Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson & Greta Kelly as they delve into a writing masterclass on Writing Assassins & Contract Killers with bestselling author James Islington. During the episode, James pinpoints the target, discussing why assassin media is so popular, real vs. fictional depictions of assassins/contract killers, why assassin characters work so well in SFF, differences between assassins and contract killers, the fundamentals of motives/targets/clients/methods, centering a plot around an assassination, tonal consistency, the psychology (and backstory) of an assassin, morality and reader empathy, assassin training montages, researching assassins (i.e. ruining your search history) and more.
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Review: Massif by Garth Nix
Synopsis: From New York Times bestseller and master of speculative fiction Garth Nix comes his first foray into adult science fiction with a brilliant and poignant stand-alone story of sentient starships, galactic warfare, and the bonds a crew forms far, far from Earth. Caught me a mountain Rode it to the stars It’s business as […]
Review: Disenchanted (Rewitched, #3) by Lucy Jane Wood
Synopsis: Sage Hemlock has no interest in embracing her witchy side. Magic has betrayed her before, bringing nothing but heartache, and she will not let something so foolish happen again. Instead, Sage has thrown herself into her work and studies, running the local museum and largely preferring the company of her library and her cat […]
Review: Untwined (The Imbued Duology #2) by Helyna L. Clove
Synopsis With the help of the ancient magic awakened inside her, Calla led Vesper Forn’s uprising to conquer Kanmane Palace and free the mages of the Kamphua Dominion. Except the victory is short-lived: Calla’s power is still not entirely hers, their people are falling one by one, poisoned by Vesper’s faulty imbuing ritual, and the […]
Cover Reveal: Suffer Their Going by Iseult Murphy
Blurb A dead husband. A ruined home. A mind in pieces. A young widow clinging to the remains of her shattered life. 1900, Ireland. A country poised for change. Eleanor Browne. The sole survivor of the fire that took her husband, her home, and almost her mind. After a stint in a sanatorium, the only […]
Tempest (The Lyrian Sea) by Victoria Aveyard
Synopsis: MAY THE SEA ALWAYS SING FOR YOUCat Rose knows what it is to live in two worlds, in two times. Before – as Lady Catrine Rose of the Meridian Empire, chained to a loathsome lord with a dwindling fortune. And after – as the Widow Rose, queen of a pirate tavern on the Lyrian […]
Review: Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske
Synopsis: Grey’s Anatomy meets A Deadly Education in this dark academia fantasy from bestselling author Freya Marske. At the Academie of the Grand Duchy of Sieuxerr, every mage with the healing gift has five years to master their power and to prepare for the infamous Grand Exam – a five-day trial whose results will determine their entire future. […]
Review: Taipei Story by R. F. Kuang
Synopsis: AIPEI STORY is the electrifying new novel by bestselling literary phenomenon Rebecca F. Kuang, a profoundly moving coming-of-age story that explores first love, second language and final goodbyes – all set against the backdrop of one unforgettable summer in Taipei. First love. Second language. Final goodbyes. Yale student Lily Chen arrives in Taipei hungry: […]
Review: Kiana by Zammar Ahmer
Synopsis: When I was young, I fell asleep to the song of artillery. We were told we would win. But the enemy never got the message. They came from across the mist with the devil’s magic, stole our land, and enslaved our families. And then you decided to send me, of all people, into the […]
Review: All Hallows Eve edited by Ellen Datlow
Synopsis: Hugo Award winning editor and horror legend Ellen Datlow presents this chilling horror anthology of 19 original short stories from a world-class line-up of the masters of horror, delving into the histories and traditions of the spookiest season of the year. Featuring stories by Josh Malerman, Stephen Graham Jones, Garth Nix and many more. […]
Cover Reveal: Ashes of The Past (A Blood and Banner Novella) by D.W. Ross
Blurb For years Roddy MacAron watched the Avarinthian Empire strip his people of their heritage, their culture and their freedom. Now he has finally had enough. Gathering the warriors of the Clan Lands, seasoned by years of fighting Avarinthian conquests, he leads them into a desperate war to end centuries of subjugation. The odds are […]
Manga I’m Looking Forward To – September 2026 Edition
Going to start a new monthly list of manga volumes I am looking forward to checking out, and hopefully, some that may interest you! September 1st September 15th September 22nd September 29th