James Nicoll Reviews

Echo of Worlds by M. R. Carey (June 2024)

Following the critically acclaimed Infinity Gate comes the second and final novel in the Pandominion by international bestselling M. R. Carey. A thrilling adventure set in the multiverse, it tells of humanity’s expansion across millions of dimensions, and the AI technology that might see it all come to an end …Two mighty empires are at war — and both will lose, with thousands of planets falling to the extinction event called the Scour. At least that’s what the artificial intelligence known as Rupshe believes. 

But somewhere in the multiverse there exists a force — the Mother Mass — that could end the war in an instant, and Rupshe has assembled a team to find it: Essien Nkanika, a soldier trying desperately to atone for past sins; the cat-woman Moon, a conscienceless killer; the digitally recorded mind of physicist Hadiz Tambuwal; Paz, an idealistic child and the renegade robot spy Dulcimer Coronal. 

Their mission will take them from the hellish prison world of Tsakom to the poisoned remains of a post-apocalyptic Earth, and finally bring them face to face with the Mother Mass itself. But can they persuade it to end eons of neutrality and help them? And is it too late to make a difference?Because the Pandominion’s doomsday machines are about to be unleashed — and not even their builders know how to control them. 

Discover the conclusion to the spectacular Pandominion duology — an exhilarating science fiction series from the author of the million-copy bestseller The Girl With All the Gifts. Perfect for fans of The Space Between Worlds, The Long Earth and Children of Time. 

Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-Il Kim (October 2024)

There is no escaping the Empire. Even in death, you will serve. 

In an Empire run on necromancy, dead sorcerers are the lifeblood. Their corpses are wrapped in chains and drained of magic to feed the unquenchable hunger for imperial conquest. 

Born with magic, Arienne has become resigned to her dark fate. But when the voice of a long-dead sorcerer begins to speak inside her head, she listens. There may be another future for her, if she’s willing to fight for it. 

Miles away, beneath a volcano, a seven-eyed dragon also wears the Empire’s chains. Before the imperial fist closed around their lands, it was the people’s sacred guardian. 

Loran, a widowed swordswoman, is the first to kneel before the dragon in decades. She comes with a desperate plea, and will leave with a sword of dragon-fang in hand and a great purpose before her. 

Blood of the Old Kings begins an epic fantasy adventure in which three strangers fight back against an all-powerful Empire, from award-winning author Sung-il Kim and translated by the highly-acclaimed Anton Hur. 

These Deathless Shores by P. H. Low (July 2024)

Gorgeous and devastating, P. H. Low’s debut fantasy is a richly reimagined tale of Captain Hook’s origin, a story of cruelty, magic, lost innocence, and the indelible power of stories. Jordan was once a Lost Boy, convinced she would never grow up. Now, she’s twenty-two and exiled to the real world, still suffering withdrawal from the addictive magic Dust of her childhood. With nothing left to lose, Jordan returns to the Island and its stories — of pirates and war and the heartlessness of youth — intent on facing Peter one last time, on her own terms. If that makes her the villain…so be it. 

The Bound Worlds by Megan E. O’Keefe (June 2024)

Worlds will collide and fates will be rewritten in the thrilling conclusion to the Devoured Worlds space opera trilogy by award‐winning author Megan E. O’Keefe. 

Naira and Tarquin have found a new home on Seventh Cradle. But the peace they’ve built is short-lived as mysterious assailants ambush the settlement and Naira is haunted by visions of a monstrous future. Catastrophe strikes when Tarquin uncovers a plot to bring about the end of the universe. As humanity races against the clock to prevent their extinction, old secrets come to light and loyalties fracture, and Naira realizes she may be the key to saving the world-or ending it.