A naturalistic coming-of-age story… sprinkled with strange images and written in a hauntingly mournful key

[Murakmi’s] elegant, frugal prose creates a tale of courage and hope as Tsukuru tries to unlock the secrets of his past

Critics have variously likened Murakami to Raymond Carver, Raymond Chandler, Arthur C Clarke, Don DeLillo, Philip K Dick, Bret Easton Ellis and Thomas Pynchon – a roster so ill-assorted to suggest he is in fact an original

A rich and even brilliant piece of work… Genuinely resonant and satisfying

This is a book for both the new and experienced reader....[it] reveals another side of Murakami, one not so easy to pin down. Incurably restive, ambiguous and valiantly struggling toward a new level of maturation

Murakami’s prose seamlessly fuses folksiness and profundity… A harmonious blend of naivety and riddling sophistication’

Neat, economical, even minimalist... surprisingly painful and poignant

Murakami is like a magician who explains what he’s doing as he performs the trick and still makes you believe he has supernatural powers . . . But while anyone can tell a story that resembles a dream, it's the rare artist, like this one, who can make us feel that we are dreaming it ourselves

Delicately crafted masterpiece

Remarkable… Spellbinding… [Murakami] is ever alert to minds and hearts…and to humanity’s abiding and indomitable spirit

This may be a radical change in style for the author, but not in quality

A book for both the new and experienced Murakami reader… There are moments of epiphany gracefully expressed… Reveals another side of Murakami

A fascinating exploration of who we are [and] the delusions necessary to navigate the world around us

A wonderfully imaginative and intimate book

Infused with emotional generosity and the spirit of forgiveness

Murakami has once again produced a perfect gem

Murakami weaved his mesmeric story-telling power once again with this new book…but still bearing the unmistakable purity of prose, economy of expression and simplicity of style that characterise his writing

A mysterious story about friendship, heartbreak and confronting the past, this book is surreal, existential and, therefore, classic Murakami

The tale is as absorbing as the prose is beautiful

This is classic Murakami, an isolated character struggling to make his way through a world both deceptively simple and utterly fantastical, his story told through prose infused with all the beauty and meaning of a Kyoto tea ceremony

His versatility and ability to craft a story is spellbinding… Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is a fine story that held my attention until the end.

Loneliness, sexual ambiguity and emotional repression- the perfect recipe for a novel that put Murakami back on my list of unputdownable authors

Kafkaesque, unusual and packed with sex and confusion, this is high-end prose… Murakami is remarkably prolific… A weird and very wonderful descent into the madness of contemporary Tokyo.

A haunting and atmospheric coming of age story whose offbeat characters and lyrical prose style beguile the reader from the first page. An arresting & memorable debut

The whole package: teenage angst (but of course), broken families, strong friendships, a sprinkle of romance and a lot of mystery

An extremely cool and quirky science fiction adventure, stacked full of hilarious and fitting pop culture references. Cline has created a fast paced and engaging story using a perfect blend of humour, futuristic tech and video-game like action sequences.

Ernest Cline is a genius in every sense of the word…This was truly wonderful, everything I had hoped it would be, and then heaps and heaps more.

Release your inner nerd and rejoice!

Armada is a gamer’s fantasy come true.

thriller-like plotting…immensely readable

It’s a hoot, from beginning to end

Literally everything I could ask for

A highly rewarding journey…thoroughly enjoyable fiction.

Armada is a journey towards emotional intelligence and understanding, a journey towards some questions answered, others posed – huge questions they are too. Armada’s a good ‘un.

A surprising thriller, a coming of age, space-fighting adventure which will thrill sci-fi fans and gamers alike.

It is often said that the best novels are those that don’t waste any time – the ones that grip the reader from the very first line. Armada does this better than perhaps any other book I’ve read.This book is a love-letter to the science fiction genre. It’s a concentrated shot of sci-fi nerdery that’s definitely worth experiencing.

Armada is fun, so go enjoy it for the first time… or the second.