Bone Silence – Alastair Reynolds

"It had begun as a distant glimmering dot; now it was unmistakably a world." Following on from Revenger and Shadow Captain, we rejoin the Ness sisters in the final part of the trilogy. Usual warning that merely mentioning characters in the third instalment could be spoilers for who survives the first two, etc. Fura and Adrana ran …

The Pursuit of William Abbey – Claire North

"The truth-speaker was tall as a stretcher, thin as a rifle." William Abbey is a young doctor working in Africa - a punishment for pursuing the wrong girl, in a very Victorian fashion - when he sees a native boy lynched. Shocked by the sight but unwilling to intervene, William is cursed by the boy's …

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow – Jessica Townsend

"Morrigan Crow leapt from the Brolly Rail, teeth chattering, hands frozen around the end of her oilskin umbrella." (As per usual, vague spoilers for events in book 1 just by mention of how the second starts, and with what characters - read on at your peril!) Following from the events in The Trials of Morrigan …

Ninth House – Leigh Bardugo

"By the time Alex managed to get the blood out of her good wool coat, it was too warm to wear it." Alex Stern has a secret. It's driven her to dark places in her life, but now she has the chance at a new life, a fresh start. Her special skills have caught the …

Shadow Captain – Alastair Reynolds

"'Tell me what you think you saw.'" Following on immediately from the events in Revenger, usual warning that even mentioning characters that made it to the sequel can be a kind of spoiler. And my opening lines are definitely book 1 spoilers...! Okay with that? Then read on! Having won and renamed The Revenger, the Ness sisters …

The October Man – Ben Aaronovitch

"In late September, as the nights close in, a strange madness possesses my father." After seven books following PC Peter Grant in London, Ben Aaronovitch takes a slight detour with this novel. we are introduced to Tobias winter, Peter's German counterpart, sent to the town of Trier to investigate - you guessed it - somewhat …

Outer Order Inner Calm – Gretchen Rubin

I've been a fan of Gretchen Rubin since The Happiness Diary, and so her take on the current mania for decluttering - something I'm in need of doing rather a lot of post-move! - was always going to intrigue me. There's no overt backlash against The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Marie Kondo (indeed, the …

Lies Sleeping – Ben Aaronovitch

"His name was Richard Williams and he worked in public relations." Peter Grant's 'thing' with London spirit, Mr Punch - teased since the earlier books introduced him and had him do horrible things to partner, Leslie - is coming to a head. Or, at least, taking a different path. What's going on with Abigail's talking …

The Labyrinth Index – Charles Stross

"As I cross the courtyard to the execution shed I pass a tangle of bloody feathers." Reading the latest few Laundry Files books in quick succession has worked really well, as they form an ongoing story leading us to the state we find ourselves at the start of The Labyrinth Index - look away now if you're …

Empire of Sand – Tasha Suri

"Mehr woke up to a soft voice calling her name." Mehr is a pampered if illegitimate governor's daughter, a virtual prisoner by dint of her gender in the culture she lives in, and a hated reminder of father's first love and thus enemy of her stepmother. She is also a half-caste, and the half that …