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The BC Review

The British Columbia Review is the online book review journal for BC writers and readers.

09/27/2025

Beware ‘volchemistry’ and witchcraft

Death on the Caldera (Titan Books, 2025) by Emily Paxman.

“Paxman’s writing is often quite beautiful, though never overly flowery. While the core premise of a murder mystery—especially one wherein slashed throats are the modus operandi—the novel remains fun, and at times, even lighthearted.”

Reviewed by Zoe McKenna.

Clickable Link in Bio: https://thebcreview.ca/2025/06/262587-paxman-mckenna/

09/27/2025

‘The world’s greatest most magnificent spectacle’

Frank and the Elephants: A Romance of the Rockies (Nelson History Theatre Society, 2024) by R.D. Rowberry.

“Six circus elephants loose in the Rockies. Who could not be intrigued? What writer could resist embracing the challenge?”

Reviewed by Ron Verzuh.

Clickable Link in Bio: https://thebcreview.ca/2025/06/25/2586-verzuh-rowberry/

09/26/2025

Lice Savers, lifesavers, & more

Not the Same Road Out: Trans Canada Stories (Tidewater Press, 2025) by K.J. Denny (editor).

“As a collection of Canada-set stories by Canadian authors, then, Not the Same Road Out succeeds as a reading experience.”

Reviewed by Brett Josef Grubisic.

Clickable Link in Bio: https://thebcreview.ca/2025/06/23/2585-denny-grubisic/
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09/26/2025

Loins girded, knives sharped

Mantle of the World Ruler (FriesenPress, 2023) by Kate Gateley.

“Gateley has given us a beautiful second novel that sets up the Lost Wells Trilogy for an epic finale.”

Reviewed by Myshara McMyn.

Clickable Link in Bio: https://thebcreview.ca/2025/06/22/2584-mymyn-gateley/

09/26/2025

Stories in the abstract

The Longest Way to Eat a Melon (Sarabande Books, 2025) by Jacquelyn Zong-Li Ross.

“To read many of these stories you have to give yourself over to a series of meditations rather than looking for plot or characters to carry you through. You have to commit to sitting on the bench in front of the piece to take in the wonder.”

Reviewed by Laura Moss.

Clickable Link in Bio: https://thebcreview.ca/2025/06/19/2583-moss-ross/

09/13/2025

Looking back to move forward

The Vancouver Island Treaties and the Evolving Principles of Indigenous Title (University of Toronto Press, 2025) by Ted Binnema.

“Readers…will gain a greater insight into a formative piece of British Columbia history. For this book is history as it should be. Here is how it is done.”

Reviewed by Robin Fisher.

Clickable Link in Bio: https://thebcreview.ca/2025/06/18/2582-fisher-binnema/

09/13/2025

It’s in our backyard

Journeys To the Nearby: A Gardener Discovers the Gentle Art of Untravelling (Ronsdale Press, 2025) by Elspeth Bradbury.

“The book is a whimsically fluid read that invites us to consider the often underestimated value of what is discoverable right in front of us.”

Reviewed by Natalie Virginia Lang.

Clickable Link in Bio: https://thebcreview.ca/2025/06/17/2581-lang-bradbury/

09/12/2025

‘Low, humble, obscure’?* No Longer

Day Song (Broke Press, 2024) by Sharon Thesen.

“…rendered with Thesen’s deft poetic hand, a hand that engages, and surprises; and, as with beauty, dazzles, and terrifies.”

Reviewed by Steven Ross Smith.

Clickable Link in Bio: https://thebcreview.ca/2025/06/17/2580-moore-bell-thesen-smith/

09/12/2025

‘Low, humble, obscure’?* No Longer

Modern Words for Beauty (House of Appleton, 2025) by Mary Ann Moore.

“The poems present well-rendered social observances, often in prosaic syntax and in verse that relies less on poetic tropes such as rhythm, line structure, and sonority, than on narrative in personal settings, set along with nature, colour, and memory.”

Reviewed by Steven Ross Smith

Clickable Link in Bio: https://thebcreview.ca/2025/06/17/2580-moore-bell-thesen-smith/

09/12/2025

‘Low, humble, obscure’?* No Longer

Summoning (Raven Chapbooks, 2025) by Jacqueline Bell.

“It runs an annual Chapbook Poetry contest. The 2025 winner is Victoria writer Jacqueline Bell, and her book Summoning.”

Reviewed by Steven Ross Smith

Clickable Link in Bio: https://thebcreview.ca/2025/06/17/2580-moore-bell-thesen-smith/

09/12/2025

Historic ranching and farming life

The O’Keefes of O’kanagan: The Families of O’Keefe Ranch (Heritage House, 2025) by Ken Mather.

“Mather’s book is a valuable addition to B.C. history, spanning events from the gold rush era to recent times. It sheds light on the ups and downs of an important B.C. cattle ranching family and it demonstrates how an intricate web of social relationships, one that encompassed local Syilx, the surrounding settler community, and members of the O’Keefe family, influenced key decisions that assured the ranch’s astounding longevity.”

Reviewed by Ian Pooley.

Clickable Link in Bio: https://thebcreview.ca/2025/06/16/2579-pooley-mather/

08/28/2025

A tale of Queensland’s past

The Worm Lady’s Daughter (Ensilwood Publishing, 2025) by Peter Freeman.

“…rich in descriptive prose and strong emotion…The story is a testament to his obvious love of the ocean and nature and is a most enjoyable read.”

Reviewed by Valerie Green.

Clickable Link in Bio: https://thebcreview.ca/2025/06/14/2578-green-freeman/

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