Review round-up: Talus and the Frozen King
11th April 2014
Review round-up: Neolithic murder mystery with Talus and the Frozen King
We love Graham Edwards’ new novel for Solaris, Talus and the Frozen King – and so do the critics! Observe…
“This book is an unexpected delight, a detective story in a setting like no other, and I recommend it unreservedly.” – Crime Fiction Lover
“Talus and the Frozen King is the ideal book for mysteries lovers who want a classic murder scenario in a new setting. It’s not a rehash or a reimagining of old ideas, but one that makes use of the genre’s tropes to the best of Graham Edwards’ abilities and that makes it a worthy read.” – Adventures in Sci-Fi Publishing
“If you like historical fiction and/or interesting mysteries, give this book a try.” – Sci-Fi Fan Letter
“…a pretty fast, intense mystery as shadows thicken, nothing is as it seems and men start to die all around. Combined with an ending I didn’t expect from a mystery novel that stokes the fires of my inner geek, is it a wonder I only have good things to say about this book? Highly recommended, and definitely on the shortlist for best books I’ve read this year.” – Drunken Dragon Reviews
“A+ Great fun, well worth it … extremely well done and very enjoyable. Putting Sherlock Holmes and Watson into the Stone Age worked for me!” – British Fantasy Society
“There aren’t a lot of books like this out there, that’s for sure. While there’s a strong element of fantasy in this one, at it’s heart it really is a variety of your good old detective story. The prehistoric ice age setting garners huge points from me, and like I mentioned, so does our protagonist being an eccentric bard. I think both mystery and fantasy readers alike will feel right at home with this one. A very entertaining and fast read.” – Bibilosanctum
“A close cousin to the writings of Conan Doyle, Christie, and Marsh… Mystery fans will look forward to Talus’s future investigations.” – Publisher’s Weekly
“This is a very entertaining book, offering something that hasn’t really been done much in the detective genre. Graham Edwards tells an intriguing tale that really gets you turning pages. The setting is fresh, the world is full of mystery, and solving the “case” is not an easy task for our protagonists.” – Trash Mutant
“I think what Edwards has tried to do is ambitious, how do you create a Holmesian character in a world where philosophy, science and logic are still in their infancy. How do you create the world’s first detective without it feeling like it’s Holmes and Watson in bear fur. I think the answer lies in exceptional world and character building.” – Bookonaut
“Part of what makes a good mystery enjoyable are the characters because frankly, going in, the reader pretty much knows the mystery will be solved when the book is finished. In the case of Talus and the Frozen King, I thought Talus and Bran were both engaging characters who had a deep past that was hinted at from the start, but in the case of Talus, becomes only minimally clear by novel’s end.” – SFFWorld