Review of Juniper By Ross Jeffery Written by Dan Stubbings

Book Synopsis 

Juniper is the first book in Ross Jeffery’s proposed trilogy: a post-apocalyptic horror about an insane American town seemingly at the edge of reality. As Juniper suffers from scorching drought and medieval famine, the townsfolk are forced to rely on the ‘new cattle’ for food: monstrous interbred cats kept by the oppressed Janet Lehey.

But there’s a problem: Janet’s prized ginger tom, Bucky, has gone missing, flown the coop. As Janet and her deranged ex-con husband Klein intensify their search for the hulking mongrel, Betty Davis, an old woman clinging to survival on the outskirts of Juniper, discovers something large and ginger and lying half-dead by the side of the road.

She decides to take it home…

Juniper is surreal, dark, funny, and at times: excruciatingly grotesque. Buckle up for a wild ride through the dust-ridden roads of a tiny, half-forgotten American town.

Review

Juniper is a book everyone needs to read. I couldn’t stop reading Juniper because of the unique voice Ross projects onto every page. Ross is like a spider weaving a complex web of perspectives that ask the reader to look beyond his writing to find the deeper meanings in this melting pot of text. The story centres around three main characters. Each one impacting upon one another in several ways throughout the narrative. Injecting interesting arcs that maintains the readers attention throughout. All three are well fleshed out meaning that you absorb their flaws and relate to their daily struggles.

These three characters are Betty an old woman who roams the outskirts of Juniper in search of roadkill for her pot. She is rumoured to be older than Juniper itself there from the very beginning. Children believe she is a witch. She was the most interesting character. Ross described her superbly drawing you into how she survives leaving a sense of mystery around what her role is in this dead end town. Janet is a beaten woman who can feel her life slipping away as she struggles against the violence of her deadbeat husband Klein. Klein is an ex con who delights in causing havoc throughout his marriage and neighbourhood lording his power over everyone forcing them to live in fear.

I lost myself in Juniper. A town that has been forgotten by the wider world left to rot in its own misfortune. A sun scorched wasteland where the worst of society go to die. The descriptions of Juniper are so vivid that it almost becomes a character all on its own. A ravenous monster of warped creation that the unfortunate cast of characters barely survive. As I continued to read I found myself picturing Juniper in all its glory, as if I was a lone traveller on a road to redemption with no end in sight. Even though the setting is influenced by the vastness of America and its forgotten communities. I couldn’t help but begin to draw parallels with the disengaged and desolate areas of the United Kingdom that have been cast aside in the current climate.

By using Juniper in this way Ross focuses our attention on several struggles that his characters face from domestic violence to homelessness. Through the characters Ross discusses a multitude of themes displaying many different abuses of power whether it is control over an individual or a community. Throughout the narrative Ross showed these abuses with a skill that allowed you to judge for yourself who truly was the hand of evil, and demonstrated the devastating impact these themes can have on a community. Ross brings these themes into the light wonderfully helping to remove the taboos. This was the main message for me from this book that we must discuss all elements of human capacity to generate conversations to change the downward spiral that we seem to be flying towards at unforgiving speed. What made Juniper different is that we are shown the situations from all perspectives from the abusers to the victims insight. Ross isn’t afraid to show the reader that his characters have many conflicting emotions that at first glance would make you believe they are doing the right thing. As this dark themed narrative progresses, Ross implodes our judgements on the disease that is humans in the western world asking us is this truly what we want future generations to inherit.

What Ross has been able to achieve in this novella is nothing short of remarkable. The character developments, multilayered meanings, and the sense of place that is created is breathtaking. A sense of place is an element of books that I need to hold my attention if I don’t engage with your setting you lose me and in Juniper the setting is breathless. For a debut book Ross has engaged my curiosity and this is only our first encounter with the dark beast that is Juniper. This book is Armageddon meets Salem’s Lot. A highly recommended read. I cannot wait to see what Ross writes next. Well done you receive 5*.

About the Author

Ross Jeffery is a Bristol based writer and Executive Director of Books for STORGY Magazine. Ross has been published in print with STORGY Books, Ellipsis Zine 6, The Bath Flash Fiction Festival 2019, Project 13 Dark and Shlock Magazine. His work has also appeared in various online journals such as STORGY Magazine, About Magazine TX, Elephants Never, 101 Fiction, Ellipsis Zine, Soft Cartel and Idle Ink. Ross lives in Bristol with his wife (Anna) and two children (Eva and Sophie). You can follow him on Twitter here @Ross1982

I received a copy of Juniper in exchange for an honest review. This doesn’t affect my views.

Why not treat yourself to a copy by clicking on the link below

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Review of MageBane By Stephen Aryan Written by Dan Stubbings

Book Synopsis

MAGIC IS THE ONLY WEAPON AGAINST THE GODS

A plague rages in the streets of Perizzi. Guardians rally to deal with riots while apothecarists struggle to find a cure. The cult of Akosh has been decimated but there are many survivors in the north hungry for revenge.

Elsewhere, new alliances are formed to combat a deity who feeds on pestilence and decay. Gods, Sorcerers and Battlemages must set aside the past to work together – or risk unleashing greater suffering than they can possibly imagine . .

Review

After devouring the first two books in the Age of Dread trilogy, Mage-Born and Mage-Fall. I couldn’t wait for the climax in MageBane. In my opinion Stephen Aryan is one of the most underrated writers working in the fantasy genre today. Throughout this entire trilogy Stephen’s storytelling has become effortless.

I can’t get enough of the characters. Its extremely difficult to tell you which characters I enjoyed most as they all have characteristics I either adore or detest about them with it being the final book in this trilogy. We have some returning favourites from the Age of Darkness Trilogy which is set in the same world.

My personal favourite is the Sorcerer Balfruss. The reason being is because Stephen exposes us to more of Balfruss own insecurities challenging his ideology as he is forced to go against his once trusted friend Garvey, another sorcerer and his dispels who are causing havoc across the realm. As the story develops Stephen shows us both sides of Garvey. His motivations and why he has become disillusioned with his power. Plus he gives us an interesting perspective into Balfruss as he begins to re-evaluate his own position within a world that has changed from what he knows and values. This was one of the most intriguing aspects of the trilogy because both character arcs end with satisfying conclusions and showed that even the best of friends are sometimes faced with impossible choices.

What stood out in MageBane was that none of the arcs were shortchanged. The development of the rivalry between Munroe and Akosh is sublime. This toxic mixture of revenge is played out like an orchestra in harmony with both characters fighting their inner demons in a battle for survival. I simply couldn’t get over how well Stephen fleshed out this dual character arc that made it feel fresh and original. The final showdown between them is in my opinion one of the best scenes I have ever read. The tension and emotional intelligence that shone through in that moment left me in bits.

I was also continuously fascinated with the god Vargus and his budding relationship with Danolph. The warmth and curiosity that both characters showed to one another as they roamed the forgotten places of their world, allowed the reader to dive deep into both characters bringing a much needed tenderness to the narrative, enabling you to catch your breath but still be intrigued about the role they may play in what was to come.

I could go on forever about every character viewpoint as they all left an impression upon me as multiple threads were drawn to a close. However I can’t leave this review without giving a mention to the whirlwind that is Dox. A young orphan girl who ends up sticking to Munroe like glue. Her inclusion in this trilogy has been a joy. I couldn’t get enough of her humour which at times made my belly hurt as I laughed so hard. Her attitude is to die for. A delightful blend between fierce and vulnerability that means that Munroe gets away with nothing. I loved how Stephen developed the relationship between them. If you don’t cry during some of their interactions then simply you don’t have a heart. Dox forever I love her.

One of my favourite elements of this trilogy as it progressed was Stephen wasn’t afraid to destroy his world to capture a moment of sheer heartbreak for any of his main viewpoint characters. This is wonderfully illustrated in Magebane as he brings all the threads he has been setting up in the previous two books together to devastating affect. Taking us through a wave of emotions from the heartbreak of lost to the sweet taste of revenge. This trilogy has built upon the richness of the world that was first introduced to us in the Age Of Darkness, enabling readers to explore areas we were only given glimpses of in the previous books. Answering some long standing questions about much loved characters, as well as creating some equally fascinating new ones. I can’t recommend both series enough. MageBane was fitting end if it is to be the last time Stephen writes in this world. I will miss my friends but thank you Stephen for giving them to me. This trilogy is outstanding and to me you are one of the best writers working today. Thank you for the adventure I loved every moment.

I received a copy of the book from author in exchange for an honest review. This doesn’t affect my views.