Book Review- Bombmaker by Claire McFall

Title: Bombmaker

 Author:  Claire McFall

Published:  1 February 2014 by Templar

Length:  336 pages

Source: publisher

Other info:  Claire has also written Ferryman, which I reviewed here and won the Scottish Booktrust Award.

Summary : The English government have closed the borders with their Celtic neighbours. Any Celt found in England is branded with a tattoo, found twice they are executed. Scottish Lizzie is the 'property' of psychopathic London gang boss Alexander. Can Lizzie escape Alexander's deadly grip and at what price her betrayal?

Review: Following bad economic times, England closes the borders with Scotland and Wales  and brings in  a new policy: Celts found in England are branded. Branded Celts in England are killed. Lizzie is one such branded Celt, who is the "property" of Alexander, a gang boss in London, who keeps her around for her bombmaking skills. as time goes on, Lizzie realises she might like a life outside the gang. Which is something that Alexander does not like at all.

I read McFall's Ferryman last year and really enjoyed it. I was looking forwards to this, especially with everything going on about the Scottish Independence referendum. Extreme nationalist governments make good reading (not real life), and so do gangs. Add in promises of a clever awesome female character and I'm sold.

You very quickly get pulled into Lizzie's world, both the political climate and the gang life that she’s part of. It’s a world that is believable, if you imagine that a yes vote leads to extreme xenophobia on the  English peoples’ part (ie just a huge ramp up of how it is now).

I love the fact that all the characters are well fleshed out really well. You really get close to them, even if that closeness is not something that you really want to be. Alexander’s creepiness seems to know no bounds. Lizzie, I liked a lot; she’s resourceful, and you want things to go right for her, even though they tend not to. I loved reading about them and how they got where they are and where they want to go.

It’s very very different to Ferryman. McFall writes well in both softer afterlife stories and gritty thrillers. I’m looking forwards to see what she does next.

Overall:  Strength 4 tea to a fast paced relevant  dystopia.

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Author website | 

Book Review- Ferryman by Claire McFall

Title: Ferryman

 Author: Claire McFall

Series:  N/A

Published:  1 March 2013

Length:334 pages

Source: publisher

Summary : When Dylan emerges from the wreckage of a train crash onto a bleak Scottish hillside, she meets a strange boy who seems to be waiting for her.
But Tristan is no ordinary teenage boy, and the journey across the desolate, wraith infested wasteland is no ordinary journey.
Life, death, love-which will Dylan choose?

Review: Dylan is on her way to meet her father that she’s never really known. Unfortunately, the train she’s on crashes. She thinks she’s the only survivor. She’s the only one who died. Once out of the tunnel, she ifnds Tristan-her ferryman, her guide through the wasteland towards the next part of the afterlife. On  their journey together through the wasteland, a harsh environment filled with wraiths waiting to drag her down, Tristan and Dylan soon fall in love, and Dylan needs to decide what she’ll choose.

I’m always on the look out for new afterlives. The idea of a ferryman is not new, but Claire has made it a very personal affair, with the ferryman being there every step of the journey.

This wasn’t what I expected. I was expecting something a bit more romancy or a bit more actiony. Yes, there’s romance, but it’s less romance more forming a really really deep bond. There’s tension and moments of danger, but you can’t really call it action. Instead, it’s calmer, but at the same time, moving.

Aside from the first thirty pages or so, the first two thirds are very insular. There’s only Tristan and Dylan.  You get really close to both of them, and see their relationship progress from the normal, a bit detached,one that’s expected to one that’s a lot closer than is good for them. I’m glad that the last third brings in a few more people to get to know for a short time anyway.

It’s a very quick read. There’s all sort of things going on in the wasteland, with all the wraiths trying to stop you and  the general danger of not getting across. Either because of the writing or the attachment to the characters of both you get invested in the story, you do get a bit worried for them at certain points, you get emotionally pulled in.

The descriptions are really really vivid. You have the picture of the wasteland, both the one that you normally see plus the one that Dylan sees without her ferryman, really clear, and the setting comes alive.

Also, generally irrelevant,, just want to say that quite a few of us loved the shininess of the cover.

Overall:  Strength 4 tea to an beautiful  take on the Afterlife.

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Author website |