A Blood Winter

I read and enjoyed the first book, so was pleased to see the sequel. Telling the further adventures of Ashto and Atia mission to research the Earth Jaran Galactic Federation – this one is full of twist and turns as the pair find themselves hunting another serial killer, while at the same time the police are looking for the same killer and some Victorian terrorists. There are lots of thrills and spills in the book that, with a hansom carriage chase through London, but despite this the book really explores the dark underbelly of Victorian Society, the poverty, crime and double standards – from the perspective of alien outsiders who are probably more like 21st Century people than the Victorians. Well worth read even if you haven’t read the first instalment yet – with an interesting twist at the end that suggest a further book is in the offing.

Neil Coley’s "A Blood Winter” is the sequel to his novel “An Alien Autumn” which introduced his two pathfinding aliens to Victorian England and to its horrors, inequalities and cruelties. An intriguing mix of detective fiction, sci-fi and social commentary, this volume goes deeper into the contrast between these aliens, humanoid yet stronger, highly rational and from an advanced society which seems to have made the right choices in terms of how its society is organised. They get involved in solving yet more vile murders, become friends with Bram Stoker, meet Oscar Wild, and start to suspect their superiors back on their home planet, Jara, centre of an inter-planetary federation, may not be reading their regular reports. Earth-ways start to influence their behaviour, leading to their reports omitting information about things that went wrong (losing key items of kit) and to their becoming more empathetic towards human ways of being. The prose style is brisk and often funny, especially when describing the rather literal responses the Jarans have to Earth ways. The settings and events have been meticulously researched, and there is a short explanation about what is fact and what is fictional in an afterword. The ending of this book suggests that not everything is going well on the Jarans’ home planet, and that there is at least one more volume to come to pick up the threads of one of the stories started but left unresolved in this book.

I was very pleased to receive a free advance review copy of Neil Coley’s ‘A Blood Winter’, second in the series that began with ‘An Alien Autumn.’ Undercover missions, hansom cab chases through the streets of Victorian London, alien technology, dodgy pubs, bombing campaigns, and a bloodthirsty killer: an effective mixture for an enjoyable read. This novel continues the story of two aliens engaged in investigating Earth in 1889. In the earlier novel, they became embroiled in the hunt for Jack the Ripper whilst learning about human society. Still based in the capital, though in this volume also visiting Whitby, the couple, Ashto and Atia, passing as Trevor and Margot Ashton, again become involved in violent crime whist picking their way through the morals and mores of late nineteenth century England. The book is pacy and well-structured. The narrative shifts between the points of view of Ashto and Atia, various police officers and a merciless serial killer, winding up the tension and suspense. The aliens’ cover story is that they are Americans putting together a guide to the United Kingdom. This and their sending of regular reports to their home planet, allow the author to provide interesting background information on London at the time in an entertaining way. The context is detailed and convincing, obviously based on meticulous research. Science-fiction often projects into the future to comment on the present. ‘A Blood Winter’ does something similar with the past, touching lightly but tellingly on issues such as biodiversity, linguistic diversity, social inequality, global warming and sexual orientation. We also meet Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde and Henry Irving. There is a real sense of enjoyment in these encounters and there are a number of incidents and anecdotes that show Bram Stoker building up sources, ideas and character names for his most famous creation, ‘Dracula.’ I felt a good deal of affection for Ashto and Atia. Their sense of fun and adventure, as well as their growing enjoyment of life in London, is open-hearted - in a way childlike, though never childish. Their relatively innocent approach to life is refreshing, especially in contrast to those characters who are exploitative, wicked, self-serving and predatory. I’m looking forward to the next instalment!

‘A Blood Winter” by Neil Coley - Review The alien Jaran couple stumble once more into murder and mayhem in Victorian London in this sequel to “An Alien Autumn’. Although they are now better versed in the ways of the humans amongst whom they live, their activities arouse the suspicions of Inspector Reid and the long-suffering Sergeant Thick. Ashto and Atia meanwhile, observing the lack of progress by the police into a series of gruesome murders, decide to use their skills and superior technology to help. The resulting action-packed storyline brings them into contact with a variety of colourful characters and the well known figures, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde. The Jarans’ strivings to understand and imitate the subtleties of human language, dress and customs give rise to frequent entertaining comic moments. However, these contrast sharply with the chilling chapters following the “Vampire Killer’ which makes them all the more shocking. Ashto and Atia are emerging as a great crime fighting duo. First Commander Ashto is upright, responsible and honourable, Atia more fearless and reckless. Who could forget the scene where Atia drives a cab through the crowded London streets with her skirts up round her knees? (Made for Netflix!) Into all this, Neil Coley weaves subplots of possible anarchist and Irish bombing campaigns. The story ends with some mysterious loose ends and a surprise encounter. It leaves the reader looking forward to the next adventure. A great read!