Books tagged with: sexual content

  • Coldheart CanyonClive Barker
    Coldheart Canyon
    by Clive Barker
    Horror

    Now I am a self-professed fan of horror books and have been since I was a teenager, reading hundreds of horror books along the way. Most have been good, a few not so good. I have collected loads of authors along my journey, possessing all the King novels, Herbert novels and quite a few Barker novels...

  • LairJames Herbert
    Lair
    by James Herbert
    Horror

    The first of the sequels to The Rats is a vast improvement to the original in terms of suspense and action. What the book lacks in originality now, due to it being a sequel, it definitely makes up for in horror and gore. The author’s writing has really come a long way in the intervening years and by...

  • Geralds GameStephen King
    Geralds Game
    by Stephen King
    Horror

    Geralds Game is a novel by the master of Horror, Stephen King. This is the first Stephen King book (please notice that I wrote book and not story) I have read that really doesn't have anything supernatural in it. Not that I missed it, GG is still a terrific story. The story starts off with...

  • Allhallows EveRichard Laymon
    Allhallows Eve
    by Richard Laymon
    Horror

    It’s been awhile since I picked up one of Mr Laymon’s books and I was quite looking forward to reading this book. With this in mind I picked it up and started ahead. Now for those of you who aren’t aware Laymon was a very prolific writer right up to his death. His books ranged from short sharp shock...

  • No One Gets Out AliveAdam Nevill
    No One Gets Out Alive
    by Adam Nevill
    Horror

    Ok it’s fair to say I struggled with this book a lot more than I expected to. Promise of an English Stephen King, was lapped up by yours truly, a self-confessed King fan, add on to that the fact I’m English myself and I had a book on my hands I just had to read. The promise was far more than the ac...

  • Blood ReactionDL Atha
    Blood Reaction
    by DL Atha
    Fantasy

    Asa, the century old, vindictive and cruel vampire invades the home of single mother and physician Annalice forcing her to strike a bargain for her daughters life as the monster takes control of her own life and home. Caught in a race against a genetic timeline she must rely on her skills as a phys...

  • The Guns Of IvreaClifford Beal
    The Guns Of Ivrea
    by Clifford Beal
    Fantasy

    The Guns of Ivrea is a seafaring fantasy adventure that immediately establishes its author, Clifford Beal as eminently knowledgeable in his chosen subject area and a strong storyteller to boot. Our plot revolves around the fortunes of Nicolo Danamis, a pirate in the same vein as Sir Francis Drake,...

  • TitheHolly Black
    Tithe
    by Holly Black
    Fantasy

    I first read Tithe when I was young, probably the same age as the main character, Kaye—16. I was entranced. It was so dark, so beautifully written, and so enticing. I wanted more of the silver knight, more of the deliciously dark faery world. It isn’t by any means glorious—there’s teen drinking, gru...

  • King MakerMaurice Broaddus
    King Maker
    by Maurice Broaddus
    Fantasy

    King Maker is an Urban fantasy novel by Maurice Broaddus, retelling the the ancient Arthurian legend through lives of Indianapolis street gangs and the first in "The knights of Breton Court" series. The story involves the principal character of King, son of Luther and destined to try and unite the...

  • King’s JusticeMaurice Broaddus
    King’s Justice
    by Maurice Broaddus
    Fantasy

    King’s Justice is the second novel in the Knights of Breton Court series and the sequel to the phenomenal novel King maker by Maurice Broaddus. From the drug gangs of downtown Indianapolis, the one true king will arise. Spurred on with ever more urgent visions by his mystic advisor Merle, King att...

  • Cold Light of DayPaul Cave
    Cold Light of Day
    by Paul Cave
    Fantasy

    Cold Light of Day is a contemporary horror novel by Paul Cave. Student Josh Sawyer's passionate encounter with Anna, a beautiful and mysterious young woman, was one that would change his life forever. He must come to terms with Anna's deep, dark and terrifying secrets - that thrust him into a night...

  • SnowtearS.B. Davidson
    Snowtear
    by S.B. Davidson
    Fantasy

    Review by author Luis Villazon. This is a detective novel, with a fantasy setting. The city of Winter Moon is surrounded on three sides by impenetrable mountains and on the fourth by an impassable frozen sea. Its only connection to the outside world is via the magical floating city of Crystalline, w...

  • A Princess of the AerieJohn Barnes
    A Princess of the Aerie
    by John Barnes
    Science Fiction

    A Princess of the Aerie is the second volume in the Jak Jinnaka series by author John Barnes. It's hard to stay away from series, in this world. There are a lot of upsides to them and, as long as they stay fresh, the downsides are few. You know what you can expect, you are already wise to the backg...

  • BlopeSean Benham
    Blope
    by Sean Benham
    Science Fiction

    Blope is about segregation, plastic surgery gone wrong, and all sorts of messed up religion. For a little background, it is basically another version of history where the American Southwest becomes part of an extreme Taiwanese empire. Its ruler uses the American Southwest as an experiment & segregat...

  • Children of the ThunderJohn Brunner
    Children of the Thunder
    by John Brunner
    Science Fiction

    Children of the Thunder is a science fiction novel by John Brunner. John Brunner has written a really wonderful book 'THE SHEEP LOOK UP' that I should probably re-read. This book came close but not quite to the despondancy that Earth is supposed to face in the present/near future. There is developin...

  • Dreaming of EdenJames Lucien
    Dreaming of Eden
    by James Lucien
    Science Fiction

    Dreaming of Eden is a science fiction novel by James Lucien. In the dystopian future of 2049, a ravaged world, divided into four Super States, is locked into a continuous war for diminishing resources. Under the oppression of a totalitarian government, an Elite DHS hacker, a robotics scientist, an...

  • Elite - NemorensisSimon Spurrier
    Elite - Nemorensis
    by Simon Spurrier
    Science Fiction

    If you've ever read a Simon Spurrier novel, you will understand how his voice has an almost dirty quality to it. His novels have a raw edge that isn't quite horror but manages to lend some of the gritty reality that the finest horror posses. Nemorensis has that edge, an unusual style and very diffe...

  • Forever PeaceJoe Haldeman
    Forever Peace
    by Joe Haldeman
    Science Fiction

    First things first, Forever Peace is not a sequel to Forever War, for that you need to look for the later novel Forever Free (expect a review at some point when time permits). Forever Peace does however share a few of the same ideologies as it's predecessor and it also won both the Hugo and Nebu...

  • Give Me These Moments BackMichael Chinn
    Give Me These Moments Back
    by Michael Chinn
    Science Fiction

    This is a substantive collection of short stories from Alchemy Press, varying in setting, premise and idea but all focusing around the concept of a moment in time as mentioned in the title. These moments are all pivotal and memorable, life defining and changing in each case. The stories themse...

  • In the BloodRobert J Sullivan
    In the Blood
    by Robert J Sullivan
    Science Fiction

    In the Blood is a science fiction novel by Robert J Sullivan. The Utu festival was only three days old when the first body was found, 22 year old Gloria Ashlock, naked except for her shoes, lashed to a column in a warehouse and stabbed 35 times. The discovery was a shock but not a surprise to the p...

  • In the Hall of the Martian KingJohn Barnes
    Science Fiction

    In the Hall of the Martian King is the third volume in the Jak Jinnaka series by the American author John Barnes. This is the third book in the Jak Jinnaka series. Jak, has gotten him self an easy job administrating the Hive base on Deimos. Noting much is supposed to happen, but of cause something...

  • Infernal Desire Machines of Dr HoffmanAngela Carter
    Science Fiction

    Infernal Desire Machines of Dr. Hoffman is a science fiction novel by Angela Carter. It seems some editor thought War of Dreams is a better title for the Americas than The INFERNAL DESIRE MACHINES OF DOCTOR HOFFMAN which is the UK title...stupid editor!! My copy says "WAR OF DREAMS" but I am choosi...

  • LoveDeathDan Simmons
    LoveDeath
    by Dan Simmons
    Science Fiction

    LoveDeath is a speculative fiction novel by the award winning author Dan Simmons. I met Simmons at a recent Danish book fair and had a small talk with him about the range of his published work and the problem of categorising books. Not being a very well read Simmons fan (The Hyperion Cantos and Car...

  • Mars PlusFrederik Pohl
    Mars Plus
    by Frederik Pohl
    Science Fiction

    Mars Plus is the sequel to the science fiction classic Man Plus, by Frederik Pohl. Long awaited follow-up to the excellent novel Man Plus, takes place forty years after Man Plus - Mars has been settled, not only with Cyborgs (read the review of Man Plus), but also with normal people and everything...

  • Mindstar RisingPeter F Hamilton
    Mindstar Rising
    by Peter F Hamilton
    Science Fiction

    Mindstar Rising is the first volume of the Greg Mandel Trilogy by Peter F Hamilton. First some ranting about the cover art: The cover "art" on this book is incredibly stupid looking - there's a picture of a "tough guy" (well, he looks more like a cheap actor to me) wearing a blue jacket with too sh...

  • Misspent YouthPeter F Hamilton
    Misspent Youth
    by Peter F Hamilton
    Science Fiction

    Misspent Youth is a stand alone science fiction novel by the acclaimed British author Peter F Hamilton. Misspent Youth – try saying it to your self – Misspent Youth, not exactly catchy is it?. It sound so much like a story about maladjusted working class youngsters in some large industrial town or...

  • Odd JohnOlaf Stapledon
    Odd John
    by Olaf Stapledon
    Science Fiction

    Odd John was first published in 1935 and was one of the very first novels to explore the theme of the super human, coining the term homo superior. It's being reviewed here as part of Gollancz excellent SF Masterworks series. Written from a narrator's perspective, Odd John is a pretty unique piece o...

  • Shades of EmpireCarmen Webster Buxton
    Shades of Empire
    by Carmen Webster Buxton
    Science Fiction

    Set within the same universe as the authors previous novel Tribes, Shades of Empire follows the ex-soldier Alexander Napier, merchant starship captain Madeline Pallestrino and a host of other colourful characters. Alexander still reluctantly wears the marks of his servitude to the Emperor but it's...

  • Stranger in a Strange landRobert A Heinlein
    Stranger in a Strange land
    by Robert A Heinlein
    Science Fiction

    Stranger in a Strange Land is one of the most famous and controversial science fiction novels, by the legendary author Robert A Heinlein. A best seller and Hugo award winner - having never been out of print, Stranger in a Strange Land was written in 1961, almost 50 years ago. The original publ...

  • The Centauri DeviceM John Harrison
    The Centauri Device
    by M John Harrison
    Science Fiction

    The Centauri Device is a classic science fiction tale told by M John Harrison. Picking up another classic from the SF Masterworks series, by an author which was a total unknown to me. It's kind of a high risk gamble, it could open my eyes to something completely new and it could be a complete waste...

  • The Girl in the RoadMonica Byrne
    The Girl in the Road
    by Monica Byrne
    Science Fiction

    In the future world of "A Girl in the Road" global power has shifted and a revolution blows with the easterly wind. It's a future where the technology so long held in the west meets the culture of the east. Into this maelstrom of technology walks Meena, a complicated girl in a complicated world who...

  • The Windup GirlPaolo Bacigalupi
    The Windup Girl
    by Paolo Bacigalupi
    Science Fiction

    The Windup Girl is the award winning dystopian vision by Paolo Bacigalupi. Anderson Lake is a company man, AgriGen's calorie representative in Thailand. Under cover as a factory worker he combs Bangkok's street markets in search of foodstuffs long thought to be extinct. There he meets the...

  • The World InsideRobert Silverberg
    The World Inside
    by Robert Silverberg
    Science Fiction

    The World Inside is a science fiction novel by Robert Silverberg. Silverberg's "THE WORLD INSIDE" is about the giant apartment communistic/yet caste ridden complex (the floors are divided up according to job 'importance), and thought this is the straight bullet shot to the future. Population goes...

  • As Wonderland Goes ByLaszlo Mohacsi
    As Wonderland Goes By
    by Laszlo Mohacsi
    Fantasy

    As Wonders Go By a wildly different book to most I've read. For a start it's narrated in the second person, there aren't many I've read that take this approach. The protagonist is a woman of "loose morals", at large in Europe and looking for "adventure". She finds more adventure even she can handle...

  • Blood and ChocolateAnnette Curtis Klause
    Blood and Chocolate
    by Annette Curtis Klause
    Fantasy

    Blood and Chocolate’s protagonist Vivian Gandillon loves the change—the sweetly painful way her body moves from human to wolf. At 16, she’s stunningly beautiful and has all the men in her pack running after her. Her pack family, recently driven away from West Virginia where her father lost his life,...

  • CharmSarah Pinborough
    Charm
    by Sarah Pinborough
    Fantasy

    Charm is the second in Sarah Pinborough's series of novels which rewrite the traditional fairy tale for an intelligent, adult audience. This time it's the story of Cinderella that is re-created into an erotic, adult and charged story with a touch of brothers grimm darkness. I love how the author con...

  • Ecko RisingDanie Ware
    Ecko Rising
    by Danie Ware
    Fantasy

    Ecko Rising is the début novel from Danie Ware, publicist and events organiser for that famous retailer Forbidden Planet. You've got to admire her ambition, not content to just write her first novel within a standard science fiction or fantasy setting, with Ecko Rising she attempt's that which often...

  • Gods and Monsters: Unclean SpiritsChuck Wendig
    Fantasy

    Unclean Spirits is the first in a new shared-universe series called Gods and Monsters. Gods (and Monsters) are real. In the past this Pantheon were content to keep the world at arms length, sucking up the belief and devotion of mortals to provide them with the power to wage war against each other....

  • Music in the BoneMarion Pitman
    Music in the Bone
    by Marion Pitman
    Fantasy

    Anthologies from Alchemy Press specialise in bringing myth to a contemporary setting and general involve adult characters living adult lives. Music in the Bone is no exception to this. It’s quite a varied collection of Marion Pitman’s work from a number of different sources and spans a long career...

  • OrcsStan Nicholls
    Orcs
    by Stan Nicholls
    Fantasy

    Orc's is an anthology of Bodyguard of Lightning, Legion of Thunder and Warriors of the Tempest, 3 novels in the fantasy series Orcs, written by Stan Nicholls. In the world of Maras-Dantia the elder races lived along with each other, while not in peace at least in some tolerance of one another. From...

  • PoisonSarah Pinborough
    Poison
    by Sarah Pinborough
    Fantasy

    Poison is an enchanting adult take on the classic fairy tale Snow White. With an appealing freshness and confident, unique voice of the author its a tale that will leave you eager for more. Everyone knows the story of Snow White and Poison is instantly recognisable from that childhood fable and yet...

  • Pretty Little Dead ThingsGary McMahon
    Pretty Little Dead Things
    by Gary McMahon
    Fantasy

    Pretty Little Dead Things is a urban horror novel by the author Gary McMahon. Thomas Usher used to be a fairly normal guy, a family man with a wife and child, all this changed when a tragic accident took his family away from him. He began to see the dead, and they him, all the lost and lonely souls...

  • Serial Killers IncorporatedAndy Remic
    Fantasy

    Serial Killers Incorporated is a dark urban fantasy novel by Andy Remic and published by Anarchy Books. Callaghan is a drug and drink fuelled, womanising, amoral, hardcore photographer for the tabloid rag Black & White. He's a guy with very few redeeming features (if any) and his journey on the roa...

  • Strange Tales VRosalie Parker
    Strange Tales V
    by Rosalie Parker
    Fantasy

    World Fantasy Award winning series Strange Tales has now reached its fifth volume, offering again a bunch of tales ranging from SF to horror, from fantasy to supernatural, sharing a "strange" or "weird" character. The present book includes sixteen brand new stories, penned by authors from both side...

  • Wizards First RuleTerry Goodkind
    Wizards First Rule
    by Terry Goodkind
    Fantasy

    Wizards First Rule by Terry Goodkind is the first volume in the sword of truth series and follows the adventures of Richard Cypher, an young woods guide who makes a life changing decision to help a lady in distress. The woman richard rescues is Kahlan Amnell (Mother Confessor), who has crossed the...

  • The House by the CemeteryJohn Everson
    The House by the Cemetery
    by John Everson
    Horror

    There seems to be a rise in a new form of entertainment these last few years, that of the live action experience. While "escape rooms" seem to the most prevelant, there is also a niche for those who would prefer to be scared rather than think about puzzles. The House by the Cemetery is an old, de...

  • The Grey BastardsJonathan French
    The Grey Bastards
    by Jonathan French
    Fantasy

    The clue to what makes the Fantasy genre so great is staring you straight in the face; it is fantastical. It gives author the chance to transport their readers to a different time and place. Lands full of wonder, populated by creatures only seen in your dreams. So, it is sometimes a little sad to se...

  • The Mouth of the DarkTim Waggoner
    The Mouth of the Dark
    by Tim Waggoner
    Horror

    The very nature of horror means that it should not always be a pleasant read. You should be unsettled, scared and perhaps even disgusted at times, but a balance must be struck. If an author is failing to get genuine scares into their book they may resort to cheap tricks such as writing things so gro...

  • Dark InkGary Kemble
    Dark Ink
    by Gary Kemble
    Horror

    People have power over on another. Someone who is charismatic may be able to manipulate others to do their bidding even against their own best interests. The opposite sex can also have power. What would you do to be with the partner you love/lust for? Mistress Hel is a Dominatrix who speci...

  • Are Snakes NecessaryBrian De Palma
    Are Snakes Necessary
    by Brian De Palma
    General Fiction

    The noir genre has an inherent problem, it has the feel of the 1940s and 1950s. You imagine black and white films, men in fedoras and women with cascading red locks. The lack of technology forced the central gumshoe to walk the streets and knock together heads to gather the intel...

  • Grave SecretsAlice James
    Grave Secrets
    by Alice James
    General Fiction

    Walk into my house and glance at my bookshelves and you will find an eclectic mix of books. My favourite genres are represented heavily in science fiction and fantasy, but I also have loads of crime, history, biographies and general fiction. This&nbs...

  • Zeus Is A DickSusie Donkin
    Zeus Is A Dick
    by Susie Donkin
    General Fiction

    One man’s truth is another man’s myth and whilst the Greek Gods may have once been worshipped as real, they are now considered by most as myths. This is great for a genre review site as the Greek Gods are as fantastical as they come. They turn themselves and others into an...

  • Blackheart KnightsLaure Eve
    Blackheart Knights
    by Laure Eve
    Fantasy

    One of the wonderful things about genre fiction is that an author can take their imagination anywhere and run with it. I can imagine a lot of things, but an alternative urban fantasy that has Knights on motorbikes. That is a new on me. Laure Eve...

  • A Marvellous LightFreya Marske
    A Marvellous Light
    by Freya Marske
    Fantasy

    Secrets are powerful. They can make or break someone. In the alternative Edwardian England of Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light there is a magical society of people who hide their powers. This is a big secret to keep, but there are others. Both Robin Blyth and Edwin Co...

  • PennybladeJ L Worrad
    Pennyblade
    by J L Worrad
    Fantasy

    The days of High Elves and spiffing adventures being the only choice in fantasy are long over. This is a vast genre that still has books of High Fantasy, but it also has Low Fantasy. This gritty version of the genre is more prevalent than ever with some of the best being made into TVs shows and film...

  • The Keep WithinJ L Worrad
    The Keep Within
    by J L Worrad
    Fantasy

    There is something about Low Fantasy that makes it such a good genre. It is not the violence, swearing or muckraking, it is the people. Reading a fantasy book where the heroes are not in white and the villains in black. In J. L Worrad’s The Keep Within the nominal hero is one Sir Harrance 'Har...

  • Sword CatcherCassandra Clare
    Sword Catcher
    by Cassandra Clare
    Fantasy

    You are probably a fantasy fan if you are reading a review of this fantasy book. As fans we love the genre, but even we can admit that plenty of the tropes are well trodden and to standout a new fantasy series is going to have to be something different. Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare opens with a...

  • ShigidiWole Talabi
    Shigidi
    by Wole Talabi
    Fantasy

    Most people love a good heist if they are not the ones being robbed. Be it in the movies, a documentary, or even a novel, a heist is all about planning and then it falling apart instantly. You can tell the story of a heist in different ways; do you go deeply into the plan or find out more about the...

  • Confessions of an AntichristMarta Skadi
    General Fiction

    Joining a band is a rite of passage that everyone should try at least once. I got as far as forming a fake band with my mates at university, but then we had no commitment. To really make it you will need to buckle down and learn an instrument and write some songs – or just be a punk band. If y...

  • The Hunters GambitCiel Pierlot
    The Hunters Gambit
    by Ciel Pierlot
    Fantasy

    When it comes to vampires, I understand that there is a rich tapestry of versions you can now read about, but I like mine to have that old fashioned appeal. The type of vampire that does not want to talk about their feelings or act like the average tween, but instead wants to wear lace frills and su...

  • How Like a GodRex Stout
    How Like a God
    by Rex Stout
    General Fiction

    When you enter midlife, you must watch out that you do not get lost in the past. Past glories that may have been, lovers that were or could have been. There is a reason that some people drift into a crisis, seeing the grass could have been greener had they picked a different path. When you are going...

  • The BrandedJo Riccioni
    The Branded
    by Jo Riccioni
    Fantasy

    There are all types of fantasy from the high to the low, but for some fans it can be tricky to enjoy one type or the other. For someone interested in starting to read low fantasy they may be turned off by the violence and darkness that this part of the genre emits. On the other hand, high fantasy ca...

  • The Night AlphabetJoelle Taylor
    The Night Alphabet
    by Joelle Taylor
    Science Fiction

    There are books in a person’s life that helps to define their taste in genres. I was lucky enough in my teenage years to work my way through some of the classics of science fiction instilling a lifelong love of the genre. One novel that stands out among the best was Ray Bradbury’s The Il...

  • Annie BotSierra Greer
    Annie Bot
    by Sierra Greer
    Science Fiction

    I picked this book up after learning about it being short-listed and eventually winning the Arthur C Clarke Award. It's proof of not judging a book by its cover because I'd have completely passed it by sitting on a table, with its shockingly bright pink swirlyness and quote by Sheena Patel that says...

  • SupermaxKen Bruen
    Supermax
    by Ken Bruen
    General Fiction

    The pulp crime genre is one of my favourite because it pushes the envelope of what is acceptable in crime. It can be a little too gory, a little too silly, a little too much, but that is what makes it so fun to read. There is a delicate balance between writing a thrilling action crime story that is...

  • Paved With Good IntentionsPeter Mclean
    Paved With Good Intentions
    by Peter Mclean
    Fantasy

    They say never judge a book by its cover and this is a good lesson to take heed of with Peter McLean’s Paved With Good Intentions, as the UK cover stars Eline dressed in regal splendour. You see, Eline is also someone you should not judge from by her looks. She may be presenting as a member of...

  • Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to DieGreer Stothers
    Fantasy

    Fantasy has a rich history of heroes who fight against the odds to ensure that good triumphs over evil, but what about the cowards? What about the people who would rather live in peace and quiet faraway from the front and have no truck with prophecies, even if they are the centre of them? In Greer S...