Review: The Trading Game by Gary Stevenson

The Trading Game by Gary Stevenson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've watch Gary Stevenson on YouTube and am familiar with what he is trying to do, which is help people understand why the economy is failing and why we need to tax the ultra rich, and stop believing the narrative being fed by them about immigrants. It made me curious about him, and after hearing him talk on a podcast about his book, and them saying it is as much about the class system as being a trader, I decided to buy it and read it.

I though it might be a bit beyond my understanding, all the maths and financial stuff, but like with his videos, Gary explains it in easy layman's terms, about how he became a trader, what that means and also what it involves. It helps that I come from London, and have worked in large banking institutes like Citibank, and know a few people who are traders and brokers. I understand the lifestyle and the type of people - though Gary explains that really well, and is funny with it.

It's a book that documents the financial crash of 2008 - and explains why it happened and why the economy won't recover from it. It also details how the rich are holding all the cards and ordinary people don't have a chance. This causes an emotional and moral dilemma for Gary, who comes from a poor background, and it ultimately leads to him wanting to leave Citibank who he works for, but it turns out they weren't going to let him go quite so easily. He had a fight on his hands.

An interesting insight, and enjoyable book which made compelling reading. It is very much written in Gary's tone and style of speaking, although I do feel that the publishers could have proofed it better as there are sentences that don't make sense as they are missing a word, and some terms could have been explained better. (Gary refers to the 'Square Mile' a couple of times, this is actually the colloquial name for the financial heart of central London where all the banks are, it is literally a square mile, but it is never explained, so if you aren't from London, you wouldn't know).

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Review: Pyres by Kev Harrison

Pyres by Kev Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was super lucky and managed to snag a signed paperback of this book while at the Indie Horror Chapter's third event at The Royal Hotel in Weston-Super-Mare.

This is a completely gripping book, from start to finish, and right up my alley with being supernatural based horror. The main character, Angela is a 'spirit painter' which means she channels visions from beyond the veil through her art. But when they turn into images of horror, with one being identical to the real life death of a right wing TV presenter, things get very scary. Her sister, Becky, returns from Italy just in time to help her untangle what is going on.

Set in the British countryside, with very real characters I loved this book. It's dark, fast-paced, with a background of political narrative that's very satisfying. It's the best thing Kev Harrison has released to date.

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New Cover for The Jester Series!

I've been so busy I almost forgot to post this to my blog - here are the new covers for The Jester series! 🥳

I've been looking forward to relaunching The Jester series every since my cover designer showed me the images they thought might work. And it's been interesting doing an overhaul of the contents too, and tightening it up. I was reminded how mind-bending the sequel gets and how much it made my head hurt writing it! My editor also did a great job teaching me where my weaknesses lie even when it comes to doing minor changes. I might be an accredited proofreader but that doesn't change the fact that every writer needs an editor.

To celebrate the relaunch, they are both on sale for the whole of September! You can find out more here or click on the covers to grab the books. 

Click to grab you copy

Click to grab your copy

 

The Jester two-book series is a dark, dystopian sci-fi fantasy and time travel thriller. And these new covers reflect the sinister side of the books, and how they are playing a game and not knowing who is behind the mask.

Here's what it's about:

David Sinclair has been pushed out of his own time, and finds himself slipping through parallel times to try and get back home, but first he has to find and catch The Jester, a sinister depraved man who enjoys these sick games. 

David is led through dark dystopian times, and discovers there is a larger game at play, one that challenges his understanding, and threatens the existence of his world. 

If you like sci-fi fantasy, evil villains and time jumping, this might be for you. But The Jester is not for the faint-hearted, he likes to partake in depraved acts of horror too.