Review: The Year Of The Locust by Terry Hayes

 

Rating: An excellent start but the twist might be too niche for some readers 

What is it? Fiction

Ideal for fans of: The Martian by Andy Weir, The Institute by Stephen King

What makes it special? The attention to detail, and the fulfillment of a long wait for fans of Hayes’ I am Pilgrim

Get it in South Africa from: Penguin Random House South Africa

  

Ridley works for the CIA, but he’s not your average spy. He’s a Denied Access Area spy, which means he’s been to and worked in some of the deadliest locations and the world. All in secret, of course. Naturally, Ridley has to hide his work from the world, including his partner Rebecca. 

However, that becomes increasingly difficult when he’s tasked with the seemingly impossible - tracking down a terrorist that the world - thanks to the Pentagon - believes to be dead. But as Ridley soon discovers, not only is the man very much alive, he poses a massive threat not just to the USA, but to the entire world. 

Readers of Terry Hayes’ first novel, I am Pilgrim, will be aware of the author’s attention to detail and ability to make a spy novel not just riveting, but sexy. And The Year Of The Locust is no different. 

Hayes builds a world in which espionage, technology, action, romance, intrigue, and politics merge seamlessly into a brilliant narrative. Hayes’ character building is especially impressive - none of his cast, from spymaster extraordinaire Ridley, to his partner Rebecca, the head of the CIA, or the most notorious terrorist the world has ever seen, could be called conventional or flat. 

Moreover, the author’s ability to launch into nail-biting, sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat with bated breath action scenes is just *chef’s kiss*. I am quite sure I’ve never held my breath or gotten goosebumps as many times in 469 pages. 

Eagle-eyes readers might be wondering at that low page count. After all, The Year Of The Locust is an impressive 663 pages - a real brick of a book. 

However, it feels more like two books. The fourth and final part of the book takes a totally unexpected twist that drives the narrative into an entirely new field. This sudden segue is as jarring as it is unexpected. Without giving it away, this change goes beyond affecting the narrative, it takes the book into an entirely new genre.

I have no doubt there will be millions of fans who adore the incorporation of something new and unexpected, but I am not entirely sure it works. As any writer will know, merging genres is not a task to be undertaken lightly, yet kudos to Hayes for trying, and for taking his story to the next level. 

All in all, The Year Of The Locust is an action-packed adventure from the first sentence, and remains one of the greatest spy novels you’ll ever read. In fact, I have no doubt the likes of Netflix or a Hollywood studio will snap it up to make their next feature film. 

The Year Of The Locust by Terry Hayes is published by Bantam, an imprint of Transworld Publishers, and a Penguin Random House company.

Review: Southern African Moths & Their Caterpillars by Staude, Picker & Griffiths

Rating: A nature-lover’s bookshelf essential 

What is it? Field guide 

Ideal for fans of: Field Guide To Spiders, Medicinal Plants of East Africa

What makes it special? Comprehensive guide to all life stages of the insects

Get it in South Africa from: Struik Nature (Penguin Random House South Africa) 

Have you ever found yourself trying to identify a caterpillar and failing? After all, it is surprisingly easy to mistake a moth caterpillar for that of a butterfly. Well, it used to be. 

With Southern African Moths & Their Caterpillars, you have access to 1500 moth species, making misidentification almost impossible. You see, not only does this guide provide clues to these insects’ geographical locations and preferred habitats, but it gives a comprehensive overview of the family, species, size. The best part? Every entry is accompanied by a series of glorious, high-definition colour images of all stages of the life cycle. 

In a nutshell, this means you can now identify a moth based on where you found it, the appearance of the pupa or caterpillar, or by looking at the adult moth itself. Genius, right? Staude, Picker & Griffiths have totally eliminated the guesswork in moth identification, and they have made it fun. Then again, that’s hardly surprising given the impressive list of qualifications and years of experience behind their names.

So how do you start your identification journey, especially if you know next to nothing about these winged and many-legged creatures? Easy. The entries are organised by family, with a brief description of the most noticeable shared features. So if you spot a moth that’s really small, with spiny legs and narrow yet long wings, you’d start with the Plume moths (family Pterophoridae). If you see a caterpillar with a horn-like protrusion on its rear, you’re likely looking at a hawkmoth. Interestingly, these little guys are huge fans of grape vines, so if you happen to see a fat, green, horned caterpillar wiggling about among your grapes (as I have in my garden), that’s your most likely culprit. 

Of course, Southern African Moths & Their Caterpillars is not just a way to identify moths. It provides additional information on moths in general, from their genetic evolution and their importance as pollinators to their unique means of protecting themselves as caterpillars and adults. In short, it’s the go-to compendium for anything to do with moths in Southern Africa. 

Southern African Moths & Their Caterpillars by Hermann Staude, Mike Picker & Charles Griffiths is published by Struik Nature, an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa.