EPISODE EIGHTEEN: SWARM
The trilogy is complete
What I’ve been reading in October
Oxford Blood by Rachael Davis Featherstone is a YA crime novel sent amongst the spires and quadrangles of Oxford. Eva and her boyfriend George both get invited to interview at Beecham College but when George’s dead body is found halfway through the week, Eva doesn’t believe the explanation of accidental death. She uncovers a sinister society and buried secrets amongst the academic world. Very enjoyable.
The Clockwork Conspiracy by Sam Sedgman is a middle-grade adventure. Isaac’s father is the horologist in charge of the clock tower at the Houses of Parliament but when he goes missing from the tower, Isaac teams up with Hattie who lives there, to get to the bottom of the mystery and uncover a threat to time itself. Great twists, atmosphere and pace.
My Own Scribblings
This month has been all about the release of Pax & The Secret Swarm, the final book in the London Falling trilogy. Pax and his friends get to the bottom of a conspiracy theory, wrapped up in the fog of fake news, and must go on their most dangerous mission yet to keep London safe. I’ve been blessed with some lovely reviews following the blog tour. Here are a few examples:
“The setting and story was amazing… full of everything you could want, thrills, action and brilliant characters and writing. An absolute must read.” Whatyoutolkienabout
“I thought this was the perfect way to end this fabulous trilogy. The author’s writing style is smooth and flowing, making the book an engaging and enjoyable read.” Book Addict
“This is an exciting book, one that will engage readers of a wide age range. It’s a great intro to dystopian fiction and will inspire readers to try more in this genre.” My Shelves Are Full
I’ve also done numerous school visits which have been lots of fun and seem to have gone down very well with the pupils. If you’d like to know more about my events and how to book me, click here.
Buy links for Pax & The Secret Swarm, Amazon here and Waterstones here.
In other news, Fiona and I have started working on our fifth pantomime script. No spoilers at this stage, but let’s just say it has all the Hallmarks of being a classic.
Sport Billy
A lot of padel, a lot of running and not much tennis for once! The padel is definitely improving, though I still struggle with the difference between a smash in tennis and one that works well on a padel court. Lots of running sessions on the Sports Box track in Woking, where I’ve been doing various drills including a Bronco test (under 5 minutes is brutal!). Not quite back under 20 minutes for my 5km time yet but getting close.
Boardgames
Nothing to report sadly except sessions of Dungeons & Dragons Online and re-watching all four seasons of Stranger Things in preparation for the finale. Does that count as vicarious DnD?!? But now the nights are drawing in, I’ll be reaching for some solo games soon…