Sep 22 2025

Prophets Of War by Jack Brown (EXCERPT)

In a world of increasing geopolitical cynicism, fueled by the atrocities of the military-industrial complex, a debut geopolitical novel asks: what if war wasn’t a tragedy, but a business model?

That’s the question that author Jack Brown posits in his high-stakes thriller Prophets of War, as he explores the intersection of ambition, ideology, war and capital. When Alex Morgan*, a rising star in wealth management, stumbles onto a series of cryptic financial clues, he doesn’t just uncover corruption. He unmasks a global conspiracy. For behind the headlines of the war in Ukraine lies something far more chilling: a private empire of shell companies, black-market trades and political operatives who are turning global conflict into personal profit.

The deeper Alex digs, the more terrifying the truth becomes. His own father may be at the center of the scheme. His mentors may be funding both sides of the battlefield. And the woman he trusts the most might be the key to it all — or may represent the final betrayal.

From Caribbean tax havens to Wall Street boardrooms to shadowy Zoom calls between oligarchs and ex-presidents, Prophets of War is a pulse-pounding political thriller that tears into the machinery of modern power. Inspired by real systems, real tactics and real moral failures, it asks a question no one wants answered: what if the next world war is already on the balance sheet?

Read on for an illuminating look at our protagonist, on the cusp of having his entire world turned upside down!

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Sep 21 2025

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Things Fall Apart grabbed me from its very first page, even though nearly 70 years have passed since its first publication. It had fallen into the category of reputed classics that I have never quite gotten around to, what with there being a lot of books both old and new, and if not for the Süddeutsche Zeitung and a snafu at my local bookstore I might have carried on with not getting around to it. What a loss that would have been! Here’s how it happened: One of the Süddeutsche‘s sets is called Metropolen, metropolises, and it’s twenty books about twenty major cities around the world. In my rush to get the set a couple of years back, I accidentally bought the German translations of books that were originally written in English. (They’re pretty editions! I don’t regret owning them, but I feel silly reading an English-language book in German.) The Achebe book that appears on the Metropolen list is No Longer at Ease, and the local bookstore’s web site said that they had a copy on hand. When I went to buy it, though, neither I nor the clerks could find the physical object. Rather than concede entirely, and recognizing that No Longer at Ease is the second book in what came to be known as Achebe’s African Trilogy, I bought the first one, Things Fall Apart.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Achebe begins the novel in a timeless, almost mythological register:

Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements. As a young man of eighteen he had brought honour to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat. Amalinze was the great wrestler who for seven years was unbeaten from Umuofia to Mbaino. He was called the Cat because his back would never touch the ground. It was this man that Okonkwo threw in a fight which the old men agreed was one of the fiercest since the founder of their town engaged a spirit of the wild for seven days and seven nights. …
That was many years ago, twenty years or more, and during this time Okonkwo’s fame had grown like a bushfire in the harmattan. He was tall and huge, and his bushy eyebrows and wide nose gave him a very severe look. … When he walked, his heels hardly touched the ground and he seemed to walk on springs, as if he was going to pounce on somebody. And he did pounce on people quite often. He had a slight stammer and whenever he was angry and could not get his words out quickly enough, he would use his fists. He had no patience with unsuccessful men. He had had no patience with his father. (pp. 3–4)

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Sep 20 2025

The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison

The Tomb of Dragons is that rare third book of a trilogy that makes me view the first two books very differently. All three of the “Cemeteries of Amalo” share a world and time with Addison’s classic, The Goblin Emperor. The first-person narrator of the trilogy is Thara Celehar, a cleric of Ulis and a Witness for the Dead, someone who can reach the spirits of the departing newly dead and communicate with them in a limited fashion. Such Witnesses give true testimony about the thoughts or wishes of the dead so as to answer questions about their death, or to resolve other disputes. Their abilities also enable them to do things like still undead ghouls. In both The Witness for the Dead and The Grief of Stones Celehar has put his supernatural skills in the service of the people around him, and the communities he is a part of.

The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison

His last act of service, though, cost him dearly. He can no longer witness, although this is not widely known. In The Grief of Stones, he had taken on an apprentice, Velhiro Tomasaran. Now she must assume the full office much sooner than anyone had anticipated. She came to be a cleric later in life, and she is not what most people of Amalo expect. Celehar is unstinting in support, and at least at the beginning of her service he may believe in Velhiro more than she herself does. A short novel from her perspective would be very interesting, and that’s true of many of the other characters who pass through the pages of The Tomb of Dragons. Celehar’s friend from the opera Iäna Pel-Thenhior would be an urbane counterpart to the dedicated but also self-doubting Celehar; a book from his point of view would show a lively and creative city, and his work balancing art with the cheerful mercenary approach necessary to keep an opera company in business. Like the end of The Goblin Emperor, the end of Celehar’s trilogy leaves open how many more stories Addison could tell.

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Sep 19 2025

Tantalizing Tales — September 2025 — Part Three

Genuinely such a slew of terrific titles to look forward to next week! The first is by one of my favorite contemporary mystery authors, Janice Hallett, who so cunningly uses the epistolary format in all its modern forms to such clever, elegant ends. She’s back with her latest novel The Killer Question, that revolves around one of my very favorite things: Trivia Night!

It’s a struggle for Sue and Mal Eastwood to run their quaintly named pub, The Case Is Altered, given its remote rural location. Their fortunes start to change, however, with the growing popularity of their weekly trivia night. Not even the discovery of a dead body in the nearby river can dampen the enthusiasm of the diverse cast of regulars.

The arrival of a mysterious new trivia team, however, shakes up the scene. How is it possible that this team is scoring top marks in every round every week? That’s no fun to play against*.

Five years later, The Case Is Altered lies derelict. Sue and Mal’s nephew Dominic is determined to make a documentary about their story. Something strange happened here, one that likely has to do with the proprietors’ own secretive past, that exiled them there to begin with. Will Dominic be able to uncover the truth? Can one single question truly kill?

I have so many books on my slate rn but am honestly so tempted to bring this to my favorite monthly Trivia Night tonight, both for the vibes and because I know this will be an amazing read! *Also, this should be the session that breaks my similarly dominant team’s three-month winning streak, as three key members won’t be able to make it tonight, lol.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/09/19/tantalizing-tales-september-2025-part-three/

Sep 18 2025

Sky & Ty 2: Dinomite! by Steve Breen

I have not yet been fortunate enough to get my hands on the first book in this series but that certainly didn’t dampen any of my enjoyment of this charming graphic novel for children, which works perfectly well as a standalone.

Sky and her Tyrannosaurus Rex pardner make up the fastest delivery service in the West. In their downtime, they enjoy watching movies at the local theatre, helping others and making friends. The first story of this book, Ranch Dressing, finds them moseying past Cottonwood Creek, where grizzled old miner Crusty Gus is prospecting for gold. When Sky & Ty discover their own nuggets, Ty decides to splurge on something he’s really wanted for a long time, hence the story’s title.

The second story has them coming across a chicken named Vinny, who desperately wants to learn how to fly like an eagle or an airplane. Since Sky and Ty are on a delivery, they wish him the best of luck but move along. A resigned Vinny bids Ty, “Goodbye, cousin.” Ty is surprised by this, but after Sky explains to him the leading scientific theory that birds and dinosaurs are related, Ty immediately turns them around to go help out family.

Warmhearted hijinks are the hallmark of this delightful series, as Sky and Ty (but mostly Ty) learn some valuable lessons about being true to yourself and being kind to others. The shenanigans are entirely anachronistic — which only lends itself to the humor of the book — but the language is perfectly calibrated to its target audience of advancing readers, who will likely be enthralled by the stories within these pages.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/09/18/sky-ty-2-dinomite-by-steve-breen/

Sep 17 2025

Devil’s Contract by Ed Simon (EXCERPT)

Hello, dear readers! Today I’m excited to bring to you a fascinating examination of power and corruption, with an excerpt from the paperback reissue of Ed Simon’s provocative, persuasive and just downright mesmerizing Devil’s Contract: The History Of The Faustian Bargain.

To quote the press materials: “From ancient times to the modern world, the idea of the Faustian bargain—the exchange of one’s soul in return for untold riches and power—has exerted a magnetic pull upon our collective imaginations.

“Scholar Ed Simon takes us on a historical tour of the Faustian bargain, from the Bible to blues, and illustrates how the impulse to sacrifice our principles in exchange for power is present in all kinds of social ills, from colonialism to nuclear warfare, from social media to climate change to AI, and beyond. In doing so, Simon conveys just how much the Faustian bargain shows us about power and evil . . . and ourselves.”

The excerpt we have for you today discusses a fascinating, and definitely unorthodox, examination of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. Showcasing Mr Simon’s wide range of knowledge, the excerpt begins with a discussion of the art world, before going in for the kill with a thoughtful and thought-provoking discussion of Christian scripture.

Read on to be just as dazzled as I was by this smart and stylishly written bestseller!

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/09/17/devils-contract-by-ed-simon-excerpt/

Sep 16 2025

Tantalizing Tales — September 2025 — Part Two

Hello, dear readers! With September well underway, we have a slew of thematic titles for you to consider curling up with in cozy corners, starting with a new edition of Yokomizo Seishi’s classic Murder At The Black Cat Cafe, translated into English from the original Japanese by Bryan Karetnyk.

Scruffy detective Kindaichi Kosuke is back in another sensational stand-alone mystery. 1947 Tokyo is still recovering from the devastating bombing raids of World War II, when a patrolling policeman passing The Black Cat Café makes a gruesome discovery. The body of a woman is lying in a hastily dug hole, with a dead black cat by her side. The woman’s face has been disfigured beyond recognition, but the café’s actual black cat seems alive and well. So where did the two corpses come from, and why were they buried in the café’s garden?

As Kosuke investigates, he realizes that the enigmatic Oshima, madam of the café — which, despite its name, is actually a brothel — has a past shrouded in secrecy. What exactly is her relationship with the owner Itoshima, and with the young Buddhist monk who was originally found digging up the bodies?

This seventh installment of the Detective Kindaichi Kosuke mysteries translated into English also includes a bonus story, ‘The Well Wheel Creaks’. And while I’ve enjoyed the giallo-style covers of the previous books, the fall-forward art on this volume is by far my favorite of the series so far!

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/09/16/tantalizing-tales-september-2025-part-two/

Sep 15 2025

You Are the Detective and other mysteries to get excited about!

You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder, by Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper comes out tomorrow! In celebration, here’s a roundup of mysteries to keep on your radar this Fall, including The Heist of Hollow London by Eddie Robson, a futuristic tale full of twists; the very genre-aware The Dysfunctional Family’s Guide to Murder by Kate Emery, and Oblivion Bride, a haunting dystopian novella by Caitlin Starling.

These books run the gamut of mystery subgenres, and they all offer fast-paced engrossing good times!

the cover of the creeping hand murder shows a spooky hand in red surrounded by the title You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder

Maureen Johnson and illustrator Jay Cooper worked together on Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village, which came out back in 2021, and have rejoined forces now to present The Creeping Hand Murder, a dossier in which both written and visual evidence is presented to the reader as documents, so that you, dear reader, can solve the murder yourself. Kind of like the premise of The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L Sayers or the collected emails and text messages in a Janice Hallett mystery, but with the added interactive features of the Cooper’s illustrations holding clues, and in the physical copy of the book, a “reveal” of the solution at the end.

In You are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder, which comes out September 16 from Clarkson Potter, it is 1933 in London and seven people – not precisely friends – have received a mysterious summons to a gathering where one of them is murdered. This is exactly my jam. I am ready to rewatch CLUE right now. To solve this mystery, you read over newspaper articles, interview transcripts, collected notes, and scrutinize snapshots of the scene, uncovering sordid histories of the characters as well as the truth of how the murder occurred.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/09/15/you-are-the-detective-and-other-mysteries-to-get-excited-about/

Sep 14 2025

Stone & Sky by Ben Aaronovitch

Peter Grant and Beverly Brook have survived the first two years as parents of twins, and unsurprisingly they are in need of a vacation. Peter’s family being what it is, and his job being what it is, the trip up to Scotland more closely resembled a circus caravan than a cozy family outing. To be fair, it didn’t start out as a family getaway, it started with a dead sheep. More accurately, as Aaronovitch begins Stone & Sky, “It all started when Dr Brian Robertson, retired GP, enthusiastic amateur ecologist and self-confessed cryptid aficionado, stumbled over a dead sheep a few kilometres west of the town of Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire.” (p. 1) The difference between this sheep and a more run-of-the-mill ex-ruminant is that “it looked to Brian as if something had take a bite out of its belly. Something with a mouth the size and cutting power of a bear trap.” (p. 1)

Stone & Sky by Ben Aaronovitch

Now it happened that Brian had been friends at medical school with Dr Abdul Haqq Walid, now of London, consulting pathologist to a special unit of the London’s Metropolitan Police Service. That unit, colloquially known as the Folly, was home to England’s last officially licensed magical practitioners, and were the police responsible for what less enthused members of the Met called “weird bollocks.” Cryptids fit right in, especially if they might conceivably pose a danger to the public, even the Scottish public.

Brian hadn’t heard back from Walid after sending him some photos and some samples,

So he was a little surprised when, late one evening in July, he looked out of his window to find a vintage Jag, a bright orange Ford Focus ST and a heavily customised VW California camper van unsuccessfully attempting to cram into his driveway. He flung open his front door to find Abdul standing on the step. Beside him was a young coloured girl wearing a fox stole.
“Good evening, Brian,” said Abdul “I’m sorry about dropping in so unexpectedly, but the decision to come up was made last minute.”
“It’s lovely to see you all the same,” said Brian, and was about to ask the girl’s name when he realised that the “stole” she was wearing was in fact a live fox — and a large one at that.
“This is Abigail,” said Abdul.
“Delighted to meet you, Abigail,” said Brian. “Would you like some tea?”
At that, the fox lifted its head and gave Brian an enthusiastic stare.
“Will there be cheese puffs?” it asked. (p. 2)

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Sep 13 2025

The Martian Contingency by Mary Robinette Kowal

The fourth, and presumably final, Lady Astronauts of Mars novel begins with an echo of the opening of the first. “Do you remember where you were when the stars came out? I was with my husband, on Mars.” (p. 14) It’s 1970, and there hasn’t been a clear night sky on Earth since early March 1952, when a meteor the size of the dinosaur-killer plowed into Chesapeake Bay, changing everything.

The Martian Contingency by Mary Robinette Kowal

After one book with Nicole Wargin as first-person narrator, Kowal brings Elma York, the most famous Lady Astronaut, back to the hot seat in The Martian Contingency. Besides, Nicole is busy; she’s president of the United States. Bradbury Base is established on Mars, and Elma is part of the expedition that will expand the base with a second dome and a greenhouse plus additional scientific and work modules. The members of the second expedition are also expected to become permanent residents of the red planet. As happy and amazed as she is to be on Mars with her husband Nathaniel, she’s apprehensive about her imminent change from spaceship pilot to deputy commander of the mission.

While the people on Mars have escaped Earth’s gravity, they have not escaped the gravity of Earth’s situation. That means the expedition needs to keep building support on Earth for beginning the work of transplanting humanity. And that means

[t]he bean counters back on Earth had wanted me—no, they’d wanted the famous Lady Astronaut of Mars in a visible command position to lend credibility to the mission. That should have come from the actual mission commander, but Leonard Flannery was Black. He was also eminently more qualified to be mission commander than I was. He’d landed on the planet on the first mission. I hadn’t. But I was very good at being a pretty face for publicity.
Thank God we were past the days where we had to avoid mentioning that I was Jewish. Mostly past. (p. 15)

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