SUNDAY POST – 25th January, 2026 #Brainfluffbookblog #SundayPost

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books they’ve read and share what they have got up to during the last week.

It’s been a busy fortnight. Last weekend we had the pleasure of Eliza staying as my daughter had a business trip to Germany. It was a wonderful treat to spend Friday night, Saturday and Sunday, then taking her to school on Monday. She enjoyed reading from a book of children’s poems we gave her for Christmas and the two of us played endless games of Top Trumps on Horses, Beat Your Neighbour Out of Doors and Connect Four. While she enjoyed painting Warhammer figures with Himself. On Sunday, Ethan popped back for the day to spend some time with her. We went into Worthing to the Warhammer shop, where Eliza built a space marine and we stopped off at one of the many restaurants to have lunch before returning home.

The pics this week – Himself and Eliza painting Warhammer figures – notice which one is the muckier – it isn’t the child, Amari’s welcome to Ethan last Sunday and Ethan and Eliza in the Warhammer shop.

On Tuesday we took Amari to the vet to be spayed. It was a miserable wait to hear that she’d come through the op okay. She is wearing a little T-shirt as she promptly removed the cone of shame within minutes of them putting it on. I spent Tuesday night with her on the settee as she was very groggy and had a nasty fall off her climbing platform. She slept peacefully most of the time and I’m very pleased that she hasn’t been worrying the wound and is taking the pain meds with her food. I’ll be a lot happier when she’s properly on the mend – she’s sleeping a lot and cries from time to time. I know that in the long run this is the right thing to do – she needs to be outside as she’s far too adventurous to become a house cat, but I feel horrible watching her suffer.

We’ve had tremendous rain – the ground is absolutely saturated right now. My thoughts and prayers are for the folks around the world suffering from flooding – and those in the dreadful train crashes in Spain.

This fortnight I’ve read:-
NON-FICTION – One Aladdin Two Lamps by Jeanette Winterson
A woman is filibustering for her life. Every night she tells a story. Every morning she lives one more day. One Aladdin Two Lamps cracks open the legendary story of Shahrazad in One Thousand and One Nights to explore new and ancient questions: Whom should we trust? Is love the most important thing? Does honesty matter? What makes us happy?

Posing as Aladdin—the orphan who changes his world—Jeanette Winterson asks us to re-examine what we think we know, to look again at how fiction works in our lives, giving us the courage to change our own narratives and alter endings. As a young working-class woman with no obvious future beyond factory work or marriage, Winterson realizes through the power of books that she can read herself as fiction as well as a fact: “I can change the story because I am the story.”
Review to follow.



AUDIOBOOK – Stuck in Magic – Book 1 of the Stuck in Magic series by Christopher G. Nuttall
Elliot Richardson thought he’d lost everything.

He’d come home from deployment to find his wife cheating on him, his sons strangers and his life in tatters. Driving away, unsure where he was going, he fell through an interdimensional rift and found himself in a very different world, a city of magic and mystery and dangers beyond his comprehension, a land spinning out of control as innovations from the distant west unsettle the monarchy and challenge the position of the aristocrats and warlords that hold the kingdom in their grasp.

Powerless and alone, with no way home, Elliot struggles to survive long enough to make a new life. But as war looms on the horizon, he finds himself forced to use his skills to make a name for himself, all too aware that the slightest slip will mean instant death – or worse.
I thoroughly enjoyed Nuttall’s Schooled in Magic series, featuring Emily so was interested to dive into the start of this new spinoff with Elliot as the protagonist. As ever, there was plenty of action and all sorts of plot twists. 8/10




AUDIOBOOK – Dreadful by Caitlan Rozakis
It’s bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard’s workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horribly and then turn your skull into a goblet or something.

It’s a lot worse when you realize that Dread Lord Whomever is… you.

Gav isn’t really sure how he ended up with a castle full of goblins, or why he has a princess locked in a cell. All he can do is play along with his own evil plan in hopes of getting his memories back before he gets himself killed.

But as he realizes that nothing – from the incredibly tasteless cloak adorned with flames to the aforementioned princess – is quite what it seems, Gav must face up to all the things the Dread Lord Gavrax has done. And he’ll have to answer the hardest question of all – who does he want to be?

Dread Lord Gavrax has had better weeks.
One of my reading highlights last year was The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by this author – so it was a no-brainer that I’d seek out her breakthrough book. It was every bit as hilarious and clever – such a treat to discover a new favourite author😊. 10/10




AUDIOBOOK – Alliance – Book 2 of the Linesman series by S.K. Dunstall
The lines. The soul of every ship. It was once thought there were only ten, but that was before an alien vessel appeared at the edge of space—before Ean Lambert heard more lines singing. Ean’s ways of communicating with lines is strange. But his abilities make him a valuable tool—or weapon—to command.

Captain Selma Kari Wang has lost everything—her ship, her crew, her legs. But the New Alliance of Worlds is not done with her yet. After they rebuild her broken body, they send her to captain one of the new alien ships, teaming her up with Ean, the only one who can understand the alien lines.

Kari Wang and Ean are poised on the threshold of discoveries that could change the world. But not everyone wants the New Alliance to control the secrets they uncover—and those who oppose won’t hesitate to do whatever it takes to stop them…
This series is a gem. The first book gripped me from the start and didn’t let go – I’m ultra fussy about my space opera, so I was hoping this one would also sweep me up and carry me off. It did. The notion of the lines is such a cool one and I love the blend of politics and action which is very well done. Highly recommended. 9/10




An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole
Warren University has stood amongst the ivy elite for centuries, built on the bones―and forbidden magic―of its most prized BIPOC students…hiding the rot of a secret society that will do anything to keep their own powers burning bright. No matter who they must sacrifice along the way.

Ellory Morgan is determined to prove that she belongs at Warren University, an ivy league school whose history is deeply linked to occult rumors and dark secrets. But as she settles into her Freshman year, something about the ornate buildings and shadowy paths feels strangely…familiar. And, with every passing day, that sense of déjà vu grows increasingly sinister.

Despite all logic, despite all reason, despite all the rules of reality, Ellory knows one thing to be true: she has been here before. And if she can’t convince brooding legacy student Hudson Graves to help her remember a past that seems determined to slip through her fingers as if by some insidious magic…this time, she may lose herself for good.
Review to follow.




AUDIOBOOK – Druid Arcane – Book 11 of The Junkyard Druid Boxed Set 9-12 by M.D. Massey
I thought that learning magic from a druid master was tough, but that was before I started taking lessons from an insane quasi-god. For six long months I’ve been suffering under Click’s tutelage, boning up on my magic skills so I can survive the wrath of several Celtic gods and find a cure for my druid mentor, Finnegas.

It’s my fault that the old man is hanging on by a thread, and I’m determined to save his life.
Between surviving Click’s batshit crazy magic lessons and being harassed by the huldufólk, I’ve been trying to track down the Celtic god of healing. Only Dian Cécht can heal my master—and, he’s the only god Click trusts to do the trick.

Unfortunately, DC has been damned hard to find. And just when we finally got a solid lead, Loki’s brother showed up to throw a wrench in the gears. Okay, so I may have killed Loki’s nephew. It’s not like he didn’t have it coming. Bottom line? I might have to fight an army of fire and frost giants to save Finn’s life.

It’s a good thing I brought my wading boots, ‘cause shit’s about to get deep…
Once more, Colin finds himself pitted against all sorts of monstrous enemies. Massey is having huge fun deep-diving into various ancient pantheons around the world and having Colin encounter them. I would just mention that Colin has an increasingly bad case of potty mouth so if you find a lot of swearing off-putting, then this series won’t be for you. 8/10


Posts in the last fortnight:

Castellan the Black and His Wise, Draconic Tips on Life

Can’t-Wait Wednesday – 21st January 2026

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of NETGALLEY arc That Murder Feeling: A Soul Garden Mystery by Neve Maslakovic

Can’t-Wait Wednesday – 14th January 2026

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of NETGALLEY arc Detour – Book 1 of the Detour series by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart

Sunday Post – 11th January 2026


Wishing you a happy, healthy week crammed with fabulous books😊.

Castellan the Black and his Wise Draconic Tips on Life #BrainfluffCastellanthe Black #WiseDraconicTipsonLife #PickyEaters

Most cocky young lords aren’t aware that queens can outfly them – but it’s true. While those sweet, fluttery females won’t match you in short sprints, they can turn on a copper coin, flip upside down and still fly fast. Try not to make an utter fool of yourself as you learn this fact.

Castellan the Black, mighty dragon warrior, features in my Picky Eaters series. All proceeds for the duration of the publishing life of Picky Eaters, first book in the series, are donated to mental health charities. The second book, Flame & Blame, and the third book, Trouble With Dwarves, are now available.

Can’t-Wait Wednesday – 21st January, 2026 #Brainfluffbookblog #CWC #WOW

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week’s Can’t-Wait offering:

# feel-good fantasy #feisty heroine #1920s era #Canadian setting

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

Release date – 17th February, 2026

BLURB: Agnes Aubert leads a meticulously organized life—and she likes it that way. As the proudly type-A manager of a much-needed cat rescue charity, she has devoted her life to finding forever homes for lost cats.

But after she is forced to move the cat shelter, Agnes learns that her new landlord is using her charity as a front—for an internationally renowned and thoroughly disreputable magic shop. Owned by the disorganized—not to mention self-absorbed, irritating, but also decidedly handsome—Havelock Renard, magician and failed Dark Lord, the shop draws magical clientele from around the world, partly due to the quality of Havelock’s illicit goods as well as their curiosity about his shadowy past and rumors of his incredible powers. Agnes’s charity offers the perfect cover for illegal magics.

Agnes couldn’t care less about the shop—magical intrigue or not, there are cats to be rescued. But when an enemy from Havelock’s past surfaces, the magic shop—and more importantly, the cat shelter—are suddenly in jeopardy. To save the shelter, will Agnes have to set aside her social conscience and protect the man who once tried to bring about the apocalypse—and is now trying to steal her heart?

I am a huge fan of Fawcett’s writing. See my reviews of her Emily Wilde series – Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands and Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales – so I am extremely excited to have an arc for this one. The premise sounds promising – especially as Emily writes grouchy yet adorable very effectively.

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of NETGALLEY arc That Murder Feeling: A Soul Garden Mystery by Neve Maslakovic #BrainfluffNETGALLEYbookreview #ThatMurderFeelingbookreview

The unusual premise caught my eye. I enjoy a murder mystery with a paranormal twist and having our indomitable hero be able to visualise people’s responses as part of a garden seemed a quirky gift/curse to cope with.

BLURB: Rod Gray isn’t your average small-town detective. He can see emotions — they bloom around people like living gardens, full of strange weather and stranger creatures. It’s a noisy way to walk through life but it helps him see what others can’t.

There’s one soul garden he’s never wanted to enter. A killer’s.

Until now. When the richest man in Two Lakes, Minnesota turns up dead in a blizzard, suspicion lands on Rod’s childhood friend Clementine Baker. To clear her name, Rod must learn what murder looks like in the soul. But his own feelings keep getting underfoot and time is running out.

REVIEW: Maslakovic immediately pulls us into the story, with Rod going to work on behalf of a young couple who have found their bank account cleared out. However he quickly demonstrates that all is not what it seems.

Establishing the protagonist and acquainting the reader with the extent of what Rod can and cannot do was deftly done. He seems to have sorted out the extent of his gift and is coolly in charge. Until Clementine crashes into his life… Initially he does not recall who she is and how they know each other, until she reminds him that they were close childhood friends until the death of her grandmother meant that Clem no longer spent her summers at Two Lakes. There are strong reasons why Rod doesn’t like recalling this time in his life – in addition to losing Clem, his own family fell apart during the same year.

But when he learns that she has been living in Two Lakes for some time without bothering to get in touch with him – until she needs his help, he is taken aback. Especially as the police chief is convinced of her guilt in killing her boss. And unlike in most murder mysteries – the police chief and Rod have a strong personal relationship and an amiable working one. As details come to light – about the nature of Adam’s death, and Clem’s relationship with him – it doesn’t look good. Meanwhile, Rod is desperately searching for the symbol within the soul garden to denote the guilt of a murderer, while also being forced to confront upsetting memories.

There’s a lot going on in this one. The nature of Rod’s gift isn’t straightforward and exactly what he can do is extensive, but with major limitations. Occasionally ensuring the reader is fully aware of the extent of both his abilities and where they fail him did slightly hamper the pacing in places – but not to the extent that I was ever tempted to break off. However it did prevent me from giving this one 10/10. In the meantime, Maslakovic delves under the façade of this small tourist town, highlighting its strengths. And its weaknesses – there are some ugly incidents that prevents this whodunit from becoming too cosy.

That said, I stayed up later than I should to discover whodunit. And no – I hadn’t suspected the perpetrator, though when the reasons for the murder became clear, it made absolute sense. All in all, this is a memorable, nicely twisty paranormal murder mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed and I’d love to see more in the series. While I obtained a copy of That Murder Feeling from the author via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

Can’t-Wait Wednesday – 14th January, 2026 #Brainfluffbookblog #CWC #WOW

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week’s Can’t-Wait offering:

# non-fiction #examination of story structure

A Trip to the Moon: Understanding the True Power of Story by John Yorke

Release date – 29th January, 2025

BLURB: To command narrative is to control a sometimes frightening power. What is it that turbocharges some tales, and how is it possible to harness that potency?

John Yorke has revolutionised our understanding of story structure. In this new book he delves deeper – into how to put that structure to work in the world. Trip to the Moon takes us on a journey not just through drama and fiction but through politics, religion and non-western narrative, to seek out the role of story in all our lives, examining how to utilise its lessons to create life-changing tales – and, in a world aflame with conspiracy theories, to guard ourselves against their darker purpose too.

Revealing the artful symmetry and underlying principles that connect Summer beach reads to Classical Chinese poetry, superhero flicks to Russian arthouse, and classical rhetoric to state propaganda, Yorke makes dazzling connections that show how stories have the power to transfigure the chaos of our existence into a new equilibrium, and make the world anew.

As an author, I’ve obviously got skin in this game as I’m confronted on a daily basis with the complexities of making narrative readable and plausible. But as a reader, this is also going to be an intriguing read. Recently, I read Jennette Winterson’s Two Aladdins, One Lamp which is also about the power of story and narrative. So it will be interesting to compare the two.

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of Detour – Book 1 in the Detour series by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart #BrainfluffNETGALLEYbookreview #Detourbookreview

The premise of this one appealed to me – and the consideration that I’m not reading nearly enough science fiction these days.

BLURB: Ryan Crane wasn’t looking for trouble—just a cup of coffee. But when this cop spots a gunman emerging from an unmarked van, he leaps into action and unknowingly saves John Ward, a billionaire with presidential aspirations, from an assassination attempt.

As thanks for Ryan’s quick thinking, Ward offers him the chance of a lifetime: to join a group of lucky civilians chosen to accompany three veteran astronauts on the first manned mission to Saturn’s moon Titan.

A devoted family man, Ryan is reluctant to leave on this two-year expedition, yet with the encouragement of his loving wife—and an exorbitant paycheck guaranteeing lifetime care for their disabled son—he crews up and ventures into a new frontier… (rest of the blurb omitted).

REVIEW: I advise you to avoid the blurb if you can as it’s far too chatty. What I will say is that I got hold of this one expecting a tense thriller centred around a trip to Titan. However that’s not what I got.

John Ward is a billionaire with a strong interest in colonising our solar system. He is also a self-centred narcissist with a knack for spotting talented individuals (remind you of anyone??). As preparations for a human-crewed trip out to Titan to launch a satellite draw to a close, a policeman saves Ward from an assassination attempt. Ward offers Ryan Crane, the policeman, a chance to join the crew as a reward, along with a chunk of money. A devoted family man, Ryan is reluctant to go, but after discussing the situation with his wife, he eventually agrees to join the two-year mission.

At this stage, I believed there would be all sorts of shenanigans aboard the flight – after all, it’s the classic locked-room setting. However, that didn’t happen. We do get to know all six astronauts reasonably well, but the book skims the long journey there and back and again, because that’s not the focus of the story. There is a glitch in launching the satellite – I’m not going to go into too much detail about it as I don’t want to give any Spoilers and part of the charm of this thriller is that there were aspects of the plot that veered from the predictable course I thought it would take.

Once back on the ground, the six astronauts find nothing is as they expected. No joyous meetings with their families, so meeting with their chief sponsor, John Ward – and above all, they are not allowed to communicate with each other. And if they attempt to break these rules – there are heavy-handed guards watching their every move to remind them to behave. And life is… different. And that’s all I’m saying.

This book was initially envisioned as a TV series. And the reason I mention it, is that I think it would make an excellent thriller on the box. Rake and Hart do a good job of giving each of the astronauts sufficient depth and varying problems that I was rooting for them. The pacing is well sustained, although I personally would have appreciated more details about the space flight. I found it a tad jarring when they were suddenly back on Earth again. But that is when the story really takes off. It was difficult to put down as each of the astronauts rapidly discovers that all is not well with their lives and are desperate for answers. But those who clearly are in the know aren’t interested in sharing.

Any niggles? The book ends very abruptly on a major cliff-hanger. And when I say a cliff-hanger, I mean it. Not a single plot thread or character journey is resolved – they are left in mid-air, waiting for the next book. I was a tad irritated, but that also indicates that I was fully invested in the mystery surrounding the astronauts and wanted to discover what is happening to them and why. And yes – I absolutely want to read the next book in the series, despite thrillers not being a genre I generally enjoy all that much. Recommended for fans of thrillers with a near-future scenario. While I obtained a copy of Detour from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

SUNDAY POST – 11th January, 2025 #Brainfluffbookblog #SundayPost

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books they’ve read and share what they have got up to during the last week.

A very happy and healthy 2026 to everyone! I can’t quite believe that we’re already a third of the way through the month. So far, 2026 has proven to be cold with frosts most mornings and even a sprinkling of snow. Luckily it quickly melted – but a lot of the country has been blanketed by snow thanks to the first named storm of the year, Goretti. We got torrential rain on Thursday night which made driving Oscar to his evening class a miserable business. At least the days have begun to lengthen again. Oscar has taken a while to fully recover from the virus that zapped him over Christmas – partly because he keeps thinking he’s completely better when he isn’t.

Ethan is now back at university and working really hard on the three assignments that have to be handed in before the end of the month. I am so proud of his work ethic. Fortunately, the weather so far hasn’t caused too many problems for the trains, so Himself isn’t dealing with too much chaos and turmoil as a driver, which can often happen at this time of year. And Amari has been extremely busy. She has shredded the hall curtains by running up them – they were elderly, but I was hoping they would do another year until our major makeover. She has also taken to ripping up the carpet outside our bedroom door. We’ve bought some coir mats to stop her and it seems to be working, although they are a bit rough on bare feet when we stagger to the bathroom at night. Her most dramatic escapade was to pull down a shelf in the kitchen, which I’d cleared of ornaments before Christmas. The shelf itself crashed on top of her litterbox lid, splintering it, while she leapt clear. I’m so glad I took the china off the shelf! The pics this week – Amari shows the battery-operated Christmas tree whose boss… watching TV – as you can see, she makes a marvellous window… her latest trick of walking along the top of the door in the lounge… and squeezing herself onto a shelf we’d assumed was too small for her…

On Friday night, Rebecca and I went to see Single White Female at the Royal Court Theatre in Brighton – it was the first night, so the performance was a tad uneven. But we had huge fun together – we’d parked in one of the multi-storey car parks near the theatre, but I hadn’t been paying much attention and we lost track of which car park. We were wandering the busy streets of Brighton for over an hour before we found the right one, finding the whole situation hilarious.


This fortnight I’ve read:-

AUDIOBOOK – Pursued by Peril – Book 4 of the Tracking Trouble series by Lindsay Buroker
The dragons of the Cosmic Realms aren’t pleased now that Azerdash has recovered a legendary galaxy blade. It makes him more of a threat in his quest to oust their kind from power. To stop him, the dragons have sent one of their own after him, a deadly assassin who likes a challenge…

Arwen wants to help Azerdash, but she has her own problems. She must track down the missing vampire alchemist, Zoltan. It’s her fault that he was kidnapped, and she can’t leave him in the hands of dark elves. But when the dragon assassin comes after her, because of her relationship with Azerdash, Arwen must worry about far more than kidnappers.
I’m enjoying this series, featuring sweet-natured Arwen – who is a bit of a change from the feisty heroines that usually take the lead in Buroker’s adventures. However, I think the change works really well. And once again, it was a treat to meet up with characters who have featured in the companion series that I so enjoyed. 8/10



EBOOK NOVELLA – The Blood Locket Mystery: From the Casefiles of the Morpheus Society 1 by Bryd Nash
Apprentice Ghost Talker, Twyla Andricksson sets out to solve her own mystery in this charming spin-off that features Twyla’s special brand of exuberant mayhem.

Twyla always does terrible things with great enthusiasm for very good reasons.

When Twyla messes up a seance, she is given the task by Elinor to solve the mystery of a dead servant girl’s locket. So while Elinor is out of town (see Spirit Guide) Twyla tackles the task, visiting lawyers, pestering the coroner, and generally putting her nose into other people’s business.

Working on her first case also provides a very good reason to escape her matchmaking mother and obnoxious brother.
I loved the Madame Chalamet series by Nash – a Gaslamp ghost series featuring calm, experienced Elinor Chalamet. While her talented but very impulsive student, Twyla, is quite a different protagonist. My main regret is that this story isn’t longer. I wanted more! 8/10



AUDIOBOOK – Mercenary Instinct – Book 1 of The Mandrake Company series by Ruby Lionsdrake
Skulking around in the ruins on a planet swarming with treasure hunters, slavers, and bounty hunters isn’t good for one’s health. But Ankari Markovich needs a few archaeological samples for her latest business venture, a venture that might prove lucrative enough to move her family off the impoverished planet where she grew up. Unfortunately, she has no sooner collected her samples than she’s captured by a band of brawny mercenaries. The captain might be handsome, but he’s intent on turning her over to some finance lord who has, for reasons unknown, put a bounty on her head, a ridiculously large one at that. If she can’t figure out a way to escape before she’s delivered to the lord’s home world, she could be forced into a life of indentured servitude—or worse.

Captain Viktor Mandrake doesn’t usually take on piddling bounty hunting gigs, but when his intelligence officer informs him of a criminal on a nearby planet, he decides it wouldn’t hurt to take a shuttle down to collect the woman. But Ankari Markovich is trouble from the start, nearly eluding his elite forces, then fighting and tricking his people left and right. He finds himself admiring her spirit, but according to her warrant, she’s a criminal. The safest thing is to keep her in the brig and ignore her until she can be handed off to the man who wants her.


But the situation grows more complicated when other bounty hunters show up, wanting to claim Ankari for themselves. Thanks to this woman, Viktor’s ship is in danger, his crew members are going missing, and he’s fighting enemies he never asked for in a jungle in the middle of a hurricane. He’s either going to strangle Ankari… or fall in love. Either scenario could get him killed.
This was one I acquired from Audible Plus. Full of adventure, along with an intense, slow burn love affair, which meant it wasn’t quite my cup of tea. But recommended if you like brooding men and feisty heroines. 7/10



AUDIOBOOK – Linesman – Book 1 of the Linesman series by S.K. Dunstall
The lines. No ship can traverse the void without them. Only linesmen can work with them. But only Ean Lambert hears their song. And everyone thinks he’s crazy… Most slum kids never go far, certainly not becoming a level-ten linesman like Ean. Even if he’s part of a small, and unethical, cartel, and the other linesmen disdain his self-taught methods, he’s certified and working.

Then a mysterious alien ship is discovered at the edges of the galaxy. Each of the major galactic powers is desperate to be the first to uncover the ship’s secrets, but all they’ve learned is that it has the familiar lines of energy—and a defense system that, once triggered, annihilates everything in a 200 kilometer radius.

The vessel threatens any linesman who dares to approach it, except Ean. His unique talents may be the key to understanding this alarming new force—and reconfiguring the relationship between humans and the ships that serve them, forever.
I loved this one. Using specific lines to travel ftl worked, without getting too technical and the world was nicely complicated and political. Dunstall managed to convey all the necessary information without holding up the pace of the story and Ean’s underdog status had me rooting for him from the start. I’m delighted to have the next two books in the series already to go. 9/10



Detour – Book 1 of the Detour series by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart
Ryan Crane wasn’t looking for trouble—just a cup of coffee. But when this cop spots a gunman emerging from an unmarked van, he leaps into action and unknowingly saves John Ward, a billionaire with presidential aspirations, from an assassination attempt.

As thanks for Ryan’s quick thinking, Ward offers him the chance of a lifetime: to join a group of lucky civilians chosen to accompany three veteran astronauts on the first manned mission to Saturn’s moon Titan.

A devoted family man, Ryan is reluctant to leave on this two-year expedition, yet with the encouragement of his loving wife—and an exorbitant paycheck guaranteeing lifetime care for their disabled son—he crews up and ventures into a new frontier…
I’ve cut short the very chatty blurb. Review to follow.

AUDIOBOOK – A Flicker in Time – Book 2 of the Mine Through Time series by Kate
Serzenta
Boston, 2010. It’s been over a year since Emily Willburne discovered she had the power to travel through time – then sacrificed it forever when to rewrite her family’s fractured past. But just as Emily laments her lost potential, her ancestor and former time-traveling companion Will reappears asking for help – stealing Emily away on an assignment that could restore the ability to travel between the centuries for both of them.

Boston, 1889. Lady Sylvia Ross is on the run. The beautiful British aristocrat witnessed her husband kill a man for a device she later fled with – and she has no idea of what it does or why he’d go to such murderous lengths to safeguard it. In fear for her life, Sylvia promises to hand the device over to a kind, handsome stranger, Will, and his odd companion, Emily – but only if they escort her to America’s wild frontier first, where she hopes to reunite with her disinherited brother James.

Will knows he’s meant to marry a woman named Sylvia one day. But this couldn’t possibly be her – she’s already married, and their paths are bound to diverge soon. Emily knows that this time is only an adventure for her – but it could turn into a heartbreak waiting to happen when Sylvia’s devastatingly attractive, aristocrat-turned-gunslinger brother enters the mix. Amidst their romantic woes, Will and Emily will have to contend with kidnapping, coercion, and a complex time travel conspiracy that spans the centuries …
I’ve read the first and third books in this entertaining series and thought I knew what I’d be in for with this second book. I was wrong – it had so many more twists and excitement. I was delighted to meet up with Emily again. The time travelling aspect has rules and limitations that heighten the stakes and make it clear that only a handful of people can ever manage to move through Time. Serzenta knows how to weave a gripping plot and throw in plenty of unpredictability – even for idiots like me who managed to read the books out of order. Highly recommended. 10/10

That Murder Feeling: A Soul Garden Mystery by Neve Maslakovic
Rod Gray isn’t your average small-town detective. He can see emotions — they bloom around people like living gardens, full of strange weather and stranger creatures. It’s a noisy way to walk through life but it helps him see what others can’t.

There’s one soul garden he’s never wanted to enter. A killer’s.

Until now. When the richest man in Two Lakes, Minnesota turns up dead in a blizzard, suspicion lands on Rod’s childhood friend Clementine Baker. To clear her name, Rod must learn what murder looks like in the soul. But his own feelings keep getting underfoot and time is running out.
Review to follow.

My posts:

My 2025 Reading Year – the statistics

Can’t-Wait Wednesday featuring That Murder Feeling: A Soul Garden Mystery by Neve Maslakovic

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of We Who Will Die – Book 1 of the Empire of Blood series by Stacia Stark

My Outstanding Reads of 2025

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of Awkward on the Rocks by Marcel Feldmar

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of Scot’s Eggs – Book 8 of the Last Ditch Mystery series by Catriona McPherson

Wishing you a happy, healthy week crammed with fabulous books😊.

My 2025 Reading Year – the statistics #Brainfluffbookblog #BrainfluffReadingYear2025

Last year started really badly – our family were dealing with all sorts of misery and I was still wading through Long Covid relapses. Thankfully, from the end of August onwards, things have been steadily improving. One of the good things was my reading year. I read 212 books overall, of which 5 were rereads or relistens.

As you can see – not a print book in sight. I simply don’t read them these days. The largest slice is audiobooks – I listened to 95 books during the year. They are a joy – I’ve always loved being read to and the quality of narration is by and large excellent.

The 43 ebooks I’ve read are a mix of newly bought, or ones already on our shelves. I don’t log if a book is newly bought or on my backlog, because I don’t want to know. Yes, I’ve bought more books than I could probably read in two lifetimes. And no – I don’t care. Reading is my main hobby and these days, it’s also a major lifeline when the wheels fall off my life. I read and reviewed 74 Netgalley arcs. I keep telling myself that I’m going to cut back on requesting Netgalley arcs, but I don’t. The benefits are that I find new authors that I really like through Netgalley and I keep in touch with new releases, reading and reviewing books I certainly couldn’t afford to read any other way. In 2025, I read 38 books by authors new to me and most of those were through Netgalley, or recommendations by other book bloggers.

During the year, I DNF’d 5 books, with one of those being abandoned because of the atrocious formatting. So I’m very satisfied with my ongoing system for sifting out books I don’t like – 4 clunkers out of 212 books shows it’s working well. Especially as I quickly abandon a book I don’t actively like. Life is too short to trudge through anything that is simply ‘meh’ when there are hundreds of marvellous reads out there waiting to fire up my brain and seep into my imagination.

In the past, I’ve made a conscious effort to read books by women authors, as they used to be under-represented within the SFF genre, particularly within Science Fiction. These days, I simply read a book I like without taking into account the gender of the author. So I was interested to note that in 2025 I read 155 by women compared to 65 written by men. And the sharp-eyed among you will quickly realise that the numbers don’t add up to 212 – this is because 8 books were co-written.

In 2025 I read 31 science fiction books, a wopping 117 fantasy books, 28 crime adventures, 3 non-fiction books and 4 children’s books. Science fiction includes sub-genres such as space opera, colony adventures, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic, time travel, alternate history, military, futuristic crime, literary and steampunk. Fantasy includes sub-genres such as epic, urban, swords and sorcery, musket and magic, sand and sorcery, underworld, historical, grimdark and coming of age.

Once again, fantasy still is my most popular genre by a long country mile, followed by sci fi. This year I didn’t read any historical adventures without a fantasy or sci fi twist, or wasn’t the setting for a crime. While I have tried to increase my science fiction reading – it’s a genre that tends to be darker than fantasy and right now, I’m not up for anything too bleak.

This year, a significant number of my books had a strong humorous thread or included romance, which tends to ensure that the ending is reasonably upbeat. I thoroughly enjoyed the non-fiction books I read and I’d like to expand that genre in the coming year. As for the children’s books, it’s dropped right away, as I’m not so in touch with books for younger readers these days.

One of my goals for 2025 was to get my penchant for reading parts of series under some sort of control – last year I only completed a measly 19 series after reading 195 books that were part of a series. This year, I read 80 books continuing in a series and completed or completely caught up with 27 series. I achieved this by targeting series I particularly wanted to finish and prioritising them over other books. I look forward to doing the same in the coming year and hopefully completing more.

A statistic I’m very pleased about – 75 books I read this year were by indie authors. This is a much better number than the previous year and reflects my ongoing effort to ensure I support fellow authors going it alone. And I’m giving myself an extra pat on the back because the huge majority of Netgalley arcs are traditionally published, so very few of the arcs I’ve read are from indie authors.

My goals for next year? Continue to concentrate on following up and completing series I enjoy, continue to read more independent authors and review their work – even if it’s only a mini-review. And to continue to thoroughly enjoy the gift of being able to choose from thousands of books. I feel so blessed to have such a choice. When I think of how much books have enriched my life – and literally saved my sanity when things have been tough – I feel humbly grateful.

Wishing you all a very happy 2026 reading year!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday – 7th December, 2025 #Brainfluffbookblog #CWC #WOW

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week’s Can’t-Wait offering:

#paranormal murder mystery #troubled hero

That Murder Feeling: A Soul Garden Mystery by Neve Maslakovic

Release date – 13th January, 2025

BLURB: Meet Rodrick Gray, PI…

Rod Gray isn’t your average small-town detective. He can see emotions — they bloom around people like living gardens, full of strange weather and stranger creatures. It’s a noisy way to walk through life but it helps him see what others can’t.

There’s one soul garden he’s never wanted to enter. A killer’s.

Until now. When the richest man in Two Lakes, Minnesota turns up dead in a blizzard, suspicion lands on Rod’s childhood friend Clementine Baker. To clear her name, Rod must learn what murder looks like in the soul. But his own feelings keep getting underfoot and time is running out.

I do love a murder mystery with a bit of a SFF twist. And this one sounds really intriguing. While I’ve read whodunits with the investigator being able to see auras, I haven’t come across such a deep dive into a soul garden, so I’m really looking forward to tucking into this one.

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of NETGALLEY arc We Who Will Die – Book 1 of the Empire of Blood series by Stacia Stark #BrainfluffNETGALLEYbookreview #WeWhoWillDiebookreview

In 2024, I read the first two books in Stark’s best-selling romantasy series, Kingdom of Lies, which I enjoyed though found it rather dark and brooding. And the reason why I wanted to read this one was the premise – Rome at its height ruled by vampires. This seemed like a really interesting setting and coupled with Stark’s intense style, should provide a memorable read.

BLURB: Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.

Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard. She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.

With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.

To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny…

REVIEW: I was hoping for a vividly depicted Rome with powerful vampires in charge and our plucky heroine somehow hoping to upset the status quo. And I got it. Stark does a good job in providing a sympathetic heroine who somehow achieved the unthinkable – only for it all to turn to ashes from the moment she succeeded.

Small wonder, some five years later, she is cynical and closed off to all but her brothers, who she spends most of her time trying to keep alive by taking jobs as a hired guard. Until an unscrupulous vampire crashes into her life and forces her to return to the world of the gladiator, where she has to prove her courage by going onto the Sand again to prove her fighting prowess. Stark’s portrayal of that closed world, where everyone is a potential enemy and Arvelle and her fellow competitors are only valued for the amount of entertainment they can provide a voracious crowd, is vivid and memorable. I loved that aspect of the book.

I wasn’t quite so enamoured of the romance, which in contrast to the setting, settled into a predictable rhythm that felt a tad ordinary. That said, I’m also aware that I’m not the audience for this type of romantasy adventure as I get a bit tired of the emotional and sexual tension pinging all over the place.

I did enjoy Arvelle’s character. Her horror at having to return to the Sand where she lost her best friend and didn’t even get to keep the fortune she’d raised resonated with me. I liked how she struggled to get fit again and wasn’t a match for any of the other, fitter contenders – Stark took care not to depict Arvelle as some Mary Sue. She wins her bouts by a mixture of scrambling desperation and dumb luck. There are also some other memorable characters, who develop and change alongside Arvelle. Particularly Leon, who ends up training Arvelle. There is also a murder mystery wrapped up within the plot, for someone is killing the competitors, one by one. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. While I obtained a copy of We Who Will Die from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10