British novelist Robert Harris – the author of Conclave and Pompeii – is back with his latest historical drama…
1. Agrippa by Robert Harris is published in hardback by Hutchinson Heinemann, priced £22 (ebook £10.99). Available August 27
Latin-literate keen-eyed tourists taking in Rome’s magnificent monuments might notice the inscription – ‘Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, in his third consulship, did it’ – engraved on the portico of the Pantheon. Yet unless you are a devoted scholar of ancient history, Agrippa is a name largely lost to history. Robert Harris – also well-known for his World War II fiction – returns to his other passion of imagining life in the Roman Empire, and in Agrippa he creates a memoir for Emperor Augustus’ right-hand man and war chief who helped his childhood friend rise to power. Dying from a gangrenous leg wound, the 50-year-old Agrippa describes his days soldiering under Julius Caesar, his brutal campaigns against the Ides of March conspirators and, later, Mark Antony and Cleopatra as the Second Triumvirate fell apart. Devotees of the period will lap up the bloodshed, political machinations and skilful visualisation of an era – which was so wildly different to our own, but at the same time so poignantly similar, as Agrippa’s testimony proves how human nature never really changes. After all, how can any kind of friendship survive when ‘power makes monsters of us all’?
8/10
(Review by James Cann)
2. Runebreaker by Mila Finch is published in hardback by Magpie, priced £22 (ebook £7.99). Available August 27
In a fantastical world ruled by the fae (similar to fairies), Aelie is special, for a human. In a realm controlled by the magic of runes she can break their spell and cast them aside. Aelie and her sister are enslaved to attend to a royal family, but at night the sisters break free from their chambers and hunt for treasures to save up to run away, but Aelie is caught by the Executioner, just before a huge cull of humans is scheduled to take place. She is taken from her realm and transported to a shimmering kingdom, where she slowly starts to fall in love with her captor. Is it true love or a deal with a tricky fae? Mila Finch’s dark fae fantasy is an action-packed page-turning novel that tackles some tricky subjects beautifully, the romance is slow-burning, and the yearning is palpable (as are the some of the spicier moments).
9/10
(Review by Rachel Howdle)
3. Agnes Lives! by Hallie Elizabeth Newton is published in hardback by Viking, priced £14.99 (ebook £7.99). Available August 27
Agnes Lives! lets the reader in to the inner most thoughts of Agnes, a twenty-something living in New York City in 2014, who is on a mission to find someone willing to be her killer by the end of the day. New York is the perfect backdrop for what is a turbulent 24 hours full to the brim with chaos. However, that is where many of the positives end. Protagonist Agnes is clearly unwell and treats her dark thoughts with flippancy, bulldozing through every situation with an erratic nature. This and the incoherent nature of her inner monologue makes her a difficult character for the reader to invest in. It’s fast-paced narrative makes it a page-turner, however it lacks substance.
5/10
(Review by Rhiannon James)
4. Q: The Hidden Power Of Questions In A World That Wants Answers by Dr Lani Watson is published in hardback by Bodley Head, priced £22 (ebook £10.99). Available August 27
What to say about philosopher Lani Watson’s new book on the significance of asking questions, Q? Is it possible to overstate the role that seeking knowledge played in the evolution of language and of our species itself? Don’t you know even a small question can change the future? Why does just asking someone whether they intend to buy a car in the next year increase the chances of them doing so by 35%? What area of life can’t be improved with better questions – relationships, justice, politics, science? Any others? How does the ratio of questions from teachers to those from students affect educational outcomes? And what of the same ratio for doctors and patients? Why is AI turning search engines into answer engines, and does it matter? How was Watson able to pack so many fascinating topics in, and where can I find out more? Do I recommend it? What a question.
8/10
(Review by Joshua Pugh Ginn)
Children’s book of the week
5. The Weirdest Thing Of All by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Ed Vere, is published in hardback by HarperCollins Children’s Books, priced £12.99 (ebook £5.99). Available August 27
The Weirdest Thing Of All is a new collection of poems from former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen, which feel like listening to someone tell funny, real stories from when they were a child. Some of the poems are silly, some are exciting, and a few are a bit sad too – the best bits are the adventures with Harrybo, which are both funny and relatable. Overall, the poems show how friendships can be very important and stay with you forever. The poems are easy to read, with illustrations from Ed Vere helping bring the stories to life. At times, the collection feels a little long, but there are plenty of memorable moments to keep readers interested.
9/10
(Review by Florence Sparke)
BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING AUGUST 22
HARDBACK (FICTION)
1. The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson
2. May We Feed The King by Rebecca Perry
3. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
4. Fruit Fly by Josh Silver
5. The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
6. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
7. Can Nothing Save Us? by Irvine Welsh
8. Land by Maggie O’Farrell
9. John Of John by Douglas Stuart
10. The Lion And The Deathless Dark by Carissa Broadbent
(Compiled by Waterstones)
HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)
1. The Castle by Jon Ronson, Jon
2. London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe
3. The Odyssey by Homer
4. Things I Told My Notes App by Milly Goldsmith
5. How Lucky Am I by Christian Watson
6. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins & Sawyer Robbins
7. The Book Of Birds by Macfarlane & Jackie Morris
8. Witchland by Marion Gibson
9. Regime Change by Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Swan
10. Churchill’s Pirates by Will Iredale
(Compiled by Waterstones)
AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)
1. This Is Me by Hayden Panettiere
2. It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell
3. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
4. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
5. The Wicked And The Warped by Robert Rath
6. Odyssey by Stephen Fry
7. London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe
8. The Primal Hunter 15 by Zogarth
9. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
10. The Castle by Jon Ronson
(Compiled by Audible)