Book Cover Reveal/Synopsis for The Eye of Minds - James Dashner

                                                

Exciting news people - The Eye of Minds is out Oct. 8. Are you excited for Dashner’s new series? This is one of my most wanted book this year along side the new Jonathan Stroud book Lockwood & Co which should be out - at the end of August.

The Eye of Minds, the first book in Dashner’s new series, The Mortality Doctrine, centers on Michael, a gamer who spends the majority of his time in the addictive virtual-reality system known as the VirtNet. The VirtNet offers anyone with money the chance to live in the fantasy world of their choosing — no risk, and if you’re an adept enough hacker, no rules.

But not all rules were made to be broken. One gamer is taking the others hostage inside of the VirtNet, and the government turns to Michael to track this hacker down. Will he be able to survive off the VirtNet grid? Or will reality be lost to him forever?

Mr Ripley's New Books Picks: February 2013 - Post Two of Two

This is the second post that I've written for new books that are published in February. I could actually produce a third due to the great feast of books for this month.  You might find that not all of the titles have been included in the lists - this might be because I've already reviewed them or am planning to do so. However, I hope you find a title or two to add to your very own reading pile.              

Barry Hutchison - Afterworlds: The Book of Doom - Published by HarperCollins - 28 Feb 2013
The second hilarious book in Barry’s AFTERWORLDS sequence – comic fantasy perfect for fans of Pratchett and Douglas Adams.

There’s panic up in Heaven. They have mislaid the BOOK OF DOOM – the most important object in existence. Oopsy.

They think Satan might have stolen it, the sneaky little devil, so to save the world – plus, you know, quite a lot of embarrassment, fifteen year old Zac and his angelic guide Angelo are sent to retrieve it.

Sadly directions aren’t Angelo’s strong point and they soon find themselves just as lost as the book, wandering through Afterworlds such as Valhalla and Hades and encountering some colourful characters along the way…

Can the hapless pair make it to Hell and back?

                                  

Kai Meyer - Arcadia Burns ( Arcadia Trilogy) - Published By Templar Publishing - 14 Feb 2013

Following the shattering events in Arcadia Awakens, Rosa is now head of the Alcantara clan. Scared and scarred, she flees from Sicily to New York to consider her future. There she encounters the American branch of the rival Carnevare Mafia family, also Panthera Arcadians. Forcibly injected with a serum that temporarily prevents her metamorphosis, Rosa is pursued by the Panthera in a deadly chase. Narrowly escaping with her life, Rosa returns to Sicily and to Alessandro, head of the Carnevare clan and Rosa's lover. Hunted by their enemies and manipulated by their allies, Rosa and Alessandro encounter corruption, intrigue and mortal danger at every turn. Will it force them together or drive them apart?

                                 
Marcus Alexander - Keeper of the Realms: The Dark Army - Published By Puffin - 7 Feb 2013  
Your abilities as a Keeper allow you to open doors that others can not.' Imprisoned in the mythical world of Bellania, Charlie Keeper is at the mercy of Lord Bane's guards while her loyal friends have been sold into slavery.When the Terrifying Edge Darkmount breaks into her cell, he promises to decipher the meaning of her mysterious pendant - and unlock the secrets of Bellania - if she will help him get revenge on Bane. But can she Trust him?
The future of the realm relies on Charlie's special powers. Even if she escapes it may take more than she can summon to overthrow the evil lord - it may take an entire army.

                          
Andy Briggs - Tarzan: The Savage Lands - Published By Faber & Faber - 7 Feb 2013
A TREACHEROUS LORD

Lord Greystoke has arrived at the logger's camp in the Congo, and will stop at nothing to find and eliminate his long-lost cousin, Tarzan.

A CRAZED QUEEN

Robbie and Jane set out through the jungle to warn Tarzan, and find themselves trapped in the sprawling ancient city of Opar, where the insane Queen La is running an illegal Coltan mine.

AN EPIC BATTLE

With a volcano threatening to explode, Tarzan, Robbie and Jane must form an unlikely alliance to save themselves. Not everyone will make it out alive . . .
                           

                                 
Simon Rae - Keras - Published By David Fickling Books - 7 Feb 2013 
All his life, Jack Henley has felt at home in the woods, more at home than when he's actually at home with his parents. He loves watching the badgers play-fighting in the summer evenings, and pretending to be outlaws or cannibals with his two best friends. But when Jack discovers the most incredible secret of all, a beautiful, extraordinary, unicorn, he cannot believe his eyes.


He and the owner of the woods, Mr Finistaire, embark on a journey to save the unicorn from extinction. But as they continue in secrecy, Jack begins to wonder whether all is what it seems, or whether there is an ulterior motive to Mr Finistaire's interest... Will the bond between Keras and Jack be enough to withstand the danger that awaits them both?

BOOK COVER REVEAL: DANIELA SACERDOTI - TIDE - BOOK TWO IN THE SARAH MIDNIGHT TRILOGY

                                             

Walk this way to discover the unveiling of this interesting book cover - the next instalment of the particularly popular series by Daniela Sacerdoti 'The Sarah Midnight Trilogy'. It's certainly an eye catching cover, but what do you think? 

The book hits the shelves on the 21st February 2013 and is being published by Black & White Publishing. The synopsis is listed below in order to tempt you to order your copy in advance before they run out.

Sarah Midnight is no ordinary teenager. She is a demon hunter, caught up in one of the deadliest wars unknown to man. Orphaned at the age of sixteen, Sarah learned the family trade of hunting without her parents to guide her but under the watchful eye of her ‘cousin’, who was revealed to be Sean Hannay, no relative at all, but a dear friend of the real Harry Midnight.

Now, in the exciting sequel to Dreams, the fight continues. Sarah and Sean may have defeated the Scottish Valaya, but the rest of the war still rages on, and Sarah, Sean, Nicholas and their companions must unearth the identity and location of the Enemy – the leader of the demons – before the world plunges into the Time of Demons once more. Their quest leads them to Sarah’s family home, the Midnight mansion in Islay, and there they discover horrible truths about the demon ruler, his plans,

and Sarah’s own personal history.

Along the way, Sarah must battle not only the demons but her hurt toward Sean and her feelings for the enigmatic Nicholas, who has plans of his own.

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Daniela Sacerdoti is the bestselling author of Watch Over Me. She was born and raised in Italy but has lived in Scotland for the past ten years. Daniela holds a degree in Classics from the University of Turin and has taught Italian, Latin and Greek – her great-uncle was the renowned Italian writer Carlo Levi. She lives in Glasgow.

Book Review: Lovecraft Middle School - Professor Gargoyle/ The Slither Sister By Charles Gilman

From the publisher who brought you one of my favourite books back in 2011 - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Has now sent me two books in a great new series that I can shout my head of, to anyone who will listen. Thanks to Matthew for sending them over to me. I really appreciate it without people like yourself, my blog would not be the same. 

I know a lot of my followers love reading books that have, shall we say a darker nature in genre. A good old fashion horror book that will lift your spirits to a place of ones imagination and this does that with spades. 

So in true fashion I like to tell you about the "Lovecraft Middle School" series of books that hit the shelves last September with the follow up "The Slither Sisters" book two which is out hopefully 15th January, they should be in all good book stores from then. If not track them down online as book two will be out for you to buy as well. You can't miss them either each book has a fantastic holographic cover which will catch your eye immediately and very cool to boot. 

We have a little sprinkling of R. L Stine magic about these books that sends shivers down your spine.  Anyone 9 and over will sink their teeth into them page by page lapping up the daemons and the story line to the max. Robert Arthur and the School ghost and bully fight the forces of evil. Crawford Tilinghast and his army of mutant creatures are the forces of evil that have been dreamt up from the far realms of the authors mind. It all takes place around Lovecraft Middle School a crazy place with even crazier pupils and teachers. 

I love the secret attic that's depicted in the book and some of the outrageous monsters, the star of the show for me is a two head rat. One heads called Pip and the other's called Squeak. I find that funny to be honest, I'm still chuckling now.

These are great books to enjoy in one sitting , they will captivate and hook reluctant boy readers for sure. I think they are really cool as well.  I read both books one after the other, I really wanted another one. The good thing is the third book entitled Teacher's Pest is due out in May.  So Matt if you read this, please send me it soon.  I hope you all enjoy them, if I have tempted you to read them. Thanks for reading this post, see you again soon!

Also I have posted the book trailer and synopsis in the previous post. Here

Book Review: Ashley Edward & Zack Stentz - Colin Fischer - Puffin - 7th Feb 2013

                         

I got an email about this book sometime last year. After reading the press release, I was very intrigued to find out more. The double author combination are both huge comic book fans, who met online. This meeting went onto become a great screenwriting partnership including films such as X-men and the brilliant film Thor. Although, this was not what initially attracted me to their debut book, it was instead the curious synopsis and the glowing praise from Lev Grossman that really captured my interest. 

This is not my normal book choice that I would rush to read. However, for some reason, I was soon pulled into the book before I had even read the first page. How do I judge a good book? One element is by how quickly I am captured by the book e.g. how often I put the book down or how often I may need to re-read parts for further understanding or clarification. However, if this was a race, then Usain Bolt had just finished the 100 metre run in yet another record time. This book was finished in one sitting - no time to breath and no further clarification required.

Another element I take into consideration is originality - I felt the voice of Colin Fischer was both unique and fascinating. In fact I was glued to every page of this book. It was beautifully written and very well researched with foot notes and little entries to either explain the perspective of Colin's thinking or his understanding. This was reflected brilliantly in the book.

The real highlight of this book, for me, was Colin's notebook. He had written in this everyday since being a young child. The recorded facts, thoughts and observations were a really lovely personal touch which definitely enhanced the story.

Another element I consider is the entertainment factor of the book. This book was very insightful into the world of a person who has Aspergers. It allowed you to consider what it might be like living within our society today. At times, the isolation, loneliness and bullying from not being understood. In Colin's case he needed index cards to be able to read facial expressions. He avoided eye contact and doesn't like being touched. However he likes crunchy foods and finds it very difficult to tell lies. 

When a gun goes off in the school cafeteria this starts Colin's detective skills on a mission. A mission to discover the truth of what had happened using brilliant logic - just like his favourite hero Sherlock Holmes, who has a place of honour on his bedroom wall. It is a touching and poignant rollercoaster read that has some similarities to Mark Haddon's 'Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time' but it really does leave you with a sense of awe. 

It's perhaps too early to say, but this might be one of the best books of the year for me anyway. It is certainly one that will stay with the reader. I would highly recommend this book and would love to hear what you think and if I have piqued your interest!

Book Reveal: Derek Landy & Tom Percival - Tanith Low in the Maleficent Seven

This is the new book cover that was unveiled yesterday by Tom Percival and Derek Landy. It's a stand alone novel set in the Skulduggery Pleasant world. Starring Tanith Low it will be published by HarperCollins on the 28th March 2013. This version (see link below) is missing both the words and the title. However, it still shows the full impact of Tom's brilliant work. You can also see both versions over at http://dereklandy.blogspot.co.uk/

Here is the released synopsis for the book:


This time, the bad guys take the stage.
Tanith Low, now possessed by a remnant, recruits a gang of villains – many of whom will be familiar from previous Skulduggery adventures – in order to track down and steal the four God-Killer level weapons that could hurt Darquesse when she eventually emerges. Also on the trail of the weapons is a secret group of Sanctuary sorcerers, and doing his best to keep up and keep Tanith alive is one Mister Ghastly Bespoke.
When the villains around her are lying and scheming and plotting, Tanith needs to stay two steps ahead of her teammates and her enemies. After all, she's got her own double-crosses to plan – and she’s a villain herself…

Gary Knowelden - The Wreckers - Book Recommendation

‘We have to save the Island Queen! We have to stop them – my parents are on that ship.’
Despite the stormiest weather he can remember, Edward is looking forward to his holiday with his parents in Cornwall. They are staying with his elderly aunt in a large old house by the sea. From the photos he has seen of the place, Edward is sure that the house could well be haunted – or at the very least there might be secret tunnels and passages hidden behind the wooden panelled walls. Either way, it is sure to be fun exploring the old house. 

But he does not have to wait until he reaches his aunt’s house for odd things to happen. His parents are delayed and he has to travel alone on the train. A spooky incident at the station, strange happenings on the train and a bizarre lamp-lit boat ride along dark flooded lanes are just the beginning of a holiday he will never forget. 

What starts off as fun when he meets the ghosts of a young girl and her pet cat soon becomes something far more sinister and dangerous. Edward and his new friends are caught up in a life and death race to save the ship his parents are travelling to Cornwall on from becoming the latest victim of an evil band of undead pirates. 

A wild chase on jet skis along flooded lanes and a struggle to the death on top of the church tower, backlit by the lightning of the worst storm in living memory, all leads to the thrilling finale. Edward, Bruce the grumpy Scottish terrier, Lucy and Sam must work together to stop The Wreckers – and Bruce must escape the clutches of Su Lu, a besotted Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. 

The Wreckers is a gripping work of children’s adventure fiction that will appeal 
to children aged 8-12 years old. 

Publication Date 1st January 2013 - Troubador Publishing

Mr Ripley's Book Review: Emerald Fennell - Shiverton Hall - Bloomsbury

     

                   

It is always a delight to be sent a book that you really want to read. Therefore, I was amazed when this book fell out of it's white envelope and into my eager little hands. I got stuck in straight away and never looked back. Emerald Fennell, an actor who starred in the Channel 4 adaptation of Any Human Heart, has now turned her hand to writing. The book will hit the shelves in January 2013 - it should easily stand out amongst the other books with its fantastic eye-catching book cover. It's a firm winner with me and a job well done by the Bloomsbury team. 

Shiverton Hall is the fantastic setting for this book. Steeped in tales of curses and evil, its chequered past proves to be very dark and macabre. I was drawn to this immediately, like a ghost floating through a haunted house. However, the current role of this building is to house the Coleman Scholarship for Academic Excellence. This delivers an interesting slice of school life drama which felt quite similar to the Andy Mulligan series of books (Ribblestrop). I have been led to believe that the author takes her inspiration from the friendly, quiet ghost that lives with her in London! Perhaps we all could benefit from one of these, especially when reading the quality of the synopsis......

They slowed as they reached the gate; two stone columns, each with its own crumbling angel perched on top. The angels held up a rusty, wrought-iron arch that read, in curling, serpentine letters: SHIVERTON HALL. Arthur Bannister has been unexpectedly accepted into Shiverton Hall, which, as it turns out, is an incredibly spooky school, full of surprises. And it is just as well that Shiverton Hall has made its offer, because Arthur had a horrible time at his previous school, and was desperate to leave. Timely indeed . . . But Arthur has no time to worry about the strange coincidence. He is too busy trying to make head or tail of Shiverton Hall, dogged as it is by tales of curses and bad fortune. At least there are a few friendly faces: George, who shows him around; also Penny and Jake. But not all the faces are friendly. There are the bullying Forge triplets for starters. And then there is the acid tongue of the headmistress, Professor Long-Pitt, who seems to go out of her way to make Arthur's life a misery. Luckily Arthur has his new friends to cheer him up. Although there are some friends that you don't want to have at all, as Arthur is soon to find out.

This is a great story that will send shivers of phantom terror rushing down your spine. It has been written for the 9+ range or grown ups, who are still young at heart, like me! This is one of those books that you just won't be able to put down. Even if it means having to hide under the covers in order to get to the end of each page. You will be blown over by its spirit, dazzled by the horror and hooked by its tale, this book will spirit you away!

I hope that this review hasn't spoilt the story for you and has wet the appetite instead. I feel that we definitely have a great new voice that will be unleashed into the book world next year. A fantastic plot driven adventure that is full of enough mysterious intentions in which to fill a cupboard. I'm really excited about this one - it has left me quivering with anticipation for the next book. I hope I won't be left for too long in such a state!