Review: When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

I chose this book  because I was intrigued by the cover and the blurb - who wouldn't want to read a book about women turning into dragons?!!

Alex's mother (Bertha) has been ill so her Aunt Marla has been looking after both her and the home - Alex's father considers housework and childcare a woman's responsibility. Marla is a strong independent woman who flew planes and now works as a mechanic, Bertha had the potential to be a world class mathematician but gave it all up to be a wife and mother. When Bertha returns from hospital and gradually regains her strength, she clashes with Marla over the way Alex is being brought up and suggests Marla marries and has a child of her own - which she does. But strong women can only be kept down for so long. A short time later, hundreds of thousands of ordinary wives and mothers sprout wings, scales and talons, leaving a trail of fiery destruction in their path - and several charred husbands. You'd think this would be headline news but instead the world prefers to pretend that it never happened...

When Women Were Dragons is a coming-of-age story set in the 1950s/60s in an alternative reality. We follow Alex as she grows to adulthood, being put down at school so that the male pupils can shine, told to forget about studying for a degree - such a waste for someone destined to become a wife and mother - and forbidden to see her dearest friend Sonja again because their relationship is 'inappropriate'.

When Women Were Dragons is brilliantly written and an extremely clever idea - I'd love to see it filmed! I loved the characters of Marla and Beatrice, both chaffing at being told what they love is wrong (but going ahead and doing it anyway!) and I felt the frustrations of Alex as she is denied every opportunity just because she's a woman. I particularly enjoyed the author's notes on her inspiration for the story. The only problem I had was with the pace. The story took a while to get past all the references to the 'Mass Dragoning' (which we didn't actually see) and into new territory, but I adored the ending.

Recommended for anyone looking to read something a little bit different!

Thank you to Kelly Barnhill and Hot Key Books (Bonnier Books) for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: Afterlife by Marcus Sakey

I found this one when it popped up as an advert on my Kindle. I usually zone these out but the title caught my eye. I had the idea it was some kind of paranormal about ghosts - it isn't, not in the traditional sense of the genre anyway. I read a sample, thought 'This is the strangest book I've ever read' but was hooked enough to download the rest.

The first chapter is set in the 16th century and is about Edmund, who is shipwrecked and dies before he can reach the shores of America. The next chunk of book is a thriller set in Chicago in the present day, where a sniper has the inhabitants terrified. Special Agent Will Brody and his boss (and lover) Claire McCoy are desperately trying to find him before he can claim his next victim. The blurb on the back of the book gives the next victim away as Will himself. The clue is also in the title, right? But that doesn't necessarily mean the end of Will ...

This story is a mash up of a crime thriller and horror/fantasy, so I can see why the reviews are mixed. The first chapter you think you're reading a horror/fantasy, the next chunk turns into a thriller, then we're into paranormal/fantasy. It shouldn't work but it does. On the cover it says "Imagine the love story of the movie Ghost dropped into The Matrix" and yes, I can see this book appealing to fans of The Matrix (perhaps not so much Ghost!). Also fans of Stephen King (The Gunslinger), Philip Pullman (The Subtle Knife), TV shows such as Supernatural (the hunt for a monster that's not quite understood) and The Waking Dead (a community fighting against a supernatural enemy) - although there are no zombies; the Eaters (enemy) in this story feed on energy/souls.

There is romance between Brody and Claire, but it doesn't dominate the story. There is a little bit of humour. There are a few sex scenes. There is a bit of violence but not too much gore. It's not science fiction and it's not a ghost story, even though most of the characters are dead. Are you still with me?

The only negative for me was that I felt the author, after setting up these amazing alternative realities, didn't know quite how to wrap it all up. I would have liked a longer story, or maybe a trilogy.

Verdict? Seriously weird, totally brilliant! I would definitely recommend it - but it might be worth downloading a sample first to make sure it's the kind of thing you would like too!

Thank you to Marcus Sakey, Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for my copy of this book, which I received in exchange for an honest review.