Have you visited Orford Castle? It’s this magnificent 12th century fortress built by Henry II to keep the Earl of Norfolk in check. Only the keep remains, but that is more or less fully intact and is well worth a visit. It’s a very rare design of castle, standing tall and magnificent, visible for miles …
Doctor Who Review: The Two Masters
I have to say from the outset, I absolutely adore Alex McQueen’s Master. He needs to appear more often and he needs to recruited into the TV show as well. He was fabulous in UNIT: Dominion and I could quite happily listen to Dark Eyes 3 on continual repeat. Seriously, we need to start a …
Review: Let the right one in by John Lindqvist
Like many of us, I had watched the highly acclaimed Swedish 2008 film and ignored Hollywood’s perplexing attempt to make a westernised version but, despite having the John Lindqvist book on my shelves for the past decade, and never quite got round to reading the original. Which is a pity, as the novel is a …
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Osric Fingerbone and the Boy Murderer by Michael-Israel Jarvis
With full marks going to author, Michael-Israel Jarvis, for the highly compelling title of this, the first in a series of urban fantasy YA novels set in the dark and twisted world of this alternative version of 19th century England. A world very much set in the tradition of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere or Jennifer Bell’s …
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Doctor Who review: Resolution
So, for new year we had Daleks and adventure and lots of Tardis scenes and they managed to avoid making it “festive”. Very, very happy with that. Now, I’m not the world’s biggest Dalek fan - Remembrance is probably the only TV Dalek story I’d put in my top ten - but, when not overused, …
The Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler
I awoke to darkness. There is no denying that this was an ambitious novel. From the outset, Butler makes it clear that she has a powerful, unique interpretation of the vampire genre and intends to explore it in depth. And that aspect of it, the world building, is truly impressive. What’s more, in every chapter …
Yuletide storytelling
There are some jobs that really satisfying, and a Christmas storytelling session in the ancient woodland that is Wrongs Covert is certainly one of those. Wrongs Covert is a protected woodland and hosts some incredible wildlife. It's protected status means that performing there is a privilege. A lot of the work done at Wrongs Covert …
Doctor Who review: The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos
Finale time! After years of Russell T. Davis’ overblown “how many Daleks/companions/heart wrenching moments can we fit into one episode” followed by Moffat’s attempts at making quieter, more reflective and yet also bigger and more universe-shattering finales, what was Chibnall going to produce? What we got was something that in many respects did precisely what …
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Doctor Who review: It Takes You Away
This week’s episode had an amazing setup. Norway, fjords, creatures stalking you in the woods while you barricade yourself in a remote shack... it had all the makings of a good folk horror. Now, it’s not unusual for Doctor Who to take that initial set up and subvert it. Equally, Doctor Who specialises in merging …
Doctor Who review: The Witchfinders
If this season has been characterised by its carefully minimalist approach, it’s quiet character moments and its underplayed threats from villains who aren’t truly villains, The Witchfinders flips that entirely on its head. This episode was a full-on, over the top Doctor Who story that would have sat very easily alongside the Tom Baker, Peter …
