A man cannot live on apocalyptic fiction alone so for a bit of a change of pace here is some young adult fiction of a more adventurous nature… Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to another pirate clan. But that only prompts the scorned clan to send an assassin after her. When Ananna faces him down one night, armed with magic she doesn’t really know how to use, she accidentally activates a curse binding them together. To break the curse, Ananna and the assassin must complete three impossible tasks – all the while grappling with evil wizards, floating islands, haughty manticores, runaway nobility, strange magic… and the growing romantic tension. I have a bit of a soft spot when it comes to all things piratical. The Crimson Pirate starring Burt Lancaster is one of my all-time favourite films. (Seriously, if you’ve never seen it you really need to check it out, it’s a classic). When I discovered that The Assassin’s Curse featured not only assassins but also magic, wizards and boat loads of pirates I was sold. Ananna is everything a good pirate should be. Courageous, strong willed and fiercely independent. As…

A tiny little morsel of news popped into my inbox and I felt the urge to share. The Mad Scientist’s Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke is being released in Febuary 2013 from Angry Robot Books. Hmm, what more can I tell you? Well, here’s the blurb… There’s never been anyone – or anything – quite like Finn. He looks, and acts human, though he has no desire to be. He was programmed to assist his owners, and performs his duties to perfection. A billion-dollar construct, his primary task is to tutor Cat. When the government grants rights to the ever-increasing robot population, however, Finn struggles to find his place in the world. and behold the cover Looks interesting doesn’t it. Time will tell 🙂