With the "The Dark Depths", Rafael Menton brings us a retro female-led take after the style of Poul Anderson.

Set in the late-fifties in a young and academically gifted undergrad; a learned ex-cop; and a Japanese heiress; all have one thing in common: a recently unearthed and much in demand - fatally so - tome called the "Book of Witches".

A book with a previously undeciphered incantation that could mean tyranny, suppression, and a complete loss of independence if it is invoked

That loss, of course, being for men!

Believable female-led fantasy fiction for those readers who prefer to use the darker sides of their imaginations with the help of character-driven plotlines.

Rafael Menton is best known for his fictional study of voodoo and human bondage, "Madame Fabienne".