Category Archives: Kiwi author

Isobar Precinct

Posted on 18 February 2022 by Barbara Howe

Lestari Cassidy and her two friends have witnessed a murder. Or have they? The video they captured on a cell phone agrees with what they reported to the police—a man’s throat is slit; blood sprays out, soaking the shrubbery—but the … Continue reading →

Posted in Kiwi author, Modern literary fiction, Speculative fiction | Leave a comment

Against the Grain

Posted on 4 February 2022 by Barbara Howe

Against the Grain, by Melanie Harding-Shaw, is a great little comfort read, best enjoyed with a cup of your favourite hot beverage (hot chocolate for me) and a plate of warm baked goods close at hand. Part of the Witchy … Continue reading →

Posted in Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Kiwi author | Leave a comment

The Forge Book Launch

Posted on 10 January 2022 by Barbara Howe

The launch of The Forge, the fifth and final book in the Reforging series, will be an online event on Sunday, 23 January, at 1:00pm* New Zealand Daylight Time. Looking forward to seeing you then! Reminder: IFWG Publishing Australia is … Continue reading →

Posted in A Writer's Life, Epic Fantasy, Kiwi author | Leave a comment

Witchy Fiction

Posted on 26 June 2021 by Barbara Howe

Does a collection of optimistic, easy-to-read fantasy novellas sound appealing? Especially if they include a bit of romance? Then check out the books at WitchyFiction.com. This brand is the brainchild of a group of New Zealand writers who began these stories … Continue reading →

Posted in Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Kiwi author | Leave a comment

A Few Short Reviews

Posted on 14 May 2021 by Barbara Howe

The Stone Wētā by Octavia Cade is a timely and rather chilling take on the repression of scientific data by climate deniers and corporate/political interests. It reads a bit like a World War II spy story, with the scientists acting … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Kiwi author | Leave a comment

The Prince of Secrets

Posted on 12 September 2020 by Barbara Howe

The Prince of Secrets, the second book in the Stariel series by New Zealand author A J Lancaster, takes us deeper into the world of the fae we were given only glimpses of in the first book, The Lord of … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Kiwi author | Leave a comment

The Clockill and the Thief

Posted on 21 August 2020 by Barbara Howe

Sin, street urchin turned trainee spy, is back in Gareth Ward’s YA novel, The Clockill and the Thief, the sequel to The Traitor and the Thief. Both books won New Zealand’s Sir Julius Vogel award for Best Youth Novel in their … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Fiction, Fantasy, Kiwi author | Leave a comment

Short Takes on a Trio by New Zealand Authors

Posted on 8 May 2020 by Barbara Howe

Aftershocks (Earthcore Book 3) by Grace Bridges Aftershocks is a fine addition to the Earthcore series, with a more interesting conflict than the earlier books (RotoVegas and Volcano City). Anira Fraser—the leader of the Earthcore team, when her mind isn’t … Continue reading →

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From a Shadow Grave

Posted on 14 February 2020 by Barbara Howe

Seventeen-year-old Phyllis Symons was murdered in 1931, struck on the head and then buried alive in fill from the excavation of Wellington’s Mount Victoria tunnel*. That historical fact is the springboard for From a Shadow Grave, by New Zealand author … Continue reading →

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The Lord of Stariel

Posted on 22 November 2019 by Barbara Howe

Twenty-something Hetta (Henrietta) Valstar, master illusionist, returns to the Stariel estate after six years of self-imposed exile. But it’s too late for this prodigal daughter to reconcile with her tradition-bound, disapproving father, the Lord of Stariel. She’s come home for … Continue reading →

Posted in Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Kiwi author, Noblebright Fantasy | Leave a comment