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The Royalist (William Falkland #1)
The Royalist (William Falkland #1)
S.J. Deas | 2014
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Set during the period of the English Civil Wars, I have to say that I found this to be rather unusual in that it is not about (per se) the wars themselves: rather, it is set in the New Model Army camp over a winter period, between hostilities, with William Falkland (the Royalist of the title) plucked from his prison cell by none other than Oliver Cromwell himself and sent to investigate reports of suicides/disturbances in the camp.

Reading very much like a ECW version of a whodunnit, with the author - in the afterword - not at all shy to point out the influences of the hard-boiled detective hero/film noir of the 40s (think Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler) on this work.
  
Alanna: The First Adventure
Alanna: The First Adventure
Tamora Pierce | 1983 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
8.8 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
This middle grade series is one great. It's a fast engaging read. I first read it in the late 90s early 2000s not realizing that it was written in the 80s. If you're new to fantasy it's a good intro into the genre. None of the themes run too deeply but at an age where life is starting to get complicated I appreciated that, and it made me think about a lot of different and deep things.
It holds up. I still enjoyed this book as an adult having just finished before writing this review. There are better grow with you books that I've read (even by this author, her skills keep getting better) , but sometimes you want an easy read. Highly recommend.
  
Don’t Make Me Laugh
Don’t Make Me Laugh
Julia Raeside | 2025 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Don’t Make Me laugh is a slow burn with a most satisfying ending, narrated really well by Elizabeth Bower. I could imagine her as Ali.

We’ve heard a lot of talk recently of unnamed predators on the comedy circuit, and this is the story of one such man.

Ali thinks she has found the right man to co-present a radio show: comedian Ed. He’s funny, he’s nice - and actually he’s none of these things. He’s not at all what he seems to be, in fact.

Ali’s experience seemed all to plausible, and I very much enjoyed the way that she and the organisation called Scolds Bridle outed Ed’s behaviour. It was well worth the wait.

I did wonder who Ed could be modelled on…