The Birds has a freshness that can only be due to its timeless subject matter... From the first page, this novel grips us with an acutely sensitive rendition of a mentally handicapped man's inner world

A masterpiece

A spare, icily humane story... The character of Mattis, absurd and boastful, but also sweet, pathetic and even funny, is shown with great insight. The translation conveys successfully a concentration of style and feeling that seems to be Vesaas' characteristic mark as a novelist

Shocking and compulsive

This is a reading experience like no other. Fearless in its truth-telling and as real as life, it is an epic study of what it feels like to be alive

Absolutely loved this; the world building is brilliant, the mystery and crime elements merge seamlessly into a fantastical world of poisoners, warrior-guilds and ancient magic. But the heart of the story is the central characters, they’re written with such depth: flawed, human and likeable. City of Lies is a wonderful read and one that I’d highly recommend to all lovers of fantasy.

An enormously enjoyable read, one of the best new fantasies I’ve seen in a long time.

With lush worldbuilding and a tight, twisting plot, City of Lies plants Hawke as a bold new fantasy voice.

Without doubt the best fantasy novel I read this year. With an opening line that resonates and it’s sprawling epic world full of political shenanigans and betrayal it is the very definition of a literary page turner.

City of Lies is one of the standout debuts – and books – of the year, and stands alone while opening the door for sequels already in the works – and which I’ll definitely be reading!

Part murder mystery, part political thriller with a fantastical heart . . . I was utterly engrossed from beginning to end.

A tightly wound and ever escalating plot is complemented by the cast's refreshing nuances . . . even when magic comes into play the story never loses its essentially human and relatable scale, making it stand out from more sprawling, cinematic fare. A well-crafted debut with believable political intrigues, solid world-building, and original characters.

An absolute revelation . . . the book really blew me away when I first read it, evoking subtle shades of Robin Hobb's Farseer books . . . if you haven't checked out Sam's writing, you really need to. She is a shining star in the genre.

'Sam Hawke injects her story with charismatic prose, characters with flair and also has one of the best opening lines that I've ever read in speculative fiction.'

A funny, addictive story that shines with real emotion

A delight . . . Joyful, great fun and with quite a few twists along the way

This book . . . has a touch of real wisdom [and] will satisfy Kinsella diehards as well as new readers.

Fizzingly fresh and can't fail to lift your spirits

What an absolute treat – sheer joy from start to finish.

Fast, furious and fabulous fun

Another heart-warming story from the Queen of feel-good fiction

A joy to read

This fun, super-readable breath of fresh air had us completely hooked

An enjoyable read, funny and moving

A fun, frothy good-hearted read

A tale of long-term love and friendship told with Sophie’s blend of warmth and humour