters for this series. The protagonist of Lies Sleeping and the Rivers of London series is Peter Grant, police officer and official wizard's apprentice. Peter is the sort of protagonist I really enjoy (sarcastic, funny and determined) so I quite enjoyed having him narrate the story, making a number of great jokes throughout. The other police characters make up a great supporting and diverse cast, with a range of different abilities and characteristics. I especially liked the classy and wise Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, the last officially sanctioned English wizard and Peter's mentor. He is an extremely charming and old-fashioned character who has a huge amount of magical power at his fingertips and who can be quite intimidating if he puts his mind to it. I also quite enjoyed the other magical characters that appeared throughout the book, as Aaronovitch has created a bevy of river gods and associated genius loci characters. I liked how many of these ancient characters portrayed modern characteristics and ways of speaking, even when talking in a historical context. Long-time readers of the series will also enjoy the further exploration of several recurring characters, including finally revealing the backstory of the mysterious Mr Punch.
While the protagonists and supporting cast are great characters, I really liked the antagonists in this story. The main villain of the story is Martin Chorley, also known as the Faceless Man. He is an excellent antagonist who is built up as a master planner, master magician and crazy villain before you even see him in the book. His master plan was fairly complex, and the character's overall arc in this book featured some massive twists that I did not see coming. Lesley May is another really complex character who is a great addition to the series. Her relationship with Peter is one of the best parts of the book, as even after her betrayals earlier in the series, he is still trying to save her from herself. The way this works out in the end is quite dramatic, and it will be interesting to see where it goes from there.
While a large part of this book is set out more as a slow and steady police procedural, there are some fantastic action sequences within Lies Sleeping. These come about when the protagonist attempts to stop the plans of the Faceless Man, and all manner of chaos erupts. Nothing highlights this better than an extended action sequence which involves Peter chasing after a van on a bicycle, throwing fireballs, while all manner of debris is magically flung at him and several pursuing police vehicles. The magical duels between some of the participants, mainly Nightingale and Martin Chorley, can be particularly impressive, but I personally liked how many of the confrontations devolved into fist fights as both sides attempt to distract the other and disrupt their castings. Plus, where else are you likely to see British police with truncheons attempt to fight evil wizards? These amazing action sequences really added to the story, and it was great to see all this magic in action, rather than being theorised the entire time.
While I would have already been tempted to give Lies Sleeping a five-star review, the thing that definitely clinches it for me is the amazing audiobook adaption of the novel, narrated by actor Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. At nearly 10 hours and 30 minutes, this is a moderately easy audiobook to get through, and I had an absolute blast listening to it. Holdbrook-Smith has an amazing voice and his work narrating this audiobook was just incredible. His voice for protagonist and story narrator Peter perfectly encapsulated the character and got the full force of his witty and enjoyable personality across to the reader. I really liked all the voices that Holdbrook-Smith created for the various characters featured throughout Lies Sleeping, especially for some of the magical creatures, who had an air of ancient wisdom in their voices. However, without a doubt my favourite voice was the one for Nightingale. The voice chosen for Nightingale is full of all sorts of old British class, and I thought it fit the character perfectly and was one of my favourite parts of this whole audiobook. Aside from the outstanding voice work, I also quite liked the jazzy music that was played at the start of each chapter. It gave the book a real noir private investigator feel, and I like how it added to the tone of the book as a whole. The audiobook version of this book also helped me understand the story a bit better as an outsider to the series, and that, combined with Holdbrook-Smith's brilliant voice work, makes me completely happy to recommend the audiobook format of Lies Sleeping.
Aaronovitch once again delivers a spectacular read that expertly combines amazing fantasy and crime fiction elements into one widely outstanding narrative. There are so many excellent elements to this book, and I had absolutely loved my first foray into the Rivers of London series. I strongly recommend listening to the Lies Sleeping audiobook, narrated by the very talented Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, but those readers who prefer to read their books will also find much to enjoy about this fantastic book. This is one of the best urban fantasy books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I fully intend to go back and check out all the preceding books in this series, and I can't wait to see where the series goes next. Five stars all the way.
The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan
On January 28, 2019 August 19, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy5 Comments
Publisher: Orbit (Paperback Edition – 17 January 2019)
Series: Black Iron Legacy (Book 1)
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
From debuting author Gareth Hanrahan comes the grimdark fantasy book that everyone has been talking about, The Gutter Prayer. This debut novel has been getting some serious hype from a lot of fantasy reviewers, so I was very happy when I got my copy earlier in the week, as it will give me a chance to check it out for myself.
For thousands of years, the large, sprawling city of Guerdon has survived against all manner of attacks and calamity. In recent years, the city's alchemical industry has taken off, producing powerful weapons and twisted creations to sell to Guerdon's warring neighbours, involved in the destructive Godswar. But with the rival nation's eyes on Guerdon, refugees flooding into the city and the city's various factions fighting for power, the potential for chaos is great.
In the middle of all this, three mismatched young thieves – stranger to the city, Cari; the Stone Man, Spar; and Rat the ghoul – find their lives changed forever. Hired by the leader of the city's criminal element, these three thieves attempt to break into an important civic building, only to be nearly killed by a massive explosion and framed for the crime. Pursued by the Alchemist Guild's murderous enforcers, the Tallowmen, and the relentless thief-taker, Jere, the three friends attempt to escape their pursuers, but find themselves entangled in a terrible plot to bring destruction to the city.
Ancient creatures are rising from the city's bloody past, and the city's old gods are prepared to rise once again. As Cari, Spar and Rat uncover the full extent of these gods' power, they must contend with others who seek to use the chaos for their own ends. With everything on the line, can the three friends find a way to stop the events unfolding, or will their failure result in the destruction of everything they hold dear?
This is Hanrahan's first fictional book, although the author has written a number of gaming manuals and fantasy guides over the years. However, with the evident popularity of The Gutter Prayer among the fantasy community, it seems extremely likely that this will not be Hanrahan's only book. Indeed, the author already has plans for a sequel, and The Gutter Prayer will form part of this planned Black Iron Legacy series.
I thought that The Gutter Prayer was an ambitious and intriguing new entry to the fantasy genre, and it is definitely worthy of the hype around it. Hanrahan presents a wide-ranging and dark story of magic, religion and betrayal, and he sets it within an imaginative new fantasy landscape with a ton of unique fantasy elements and creatures. The story is then based around several great characters, each of whom has their own compelling arc within the narrative. The result is an excellent and memorable novel that showcases Hanrahan's creativity and serves as an amazing introduction into a bold new fantasy universe.
This book contained a fantastic and intense story which focused on a variety of different characters and follows their attempts to investigate and forestall the strange events occurring around them. I really enjoyed this story, although I had a little bit of a hard time getting into it at the start of the book due to mass of story and fantasy elements I was bombarded with. However, I am extremely glad that I powered past this first part of the book because once I was able to place all the story elements together I appreciated the book's wild and intricate plot. One of the main things that I really loved about this book was the inclusion of a significant number of different characters and factions, each with their own motivations and hidden secrets. As a result, you have no idea who is going to do what next and who is going to betray the protagonists to serve their own needs, creating an unpredictable story. The narrative is also extremely dark, and readers should be prepared for characters dying or being altered in some way or another. This is some fantastic storytelling from Hanrahan, and an overall clever narrative.
One of the most talked-about elements of this book is the author's use of a huge range of unique fantasy elements. Hanrahan has come up with and expertly utilised a ton of creative, inventive and at times just plain creepy new fantasy elements. The best example of this has to be the Tallowmen, humans that have been turned into living candles, often as punishment for crimes. These creatures are strong, lethal and fast, serving as the guards and law enforcers of the Alchemist Guild. Their terrifying appearance, distinctive abilities and the glow of their candle flames as they hunt down the protagonists are extremely memorable. Another terrifying inclusion is the Ravellers, servants of the city's ancient gods who have the ability to unravel people out of existence and take on their appearance. There are also the ghouls and Stone Men. Stone Men are humans infected with a disease that slowly turns them into stone, although their condition can be held back by an alchemical compound. The depictions of their condition are pretty horrific, and there is the interesting double-edged sword of the disease: they become stronger the more their condition progresses, but they also become less able to live normal lives. The ghouls, humanoid creatures who feast of the dead flesh of humans, are an element that most fantasy fans will be familiar with, but Hanrahan has made some clever alterations to these creatures by expanding on their life cycle and making them a key part of the city's history. Another awesome creation is the Crawling Ones, a sentient hive of worms who take a human shape and are powerful magic users.
In addition to the above unique fantasy creatures, The Gutter Prayer also introduces the author's great new twist on fantasy gods. The world of the Dark Iron Legacy is filled with a vast pantheon of powerful gods, which forms a critical part of this universe. Many of the deities outside of the city are engaged in a massive conflict known as the Godswar, where these gods and their followers are involved in battles against each other for supremacy. While we get a brief look at this in The Gutter Prayer, most of the focus of this book is on the gods of Guerdon. While a few other religions are mentioned within the city, the main two pantheons are the Kept Gods and the Black Iron Gods. Both of these different gods are extremely intriguing, and I particularly loved the concept of the Kept Gods, who are chained and whose intake of prayer is controlled by their church to limit their power and control their actions. The Black Iron Gods are a darker and more ancient pantheon with a great history, a horde of sinister followers and a captivating physical presence. I also liked this universe's concept of saints, those humans gifted power by their connection to the gods. There are a couple of saints featured throughout the book who form an integral part of the plot, powering through the story with a range of different powers and abilities. Quite frankly, all of these unique fantasy elements are deeply intriguing, and Hanrahan uses all of them perfectly to enhance his outstanding story. I do hope that the Godswar will be explored in future books, as that sounded like a really fun concept that I would be deeply interested in.
Guerdon is a decent grimdark fantasy city, and it serves as the primary setting for most of the city. The city's range of interesting and unique residence allows for a fascinating overall story and makes this a fantastic setting. I really like how the city is home to a range of competing factions, such as the Alchemists, the Church, the criminal organisation known as the Brotherhood, politicians and the city's non-human races, each of whom have different plans for the future of the city. This is a pretty typical dark, crime-ridden fantasy city, but it works really well as a setting for this story. The author's deep exploration of the history of his fantasy city served as a useful plot point, and I love how the city's past came back to haunt it in a number of ways.
I have to say that I was really impressed with Hanrahan's character work within this book. The author introduces a number of amazing characters, most of whom get deep and satisfying story arcs. The main three characters are particularly great. I really liked Spar, who is not only the son of one of the city's most famous criminals, but who is also a Stone Man. It is through this character's eyes that we get the best view of the living hell of life as a Stone Man, as Spar is forced to deal with all the unpleasant side effects that his condition brings. At the same time he must deal with his family legacy as he fights to achieve his father's dream of a more noble Brotherhood while forced to work for its current corrupt leader. Rat the ghoul is another interesting character. As a ghoul, he is generally supposed to live under the city, but he likes living above the streets with his friends. Rat is constantly conflicted between loyalty to his friends and to his race's ancient promises, as well as dislike for the traditional ghoul lifestyle. Finally, there is the mysterious young thief, Cari, who holds a dark secret in her past. Cari is a rebellious young female protagonist who is developing strange new powers. The exploration of her past and her abilities is a key part of the book and a good basis for a large portion of this plot. I liked the way that these three characters cared for each other and how their stories remain interconnected even as they have their own unique adventures within the story.
While these three main characters serve as an extremely powerful narrative base for The Gutter Prayer, the author also focuses on a couple of additional point-of-view characters, including the veteran thief-taker, Jere; Cari's cousin, Eladora; and the saint of the Kept Gods, Arla. These characters do not get as large a focus as the book's three main characters, but their parts of the book are quite significant. Each of them also has a full character arc within the book, and they all develop or change in substantial ways. Jere is a grizzled private investigator obsessed with taking down the Brotherhood, and his investigations for the first two-thirds of the book provide the reader with some vital plot detail. I really liked the end to Jere's character arc, which was both dark and satisfying. Eladora is a sheltered scholar who gets a rather rude awakening about life throughout the course of this book. Eladora is not my favourite character, but I did like her gradual transformation from damsel in distress to something more useful. Finally, there is Arla, who would have to be my favourite side character. Arla is a saint of the Kept Gods blessed with fiery powers as a result. Arla is a badass and entertaining character who spends most of the book fighting her opponents with her fiery sword and generally not acting in a way most people would consider saint-like. I especially love when she utilises her god-empowered voice to command people, as she is usually swearing while doing this. This comes up in the text in all caps, and you have to imagine it sounds pretty impressive in this book's audiobook format. There were a number of other entertaining side or minor characters throughout the book that the author put to good use, and I will enjoy seeing what role they will play in any future books in the series.
Overall, I truly enjoyed The Gutter Prayer and was impressed by Hanrahan's magnificent debut. This was an excellent piece of grimdark fantasy which expertly combined some very inventive fantasy elements together with a fantastic story and some excellent characters. With this first book Hanrahan has shown some incredible talent as a fantasy storyteller whose outstanding imagination is his biggest asset. This is a highly recommended book which lives up to the substantial hype surrounding it. I am already extremely keen for any additional books in the Black Iron Legacy, especially as the interview at the end of the book implies that Hanrahan has some brilliant ideas for the rest of the series.
Waiting on Wednesday – The Thorn of Emberlain by Scott Lynch
On January 2, 2019 January 2, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday4 Comments
Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.
For my first Waiting on Wednesday for 2019, I will be looking at a fantasy book that has been on many people's waiting lists since 2013, The Thorn of Emberlain by Scott Lynch. The Thorn of Emberlain is the fourth planned book in Lynch's Gentleman Bastards series, which started with the epic 2006 release The Lies of Locke Lamora. The Gentleman Bastards series follows the adventures of a small gang of conmen, known as The Gentleman Bastards, as they attempt to steal and embezzle money from the rich and powerful in a unique and excellently crafted fantasy world. The third book in the series, The Republic of Thieves, was released back in 2013, and fantasy fans have been eager for the fourth book to be released ever since. Unfortunately, The Thorn of Emberlain has been delayed multiple times in recent years, with potential release dates announced for 2016 and 2017 falling through. As a result of these delays, The Thorn of Emberlain is now one of the most highly anticipated pieces of unreleased fantasy fiction, up there with The Doors of Stone (working title for the third book in The Kingkiller Chronicle) and The Winds of Winter (upcoming sixth book in A Song of Ice and Fire). Despite the delayed release, some details have trickled through about this book, such as the above cover, and the synopsis below.
Goodread Synopsis:
Locke Lamora, thief, con-man, pirate, political deceiver is back, and now he must become a soldier.
A new chapter for Locke and Jean and finally the war that has been brewing in the Kingdom of the Marrows flares up and threatens to capture all in its flames.
And all the while Locke must try to deal with the disturbing rumours about his past revealed in The Republic of Thieves. Fighting a war when you don't know the truth of right and wrong is one thing. Fighting a war when you don't know the truth of yourself is quite another. Particularly when you've never been that good with a sword anyway…
The first thing I should mention about this book is, unlike the other books I have previously examined in my Waiting on Wednesday segments, I have no idea when it is going to be released. At this point in time, Goodreads and several other sites have no definitive release date included, and I cannot see any recent posts online about it coming out. However, Amazon and Book Depository currently both have late 2019 release dates (although neither site has the same release date), potentially indicating that the book may be released later this year. While I really hope that it will come out in 2019, I realise that there is a very strong possibility that I might have to wait a little longer.
Why I am so eager to get a copy of The Thorn of Emberlain? The main reason is that I really loved the first three books in the series. I first read them in 2016 when I was first getting back into fantasy after several years focusing on historical fiction, and it was one of the series that really got me back into the genre. I really enjoyed the series's fantastic humour, brilliant twists, clever examination of the criminal element of a dark fantasy world and the inclusion of magic and elaborate alchemy in heists and embezzlements.
I loved all three of the books that Lynch has released so far. The Lies of Locke Lamora really does live up to the hype surrounding it, and is an outstanding debut from Lynch, featuring a superb story in the outstanding city setting of Camorr. The second book, Red Seas Under Red Skies is just as epic in my opinion, continuing the amazing style of the first book, while also adding in a ton of great new elements. The third book, The Republic of Thieves, is probably the weakest book out of all of them but it still retains the fun storytelling and features of the first two books, while also including a fantastic split timeline narrative. I also must commend the audiobook versions of these three books and their narration by Michael Page.
In addition to my past enjoyment of this series, what has been revealed about The Thorn of Emberlain already sounds quite promising. It sounds like the Gentleman Bastards will be dragged into a war that has been slowly brewing in the last few books of the series. Knowing the main characters of the series, you have to imagine that they will be engaging in some elaborate plot to get rich off the war, and I am looking forward to them attempting to con a rich general or warlord of some variety. It also sounds like the Gentleman Bastards will have to go undercover as soldiers, which is reminiscent of the plot of Red Seas Under Red Skies, in which the characters had to pretend to be sailors. As that was one of my favourite parts of Red Seas Under Red Skies, I am eager to see the characters undergo the transformation into soldiers, especially Locke, who has never been a particularly good fighter.
In addition, it sounds like there will be some other interesting elements in this latest book. Lynch has previously revealed in a Twitter thread from February 2018 that he will be including a homosexual character in his latest book, and he appears to very keen to provide a sensitive and positive representation of this experience in his book. I think this will be a great element to the book, and I am interested to see how Lynch's new characters add to the story. Some of the other details revealed in this thread also sound quite interesting, as Lynch indicates he has done extensive research on horses, rivers, architecture, roads, wolves, farms, stabbing people with swords and much more. Considering the sheer amount of research that would have been required for previous books, I am really looking forward to seeing what all this work will turn into.
Overall, this book has been near the top of my personal to-read list ever since I finished The Republic of Thieves. I hope that it is released at some point soon, but even if it takes a while to finally come out, I will be waiting eagerly for it.
Priest of Bones by Peter McLean
On October 22, 2018 August 20, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, LGBT+, ThrillerLeave a comment
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books
Publication Date – 2 October 2018
For those looking for some down and dirty fantasy crime, look no further than Priest of Bones, the new release from fantasy author Peter McLean, which provides the reader with a dark, violent and downright entertaining story.
After achieving victory in a devastating war, thousands of soldiers begin the long and weary journey back home through a countryside ravished by war, plague and famine. Among those soldiers returning to the industrial city of Ellinburg is Thomas Piety, priest of Our Lady of Eternal Sorrows and leader of a small and loyal band of killers. Thomas has taken his duty as a soldier and a priest seriously, but now it is time for him to return to what he knows best: crime.
A successful crime lord before his conscription, Thomas believed he had left his territory in capable hands. However, upon his return he discovers that his entire criminal empire has been taken over by a new gang that appears to have origins outside of Ellinburg. With no choice but to reclaim what is his, Thomas and his soldiers, including his loyal sergeant, Bloody Anne, and his damaged brother, Jochan, do what they do best and go to war.
As Thomas and his gang, the Pious Men, reclaim territory and re-establish themselves in Ellinburg, they begin to realise that they are facing an opponent far more dangerous than the usual gangs and criminals of the city. Their opponents are organised, have the best weapons money can buy and even have a couple of magic users. To make matters worse, Thomas finds himself entrapped by one the deadly Queen's Men, the feared order of spies and assassins loyal to queen, who have some special plans for the Pious Men. Now, Thomas and his soldiers must embark on a dangerous and bloody crusade against the other gangs of Ellinburg. Victory will mean control of the city's crime, while defeat will spell doom for them all.
Priest of Bones is an excellent example of fantasy crime fiction done right as McLean has produced a story that is action-packed, incredibly intriguing and very enjoyable. McLean has been writing fantasy for a few years and is probably best known for The Burned Man series, an urban fantasy crime series that focused on a magical hitman. He also has a few short stories to his name, including some set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Priest of Bones is the first book in his new War for the Rose Throne series, which will continue next year with the highly anticipated Priest of Lies.
The story contained within this first book is an amazing fantasy crime narrative which sees the protagonist work to reclaim his criminal holdings from a powerful new gang that has moved into the city while he was gone. This starts out exactly as you would expect from this sort of story as the protagonists attempt to regain territory, one business at a time, while their opponents launch counterattacks and raids of their own. The protagonists come up with some effective plans for taking territory and show what happens when a bunch of soldiers engage in some brutal urban combat. There is a large amount of action throughout this book, which McLean records in bloody and enthralling detail. This action mostly takes the form of small skirmishes and battles, although there are some magical battles which do result in some more gory and spectacular deaths. All of this is incredibly fun, and it works very well with the intriguing side stories and character exploration to create a compelling overall narrative. As the book progresses, an element of political intrigue takes hold as new players enter the game. This represents an interesting but subtle change to the pace of the book and doesn't result in any loss of action or excitement. In many ways, it appears to be a setup for the next book in the series, which sounds like it's going to have a much more political focus to it. McLean wraps this all up with a memorable conclusion that I won't elaborate on, but is the perfect ending for this outstanding and extremely enjoyable piece of fantasy crime.
The central gang that McLean looked at in the plot, the Pious Men, are a strong bunch of characters who serve as a fantastic focal point for this series. All of the Pious Men are former soldiers who have recently survived the war and are still haunted by the horrors they experienced, especially at the devastating siege of Abingon. Quite a few of the characters from this small band of soldiers are explored throughout the book, and while some of these characters only get minor mentions, a number do get expanded roles throughout the book and are shown to have some form of development or are slotted into a role that they make their own. One of the most interesting features of this book is the way that McLean has focused on just how badly the war has messed up these characters, as pretty much all of them are suffering from PTSD in some way or another, referred to by the characters in the book as battle shock. This is handled very well and allows for some fantastic scenes, as characters who initially come across as quite amiable for most of the book go berserk when attacked, while other characters who appear quite strong find themselves crippled by these memories.
The leader of this group of former soldiers turned criminals is Thomas Piety, who serves as the book's main protagonist and only point-of-view character. Thomas is a good central character to anchor this story, who for the most part comes across as a cold and calculating person who knows how to get what he wants. As Priest of Bones continues, it is slowly revealed that there is a lot more to Thomas's character than what is originally believed, as he is trying to hide not only the emotional damage from Abingon but the dark memories from his childhood that are still driving him to this day. It is interesting to see Thomas try and reconcile his new role as a priest of Our Lady of Eternal Sorrows with his role as a soldier and crime lord. It is also intriguing to see that one of his deeper motivations is based on his belief that his criminal enterprises not only will make his city a better place but may also save it from a similar fate to Abingon, something he is desperate to never see again. As the story is completely shown through Thomas's viewpoint, the reader gets the benefit of his cynical attitude as well as his humorous and accurate insights throughout the book. This is a great focal character for this book, and I had fun exploring his full depths.
Quite a lot of time is also spent exploring the other members of the Pious Men that follow Thomas back from the war. The best of these characters is easily Bloody Anne, the hard-as-nails sergeant who is Thomas's most loyal soldier and friend. There is detailed examination of Anne's past which reveals a lot about her current character, including her distrust of magic users. This turns into quite a nice side story, as Anne finally starts to overcome her past enough to start exploring a relationship with the prostitute Rosie. Thomas's brother, Jochan, is also an intriguing character who fits in well with this darker story. Jochan is your standard unhinged killer, who has some of the funniest lines and can be found in the middle of all the big fight scenes. His presence results in a lot of the book's tension, as he and Thomas clash about everything. McLean has also created a very traumatic backstory for Jochan that not only helps to humanise the character as the reader gets further into the book but also explains a lot about Thomas's deeper motivation and the guilt he feels whenever he thinks of his brother. Other great characters that the reader should keep an eye out for are the fake knight Sir Eland, the mysterious barmaid Ailsa and Billy the Boy, the Pious Men's good luck charm who is clearly going to be a very important character throughout the rest of the series.
In Priest of Bones, Peter McLean has delivered a fast-paced and captivating piece of fantasy crime that is filled with a ton of graphic violence, a number of exhilarating fight scenes and some excellent character driven story work. This new book is a wonderful introduction to the new War for the Rose Throne series, and I'm already looking forward to the follow-up book in 2019. Clever, bloody and all sorts of fun, readers will have a blast checking this book out.
Throwback Thursday: Canberra Weekly Column – Fantasy Crime
On August 23, 2018 October 23, 2018 By The Unseen LibraryIn Canberra Weekly Column, Fantasy, Murder Mystery, Throwback Thursday5 Comments
Reviewed as part of my Throwback Thursday series, where I republish old reviews, review books I have read before or review older books I have only just had a chance to read.
Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 28 September 2017.


text:
The Crew Of The B-24 Liberator "Star Valley" – Downed Behind Enemy Lines
Jul 31, 2017 Guest Author, Guest Author
Photo credit: Rick Stelper.
War History Online presents this Guest Article by Mark Gero
Saturday, February 5th, 1944, in a remote part of central France lies a village called St. Leonard En Beauce, around 30 miles North of the largest town in the region, Blois. A beautiful morning with the snow still on parts on the ground, the day beginning very clear, but cold. The children in the village are in school for only a few hours, and looking forward to enjoying the rest of the day later.
The area, as well as the rest of the country, have been under Nazi occupation for nearly four years now, and the sound of Allied bombers are in the distance to the west indicate that one day soon, freedom will drive out the occupiers for good.
Thousands of feet up into the sky in this area is the B-24 Liberator known as the "Star Valley," which is on their eighth of 25 scheduled missions, now on their way back to their base in Shipdham, East Anglia, England. Their job today is to bomb a Renault works manufacturing plant near Tours, in the Loire et Cher region. Now returning north, all the ten crew members are looking forward to getting back and enjoying a drink at the bar.
Suddenly, without warning, a flight of German aircraft approaches, in which one Focke Wulf FW 190, takes a shot at the Star Valley. The plane itself, in the back of the wing formation, becomes the target of the German Pilot, Kurt Buhligen. One member of the crew, left waist gunner Kenneth Hall, mistook the plane for an American fighter, and tried to contact it. By the time that the plane began to fire on the Liberator, Hall did not have time to react and stayed frozen next to his weapon. The right waist gunner, Warren Klein from Detroit, Michigan, called Joseph Morin, who was the tail gunner, to try to shoot down the airplane coming at it. Meanwhile, in all the confusion, the plane was hit in the number two engine, which began to catch on fire; Klein tried to get through to the pilot of the plane, Carl Bohnisch from California, to ask for support.
Bohnisch, meanwhile, was trying in vain to keep the airplane from spinning, while Morin in the rear of the plane was firing like crazy. Now, without warning, the plane's tail began to malfunction, and Morin realized that it was time to get out of his position and move to the front, to find someone else on the crew to communicate with the possibility of having to abandon the airplane. He met up with Klein at the back hatch for a few moments, when the plane began to spiral as Bohnisch could no longer hold it steady. Klein jumped out of the right side of the airplane in a haze as rumors have always emerged that he could have been assisted by Morin. Ball Turret Gunner Eugene Edgerton from Connecticut, was in Klein's mind to assist as well, but since the position was almost impossible to escape from, Klein had no chance to run over and assist him. Edgerton was not the only airman that never had a chance; many in the front of the airplane could never escape as the plane's plummeting G-force would make them unable to escape.
Meanwhile, in the village, the children jumped out of their seats as a load motoring noise began to head towards the earth. The inhabitants of the village who had been looking at a bunch of planes heading towards the west, viewed a plane reducing speed and seeing flames coming out of the left side of the aircraft. With all the confusion, parachutes began opening out: perhaps a reported three parachutes being seen. A giant black cloud was very visible followed rapidly by a huge explosion quickly dissipating over the next door village of Sigogne.
Immediately a German aircraft is spotted flying quickly over the town from a position of east to west. Rapidly, most of the eyewitnesses began to realize that there was a huge wreck located in the farming area of Monchaux, just south of Sigogne. The mayor there, known simply as Monsieur Redouin, grabbed his bicycle and peddled to the crash site.
Returning to the village, Redouin indicated that bodies had been taken out of the airplane with the assistance of townspeople that were lined up and covered in their parachutes. The mayor had taken the identity of the flyers in which the burns from their bodies all made this more possible. He asked the inhabitants to keep their dogs away from the area and not have them go wandering off.
Focke-Wulf Fw 190A
Later in the afternoon, the son of the mayor of Sigogne and others went to see the remains of the crash site, where they found the wreckage of the plane broken up, along with the motor which was pulled off. In addition, a propeller was lying far away under the detached motor and half-buried into the ground. One person found a brown leather bag under the mass. The ground was littered with metal, machine gun cartridges, pieces of wreckage, such as the small electric motors, which is used inside this bomber.
The visit did not last long, as finally following all this trauma, the German soldiers in this area approached in military trucks that might have come from Blois. Afterward, the Germans moved the bodies of the nine flyers to Blois and put them in a hut, sealing them in. The doctor there identified the bodies but only found five had name tags on them. They were then placed in coffins and moved near the west wall of the Basse City Cemetery in Blois where they were given full German military honors. Following the end of the war and for the next 20 years, many of the families of the victims had the option of returning their bodies back to the United States.
Lieutenant Harald Spink was finally laid to rest in Nebraska, while Lieutenant James Ede was returned to Kentucky with Hall being honored in Massachusetts. Adjutant Bernard Ohler and Bohnisch were for many years in France until late 1940 were when they were returned to Maryland and California, respectively.
For Edgerton, Lieutenant John Giffin, Adjutant William Leverich, and Morin, were buried with full honors at the American Military Cemetery at Colleville Sur Mer, Normandy, France.
For the pilot of the Focke-Wulf, Buhligen, it was just not a lucky kill; he had been honored at the Berghof just one month later by Adolf Hitler, and downed 104 allied aircraft during the war. Buhligen joins only a handful of German aces that shot over 100 planes during the conflict. Buhligen was finally captured in 1945 by the Russian army and served six years in a gulag until he was released in 1950. He lived a full life until he died in 1985 at the age of 65.
As for Klein, his was the only confirmed parachute that escaped the danger on that day in February. He managed to land in a disused quarry and was discovered by a villager, Mr. Leroux, who took him to his residence to clean up his wounds. Only a short time later, the Germans arrived and apprehended Klein, taking him to the hospital in Blois before moving him to a prisoner of war camp in Sagan, Poland. Before he was taken away, Klein managed to pencil his name on a war calendar at Leroux's house. Klein has transferred to two more P.O.W. camps afterward before being liberated on May 1st, 1945. Klein returned to the United States and eventually married, having a family with three daughters and two sons, before dying of heart failure in 1975 at age 52.
Monument of the crew. Photo credit: Mark Gero
For the next 50 years, nobody else paid attention of what happened that day. Many who had been involved in this incident, went to their graves realizing there was really no closure on what was the conclusion of the Star Valley episode. Finally, on May 8, 1995, a town researcher made a speech on the 50th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe, did finally the story of these ten crew members came back to life.
On the same date in 2014, some members of a reunion committee of the crew members marked the unveiling of a brand new monument honoring the Star Valley, which replaced the old version next to another monument, dedicated to the French soldiers killed that lived in the village during the first and second world wars.
But not every family member of the crew attended.
In 2016, this author attended the Bastille Day celebrations on July 14, in which being the second cousin of Airman Edgerton, became the first member of his family to be honored; something that his late grandmother and his mother, who knew Edgerton like a son and a brother, honored very much. He was taken a tour of the village of St. Leonard En Beauce, by the town historian, Jean-Claude Bigot, Corrine Chaillou, secretary of Yves Chantreau the major and his wife; by having lunch with them and their friends, and even speaking French at the local celebrations later that afternoon, with gifts of wine, cards and lot of friendship.
Which can show that story of the Star Valley can come full circle and never fade away in the annuals of history.
Author: Mark Gero
War History Online welcomes many guest authors who share their knowledge of the history on our pages. We work with various museums, historical societies and media outlets around the world. If you are interested in working with us or have a great story, please get in touch.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A ll of us have been stunned, shocked and shaken up by the intensity of the recent Uttarakhand tragedy in which thousands of innocents lost their lives due to floods and mudslides caused by cloud burst and heavy rains.
Buildings collapsed, vehicles were washed away, floods and landslides disrupted communication and the young and the old were trapped if not killed in various mountainous pockets of the small state.
The region which has popular pilgrim centres such as Kedarnath and Joshimath among others is frequented by lakhs of tourists every year. It is therefore inexcusable that the state and central authorities never anticipated the possibility of a disaster and did not have an effective disaster management plan in place.
Amidst this colossal failure the nation witnessed the ugly spectacle of politicians and political parties trying to draw credit for rescue operations when in fact it was the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the National Disaster Response Force who played a key role in providing relief and saving lives of the unfortunate victims.
A place that is frequented by people in their thousands has to be prepared with a fool-proof disaster management plan. All the more so in difficult terrain such as the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand. The question "What if?" has to be contemplated upon by the government administration and Plans A, B and C worked out for implementation in the event of a disaster. Clearly, this is what was lacking in Uttarakhand and this is by and large the state of affairs across the country.
More often than not, we in India are caught unawares and unprepared whenever and wherever disaster strikes- be it a school, hospital or a pilgrim centre. More lives are lost and the tragedy compounded not because of the disaster itself but due to the delay and inefficiency of relief and rescue operations. Is this the result of the shoddy "Chalta hai" attitude which is a national trait and by which we accept half-measures and let things pass by as they are? This is a point for contemplation.
Our Briefing this month is on the need to promote entrepreneurship in the country to generate wealth and employment by creating a conducive environment for start-ups. The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) '10,000 start-ups' programme is a step in that direction and worthy of support from one and all in the country.
Making a Difference features the extraordinary story of Charul and Vinay, a young couple who gave up the pursuit of professional careers to devote their lives to campaigning against child labour, strengthening the cause of communal harmony and other social issues. What is striking about Charul and Vinay is the powerful manner in which they convey their message to varied audiences across the country through deeply moving compositions sung by them.
Interesting essays, features and articles are spread across our other sections. Do visit them and write to us with your suggestions, thoughts and comments on the issues raised.


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on the actor's trail
'Dream Girl', 'Bala', two films in 2020: Why Ayushmann Khurrana is one of Bollywood's busiest actors
The star of 'Badhaai Ho', 'Andhadhun' and 'Article 15' is in a happy place: 'I don't need to do lots of films, but I need to do good films.'
Nandini Ramnath
Aug 07, 2019 · 10:30 am
Ayushmann Khurrana
We are going to be seeing a lot of Ayushmann Khurrana in the coming months: he has one release each in September and November, and at least two more next year.
We've already watched the 34-year-old actor in Anubhav Sinha's police procedural Article 15 in June. In 2018, Khurrana starred in two hits, Badhaai Ho and Andhadhun. Ditto for 2017 – he was in Bareilly Ki Barfi and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan.
Bollywood's favourite Everyman is everywhere, through a combination of design and destiny. If he has any complaints about this very industrious phase in his life, it is that he doesn't have the 30 minutes he usually spends on voice practice every day. As his fans know, in addition to headlining films, Khurrana is a singer who often collaborates with the composer Rochak Kohli.
"By default, I sing at least one song in every film of mine," Khurrana pointed out during an interview. "I also launch a single every year and tour with my band. I don't miss music that way, but I don't even have the time for my daily riyaaz."
Pani Da Rang, Vicky Donor (2012).
Not very long ago, Khurrana starred in a single production in a year. But the box-office blessings bestowed on his recent films have raised his stature in an industry that keeps its winning horses hard at work. Khurrana's fame has even rubbed off on his brother, Aparshakti, who is forging his own career as an actor.
From outsider to first-generation dynast, it's been a remarkable journey for the Chandigarh native who had a long and fruitful stint on television and worked as a radio jockey before making his acting debut with Shoojit Sircar's box-office winner Vicky Donor in 2012.
Sircar's comedy, starring Khurrana as a sperm donor, provided the first indication of the genre-bending at which the actor would prove to be adept. Sircar had seen Khurrana anchor the TV show Just Dance, and cast him in a part that was initially meant for Vivek Oberoi or Sharman Joshi.
Since Vicky Donor, Khurrana has become the go-to actor for playing characters who challenge traditional concepts of masculinity and embody the hopes and anxieties of the middle class. He is a safe bet for films in which ordinary men grapple with extraordinary problems – body shaming in Dum Laga Ke Haisha, erectile dysfunction in Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, a braggart in Bareilly Ki Barfi, the unexpected pregnancy of the hero's mother in Badhaai Ho, a possible confidence trickster in Andhadhun.
Andhadhun (2018).
If some of these roles overlap (and Khurrana every so often appears to be serving up mildly tweaked versions of his genial worrywart screen persona), it's part of the grand plan.
"People are not looking for a different you – they are looking for a different script and story," Khurrana pointed out. "You have to be in a certain genre and have a command over it. You can break free and cause a disruption once in a while. You don't have to change genres with every film, otherwise you will get exhausted. My staple is slice of life. I am in no hurry to break rules or change my character with every film. I am going to be here for long, and I want to savour everything and change my gears only once in a while."
Does a screenplay have the potential to work, even if it might call upon Khurrana to repeat his performance? He's the man for the job. "If I get a great script, I'll go for it even though I have done that role before," Khurrana said. "I might change the script in my own little way if there is elbow room. If there's isn't any elbow room, it's okay to be in the congruent area of previous films."
One recent incongruent role was in Anubhav Sinha's Article 15. Khurrana is cast against type as a police officer who wades into a caste quagmire while investigating the rapes and deaths of two Dalit teenagers and the disappearance of a third.
Article 15 (2019).
Sinha began work on Article 15 soon after the release of Mulk in 2018. Mulk explored Islamophobia, and Khurrana was keen on collaborating with Sinha on yet another "hard-hitting" subject.
"Anubhav offered me a romcom, but I said I wanted something like Mulk," Khurrana said. The actor initially thought that Article 15 had satirical possibilities, but soon realised that caste-based discrimination did not easily lend itself to laughs.
"The film had to be dark because the issue needed to be addressed as is," Khurrana said. "We could not take the crutch of satire, so I went with the director's vision."
Another motivation for Khurrana was the opportunity to bolster his reputation among his fanbase for picking films with unconventional subjects. "Article 15 had a very stark message, and the audience I cater to, which is the multiplex audience, needed to be focused towards this issue," he said. "I think we did succeed." Article 15 has earned a respectable Rs 64 crore at the box office thus far.
Khurrana developed an astute ear and eye for scripts after suffering some early knocks. His acting career began with a bang with Vicky Donor, slumped right after, and then took off again with Dum Laga Ke Haisha in 2015. In Sharat Katariya's comedy, Khurrana plays the reluctant groom to Bhumi Pednekar's overweight bride.
Sunder Susheel, Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015).
Khurrana marks Dum Laga Ke Haisha as a mid-career high. "It was a semi-comeback, in a way – I had three unsuccessful films after Vicky Donor," he pointed out. "Dum Laga Ke Haisha gave me a lot of respect, but the commercial success wasn't that great. Then, Meri Pyaari Bindu didn't do well, but Bareilly Ki Barfi and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan did really well. And then last year, Badhaai Ho and Andhadhun were breakout films. Article 15 has taken it forward."
Like most actors, Khurrana likes to thumb through a printed copy of the screenplay as well as have it narrated to him. "I prefer it if the director is giving the narration – you get to know his vision," Khurrana said. The only films where the rule didn't apply were Vicky Donor, Dum Laga Ke Haisha and the upcoming Gulabo Sitabo. "Sometimes, the scriptwriters give the narration, but you have no idea what the director is thinking," Khurrana added. "It's very important to know from the horse's mouth. Both have to happen – the reading and the narration."
He sat through three script narrations the day before his interview with Scroll.in. "This is unusual for me, but I'm glad I'm getting good scripts," he said. "I don't need to do lots of films, but I need to do good films."
Badhaai Ho (2018).
Khurrana's next project, Dream Girl, will be out on September 13, even as he films for the sequel to Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, which is titled Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan and tackles prejudice towards homosexuality.
In Raaj Shaandilya's Dream Girl, Khurrana has been cast as a performer who plays the role of Sita in Ramlila productions. "The character can put on two voices, male and female, and the film is about his life, and how he uses this talent beautifully," Khurrana said. "Dream Girl has in-your-face comedy, which I haven't really done before. It's new to me."
Amar Kaushik's Bala, which will be released on November 22, is closer to previous situational comedies featuring Khurrana. The film's titular hero grapples with premature balding. "My films have tackled a lot of taboo subjects, but Bala touches upon a more common problem," Khurrana said. "It's entertaining and motivating at the same time."
Bala involved extensive use of prosthetic make-up. "I could not shave my hair because we have to show the different phases of baldness," Khurrana said. "I used to be up at 3 am for a 7 am shoot."
He was working on Bala while giving interviews about Article 15, and he leapt into Shoojit Sircar's Gulabo Sitabo right after finishing Bala. The Lucknow-set Gulabo Sitabo also stars Amitabh Bachchan – an actor whom Khurrana had interviewed while working as a radio jockey for the BIG FM station in 2007.
It's a wrap! #GulaboSitabo pic.twitter.com/cEwd2q6iLj
— Ayushmann Khurrana (@ayushmannk) July 30, 2019
Some of Khurrana's experiences as a radio jockey are outlined in a memoir published in 2015. Cracking the Code (Rupa Publications), which Khurrana co-authored with his wife, Tahira Kashyap, includes anecdotes about his formative years at DAV College in Chandigarh, his stint as a contestant in the reality show Roadies 2 in 2004 (he won the season), and his anchoring duties for several talent hunt programmes between 2007 and 2011, including MTV Wassup, Just Dance and India's Got Talent.
Like Shah Rukh Khan – another celebrity guest whom Khurrana interviewed on radio – television proved to be the route to movie stardom. Cracking the Code was intended as a guide to those who "wanted to become actors and had shifted base to Bombay and those who wanted to quit acting and go back to their native places", Khurrana said. "Besides. I just wanted to write. I was an actor who had done decently well in Bombay, but was still trying to find my place."
Cracking the Code contained a frank admission about Khurrana's lack of conventional leading-man appeal. As he described it: "Born with crooked teeth, flat teeth, an ostrich-like jumpy walk, being the shortest in my class and above all, being extremely skinny."
There were also memories of being rudely dismissed by a cinematographer ("He doesn't have the spark"), missing out on roles, and labouring through films that didn't hit the mark.
"I was being a little honest – you have to be if you are writing your story," Khurrana said. "I didn't get any feedback, though. Nobody has read the book – that's obvious, na?"
Among the statements in Cracking the Code that still holds true is the one about Khurrana's detachment from his work. "I get neither very ecstatic about anything nor down and out," he writes. "I like to think of myself as a goofy Sufi."
A sequel to the book isn't on the cards just yet. There simply isn't enough time, and there's a lot more code-cracking to be done. "I guess I have grown a lot since then," Khurrana said simply, and indeed he has – up, down and sideways, but mostly, up.
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017).
Anubhav Sinha on why 'Article 15' has a Brahmin hero: 'The privileged should challenge privilege'
'Andhadhun' revisited: The twists and turns that resulted in one of 2018's best Hindi films
'Why settle for less?': Jatin Sarna on '83', 'Darbar', and life after 'Sacred Games'


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Byreddy Siddharth Reddy Wikipedia/Bio Age, Family, Wife, Career, Latest News And Instagram
July 1, 2022 June 9, 2022 by Admin
This article will examine Byreddy Siddharth reddy is an Indian politician who is part of the YSR Congress party. Siddharth is the current president of the YSR Congress party. He is the most youthful president in the United States.
Siddharth is the father of an Indian politician and His uncle Byreddy Rajasekhar. He was a member of the Telugu Desam Party in the past and was the founder of Rayalaseema Parirakshana Samithi. This article includes information about Byreddy Siddharth. It includes Wikipedia information, his name age, and phone number as well as bio, property, and bio.
Byreddy Siddharth Reddy Biography (Wiki, Bio, Age)
Byreddy Sidharth was born around 1988, in Muchumarri, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, and is a young man aged 32 years old and was a pupil at an exclusive high school located within Muchumarri village (Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh) and completed his education.
He later completed his studies at Saint Joseph's University, Bengaluru and was born into an affluent household. Siddharth is currently the president of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party. For more details, you can read the article.
Byreddy is a strong supporter of Telugu Desam Birthday festivities (TDP) which will begin in the year 2018. He has decided to join the opposition's birthday celebration YSRCP. By Freddy has more than eighty thousand followers of Instagram.
Indian young politician Byreddy Sidharth Reddy. He is also the president of the YSR Congress party, which is a politically-oriented organization. From 2008 onwards, he's been the most prominent in Indian politician. Born in Muchumarri village Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. He was a student at Saint Joseph's University, Bengaluru. Since childhood was a sports enthusiast, he has been a passionate participant in sports.
Byreddy Siddharth Reddy Wiki/Bio
The Indian politician Byreddy Sidharth Reddy was his dad. It is also an Indian politician. He was also the co-coordinator of the YSR Congress party from the Nandikotur constituency. In the year of 2019, He was also the Nandikotkur Youth Organization. By Freddy Sidharth Reddy's Uncle is Byreddy Rajasekhar who is additionally an Indian Politician, and an earlier member of the Telugu Desam Party. Rayalaseema Parairakshana Samithi was also established and is owned by him since 2013.
Siddharthreddy Wikipedia [Political Career]
The birthplace of 1988 was Muchumarri, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh Byreddy Siddharth was currently the head of the political party. Byreddy is Conger's top politician and completed his primary studies in Muchumarri Village in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh and completed his studies at Saint Joseph's University at Bengaluru. He began his career as a politician.
At the present, He is the president of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party. He was featured on a variety of news channels during the year 2013. He was also a part of the 2013 election. was the Indian founding Rayalaseema Parirakshana Samithi? This blog will give you all the information you need, including Byreddy Siddharth Reddy's Family Age, Wiki, and even his mobile number.
Byreddy Siddharth Reddy Age, Height, Weight
Sidharth Reddy, president of the YSR Congress party, is 5 9 inches tall and is 32 years old at the time of the year 2020. He was born in 1988 in Muchumarri village, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
Sidharth Reddy Family (Father and Mother)
This page does not include the name of Siddharth's father. He has an uncle named Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy, is also the leader of the political sphere of the village of Muchumarri situated in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh State. The name of her mother is not mentioned in this article.
Byreddy Siddharth is a well-known Indian politician and the father of an Indian politician. He was a member of the Telugu Desam Party in the past and was the founder of Rayalaseema Parirakshana Samithi. This article includes information about his background, his name, age, and phone number as well as bio, property, and bio.
Senthamarai Stalin Wikipedia/Bio, Age Family, Husband And Father Photos
Surbhi Kakar Wikipedia/Bio, Age, Husband, Family, Profession And Images


In continuation from my last ESET Mobile review I have now registrered my phone to my Anti-theft profile.
That meening, that when I log on to http://my.eset.com and those the Anti-Theft, I now see my mobile alongside my laptop and PC which I have also registrered.
So, on to the review of the Anti-Theft part in the mobile app.
It even tells me the IP address and the name of the Wifi supplier, which I think is incredible, cause a lot of the online "whats my IP-address" out there when searching on google places me a hole different place in my country, and tells me a totally different IP address, that I know isn't true.
Now for test two, where I turned off those things I always have turned off, when not using the phone, so, only Mobile Data active!
And when going to the Device IP address received the name of the supplier is now my Mobile Network supplier.
Now for test three, this time I first turned off everything on my phone, and then ran the test.
This time the test was going no-where (what a shock), but as soon as I turned on the Wifi connection, it found my phone. this time, with no GPS, no Mobile Data and only the Wifi, there was a more precise location, with an accuracy of 17 metres. Kinda wierd that it was more accurate with only the Wifi on, but maybe its because of the different information from the Wifi, the GPS and the Mobile Data supplier.
Overall it was very easy to use, and I hope that the "device missing" function is just as usefull as the test function, because if it is, theres no worrying over lost devices anymore!
For those of you who have not tried the mobile version, but only the desktop version, I can say, that the mobile version functions the same way (for more read my other review for ESET desktop version of Anti-theft).
Theres not so much I need, the point of having the Anti-Theft is to find your lost phone if stolen, or just lost.
But something tells me, that a lot of people could just loose their phones on regular basis (e.g. going to a party, forgetting it at a friends place or loosing it at the gym, at sports etc. etc.) so maybe some kind of message could be shown on the phone. Like "found this phone, plz return to 'address'".. And it should show the message if anyone choses to try to unluck it, which they ofcourse can't due to the lock function in the Anti-Theft system.
All in all I am very happy with the Anti-Theft extention to my Anti-Virus protection software, also just the fact that I don't need two seperate apps!
Any comments? Plz comment below about your thoughts on the Anti-Theft part, leave a +1 if yo enjoyed reading, and check out my other reviews.