Previous SFF Author: Clive Woodall
(1977- )
Chris Wooding’s first novel was published when he was 21. He writes dark fantasy and sci-fi for children and adults. He also wrote the children’s anime series Broken Sky. Several of Chris Wooding’s novels have won children’s literature awards. Read excerpts at his website.
There’s a murderer loose in the city. Catchman (1998) centers on a group of homeless teenagers and the news circling around a serial killer nearby, who has been dubbed the ‘Catchman’. As victims surface one by one, the tension grows and with it, tempers run high among the teens.
One of the greater strengths of Catchman was the intriguing set-up. I actively wanted to know what was going to happen from the beginning of the story and throughout the narrative.
Skye Walker´s rating: 3 | Chris Wooding | Horror, Stand-Alone, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding
If you enjoy the atmosphere and imagination of Philip Pullman, Garth Nix, or Philip Reeve, then you’re sure to like Chris Wooding, a YA fantasy author who does not feel the need to fill his fantasy world with elves, dwarfs, wizards, dragons and every other fantasy cliché that’s been done to death since Tolkien published The Lord of the Rings.
Some authors are willing to explore new territory,
Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 5 | Chris Wooding | Stand-Alone, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The fantasy genre owes Chris Wooding a huge favour. In a genre awash with sad Tolkien knock-offs filled with magic swords, plucky heroes, wise wizards, princesses-in-distress and other tired clichés, Wooding continues to churn out exciting and intriguing stories that contain a rare force of imagination. Even though Poison is not quite as successful as some of his earlier efforts (especially The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray) it certainly deserves credit for its skill,
Rebecca Fisher´s rating: 4 | Chris Wooding | Stand-Alone, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | no comments |
The Weavers of Saramyr by Chris Wooding
Chris Wooding has once again branched out and attacked another flavour of fantasy. This time the story brings the reader a sophisticated beginning to what promises to be a mysterious, cutthroat, and complex trilogy: THE BRAIDED PATH. Both the physical and social settings are richly described and beautifully rendered throughout. The Weavers of Saramyr introduces us to a nation torn apart by sickness, an empress who is all out of options, survival against the odds,
Skye Walker´s rating: 5 | Chris Wooding | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
From the get go, Storm Thief has you on the edge of your seat. Chris Wooding once again creates a very vivid and realistic world full of danger and suspense, and the characters to go along with it. We meet stone-hearted villains, a frightened and bewildered half-machine-half-man creation, a day-dreaming thief, and many more. This is not for the faint of heart, or the full of stomach.
Orokos is an isolated city on an island in the middle of a vast ocean.
Skye Walker´s rating: 4 | Chris Wooding | Stand-Alone, Young Adult | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Nations divided by vast lakes, destinations defined by stalagmites and minerals, a world without a sun: The Fade (2007) takes place in an unfathomable network of caves beneath the surface of an unknown planet. Here the reader finds a cavernous underground in the midst of jealous war. Two distinct races of beings fighting over their shared bubbles of space. It is on the battlefield that we meet the protagonist and learn that she is a highly skilled and thoroughly trained one-woman war machine. Soon, we also learn that she has a loving family and a complicated set of allegiances.
Skye Walker´s rating: 4 | Chris Wooding | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding
Confession: I love pirates. Stories with pirates in them have captivated me for as long as I can remember (and I’ll blame my family for sitting me in front of such movies as Muppets Treasure Island and The Princess Bride) and continue to bring me great joy. With this in mind, you can imagine how excited I was when I found a pirate story by one of my favourite authors, Chris Wooding. Retribution Falls is everything I could have asked for from a swashbuckling tale: there are old foes,
Skye Walker´s rating: 4.5 | Chris Wooding | SFF Reviews | 8 comments |
The children’s fantasy/sci fi novel Malice is set in two worlds: modern day London and Malice, an eponymous comic book whose chief villain, Tall Jake, takes kids into the dangerous world of the comic if the right ritual is performed. In an attempt to better convey this two-setting concept, Malice melds a graphic novel/comic with a young adult/middle grade novel, with mixed results for the author (Chris Wooding) and illustrator (Dan Chernett).
The graphic aspect of the novel is by far the poorer stepchild here.
Bill Capossere´s rating: 3 | Chris Wooding | Children | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Previous SFF Author: Clive Woodall
Do it! One of the best things I've read in recent years.
This reminds me. I want to read Addie LaRue.
We’re in total agreement David!
I felt just the same. The prose and character work was excellent. The larger story was unsatisfying, especially compared to…
Hmmm. I think I'll pass.