READALONG: The End Of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird

“Only men are affected by the virus; only women have the power to save us all.”

Released in April 2021, The End Of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird is set in the year 2025 in a world where a mysterious virus has broken out in Scotland, a lethal illness that seems to affect only men. When Dr Amanda MacLean reports this phenomenon, she is dismissed as hysterical. By the time her warning is heeded, it is too late. The virus becomes a global pandemic, and the victims are all men.

Book Review: The Betrayals by Bridget Collins

“If ever the hall was ready for the first move of a grand jeu, it’s now: midnight, silence, this geometry of light. Someone else would know hot to play, how to begin. But tonight, there is only the Rat.”

Set to be released on 12th November, The Betrayals by Bridget Collins is set at Montverre, an exclusive academy tucked away in the mountains where the best and brightest are trained for excellence in the grand jeu: an arcane and mysterious contest. Léo Martin was once a student there, but lost his passion for the grand jeu following a violent tragedy. Now he returns in disgrace, exiled to his old place of learning with his political career in tatters. Montverre has changed since he studied there, even allowing a woman, Claire Dryden, to serve in the grand jeu’s highest office of Magister Ludi. When Léo first sees Claire he senses an odd connection with her, though he’s sure they have never met before. Both Léo and Claire have built their lives on lies. And as the legendary Midsummer Game, the climax of the year, draws closer, secrets are whispering in the walls…