Another year is nearly done, and if this post has been published then it appears that those Mayan types were wrong (or we’re now living on borrowed time. I can’t decide which). 2012 has been a busy year here at The Eloquent Page. I’ve read over one hundred books and managed to attend three conventions.  So, without any further ado here is my annual post covering my highlights of the year. Book of the Month (January to December) Jan – Hell Train by Christopher Fowler Feb – Cyber Circus by Kim Lakin Smith Mar – Redlaw by James Lovegrove Apr – Alchemists of Souls by Anne Lyle May – Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig June – Empire State by Adam Christopher July – Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis Aug – Blood and Feathers by Lou Morgan Sept – Great North Road by Peter F Hamilton Oct –  Coldbrook by Tim Lebbon Nov – Blood Fugue by Jospeh D’Lacey Dec – Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth And now for a few specific categories of my own devising.* Best Ongoing Series – Department 19 by Will Hill – The second novel in this series ,The Rising, was released this year and it’s great.  Brilliant characters,…

Policing the Damned  They live among us, abhorred, marginalised, despised. They are vampires, known politely as Sunless. The job of policing their community falls to the men and women of the Sunless Housing and Disclosure Executive SHADE. Captain John Redlaw is London’s most feared and respected SHADE officer, a living legend.  But when the vampires start rioting in their ghettoes, and angry humans respond with violence of their own, even Redlaw may not be able to keep the peace. Especially when political forces are aligning to introduce a radical answer to the Sunless problem, one that will resolve the situation once and for all… When it comes to a horror staple like vampires, there is so much existing fiction that anything new needs to offer some sort of unique hook, or it won’t hold my attention. Redlaw by James Lovegrove goes the political route and makes vampires an immigration issue. Over subsequent decades everyone’s favourite blood-suckers have migrated from mainland Europe to Great Britain. Throughout the country, various segregated communities have been set up to try and contain their rising numbers, but as the novel begins things have finally reached a tipping point. The general public are starting to voice…

I do hope everyone is having a relaxing festive season, I know I am. Some new reviews on the way next week but until then how about a public service announcement from the dark forces behind the rather splendid Anarchy Books. I’ve added in a link to the original reviews for the titles I’ve read. Hopefully that will help you make an informed decision. Personally I’d take em all! Press Release – Anarchy Books – FREE BOOK PROMOTION – 29.12.11 That’s right, Anarchy Books have a very special New Year gift for all you lucky shiny new Kindle owners. During the next 4/5 days over the New Year period, a selection of Anarchy Books titles will be offered completely FREE! So if you fancy any of the following novels, get yo ass over to Amazon and stock up your Kindle with Anarchy for the New Year…. Participating titles: GIG (Mik and Kim) by James Lovegrove Monstrocity by Jeffrey Thomas New York Nights by Eric Brown Rain Dogs by Gary McMahon SIM by Andy Remic Serial Killers Incorporated by Andy Remic The Black Seas of Infinity by Dan Henk The Office of Lost and Found by Vincent Holland-Keen   All free! Have a HAPPY ANARCHY NEW YEAR!!   www.anarchy-books.com

Mik Dyer is a rock star.  Kim Reid is his number one fan.  Mik has had enough of the shallowness and emptiness of the rock-star lifestyle and wants to end it all.  Kim becomes his willing nemesis, eager to do anything to fulfill her idol’s wishes. The two have never met, but Kim knows what Mik wants from her.  His lyrics, and a drug-induced vision, have given her all the instructions and inspiration she needs. As Mik’s band God Dog return to their hometown for the final gig on their latest tour, there’s more than just songs on the set-list.  The audience is in for a night they’ll never forget… Gig by James Lovegrove, the latest e-book release from Anarchy Books, has an interesting premise. The same story is told in two books, each book covering a different character’s point of view. The two narrative strands begin separately, but gradually start to interweave with one another as they head toward the same moment. Kim and Mik are essentially the alternate sides of the same coin. Mik appears to have everything you could ever want – fame, money, talent. Kim meanwhile, is living in a grubby squat. Barely existing, she survives by dealing drugs to rich…

Gideon Coxall was a good solder but bad at everything else, until a roadside explosive device leaves him with one deaf ear and a British Army half-pension. So when he hears about the Valhalla Project , it’s like a dream come true. They are recruiting former service personnel for excellent pay, no questions asked, to take part in unspecified combat missions. The last thing Gid expects is to find himself fighting alongside ancient Viking gods. The world is in the grip of the worst winter ever known, and Ragnarok – the fabled final conflict of the sagas – is looming. I knew nothing about The Pantheon Trilogy before I stumbled across The Age of Zeus in my local bookshop. The cover boasted an angry looking Anthony Hopkins look-a-like and a group of tooled up military types, I was intrigued. When I learned the story detailed the return of the ancient gods of Greece in the modern era I was sold. Fortunately my gamble paid off and I was treated to a fantastic read. The Age of Ra, which is in fact the first in this trilogy, soon followed and once again I was not disappointed. I should point out here…