Accio Books

Book Review Title: Twelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley P. Beaulieu Genre: Fantasy, Eastern Rating: DNF There was so much potential here. Twelve Kings in Sharakhai has a beautiful setting, an intriguing premise, and writing that does an excellent job of evoking the atmosphere of a vast desert city steeped in history, mystery, and mythology. Unfortunately, for all its strengths, I found myself struggling to connect with the story, and by almost 30% of the way through, I st

Book Review Title: Exit 8 by Genki Kawamura Genre: Horror, Liminal, Novella Rating: 5 Stars There is something uniquely terrifying about being trapped somewhere familiar, somewhere so ordinary that you would never think twice about walking through it, until the familiar begins to feel fundamentally wrong. Exit 8 by Genki Kawamura takes this simple yet deeply unsettling premise and transforms it into a gripping psychological experience that proves horror does not need elab

Book Review Title: Fake Law: The Truth About Justice in an Age of Lies by The Secret Barrister Genre: Non-Fiction, Law, Justice Rating: 5 Stars Fake Law: The Truth About Justice in an Age of Lies is an exceptionally engaging, informative, and at times infuriating examination of the British justice system and the misconceptions that surround it. Written by The Secret Barrister, a practising criminal barrister who has made a career of explaining the realities of the legal s

Book Review Title: Women at War in the Classical World by Paul Chrystal Genre: Historical, Warfare Rating: 3 Stars Paul Chrystal’s Women at War in the Classical World is an ambitious attempt to explore a subject that has historically received far less attention than it deserves: the relationship between women and warfare in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Covering everything from goddesses and mythological warriors to queens, political figures, soldiers, civilians, s

Book Review Title: No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris Genre: Non-Fiction, Medical, History, Business Rating: 5 Stars There are few companies whose name has become as deeply embedded in everyday life as Johnson & Johnson. For generations, the company has been associated with babies, healthcare, medicine, bandages, and the reassuring promise that its products exist to make people’s lives safer and healthier. It is precisely this sense of

Book Review Title: The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin Genre: Fantasy, Historical Rating: 4.5 Stars The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones is an extraordinary companion to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, transforming the fictional history hinted at throughout the novels into something far more expansive, intricate, and surprisingly believable. Rather tha

Book Review Title: Classic Monsters Unleashed edited by James Aquilone Genre: Anthology, Horror Rating: 4 Stars There are few corners of horror that are more recognisable than the world of classic monsters. Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Phantom of the Opera, the Mummy and the many other creatures who emerged from nineteenth-century Gothic fiction and twentieth-century cinema have become so deeply embedded in popular cultu

Book Review Title: K2: Life and Death on the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain by Ed Viesturs Genre: Non-Fiction, Sport, Adventuring Rating: 5 Stars There are few places on Earth that inspire the same combination of fascination, fear, and respect as K2. Rising 28,251 feet above the Karakoram Range of northern Pakistan, it is the world’s second-highest mountain, but its reputation for danger arguably surpasses that of Everest. K2 is not simply high; it is steep, technically

Book Review Title: Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest’s Most Controversial Season by Nick Heil Genre: Non-Fiction, Everest, Adventuring Rating: 4 Stars Few places on Earth expose the limits of human endurance as brutally as Mount Everest. At more than 8,800 metres above sea level, the mountain exists in an environment where something as ordinary as breathing, walking, or helping another person can become an almost impossible undertaking. In Dark Summit: The True Sto

Book Review Title: Unbecoming a Lady: The Forgotten Sluts and Shrews Who Shaped America by Therese Oneill Genre: Non-Fiction, Society, History Rating: 3.5 Stars Therese Oneill’s Unbecoming a Lady: The Forgotten Sluts and Shrews Who Shaped America is an irreverent, entertaining, and often fascinating collection of stories about women who refused to behave in the ways society expected of them. Rather than focusing on the traditionally celebrated women of American history, O

Book Review Title: Sweet and Deadly: How Coca-Cola Spreads Disinformation and Makes Us Sick by Murray Carpenter Genre: Non-Fiction, Health, Science Rating: 4 Stars Murray Carpenter’s Sweet and Deadly: How Coca-Cola Spreads Disinformation and Makes Us Sick is a thoroughly researched, compelling, and often infuriating investigation into one of the world’s most recognisable brands and the ways in which corporate power can influence public understanding of health. Published

Book Review Title: Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser Genre: Non-Fiction, Crime, Environmental Rating: 3.5 Stars Caroline Fraser’s Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers is a fascinating, ambitious, and often deeply unsettling examination of the serial-killer phenomenon that swept across the Pacific Northwest of the United States during the 1970s and 1980s. Published in 2025, the book combines true cri

Book Review Title: She Kills Me: The True Stories of History’s Deadliest Women by Jennifer Wright Genre: Non-Fiction, Historical, True Crime Rating: 3 Stars Jennifer Wright’s She Kills Me: The True Stories of History’s Deadliest Women is an entertaining and accessible exploration of women throughout history who have been associated with murder, violence, political intrigue, and other forms of deadly behaviour. Combining historical biography with true crime, Wright examin

Book Review Title: Killer Story: The Truth Behind True Crime Television by Claire St. Amant Genre: Non-Fiction, True Crime, Entertainment, Memoir Rating: 5 Stars The true crime genre has experienced an extraordinary rise in popularity over the past two decades. From bestselling books and investigative podcasts to streaming documentaries and television dramatisations, audiences have become increasingly fascinated by real criminal cases and the pursuit of justice. Yet rela

Book Review Title: Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano Genre: Crime, Mystery, Humour, Romance Rating: 4 Stars With the third instalment in her wildly entertaining Finlay Donovan series, Elle Cosimano once again proves that crime fiction does not have to sacrifice humour to deliver an engaging mystery. Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun continues the adventures of struggling mystery novelist Finlay Donovan and her irrepressible nanny-turned-best-friend, Vero, as they

Book Review Title: Ascension by Nicholas Binge Genre: Horror, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Mixed Media Rating: 5 Stars Science fiction often explores humanity’s relationship with the unknown, but few novels manage to combine scientific speculation, psychological suspense, philosophical reflection, and genuine emotional depth as effectively as Nicholas Binge’s Ascension. At first glance, the novel appears to be another expedition story centred around an impossi

Book Review Title: The Ripper of Whtiechapel by Yvette Fielding Genre: Horror, Paranormal, Middle Grade Rating: 4 Stars Yvette Fielding is perhaps best known for her work as a television presenter and paranormal investigator, but with The Ripper of Whitechapel, she demonstrates that she is equally capable of crafting an engaging supernatural thriller. Blending historical true crime with ghostly horror, mystery, and suspense, Fielding takes one of history’s most infamous

Book Review Title: This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer Genre: Horror, Paranormal, Thriller Rating: 5 Stars Every so often, a debut novel arrives that feels astonishingly assured, blending familiar genre conventions with fresh ideas and a distinctive voice. Jenny Kiefer’s This Wretched Valley is one such novel. Combining elements of survival horror, supernatural terror, psychological suspense, and folk horror, Kiefer crafts a story that is both relentlessly unsettling an

Book Review Title: The Suicidal Person: A New Look at a Human Phenomenon by Konrad Michel Genre: Non-Fiction, Mental Health Rating: 3.5 Stars Konrad Michel’s The Suicidal Person: A New Look at a Human Phenomenon is an ambitious and compassionate exploration of one of the most complex and misunderstood aspects of human psychology. Rather than treating suicide solely as a symptom of mental illness or a statistic to be analysed, Michel; a psychiatrist and psychotherapist wit

Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code (2003) became one of the most successful novels of the twenty-first century, selling millions of copies worldwide and sparking widespread debate about religion, history, art, and conspiracy theories. Combining historical speculation with a fast-paced murder mystery, Brown created a thriller that encouraged readers to question accepted historical narratives while following an intricate trail of cryptic clues hidden within some of the world’s most