BOOK

Title: Beyond the Humming Downs

Author: Ellen Starsmore

Publisher: self-published, 2025

I was provided with an ARC of this debut fantasy ‘with a dash of hopepunk’, and isn’t it great when, after a friend has spent years writing, rewriting, editing, polishing, and researching the self-publishing pathway, it all comes together. Our starcrossed lovers Adehl and Roh meet on the titular downs and there are sparks as their mystical energies (ellir) forge a connection. But Adehl has a secret, one that propels her and Roh on a risky journey that triggers the gradual unveiling of deeper political mischief. This is where the hopepunk kicks in, as the self-appointed guardians of ellir find their claim being challenged, with Adehl and Roh at the pointy end. It’s a tale gently and engagingly told, the world fully realised and the characters suitably complex. Fantasy readers who love horses and cool names for things will be rolling in hay with this one. I just hope we don’t have to wait as long for the next book.