MR RIPLEY'S ENCHANTED BOOKS: FAVOURITE BOOKS 2013 - Children's/YA and Adult

                                   

2014 is officially on the horizon and Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books is coming to the end of yet another year. Around this festive time I like to take a trip down memory lane and highlight some of my favourite reads of 2013.  All of the following books have been reviewed on the website so if you would like to know and read more then just use the search bar....... Mr Ripley's Favourite Adult Reads 2013: (in no order) Brandon Sanderson - Steelheart - Published by Gollancz - 26, September 2013 Cherie Priest - The Inexplicables - Published by Tor 14, February 2013 Gareth Powell - Ack-Ack Macaque - Published by Solaris 3, January  2013 Samantha Shannon - The Bone Season - Published by Bloomsbury 20, August 2013 Joe Hill - NOS4R2 - Published by Gollancz - 31, October 2013 Mr Ripley's Favourite Children's/Young Adult Reads 2013: (in no order) SF Said and Dave McKean - Phoenix - Published by David Fickling - 1, August 2013 Brandon Sanderson - The Rithmatist - Published by Orion - 23, May 2013 Ian Johnstone - The Bell Between Worlds - Published by HarperCollins - 6, June 2013 Andy Mulligan - The Boy with Two Heads - Published by David Fickling - 6, June 2103 John Connolly + Jennifer Ridyard - Conquest - Published by Headline - 26, September 2013 Oisin McGann - Rat Runners - Published by Corgi - 7, March 2013 Rhys A Jones - The Obsidian Pebble - Published by Spencer Hill Press - 29, October 2013 Emerald Fennell - Shiverton Hall - Published by Bloomsbury - 3, January 2013  Chris Riddell - Goth Girl: and the Ghost of a Mouse - Published by Macmillan - 12, September 2013 Ashley Miller + Jack Stentz - Colin Fischer - Published by Puffin - 7, February 2013 Andrew Lane - Lost Worlds - Published by Macmillan - 25, April 2013 Michelle Paver - The Burning Shadow - Published by Puffin - 1, August 2013 I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all (readers, authors, illustrators and publishers) for your support in 2013. I'd like to wish you all a great Christmas and a wonderful start to the New Year.

Guest Author Post: Inspirations For Phoenix by SF Said - Published by David Fickling

My new book Phoenix is set in space.  One of the biggest inspirations for it was an amazing book of astral photography created by the Hubble Space Telescope .  I found this book in Reykjavik, on a trip to see the Northern Lights, and it stayed with me through the seven years it took to write my story, always giving me a sense of wonder when I needed it.  

http://hubblesite.org/

        

I was so glad when I learned that Dave McKean loves space photography as much as I do!  When the writing was complete, I passed the Hubble book on to him.  I think he made incredible use of it in illustrating the space sequences in Phoenix, though he also added many unique and mind-blowing concepts of his own, including the idea of using fractals to represent the connections between all things.

           

When I was thinking about how to navigate through space, I was very inspired by the idea of Astrolabes.  These were ancient astronomical devices, popular in the Islamic world a thousand years ago, and then in medieval Europe.  They enabled people to find their exact positions, even at sea, for the first time.  They were analogue computers – like the GPS of their day!

                          

I found a beautiful catalogue of Astrolabes put together by the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich
http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections.html#!csearch;searchTerm=astrolabe
which has a fantastic collection of them.  Again, this book stayed in front of me while I was writing.  Then, when I was done, I passed it on to Dave, who found it as breathtakingly beautiful as I had.  And again, I think he did something extraordinary with it.

Perhaps the hardest part of Phoenix to get right was the idea of the Twelve Astraeus.  In the story, these are the astral origins of all the ancient gods and mythologies.  It was very hard to write about beings of such mystery in ordinary prose.  Very late in the writing process, at the urging of my editor David Fickling, I found another way of describing them.

I realised that information about the Twelve Astraeus could be communicated in a series of song fragments, accompanied by illustrations.  I imagined Dave doing a series of portraits, depicting each of the Twelve Astraeus in turn, along with their attributes.  Through these images and fragments, readers might just glimpse them, and form their own ideas about who they were.  This seemed like it could be much more powerful and resonant than simply being told.

I'm happy to say that when Dave's portraits came through, they had exactly the numinous luminous glow I was after.  They gave me the sense of awe and wonder that I always wanted my story to have.  I can't really thank him enough, because in truth, although there were many inspirations behind this book, perhaps the biggest was Dave himself, and his infinite imagination!

SF Said Website: http://www.sfsaid.com/p/phoenix.html

Twitter: @WhatSFSaid

David Mckean Website: http://davemckean.com/

Twitter:@DaveMckean

Publisher Website: David Fickling: http://www.davidficklingbooks.com/
Mr Ripley's Book Review: http://www.mrripleysenchantedbooks.com/2013/08/book-review-sf-said-phoenix-illustrated.html

Guest Book Review: Veronica Roth - Allegiant (Divergent, #3)

                              

Guest Book Review By Sarah @TotalTeenFiction - For more reviews like this take a look    
here: http://totalteenfiction.blogspot.co.uk/ Twitter @TotalTeenFic 

* This Book Review contains spoilers for the first two books in the series as it's the final book in the trilogy.

I was both excited and terrified about going into this book. I loved Divergent, and whilst Insurgent wasn't quite up there with it, the ending had left me on tenterhooks dying to find out what was going to happen next. I was really lucky to get to read this book so soon after release, because I know spoilers have been flooding the internet! Luckily I managed to avoid them and I'm keeping this review spoiler free as well.

My connection with Allegiant was instant. I loved falling back into the writing which was tense and gripping throughout. This book is told from dual POV, alternating between Tris and Four. I thought this worked really well for a few reasons. At the beginning, I think it helped give a real insight into the relationship between Four and his parents which was important to the plot. Without Four's insight, I think that element of the story would have been really lacking. Secondly, it helped cement my love of Four. I've always liked him, but maybe not quite on the same level as others have. In Allegiant I was able to really connect with him as a character and feel for him that bit more during what he goes through. There is a lot of inner turmoil he puts himself through as certain things come to light and he questions himself and his identity. It was really interesting to see how he reacts to those moments, and how that balances out with Tris' reactions.

As the final book in a trilogy, I was expecting Allegiant to answer questions that the previous two books had posed. It certainly did that. Finding out the bigger picture was something I was hoping for going into the book, and I wasn't disappointed. There is a lot of discovery about the wider world which was something I was curious about. I loved being able to appreciate the world Roth has come up with more fully as well as seeing how the characters react in an environment they aren't used to. There's also a chance to visit more of the characters' pasts which was something I enjoyed, as well as an exploration of the factions and their origins.

One of my favourite things about Allegiant, and why I thought it worked so well as a final book in a trilogy, was the way it reflected back on the previous two books. The characters are always reminiscing on their past experiences which made me all nostalgic. I loved reflecting on those moments from the first two books and reliving those scenes. It sounds incredibly cheesy, but it was like remembering a treasured moment with friends, not just characters. I think fans of the series will really appreciate those little touches. I certainly didn't expect to get so sentimental and the fact it made me feel this way has made Allegiant my favourite book in the trilogy. It also helped add to the suspense because the characters are reflecting on their pasts to help them make important decisions about their future, when the whole time you know the book is steadily drawing to a close.

I thought the relationship between Four and Tris was a real strength of the book. I adored their stolen moments together because it provided that touch of normality in this ever increasing craziness that surrounds them. Seeing them together just allowed you to escape from this chaotic environment they find themselves in and reminded you of what is important during troubled times, and provided a great contrast with the other events happening throughout the book. Like with Insurgent, things don't always go smoothly between them, which is understandable with what they're up against and I liked that added tension and intensity between them.

Throughout the book, the characters are constantly challenged and there was a lot of focus on trust and betrayal, friendship and family, love and sacrifice and the fight to protect each other. I loved how all these themes came together and seeing how each of the characters adapted and dealt with situations in their own unique and different ways.

I'm trying to avoid discussing too much of the plot in this review, because I don't want to spoil anything about the book for anyone, and so this review is purely my personal reactions to the story. I found it to be incredibly moving, a lot more so than I was expecting. There were some really emotional scenes that just blew me away and broke my heart as well as some incredible plot twists. All the way through I was trying to second guess what would happen, and none of my predictions came true. Everything that happened was always a shock or surprise keeping me hooked to the pages and lifting my jaw from the floor! I thought the ending of the book was incredibly well done, and I closed Allegiant feeling satisfied that the trilogy and the characters had been done justice. 

Thanks for reading...

Mr Ripley's Three Graphical Delights - Recent Reads From Kendal Comic Festival 2013

                       

Ivan Petrus - The Nieuport Gathering - Published by Editions Lannoo (25 Jan 2012)
In the trenches of World War One three soldiers meet. They have just countered the first attacks of the Germans at the Yzer front. They spend the day together on November 1 1914 and agree to see each other again in exactly 10 years. If they survive the war, that is. This is the story of 3 men, 3 soldiers with their own history and the 3 lives they have led: before, during and after the Great War. A dramatic story, enforced by the beautiful drawings of Ivan Petrus. All of the costumes and details illustrated in this graphic novel are historically correct.
                      

Stephen Collins - The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil - Published by Jonathan Cape (9 May 2013)

The job of the skin is to keep things in.

On the buttoned-down island of Here, all is well. By which we mean: orderly, neat, contained and, moreover, beardless.

Or at least it is until one famous day, when Dave, bald but for a single hair, finds himself assailed by a terrifying, unstoppable.monster*!

Where did it come from? How should the islanders deal with it? And what, most importantly, are they going to do with Dave?

The first book from a new leading light of UK comics, The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil is an off-beat fable worthy of Roald Dahl. It is about life, death and the meaning of beards.

(*We mean a gigantic beard, basically.)

Gareth Brookes - Black Project, The - Published by MYRIAD EDITIONS; (12 Sep 2013)

Getting yourself a girlfriend is easy, according to Richard. All you need is papier mache, string, soft material, a balloon, some old fashioned bellows, and a good pair of scissors. The difficult bit is keeping her secret. Set in an English suburb in the early 1990s, this is the story of Richard's all-consuming passion for creating 'girls' from household objects. But as his hobby begins to flourish, his real life friendships and family relationships deteriorate.

Floris Kelpies Children's Prize Shortlist 2013

Every year as part of the Kelpies Prize, we look for the best unpublished children’s fiction with a Scottish twist. Since February, our editors have been working their way through a record number of entries to find our three finalists for this year’s prize – and they certainly weren’t disappointed.

We’re delighted to announce that the books shortlisted for the Kelpies Prize 2013 are:

• Never Back by Barbara Henderson
• Attack of the Giant Robot Chickens by Alex McCall
• The Great Moon Mission by Shona McQuilken

Never Back is an exciting Scottish thriller about a dangerous journey to remember who you really are. TJ and Levi have no memory of their life before New Dawn, brainwashed to forget by the Authorities. Can they discover their past before their present catches up with them?

Barbara Henderson has taught English and Drama, and started her own small puppetry business. She won the Nairn Festival Short Story Competition in 2012.

It’s an age-old question, but why did the chicken cross the road? To start the giant robot chicken apocalypse, of course. In Attack of the Giant Robot Chickens, there’s something fowl going on in Aberdeen as the city is terrorised by giant robotic chickens. But Jesse and his friends aren’t going to let the chickens rule the roost any longer …

Alex McCall grew up in Aberdeen, which may be why it is the first city he has destroyed in print. He has published several poetry and short story anthologies.

It’s an out-of-this world experience in The Great Moon Mission. Jimmy and his friends were expecting canoeing or sailing for this year’s class trip, not the chance to blast off into space! But as they begin to wonder what this mission is really about, Jimmy and his friends find themselves in a race against time, and slime, to save Earth from some little green men.

When her school careers advisor told her that being an author wasn’t a proper job, Shona McQuilken decided to become a scientist instead. The Great Moon Mission combines her two passions.

It won’t be long until you can find out which will be the latest addition to our Kelpies list. The winner of the Kelpies Prize 2013 will be announced at a ceremony at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Thursday 22nd August 2013.

Want to enter next year’s Prize?

Manuscripts are now invited for submission to the Kelpies Prize 2014. The deadline is 28 February 2014 and for full rules and guidelines, you can read more here.

Author Guest Post #2: C. J. Busby - My Favourite Read - Eight Days of Luke’, by Diana Wynne Jones

                                             

Twitter: @ceciliabusby             Website: http://www.frogspell.co.uk/

‘Eight Days of Luke’, by Diana Wynne Jones

I first read Eight Days of Luke when I was about nine, not long after it had come out. It was just about the best book I had ever read, and from that point on and on the basis of that book only, Diana Wynne Jones was my favourite author. I checked every library or bookshop I entered for other books by Diana Wynne Jones. Never being quite sure whether I would find her under ‘W’ for Wynne, or ‘J’ for Jones meant that the disappointment of finding no trace of her was always delayed till I had thoroughly checked both places, as well as the letters either side in case a book had got misplaced. But although I did find Charmed Life (quickly another favourite), there was generally no sign of her. So I read Eight days of Luke again. And again. I probably got it out of our library at least ten times (why on earth didn’t my parents buy it for me? But somehow books seemed too expensive in those days to actually own!) It’s not hard, even now, to recapture that sense I had as I read it that here was something completely out of the ordinary – utterly compelling and magical. It’s the particular combination of the ordinary everyday world with the world of myth that marks out a Diana Wynne Jones book – rarely are her books completely set in a fantasy realm, and even when they are, there is a kind of matter-of-factness at the heart of what happens. 

David, the protagonist of Eight Days of Luke, is an ordinary schoolboy, in the horrible situation of being dumped with a whole bunch of rather selfish and unpleasant relatives in the school holidays because his parents are dead. One particular holiday, thoroughly miserable and angry, David decides to curse them. His curse, all made-up words and emotional release, suddenly takes on a life of its own, a combination of ‘fierce terrible words’ that ‘asked to be said’. As he finishes declaiming them, the garden wall comes crashing down around him, and a strange, red-haired boy appears in the ruins – Luke. From then on, David’s life changes, immensely for the better, although Luke gets him into all sorts of scrapes, and draws the attention of some very mysterious and powerful people: Mr Chew, Mr Wedding, Mr Fry. It soon becomes clear that David isn’t the only one with difficult relatives – these people are after Luke for something terrible he’s done, and only David can save him, by somehow finding the ‘object’ that Luke stole, without knowing what it is. 

Anyone who is familiar with the Norse legends – and when I first read the book, I had thoroughly absorbed Roger Lancelyn Green’s magnificent Myths of the Norsemen – realises quite quickly that Luke is the Norse trickster god, Loki, master of fire and mischief. It follows that Mr Chew is Tyr, Mr Wedding, Woden, and Mr Fry, Frey. Suddenly, it’s as if you are reading the book with double vision: the ordinary and the mythological, the mundane and the magical, side by side – and it’s this, I think, that makes Diana Wynne Jones’s books get under your skin in such a thorough way. It’s impossible, after that, not to have the sense that only a thin veil separates your everyday life from the world of magic and myth. Any time, any day, you might just enter an amusement arcade and find yourself in Valhalla, or cross a bridge and realise it was an echo, a ghost, of Bifrost. Unlike with Harry Potter, ordinary people are not forever walled off from the magical world as unknowing Muggles – they are always just one step away from diving into or being caught up in the magical or mythological.  The effect of this revelation at the age of nine was a completely exhilarating ‘extra sense’ of magical possibilities in the everyday world that has never left me. For me (as for Neil Gaiman) it makes Diana Wynne Jones simply the best writer of magic for children there is. And although I have now managed to find and read (and re-read, frequently!) almost everything she’s ever written, Eight Days of Luke is probably still my favourite book.

About the Author

C. J. Busby was brought up on boats and in caravans in the southeast of England and north Wales. She lived in south India for a year for her PhD, and then taught Social Anthropology at universities in Edinburgh, London and Kent. She lives in Devon and has three children and currently works on environmental issues with schools, and is a copyeditor for an academic press. Her first picture book text, The Thing, was shortlisted for the Nickelodeon Jr national Write a Bedtime Story competition. 

Press Release: Hot Key Books - Young Writers Competition 2013

                                          

HOT KEY BOOKS YOUNG WRITERS PRIZE RETURNS FOR A SECOND YEAR  Hot Key Books is delighted to announce its Young Writers Prize – that searches for unpublished young writing talent for children from around the world - will return for a second year. Sharing a commitment to supporting authors, we are pleased to be joined by Kobo, a global leader in eReading, to honour this year’s winners and make their work available at www.kobo.com.

The Prize looks to uncover new writing talent between the ages of 18 and 25, who submit their work in either of two categories: 9-12 and young adult (for ages 13-19). Last year saw over 350 entries from writers all over the world with two winners scooping the chance to be published by Hot Key Books. Their novels, The Rig by Joe Ducie and Vivian Versus the Apocalypse by Katie Coyle are to be released in print and digital formats this September.

The winners will be selected by a panel of judges, including Director of the National Literacy Trust Jonathan Douglas, Guardian Children’s Books Editor Julia Eccleshare, Kobo’s Merchandiser of Children's Books Antonia Fowler, Hot Key Books Publisher Emily Thomas, authors Fleur Hitchcock and Matt Whyman, bookseller Katie Clapham from Storytellers, Inc. and bloggers from Serendipity Reviews and We Sat Down along with consultation with school children from Globe School, London and St John’s School in Buckinghamshire.

Each winner will be given editorial support, the chance to be published by Hot Key Books with a £10,000 advance and ten shortlisted finalists will also be given a Kobo eReader. Winners will also benefit from added exposure via Kobo’s eBookstore (www.kobo.com) and all entrants will have the opportunity to publish their work through the company’s self-publishing platform Kobo Writing Life. Through Kobo, the winners will have an opportunity to be promoted to a community of 14.5million readers from 190 countries around the world. 

Submissions of partial manuscripts will open on 20^th June and close on 22nd July, with a second stage of full manuscripts in November 2013. The winners will be announced at London Book Fair 2014. Full terms and conditions and the entry form are available on www.youngwritersprize.com

Sarah Odedina, Managing Director of Hot Key Books says: “We're delighted to be running our Young Writers Prize for the second year. It is imperative for the publishing business, and our readers, that we are constantly looking for new talent and what better way to do that than to encourage first time authors. Working with Kobo on the prize this year also indicates our absolute commitment to publish in all formats so readers can access fantastic storytelling however and wherever they choose to.”

News: Veronica Roth - E-Stories for 'Divergent' For Fans Awaiting 'Allegiant'

                                  

Divergent fans with a crush on dystopian heartthrob Four are in luck: Veronica Roth is writing four e-short stories about his history, told from his point of view. Swoon.

HarperCollins will release the first one – centring on Four (a.k.a. Tobias) at age 16 – will come out on September 24, just before the October 22 release of the hardcover of Allegiant, the final Instalment of the Divergent trilogy.

Like the other three forthcoming e-short stories, this one – called The Transfer – will be 30 pages and priced at $1.99. The others (The Initiate, The Son, and The Traitor) will come out December 17, January 21, and February 11.

“The e-shorts will address Tobias’s backstory and some of the mysterious things going on in the world before Tris chose Dauntless,” Roth said. “Together, they form a kind of Tobias-centered Divergent prequel, though there is some overlap.”

                            

Veronica Say's

The 10,000-word format for the prequels, which Katherine Tegen suggested, appealed to Roth. “The e-shorts are a way for me to delve into another character’s voice and personality and history, which is fun and exciting for me as a writer,” she said. “And I also wanted a way to kind of ease my way out of the series. The Divergent universe has been my world for a long time, and writing it has changed my life in pretty drastic ways. Now that the third book is nearly finished, the e-shorts are helping me to say good-bye.”

And Four – a fan favourite – makes that farewell easier. “In my mind, he has a distinct history and a complex psychology, so there’s always a lot to draw from when he’s on the page, and it’s an opportunity for me to break from Tris’s sparse, straightforward voice and try to introduce just a little bit more poetic language,” Roth said. “I also know, from many tweets and blog comments and in-person comments, that Divergent readers are interested in hearing more of his voice, which made him an obvious candidate! My readers have given me so much enthusiasm and honesty and wisdom. The opportunity to write something that I knew they wanted to read was really appealing to me.”

Solaris Books: Three Great Slices Of Fiction - Out This Summer 2013 - Adult Post

                                    

Al Ewing - The Fictional Man -  7 May 2013
The most exciting new voice in SF fiction has written a novel with enormous cross-over appeal. In an L.A. where Fictional characters are cloned into living beings, the author Niles Golan is on the verge of hitting the big-time - if he can just stay on top of reality long enough to make it.

In Hollywood, where last year’s stars are this year’s busboys, Fictionals are everywhere. Niles Golan’s therapist is a Fictional. So is his best friend. So (maybe) is the woman in the bar he can’t stop staring at. Fictionals – characters ‘translated’ into living beings for movies and TV using cloning technology – are a part of daily life in LA now. Sometimes the problem is knowing who’s real and who’s not.

Divorced, alcoholic and hanging on by a thread, Niles – author of Death By Degrees: A Kurt Power Novel and many others – has been hired to write a big-budget reboot of a classic movie. If he does this right, the studio might bring one of Niles’ own characters to life. Somewhere beneath the movie – beneath the TV show it was inspired by, the children’s book behind that and the story behind that – is the kernel of something important. If he can just hold it together long enough...

                               

Ben Jeapes - Phoenicia's World -  30, July 2013

The debut SF novel by an amazing new name in Science Ficiton, Ben Jeapes. • A story of two brothers, two planets, and humankind's first attempt to colonise another world. • La Nueva Temporada is Earth’s only extrasolar colony – an Earth-type planet caught in the grip of a very Earth-type Ice Age. Alex Mateo wants nothing more than to stay and contribute to the terraforming of his homeworld. But tragedy strikes the colony, and to save it from starvation and collapse Alex must reluctantly entrust himself to the only starship in existence to make the long, slower than light journey back to Earth. But it is his brother Quin, who loathes La Nueva Temporada and all the people on it, who must watch his world collapse around him and become its ultimate saviour.

La Nueva Temporada is Earth’s only extrasolar colony – an Earth-type planet caught in the grip of a very Earth-type Ice Age. Alex Mateo wants nothing more than to stay and contribute to the terraforming of his homeworld. But tragedy strikes the colony, and to save it from starvation and collapse Alex must reluctantly entrust himself to Phoenicia, the only starship in existence, to make the long, slower than light journey back to Earth.• But it is his brother Quin, who loathes La Nueva Temporada and all the people on it, who must watch his world collapse around him and become its ultimate saviour.

                              

Lou Morgan - Blood and Feathers: Rebellion - 6, July 2013

This is the thrilling follow-up to Blood and Feathers, one of the most highly-regarded debuts of 2012. The battle between the Fallen and the Angels has turned into open warfare, on the streets of London.

"This is a war. The war. There is no stopping; no getting out. You're in this - just like the rest of us - to the end." • Driven out of hell and with nothing to lose, the Fallen wage open warfare against the angels on the streets. And they're winning.• As the balance tips towards the darkness, Alice - barely recovered from her own ordeal in hell and struggling to start over - once again finds herself in the eye of the storm. But with the chaos spreading and the Archangel Michael determined to destroy Lucifer whatever the cost, is the price simply too high… and what sacrifices will Alice and the angels have to make in order to pay it? • The Fallen will rise. Trust will be betrayed. And all hell breaks loose…

Publisher News: Strange Chemistry Signs Danielle Jensen

Strange Chemistry, the YA imprint of Angry Robot Books, is delighted to announce the signing of Danielle Jensen, in a three-book World English Rights deal concluded by Strange Chemistry’s editor Amanda Rutter and Tamar Rydzinski of the Laura Dail Literary Agency. The first of the three books is called Stolen Songbird and will be published by Strange Chemistry in early 2014. About Danielle Jensen Danielle was born and raised in Calgary, Canada. At the insistence of the left side of her brain, she graduated in 2003 from the University of Calgary with a bachelor’s degree in finance. But the right side of her brain has ever been mutinous; and in 2010, it sent her back to school to complete an entirely impractical English literature degree at Mount Royal University and to pursue publication. Much to her satisfaction, the right side shows no sign of relinquishing its domination. Danielle can be found on her website danielleljensen.com as well as on Twitter @dljensen_ About Stolen Songbird For those who have loved Seraphina and Graceling comes another truly fabulous fantasy... Trolls are said to love gold. They are said to live underground and hate humans. They are said to be evil.  When Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and sold to the trolls, she finds out that there is truth in the rumours, but there is also so much more to trolls than she could have imagined. Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus, the city she hadn’t even known existed under Forsaken Mountain: escape. But the trolls are inhumanly strong. And fast. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity. But something strange happens while she’s waiting - she begins to fall in love with the handsome, thoughtful troll prince that she has been bonded and married to. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods - part troll/part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader. As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter from Goshawk’s Hollow. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch.

Stuart Webb - Time Traveller Jenny at Chatsworth - Book Review

After self publishing two great books on his own, Stuart has now finally been rewarded with the opportunity to write a book for the publishing company Seven Arches Publishing.

This is a long standing and well received series of books that has gained many avid readers along the way. This is the tenth book in the series, but this book is uniquely different to the rest. The publishers ran a writing competition to decide the setting and some of the ideas within the book. The overall winner was William Johnson who wrote about the fantastically grand Chatsworth House. However, Stuart also expertly wove other ideas and elements into the story making this a true collaboration in parts. 

I have to admit that I hadn't read any of the previous books in the series, but I had no problems picking up this book and engaging with it. Don't worry if you're in a similar position as it reads like a stand alone book. It provides a great slice of historical, time travelling fantasy that all readers will really engage in. At the heart of the story is the fantastic setting which is written with passion. The extensive knowledge and research that the author has enagaged with provides an accurate account of place, time and events. It really does enhance the story with a particularly realistic and believable presence. 

Jenny, whose brother Danny is an experienced time traveller, is recruited without Danny knowing by the rogue operators. Her life is in danger when she goes back in time to the beautiful mansion at Chatsworth. Jenny's secret missions set her on course of danger and mystery - on the way she meets a very famous person who is locked up in Chatsworth House. It is an amazingly fast paced and action packed adventure that all children from the age of 9+ will enjoy. However, it is also interestingly educational as the reader will learn many historical facts.

The characters are very memorable. There is a dark element to the story which is threaded throughout giving the story a hidden depth. I was engaged until the very end of the book and actually felt rather disappointed when I came to the end of the book.

In my opinion Stuart has written a really good book - I expect that the other books in the series are also written to the same high standard. If you would like to know more about the book or perhaps the route to becoming published, then check out Stuart's guest post that he has kindly written. Read Here.

If you would like to check out the publisher's website for this book, the other books in the series or other books that they have published for children, then click on the following link. http://www.sevenarchespublishing.co.uk/ 

Jon Mayhew's Mayhem Month of Monsters - Unleashed Wednesday 1st May 2013

MAYHEW’S MONTH OF MONSTERS

Discover a different monster every day in May!

To celebrate publication of Jon Mayhew’s brilliant new beastly adventure Monster Odyssey: The Eye of Neptune Bloomsbury Children’s Books

has gone creature crazy and created an online, interactive calendar that will unleash a different monster every day.

The calendar will be hosted at www.jonmayhewbooks.com with a new door being activated each day throughout the month of May.

Here a whole menagerie of monsters ranging from giant sharks to classic dragons will be revealed.

The 31 creatures have been selected from myths, legends, classic stories and some even from our planet’s ancient history.

Each monster has been illustrated by the very talented Mike Love and comes with some short statistics and a word from Jon Mayhew.

Mayhew’s Month of Monsters is unleashed on Wednesday 1^st May 2013

www.jonmayhewbooks.com

Book review to follow on Thursday.........

Will Hill - Animated Department 19 Comic Strips by Tom Percival

The first and second instalment so far for the animated Department 19 comic strips which has just been released recently - written by Will Hill, everything else has been brilliantly done by Tom Percival. Includes weapons, vehicles, the inside of the Loop, and remarkably high levels of awesome... Hope enjoy them, as they are super cool....

NEW BOOK COVER REVEALE: Sarah J. Maas - Crown of Midnight - A Throne Of Glass Novel - Bloomsbury

                                                     

                                     

If you haven’t already seen it, take a look at the stunning UK and US covers for Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas. The highly anticipated fantasy sequel to the Throne of Glass. The book will be published by Bloomsbury Children's on the 15 Aug 2013. 

What do we think readers, which cover do you like?

Synopsis

Eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien is bold, daring and beautiful – the perfect seductress and the greatest assassin her world has ever known. But though she won the King’s contest and became his champion, Celaena has been granted neither her liberty nor the freedom to follow her heart. The slavery of the suffocating salt mines of Endovier that scarred her past is nothing compared to a life bound to her darkest enemy, a king whose rule is so dark and evil it is near impossible to defy. Celaena faces a choice that is tearing her heart to pieces: kill in cold blood for a man she hates, or risk sentencing those she loves to death. Celaena must decide what she will fight for: survival, love or the future of a kingdom. Because an assassin cannot have it all . . . And trying to may just destroy her.
 AUTHOR'S BLOG HERE - http://sjmaas.livejournal.com/