Edge-Lit 11

 

Hi Nerds!

Here are a few highlights from a fantastic weekend in Derby and Edge-Lit 11.

Many thanks to the organisers including Alex Davis and Pixie.

Another big thanks to the authors - including Mark Morris, Tim Lebbon, Juliet E McKenna and Matthew Holness, who attended the panels to make it a fun and informative event about writing, reading and life.

I even talked to Mark, Tim , Juliet and Matthew overcoming my nerves.  It was good to talk to new people and meet old friends including Hayley and Kevin, Ben, Helen and Philip and Terry.  As well as Donna and Neil.

Book Review - Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie

 

Books Read in 2025 - No. 1

Hey Book Nerds!

Yes you read that right. This is the first book I read in 2025!  I actually started reading Best Served Cold on November 6th 2024.

Sadly with my old job I had some mental health issues.  Then there was the Christmas period where I was busy.  Then the sudden death of my girlfriend Jane in January definitely put me in the wrong mindset to read and put me in a reading slump.  I also needed new glasses which I purchased 2 weeks ago. I started slowly getting back into reading in July or August. Now nearly 11 months later I have finally finished.

Set in Joe Abercrombie's First Law world it is a standalone novel, but it helps that you've read the trilogy before as there are characters from there and nods to the World.

As the title suggests the theme of the novel is revenge. Taken from the quote by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos "Revenge is a dish best served cold".

The story starts with the female general and mercenary Monza Murcatto and her brother Benna being betrayed by their employer Duke Orso. Benna is killed and she is badly beaten and thrown down a mountain.  She just about survives and plots revenge.  She employs Shivers - a Northern man from the original trilogy.  Morveer a master poisoner, and Cosca her previous leader.

They systematically kill the seven people who were in the room when Monza was betrayed.

Overall - this is a great book although slightly over long.  It could do with around 50 pages less.  It seemed darker in tone than the First Law trilogy.  There still was some humour but not as much.

The characters, as ever with a Joe Abercrombie novel we're great, especially for me, Cosca and Shivers.  Most of the characters suffered throughout the novel and the majority that were left alive learned from it.

Best Served Cold was also gritter with more raw and detailed sex scenes.

I wish I had read it quicker than I had but with everything I've mentioned earlier sadly it wasn't to be.

I read the last quarter of the book in the last week or two and the action rammed up with gory delight.

Very close to being better than the First Law Trilogy although slightly over long and slow in parts.  Still a great read.

Score -   8.5/10

Goodreads Score - 4 out of 5

Edge-Lit 11 - One Week To Go!

 

Hi Nerds!

This time next week I hope to be at Edge-Lit 11 at The Quad in Derby.

There, I'll be enjoying talks and panels from some successful and great authors.  I'll hopefully be meeting old friends and making some new ones, as I learn more about the authors themselves and the craft of writing.

Again I hope Edge-Lit will inspire me to get writing again after I've hardly written for over five years!

This year the founder of the event Alex Davis is back and in charge and has returned the much needed lunch break.

Authors I'm looking forward to seeing (some I've met before,) include Tim Lebbon, Peter F Hamilton, Mark Morris, RJ Barker and Juliet E McKenna.

Plus there's a raffle at the end of the event.  Last year I won 2 books in the raffle for the first time.

On the Friday night before there is also a chance to go to The Legacy of Dracula event which I may go to.

Hope to see you all next week at Edge-Lit 11.

Neil x

September 2025 Update!

 

Hello Nerds! 

Here we are in September! Yet again I'll say it - time seems to be speeding up!

Luckily Autumn is my favourite time of year. 

Bit of a short update as August went so quick. 

August Review -

The main thing that happened in August was my Mum's 82nd birthday.  I treated her to a nice meal out at a local pub called the Calder. It serves some lovely food.

Reading and writing wise - sadly I hardly did any.  I did buy some new glasses with some sort of boost lense to help me read better, although I wish I'd got a seperate pair of reading glasses.

Still reading Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie.  It's almost a year since I started it, last November.

Work has been fine in August and still liking it so that's good.

I only bought 2 books in August.

In September -

I aim to finish Best Served Cold by the end of the first week in September.

I also hope to get writing again to get me in the mood for the main event I'm looking forward to in September - Edge-Lit.

I'll hopefully be in Derby for Edge-Lit on the 20th September,  which has a great line up of author's including Mark Morris and Tim Lebbon.

I will do a full Edge-Lit post with who's going to be there.

I will also be getting my new glasses in September so hopefully will be back reading.

What's your plans for September?

Neil x

Nostalgic and August Book Haul!

 Greetings Fellow Readers!

This August I've acquired one novel and one graphic novel.  I won't be purchasing any more books in August, as I'm quickly running out of shelf space and will probably buy a couple of books in Derby at Edge-Lit in September.

I bought Birdman and Chicken by Trevor Metcalfe because when I was younger it was a comic strip in quite a few comics I bought including Whizzer and Chips. 

The strip started in a comic called Krazy in 1976, so what I read was probably repeats of the strip and also newer adventures drawn and written by other people.  Trevor mainly drew the strips after getting scripts from other writers.

I loved it as it was very funny.  Being a parody of super heroes especially the 1960s Batman TV show with Adam West.

I also bought the final book in The Raven Trilogy by Giles Kristian. Odin's Wolves.

I now have the full trilogy to enjoy although I've so many books to read before them.

Best get reading I guess!

What books have you purchased recently?

Neil x

Fantastic Four - First Steps - Film Review

 

Hey Nerds!

Went to see the new offering from Marvel at the weekend. Took the daughter and we were hoping this new take on the Fantastic Four would be better than the last few films from Marvel.

Luckily it was but only just!

The film is set on an alternative world to the usual main Marvel films.  This was a refreshing take and I loved the retro sixties future world and technology.

The origin of the Fantastic Four isn't shown but we get hints and also action shots of the Fantastic Four defeating their main enemies including Mole Man.

The main story starts 3 years into their role of heroes and Sue Storm (the gorgeous Vanessa Kirby), discovers she's pregnant with Reed Richard's (Pedro Pascal) baby.

They announce this to The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and the Human Torch (Joseph Quinn).

The film fast forwards to Sue Storm in her late stage of pregnancy when the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) shows up saying the planet will be destroyed by Galactus (Ralph Ineson).

The Fantastic Four follow the Silver Surfer to speak to Galactus to bargain to save Earth, but he knows there's something special about Sue's baby and will leave the Earth alone if they give him the baby.

They don't and escape to Earth.  Sue has had baby Franklin on the trip back home but Galactus soon arrives for a final showdown.

Overall - this is a visually great film and a different fresh theme on the Marvel world we're used to.  Some of the technology is great.

The acting of the main cast is solid too and the main team have a good spark.  The problem is the emotions are a bit flat, which I think is how the characters were written.

The action set pieces are solid and it takes a sci-fi turn when they go to space.

It's a fun film but there was something lacking. A spark it needed.  Maybe it needed more humour although luckily there wasn't so much of the usual Marvel cheesy humour.

Bels Score -  7/10

My Score   -  8/10

Has anyone else seen it? What are your thoughts?

Neil x

August 2025 Update!

 

Greetings Creatives!

Yep. We're in August. Has time speeded up? Or have the years always gone so fast?

July was another quick month.  Sadly another month of procrastination for me.

July Review -

Continued on my journey reading Best Served Cold. A journey I hope will come to an end in the first week of August.

Still didn't write any stories!

Job going well and now work from home a couple of times a week, which is great and the cat loves it.

Still not started my health kick and got my fat arse to the gym.

In July did have some good times with daughter and my Mum.  This included a meal out and walks.

Had a good unexpected day out in Leeds.  This included visiting my favourite Waterstones.

Also hauled some good books in July.  One from Waterstones.  The other 2 from Amazon. But needs must!

In August - 

I definitely want to get writing again especially for Edge-Lit in September.  Every year I go I say I'm going to write and never do.  Hopefully by September I will have got something down.

In August 2 women that are important in my life have their birthdays.

One being by Mum, who will be 82.  

The other being my girlfriend Jane who sadly passed away in January.  Hope she's celebrating wherever she is.

This is the month I finish Best Served Cold. In July I realised one of the reasons why I hadn't read much in the last year - I need new glasses.  This includes reading glasses.  So in August I've to see the opticians and get new glasses.  Once I have those I'll be reading loads of books.

I also hope to carry on doing well in my job which I'm liking a lot.

Lastly I need to get healthy and exercise and lose some weight before Edge-Lit and beyond as I'm more out of shape now I'm in an office job again.

What's your plans for August?

Neil x