James

Very impressive. You feel like the recipes here have really been test driven. The other great book about using plants in beer: Sacred Herbs etc, is very complete in its scope but verging on mystical and the recipes are almost certainly not tested to a great degree. So in order to get a feel for the ingredients, you need to be very cautious with your additions. Almanac feels lived in and I'd have no issues with picking the book up and brewing something from it.

Entertaining enough, especially if you have a Locke Lamora-sized hole in your life. Listened to the audiobook narrated by the author in a surprisingly decent Irish accent.

Worldbuilding was fun, it was quite humorous in places too. The downside I think was the plotting for my money, it was a bit shaggy-dog story. Decent enough though, I'll probably give the sequel a go.

Pompous, self important trash. Given out free at a festival, and really, I don't see any other way this author would be able to get his book read.

Fun post-modern D&D romp.

Sorry to say, this wasn't the greatest read. Audiobook narration (from the OG Lyra Belaqua funnily enough) was flat and uninspired, I don't think the content of the book helped either.

As to the mystery author, I think it's an American (based on the old “in London it rains all the time” cliche) male (based on IIRC the banter between the male characters)... Be interested to see what it turns out to be. Not a professional author IMHO. Turns out the film isn't all that anyway, shame as Vaughan has put out some entertaining stuff in the past.