With another month gone by, the end of June brings us to the halfway point of 2020 – a very strange year, I’m sure you’ll agree. I hope you’ve all been coping with the lockdown and the weird restrictions on day to day life we’re all dealing with, and where possible have been getting some good reading time in. As usual, for this Monthly Highlights article I’m going to take a look back through what I’ve been reading and listening to over the last few weeks – in this case I managed 15 books (four of which were audiobooks) across a slightly wider range of genres and topics than I usually go for.
I’ll keep things as succinct as I can, and link out to reviews where they’re available; as with last month I chose quite a lot of these books for the purpose of escapism rather than to review, and quite a few were re-reads. Without further ado, however, let’s get straight on (in the order in which I read them) with June’s books…
Sepulturum by Nick Kyme
I had been meaning to read this for a while, not least because I’ve thoroughly enjoyed pretty much all of the Warhammer Horror stories released by Black Library so far, and when I finally got around to it…I wasn’t disappointed. While there’s more to this than just “40k with zombies”, the very fact that it is a zombie story set in the 40k universe is a pretty big draw – add in an Inquisitor with amnesia and a mysterious mission, and some interesting secondary characters, and you’ve got a recipe for a great book. If I’m being picky I’d have loved it to have been a bit longer, but other than that I would say that this is another excellent example of what Warhammer Horror can do – tell great stories which are horror first and Warhammer second.
Check out my review of Sepulturum, and a Rapid Fire interview with Nick Kyme.
The Wombles by Elisabeth Beresford
I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy, much of which is really quite dark…but sometimes I just want something quiet, easy and comfortable. I can’t remember the last time I read or watched anything about the Wombles, but when I saw the audiobook of this, the first book to feature the lovable little creatures, I couldn’t resist. Essentially a series of short adventures introducing most – if not all – of the key characters from the series, it’s a wonderfully sweet book full of gentle humour which might be aimed at children but is still endearing and entertaining to this 37-year old. Bernard Cribbins’ narration is just icing on the cake!
Angel Exterminatus by Graham McNeill
Book 23 in the Horus Heresy series (and the first to get a hardback release, fact fans), this not only brings together the unusual – and unexpectedly entertaining – pairing of Fulgrim and Perturabo, but it also features Nykona Sharrowkin, Sabik Wayland and the rest of the crew of the Sisypheum. As a sort-of-standalone novel within the Heresy it’s excellent, a thoroughly entertaining story, but for me I revisited it with a view to re-familiarising myself with the story of the Sisypheum and the Shattered Legions in preparation for tackling Sons of the Selenar. Second time round it was just as good!
Knights of Macragge by Nick Kyme
Another book I’ve had on the shelf for a while before reading, this continues the tale of Cato Sicarius as seen in previous stories like Assault on Black Reach and The Fall of Damnos, taking things in a considerably darker direction. For much of the book it’s unrelentingly bleak, as Sicarius is trapped in the Warp with his company and the crew of his ship, but despite all the darkness Sicarius comes across better than he ever has before. It’s great to see this previously-familiar character developing in unexpected ways, but there’s also some really interesting exploration here of the divide between the two generations of Space Marines as well. It has a slightly unusual structure, but even so this is a really impressive book.
Check out my review of Knights of Macragge, and a Rapid Fire interview with Nick Kyme.
Wrath of N’Kai by Josh Reynolds
This is the second book I’ve read from the new range due to be published soon by Aconyte Books (after Tales From the Crucible), and it’s another cracker. Not that I was surprised, given Josh’s excellent track record – especially with this sort of occult-tinged, 1920s-set mystery. It was my first introduction to the world of Arkham Horror, and I loved the pulpy, noirish stylings complete with ancient evil, mysterious cults and kickass ‘gentlewoman thief’ protagonist. I can’t speak for those already familiar with the setting, but as an introduction it was a lot of fun…and I would definitely be up for reading more like this!
Check out my review of Wrath of N’Kai.
Slay In Your Lane by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené
I picked this up (as an audiobook) in the immediate wake of the awful events surrounding George Floyd’s murder – it’s written as a “guide to life for a generation of black British women inspired to make lemonade out of lemons, and find success in every area of their lives”, and while I certainly don’t fall into that demographic I found this to be a valuable, if often difficult, book to listen to. Difficult because of how it pushed me to see things from a different perspective to my own, and get a sense of how privileged I am as a white man – which of course is the exact way in which it was valuable. Hearing the stories of so many successful black women was of course inspiring, but I’m going to make sure this isn’t the last book I read which tackles similar issues and pushes me to be better.
Shattered Legions edited by Laurie Goulding
Another book I revisited in preparation for Sons of the Selenar, this anthology – book 43 in the Horus Heresy – is one of my favourite short story collections in the series. It helps that, unlike some of the other anthologies, this has a very clear theme, as it covers the actions of some of the Iron Hands, Salamanders and Raven Guard who escaped the Dropsite Massacre. I’ve read (or listened to) all of these stories at least twice before, but coming back to them in this audiobook format was an absolute pleasure – my main interest this time around was The Seventh Serpent, but that story – and that of the Sisypheum in general – is made so much more powerful in context of the anthology as a whole.
Check out my review (from 2017) of Shattered Legions.
Sons of the Selenar by Graham McNeill
Having gone back through all of the stories leading up to this novella, the first of this format to be included in the Siege of Terra series, I went into it with a really clear picture of what these characters had gone through up to this point…and an awareness that this was likely going to be their Horus Heresy swansong. A tale of divided loyalties, dissension within the ranks and the desperation of one last mission, I thought it was a fitting finale to a character arc which I’ve really enjoyed from start to finish. While I would have loved for this to have been a full novel, as a fairly hefty novella it was entertaining, satisfying, and not a little emotional.
Check out my review of Sons of the Selenar, and a Rapid Fire interview with Graham McNeill. You can also check out my article on Preparing for Sons of the Selenar.
David Mogo, Godhunter by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Take a sort-of urban fantasy novel, make the protagonist a reluctant demigod who’s equal parts bounty hunter and odd-job man, and set it in Nigeria after Lagos – the largest city in the country – has been overrun by displaced gods and godlings…and you’ll get something like David Mogo, Godhunter. It’s basically three novellas bundled into a single volume, and that comes with a few structural idiosyncrasies which take a little bit away from the impact of the book as a whole, but look past that and it’s an imaginative story full of rich world building and a vivid depiction of a magical Africa.
Check out my review of David Mogo, Godhunter.
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
Sometimes you take a chance on a book and it pays off beyond your expectations – that’s what happened here! This popped up in an email as a 99p daily deal, and I just happened to fancy something light and easy to read, so I gave it a go…and loved every minute! It takes a similar-ish approach to things like The Library of the Unwritten and Genevieve Cogman’s Invisible Library series, but instead of a library the main character works for a sort of time-travelling academic research facility. Taking in time periods ranging from early 20th Century all the way back to the Cretaceous Period, it’s fast-paced, full of memorable characters and basically just a lot of fun. I’ll be reading more of this series, for sure.
Killing It by Asia Mackay
I took a chance on this one as well, and while I didn’t love it the way I did Just One Damned Thing… I certainly had fun reading about new-mum-secret-agent Alexis Tyler as she returns to work and takes on her first post-motherhood assignment. To be honest I felt that the spy thriller elements of the story were fine, if a little predictable (and leaning a bit too far into the silly side) but I loved the main character and her struggle to balance work and family. It’s a clever concept, and if the central mystery isn’t that much of mystery there’s plenty to enjoy watching Lexi prove all the sexist old men wrong, and kick ass even while making sure she’s around to look after her daughter.
Fabius Bile: Primogenitor by Josh Reynolds
With Manflayer, the third in Josh Reynolds’ Fabius Bile trilogy, finally published, I decided I had better remind myself of what happened in the first two books beforehand. I first read Primogenitor back in 2016 so it’s been a fair while since I last read it – it only took a couple of pages to remember why I love this book so much! Josh’s take on Bile is just pitch perfect, avoiding painting him as too much of a moustache-twirling villain and somehow making him remarkably sympathetic, despite the horrors he inflicts. The cast of supporting characters is as strong as any you’ll find anywhere in Black Library’s 40k canon, and this offers a view on the setting that’s different to anything else. So, so good – I can’t wait to re-read Clonelord and then make a start on Manflayer!
Check out my review (from 2016) of Primogenitor.
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
If you loved Gideon the Ninth as much as I did (and clearly a lot of readers did!) then you’re probably extremely excited about the sequel, Harrow the Ninth. I was lucky enough to get hold of an advance copy, and I can happily reassure you that yes, it’s bloomin’ brilliant! It’s also very much not what I expected – I don’t want to spoil anything, but suffice to say you’re unlikely to have anticipated quite what Harrow got up to next. I’ll be writing a full review to be published over on the Grimdark Magazine website, so keep an eye out for that, but I’d just say it’s worth being patient with this book and trusting that everything will make sense (including some interesting structural and stylistic choices) in the end. It’s worth it!
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
I have vague memories of reading and loving the Dragonriders of Pern books way back when I was a youngster, but it’s been years and years since I last read one of them. I fancied remedying that, so picked up the first in the series on Kindle – I’ve got to say I don’t remember any of the plot (maybe I never read this one back in the day?) but some things, like the different colours of dragons and the dangers of Threads, instantly came flooding back. It’s a pretty straightforward story, but there’s something lovely about this world and its mythology – not to mention the dragons (dragons are always awesome) – that makes it instantly engaging. I can see why I loved these books as a kid, and I can see myself happily rereading more of them as an adult!
At Home by Bill Bryson
If you’ve never read a Bill Bryon book I would strongly recommend you do (especially as an audiobook if he’s narrating it himself, as he has a really soothing speaking voice), and this one is a great example of how he’s developed from a travel writer into just a really great writer. Taking his Norfolk ex-rectory home as inspiration, this sees him explore all manner of engaging corners of history through the lens of the ways in which humans have designed, built and lived in their homes over the years. It’s not an in-depth history book, but rather a light but still insightful trip through a selection of interesting moments, events and people. As with all Bryson books, it’s gentle and engaging and filled with the author’s warm wit. I loved it.
***
For all the weirdness of life at the moment, reading (and listening) continues to be a source of relaxation and satisfaction for me. I’m pleased with how much I read in June, but more than that with how many of these books I really loved. Here’s hoping July’s reads will be as good! I’ve got a few specifically lined up in my TBR list, but I imagine I’ll be keeping an eye out for a few off-the-cuff choices as well, and chances are I’ll review a similar-ish number to last month. I’ll hopefully have a few articles and author interviews to fill in the gaps between reviews, however!
I’d love to hear about what you’ve enjoyed reading or listening to recently, whether you’ve read and enjoyed any of the books I tackled this month, and whether there’s anything you’d like to see in these highlights/roundup articles…so do drop me a line in the comments below, or get in touch on Twitter.