Title: The Veiled Woman
Author: Anaïs Nin
Type: Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 58
Rating: 2.5*/5
Anaïs Nin – The Veiled Woman
There’s potential here, but erotica is hard to get right and something as basic as terminology can ruin it. Like here, when she constantly refers to genitals as “his/her sex”. That alone stopped me from enjoying it.
Anaïs Nin
Title: Glow
Author: Ned Beauman
Type: Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 249
Rating: 8/10
Ned Beauman – Glow
Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this for free to review.
I wasn’t too sure what to expect from Glow, because the blurb is mysterious and somehow draws you in without explaining what you’re actually going to get. At first, I was cautious – the story was a little slow to start, but when it did start it was like a punch to the face. Beauman is a writer of talent, and the ending paved the way for a potential sequel, so I’ve got my fingers crossed there.
Perhaps most fascinating is the concept of the (presumably fictional) drug Glow, the new urban phenomenon that dictates the future of the intriguing characters that are caught in its web, whether we’re talking about the sinister conglomerate that wants to exploit its way to riches with it or the chemist who’s brewing it right under their noses in London.
Beauman’s terminology is impressive throughout, and it lends authority to the novel’s characters who show more than a passing interest in both drug consumption and the effect that it has upon the brain. Done badly, that could have ruined the novel – luckily, it makes it what it is.
There were a couple of minor typos in my copy, but that’s partly forgivable – it’s marked “uncorrected proof – strictly not for sale or quotation.” They’ll be gone when you read it.
Ned Beauman
