Reviews

A comprehensive list of reviews received online, and other media, can be found further down the page. Here are some notable highlights.

On Drawn To The Deep End: "This is a painfully truthful story of a man slipping ever deeper into the mire. A sharp and powerful piece of writing, with a darkly comic sense of humour under the surface."
Dr Ian Nettleton, author and lecturer in creative writing, 18th September 2017.

On Cold: "The story was compelling. The writing ... kept me interested until the bitter end."
Alain Gomez, Book Brouhaha, 4th September 2013.

On Dark Steps: "The writing is crisp, the dialogue believable, and the editing is very good ... Pond is a master at this particular form of writing."
The Masquerade Crew Reviews, 5th August 2012.

"...the writing within the stories ... is almost uniformly striking and very memorable. I come back to these stories again and again to remind myself of the gratifying arc of tension, suspense, and relief demonstrated in Dark Steps, as well as the intelligence in the writing, the observant eye in the narration and the terrible moment of realisation that something is not quite right..."
Andrea Holland, poet and lecturer in creative writing, 15th March 2012.

"I have not had a story with so few words have so huge of an impact before ... Pond uses words more efficiently than anyone I have ever read."
Tammy Gaines, Novel Opinion, 2nd February 2012.

"Like a British Stephen King."
Dr Ian Nettleton, author and lecturer in creative writing, 19th December 2011.

On Near-Death Experience: "...the surprise reveal ... forces the reader to rethink the significance of everything that has just been read."
Ian Chung, Sabotage Reviews, 29th November 2011.

On Dark Steps: "An excellent collection of unexpected tales told in everyday surroundings with a vein of dark humour running just below the surface."
Rol Hirst, Sunset Over Slawit, 8th September 2011.

On Dream Feed: "A chilling tale of demonic abduction, worthy of le Fanu. It is succinctly structured with barely a word wasted and plays cleverly on the ambiguous significance of sounds...A horribly compelling fable!"
On Resolution: "A persuasive drama of a life fallen into ruin, well orchestrated by the story’s ‘count down’ structure."
Dr John Yeoman, Writers' Village, 15th July 2011.

"...there are many other points at which Unthology 1 rises to a level that has earned my profound respect...With 'Waiting Room', Martin Pond conjures up a near-futuristic world in which a boy is about to take a test, except no one will tell him what it is about, which has disastrous consequences for him."
Ian Chung, Sabotage Reviews, 3rd April 2011.

"...Waiting Room is an intriguing and mysterious Brave New World-type tale set in the near future which keeps the reader guessing right to the end..."
Eastern Daily Press, 4th December 2010.

Media


DateMediaDescription
26/02/2018The (New) Vinyl VillainDrawn To The Deep End was reviewed by blogger Jim Clark
17/01/2018My Top TenDrawn To The Deep End was reviewed by author and blogger Rol Hirst
13/01/2014Reading, Books, and More BooksTurn Around Where Possible was reviewed (site now defunct)
06/10/2013A Lover Of BooksInterview for Sonya Kemp
04/09/2013Book BrouhahaCold was reviewed by Alain Gomez
11/07/2013Short Fiction SpotlightCold was reviewed by Jason Varrone (site now defunct)
12/03/2013Short Fiction SpotlightTurn Around Where Possible was featured (site now defunct)
08/03/2013GoodreadsDark Steps was reviewed by novelist Sarah Jane Dobbs (with a mini review of Cold too)
06/03/2013Momma Says ReadDark Steps was reviewed by Pappa (site now defunct)
24/02/2013Momma Says ReadCold was reviewed by mother-and-daughter combo Ellen and Lili (site now defunct)
13/08/2012Rachael H. DixonInterview for Rachael
10/08/2012Casual DebrisUnthology No.1 was reviewed, in some detail, by Zybahn
05/08/2012Masquerade CrewDark Steps was reviewed by Crew member Wilma
04/07/2012Indie E-book ReviewDark Steps was reviewed by Debbie Bennett
24/06/2012Front Row LitDark Steps was featured (site now defunct)
13/06/2012The Akamai ReaderDark Steps was reviewed by Opal Kiehm
01/06/2012Incredible Indie eBooksDark Steps was featured (site now defunct)
26/05/20121001 First LinesInterview for Scarlett Rugers
21/05/2012Life on the Written PageInterview for Ty Johnston
18/05/2012Kate KerrowDark Steps was reviewed by Kate
17/05/2012Indie BookSpotDark Steps was reviewed by Chris Algernon
17/05/2012Kindle PostDark Steps was featured
11/05/2012Short Story SymposiumDark Steps was featured
27/04/2012Flurries Of WordsDark Steps was 'book of the day'
22/04/2012Vues and ReviewsTurn Around Where Possible was reviewed by Archie Standwood (site now defunct)
22/04/2012FreebooksyTurn Around Where Possible was featured
21/04/2012A Lover Of BooksDark Steps was reviewed by Sonya Kemp
18/04/2012Surrounded By BooksFeatured by Cherie Reich as part of her A-Z author challenge
06/04/2012Kindle MojoDark Steps was featured on this US e-book site (site now defunct)
29/03/2012Two Ends of the PenInterview for Debra L. Martin
17/03/2012Bargain eBooksDark Steps was featured on this US e-book site
06/03/2012Parlez MoiGuest "writers on writing" blog post for Kathleen Valentine
05/03/2012Why Did You Write That?Interview for Peter Lewis
05/03/2012Indie BookSpotInterview for John Warner
23/02/2012Good KindlesDark Steps was featured on this Polish Kindle site
02/02/2012Novel OpinionDark Steps was reviewed by Tammy Gaines (site now defunct)
13/01/2012Indie BooksInterview for the Indie Books blog
06/01/2012Kate's ReadsDark Steps was reviewed by Kindle Book Review contributor Kate Farrell
04/01/2012Inside BooksDark Steps was reviewed by Simon Quicke
29/11/2011Sabotage ReviewsDark Steps was reviewed by Ian Chung
23/10/2011Future RadioInterview for David Eastaugh's Platform arts show
05/10/2011Future RadioInterview for Kate Roma's Drivetime show
08/09/2011Sunset Over SlawitDark Steps was reviewed by Rol Hirst
22/08/2011Kindle AuthorInterview for David Wisehart
03/04/2011Sabotage ReviewsUnthology No.1 was reviewed by Ian Chung
14/03/2011Norwich magazineUnthology No.1 was featured in Issue 2
08/03/2011The Short ReviewUnthology No.1 was reviewed by Mira Mattar
20/01/2011Ink, Sweat and TearsUnthology No.1 was reviewed by Sarah Bower
04/12/2010Eastern Daily PressUnthology No.1 was reviewed in Britain's best-selling regional daily