Every inch of Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig screams pessimism. It lingers around the story, the characters, and even the back water towns in which it is set, like a cloud of noxious cigarette smoke blown from our heroin Miriam's sin-ridden lips. And yet, despite all the darkness, despite the death and the bleak world view, there is a sliver of light that manages to squeeze through.

Florence & Giles by John Harding is a tale of isolation, fear, madness and risen spirits. It is simultaneously a classic ghost story and a modern psychological thriller, with a truly unique narrator. What at first seems to be a fairly standard story of a lonely child living a secluded life in a haunted house soon turns into an intriguing, compelling, spine-tingling and original story that is impossible to put down.

Moon Over Soho, book two in the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch, is an urban fantasy crime novel that is fast-paced, funny, dark and wholly British. A winning combination that makes Moon Over Soho an instant classic.

The second book in the Lorien Legacies series, The Power of Six, is a step in the right direction for the series. This step is away from the eponymous character of the first book (I Am Number Four), who is angsty, lovestruck and irritating. Instead we are introduced to several new characters including Marina, or Number 7, and the plot expands and evolves.

I'm having trouble writing a review of The Concrete Grove by Gary McMahon.

It is, as I see it, a novel of two parts. The first is a gritty, real life drama about a mother trying to protect her daughter in a harsh world of gangs and loan sharks. Into this grey life steps a small ray of light, a kind man who might well be the salvation they desperately need – but this would-be saviour has his own dark secrets.

The second is just as dark as the first, but instead of being grounded in the real it is a strange and intriguing supernatural horror, with monsters and demons haunting the Concrete Grove. These demons are worshipped by crime-lords and have a sinister plan for certain young girl.

I don't read much science fiction. I think it is because of the same reason I don't read much hardcore fantasy – I like my fiction as grounded as possible in the norm. I struggle to visualise worlds that I don't know, whether they be a distant planet orbited by 7 moons where the inhabitants worship mechanoids created millennia ago, or middle-earth-esque lands where hordes of orcs battle the elegant, a-sexual elves, it matters not. I also tend to get confused by technical talk, especially if that technical talk is nonsense.

So I'll admit now that Reality 36 by Guy Haley – with its plethora of futuristic techno-babble and host of fantastical worlds populated by computer generated Paladins and talking lions – was never high up on my reading list...

Oh, how I curse my narrow-mindedness!

At the heart of Hard Spell is a fairly obvious premise, and one that has been done almost to death over the last few years. Magic and monsters are real and someone has to protect those who can't protect themselves. Still, there must be some life left in the genre yet, as Justin Gustainis proves with his dark and broody novel that pitches a run of the mill human cop against the forces of darkness.

Note: Check out the trailer for Hard Spell at the bottom of the review...

We are pleased to present another fantastic guest review. This month we are pleased to welcome Sheryl Tongue of Stonehill Graphics, who has reviewed A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

What do you get when you have three different races of Creatures (witches, vampires, and daemons) and they all want the same thing from the same person? Ruthless, total chaos.

The Necromancer and The Warlock by Michael Scott are the fourth and fifth books respectively in the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series. The first three books were good, but in truth they were merely a warm up for the complicated, winding, explosive penultimate books.

And there is still more to come...

Michael Scott's world, the world of Immortal Nicholas Flamel, is one of mythology and creatures of nightmare, of magic and mayhem, but a world that is believable and engrossing. The first three books in the series, The Alchemyst, The Magician and The Sorceress, are the perfect launch pad into a vast, fast paced and gripping story...

Another year, another Mortal Engines prequel. The previous two, Fever Crumb and A Web of Air were OK. They were really quite good when compared to most books out there for teens. The problem was that they just couldn't live up to the pure brilliance, and I say that with conviction, of the original Mortal Engines quartet.

So, with Scrivener's Moon, was Philip Reeve able to bring back some of the va-va-voom?

Urban fantasy that I read and love, that of Jim Butcher, Kelley Armstrong and others, tends to be American. American in terms of the author and setting, but also in terms of the feel of the book and the prose. This is fine, but it often leaves me feeling a little left out, thanks to references to places or people that I have never heard of. I think that is how Ben Aaronovitch feels as well. But with his latest book, Rivers of London, he has turned the tables.

Rivers of London is a murder mystery, urban fantasy style, and does a cracking job at mixing magic and monsters with good old fashioned policing. What makes it unique, however, is the London-centric writing, where the big smoke is as much a character as anyone else...

Many people claim that graphic novels are poor relations to “real” books, suggesting that they lack depth, substance and good writing, substituting this for flashy, hollow images. Others say graphic novel artists have no real artistic skill, so draw a series of small images, rather than individual pieces of work, to disguise their inability to draw.

Can Grandville: Mon Amour by Bryan Talbot silence the graphic novel haters?

Audio books are an odd idea. The thought of sitting down with down with the sole intent to have someone read to you seems somewhat childish. Indeed most people have not been read to since bedtime in their youth. But I've wanted to listen to a full audiobook for some time now, so when Dark Matter by Michelle Paver dropped onto my doormat in CD form I leapt at it.

Can it deliver the same experience as a written word book?

The Dresden Files, as I have previously mentioned, is one of my favourite book series. The fusion of action with entertainment, darkness with humour, and danger with truly likeable characters is perfectly balanced, bringing together a blend of genres perfectly. The fact that it is also about a wizard named Harry, and involves a lot blasting vampires and demons in the face with a casual mix of shotguns and spells just adds to the appeal.

So what of the latest book in the series, Changes? Is Dresden still kicking supernatural butt 12 books in?

Urban fantasy is a relatively new genre, but in my opinion one of the best, with many top class authors. The basic premise is classical fantasy characters such as wizards, vampires, witches and demons, but set in a modern landscape, without the tedium of clichéd dialogue and long descriptions of worlds that are frankly hard to picture. Instead it is a fun blend of the familiar and the supernatural. What more can you want?

Kelley Armstrong is at the forefront of this genre and Waking the Witch, her latest novel, shows her on great form. Fantasy, thriller, crime and horror, it's all here in one perfect little package...

I Am Number Four by “Pittacus Lore” is the real next-big-thing, with the rights to the film sold before the book was published and written mainly with sales in mind. So does this hype, coupled with the relative lack of passion behind the writing, make for a poor book?

Read on to find out...

The wise cracking Djinn is back, and I could not be happier. The original Bartimaeus trilogy was brilliant, I loved them to bits – they were fun, funny and exciting, whilst retaining a strong level of darkness and danger... helped along with some colourful gore!

So, the prequel must be brilliant by default, surely? Well, as my recent run-ins with prequels will tell you, things are not always as great as they could be...

The fourth and final instalment of the Tiffany Aching series is different to the other books, although it does keep many of the attributes that made the other books great.

What makes the book different , thought, is the focus on the humans in the novel, and on human nature in general.

Fun and funny yet often dark and profound, I Shall Wear Midnight is a great book, but how does it stand up as the last book in the series?

Catching Fire – The Hunger Games part II. The repercussions from Katniss Everdeen's escapades during book one are starting. Slowly at first, but soon the iron fist of the evil Capitol will strike and nothing will ever be the same again...