Andrew Lane - Lost Worlds - Chapter One Preview......

                       

I was hoping to post all of chapter one onto my blog. Unfortunately, blogger will not allow me to publish the PDF file that I was sent. Therefore this is the start of chapter one for you to enjoy. If you would like to read the rest of this chapter then please click on the link at the end of the post.  I hope that you all enjoy this little taster and that it will encourage you to buy a copy of the book, once it has been published on the 25th April. Please also read my review for it HERE

You can also check out the great new website at (www.thelostworlds.co.uk)

Calum Challenger gazed in awe at the image on the computer screen. Well, to be fair, he gazed in awe at the image on the central one of the ten screens that hung, at different heights, suspended from articulated arms, in front of his work desk. The image was blurred and grainy, but that wasn’t the screen’s fault. His multi-screen, high- definition, hex-core computer system was the best that money could buy – and despite the fact that he was only sixteen he had access to a lot of money. An awful lot of money. No, the image was blurred and grainy because it had been blown up from a photograph taken with a mobile phone camera at long range while the subject was moving. Even so, he could just about see what it was.

He leaned back in his chair. Five years he’d been waiting for an image like this to turn up. Five years. Now it was here, captured in colour on his computer screen, he wasn’t sure how he should react.

A cold breeze from the darkened expanse of the warehouse behind him caressed the hairs on the back of his neck. He didn’t turn around. He knew that it was just a random gust of wind through a ventilation grille – the alarm systems would have gone off if anyone had actually broken in to the warehouse. He was, as he almost always was these days, alone. 

The screen showed a figure against a background of grass, bushes and rocks. Judging by the figure’s shadow the background was slanted – perhaps a hillside or a slope. The interesting thing – the thing that had made Calum catch his breath in wonder – was that the figure didn’t look human. 

It was difficult to tell its size, with only the heights of the bushes to compare it with, but Calum got the impression that it was about the size of a large man. It was stooped, with rounded shoulders and bowed arms that dangled in front of it. Its skin seemed to be covered with short, red hair, with the exception of pale lines up its spine, down the inside of its forearms and beneath its jaw. He could have been looking at a big, hairy man with a stoop, except that the face was different. A thick ridge of brow pushed out over the eyes, like a chimpanzee, and the teeth and jaw were pushed out slightly, but a distinct nose projected out beneath the eyes. Chimpanzees didn’t have noses.

He drew a box around the figure’s right hand with a couple of clicks of his trackball, and flicked the section of image inside the box to another of his screens. The result was pixelated almost to the point of incoherence, but he could just make out what looked like a thumb that was separate from the rest of the fingers, and angled so that it could close against them. An opposable thumb – that was another thing that ruled out the possibility that it was a chimpanzee. Calum knew that their thumbs were much shorter than the rest of their fingers, making it easier for them to climb trees. Gorillas had opposable thumbs, but this wasn’t anything like a gorilla. Some Old World monkeys, like mandrills, also had opposable thumbs, but they were all small – the size of a dog – and there was no way they could be mistaken for human. No, this thing was unique.

He ran his fingers through his long hair and interlaced them at the back of his neck. He supposed it could be a man in a mask and a hairy suit – like that 1967 footage taken in California which was supposed to show an ape- like creature locally known as the sasquatch but which had turned out to be a hoax. That was the problem with these blurry photographs or jerky video clips – they could so easily be hoaxes. And yet . . . its forearms seemed longer in proportion to its upper arms, and to the rest of its body. Reduced to a silhouette, it just didn’t look human. If the creature was a hoax then it was a very well constructed one.

The creature. He laughed suddenly, and the laughter echoed back to his ears from the cold brick walls of the warehouse. He was already thinking of it as the creature. Just a few moments ago it had been the figure. Somewhere in his mind, it seemed that he had already made a decision about the photograph’s likely authenticity.

http://www.panmacmillan.com/devpanmacmillan/media/panmacmillan/Activities/Book extracts/LostWorlds-chapter1.pdf?ext=.pdf

Michael Grant's - Gone Online - Will Be Gone...... Plus Light Book Trailer

One week of play left in the game based on Michael Grant’s best-selling series of books, GONE

www.gone-online.com

There is just one week to go until the prize-winning period of Gone Online comes to an end. The game is based on the bestselling GONE series by Michael Grant and celebrates LIGHT, the sixth and final book in the series, which was published on 28 March.  It has already topped the bestseller lists in both the UK and Ireland.

So far the game has been a hit with over 2,000 people playing more than 35,000 games between them, since the launch on 11 March.  People are playing Gone Online all over the world, from the UK and Ireland to the Ukraine and Uganda. To date, players are based in just under 70 countries.

Over 200 players have already won prizes, including limited-edition wrist bands, book tokens and full sets of the books.  However, the final prize, an Apple iPad and the chance to meet Michael Grant in a private capsule on the EDF Energy London Eye on 4 May, is still up for grabs.  The winner will be the highest scorer when the game finishes, on 22 April.

Gone Online comprises a series of mini-games released on a weekly basis and inspired by content from the books.  Some of the games test knowledge of the books while others can be played by anyone – and they can be highly addictive!  To date, players have clocked up over 500 hours of game play.  Gone Online is available on all devices and incorporates the latest in location-based marketing and social sharing, with players picking up extra points by checking in with their smart phones at specific locations – libraries and bookshops - and sharing the game with their friends.

After the 22 April, fans of Gone Online can continue to play, though no prizes will be available.

Book Review: Andrew Lane - Lost Worlds - Published by Macmillan Children's

                                     

Arthur Conan Doyle has been a great influence on many writers both past and present, but none more so than on Andrew Lane, who was greatly inspired to write his first series for children entitled "Young Sherlock Holmes". This has now been published in thirty seven different languages - highlighting the ever increasing popularity of the series with over 200,000 copies having been sold so far. Book six, "Knife Edge", is due to be published in the UK in September, so it is certainly not the end of this brilliant series.

Andrew has kept the Conan Doyle connection alive in spirit through his new epic adventure series. The main character in the book, Calum Challenger, is the grandson of Doyle's protagonist, Professor George Edward Challenger. He is featured in a similarly titled book 'The Lost World' hence a new name is born. It is certainly a fantastic opening book which I'm sure you will all be eager to read - just like I was.

Calum's character is very stereotypical in many ways apart from the fact that he is paralysed. The author portrays Calum in a rather unique and endearing way as a teenage boy coping with a disability. Whilst this is featured as only a small part of the story, it certainly added an unexpected outlook. Calum Challenger is on a quest to find a cure to help him walk again and to live a normal life. His mission is to track down the supposedly mythological creatures that are so rare, that most people don't believe that they even exist. However Calum does. It is imperative that he finds them for two reasons: to take their DNA to use it to help protect these species and also to search for a cure for his paralysis. The only problem is that he's confined to the high-tech virtual world where he lives on his own in a converted warehouse. 

As the story unfolds, the solution literally falls from the sky as Calum finds an unlikely team of friends. He finds some by luck and others by circumstance. There is a goth computer hacker, a freerunner, an ex-marine and a girl with a chip on her shoulder. Together they set off on an expedition to the Caucasus Mountains in search of a mysterious creature, which has supposedly been sited. However, when a pharmaceutical corporation called Nemor have conflicting interests, the team find themselves both under pressure and in danger. Can they locate the mysterious creature first and stay one step ahead of their enemy.

This is a fast-paced, high-tech story full of great characters that teenagers will easily engage with and relate to. Gecko was easily my favourite character in the book. He certainly brought a new dimension to the story with his free running - this is a really cool sport to watch if you ever get the chance to do so. 

In my head, I was confidently certain that I knew how this story would end. Surprisingly, it took a very different route. A turn of events proved to be very unpredictable and kept me guessing right up until the very end.

I found this a very refreshing story to read. Both the ideas and the creativity transpose well into the story. They keep the reader hooked in a fantastic bubble of action and plot line. The literary influence of Willard Price, in my opinion, helped to lead the author to deliver a slice of both factual and historical writing which again made the story shine out proud like a host of golden daffodils.   

I absolutely loved this book - it is a brilliant and enjoyable read. Full of old-style action, within a hi-tech world, it is hair raising (just like the cover!) You can check this out with the free app that you can download. This book has easily sky rocketed to being my favourite book of the year so far. It is an amazing start to a fantastic new series......... I'm lost now for any further words! 

An extract of the first chapter, will be also be available to read later this week. Thanks for reading all.

Published by Macmillan Children's Books; 25 April 2013

Book Review: Rob LLoyd Jones - Wild Boy

Roll Up....... Roll Up....... Come this way folks to see the savage spectacle of Wild Boy in all of its freaky glory. Pay the man, Ladies and Gentlemen, then take your seats and get ready for the show of your life. 

A boy with extraordinary powers of observation and detection. A boy accused of murder; a boy on the run and hungry for the truth. London, Greenwich (October 1841) is the time and setting for this brilliantly written tale of mystery and intrigue, which is based around an unlikely victim - Wild Boy. A boy covered in hair (raised as a monster) who is alone and bullied, but finally finds himself condemned to life in a travelling freak show.

However, he is also forced to turn his skills of logic, observation and clear thinking into a way of saving himself from a crime of murder he did not commit. He has to work it all out, just like Sherlock Holmes would have done. It's a detective book, but at the heart of the story adventure is really at it's soul. 

Wildboy is particularly well written - he is a very likeable character, who is fresh, complex and interesting to read, not like your typical hero. He has to battle his roller-coaster emotions along the way trying to keep them in check, whilst seeking justice, and trying to save his own skin and that of his unlikely new found friend, Clarissa. This is certainly not an easy task at all. The book is deliciously dark in places and full of some particularly mysterious characters, who all have a great part to play. As part of the classic "who has done it?" scenario, they keep you guessing on your padded feet right up until the very end of the adventure. 

Blessed with many spooky and chilling events that you will really love, this book has originality and a great deal of thought throughout it. 

This is a brilliant story by the debut author, Rob Lloyd Jones. I have to say that I was particularly surprised by the quality of the writing from start to finish. Rob's daydreams on the way to work have really turned up trumps, in my humble opinion. It has a great feel to this book - an easy going and imaginative story, but as you are drawn towards the end of the book the whole story intensifies. The pace and action really make for a particularly engaging ending, which I really loved. 

This is an epic debut start, which I'm really pleased to tell you all about. Why not go out and find a copy to read during April. Hopefully you will love it as much as I did. 

Published By Walker Books - 4 April 2013 - ISBN: 978-1406341386

New Children's Books Published April 2013 - U.S POST

Claire M. Caterer - The Key & The Flame - Published by  Margaret K. McElderry Books (April 2, 2013) 9+

Eleven-year-old Holly Shepard longs for adventure, some escape from her humdrum life. That is precisely what she gets when she is given an old iron key that unlocks a door—in a tree.

Holly crosses the threshold into a stunning and magical medieval world, Anglielle. And as she does so, something unlocks within Holly: a primal, powerful magic. Holly is joined on her journey by two tagalongs—her younger brother Ben, and Everett, an English boy who hungers after Holly’s newfound magic and carries a few secrets of his own.When Ben and Everett are sentenced to death by the royals, whose fear of magic has fueled a violent, systemic slaughter of all enchanted creatures, Holly must save them and find a way back home. But will she be able to muster the courage and rise above her ordinary past to become an extraordinary hero?

Stuart Gibbs - Spy Camp - Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (April 2, 2013) 10+

School may be out for summer, but top-secret training continues for aspiring spy Ben Ripley—and so does the danger.

Ben Ripley is a middle-schooler whose school is not exactly average—he’s spent the last year training to be a top-level spy and dodging all sorts of associated danger. So now that summer’s finally here, Ben’s ready to have some fun and relax. Except that’s not going to happen, because a spy-in-training’s work is never done, and the threats from SPYDER, an enemy spy organization, are as unavoidable as the summer heat. Will Ben be able to keep his cover—and his cool?
                                    

• Kit Grindstaff - The Flame in the Mist - Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers (April 9, 2013) 9+
• Fiery-headed Jemma Agromond is not who she thinks she is, and when the secrets and lies behind her life at mist-shrouded Agromond Castle begin to unravel, she finds herself in a chilling race for her life. Ghosts and misfits, a stone and crystals, a mysterious book, an ancient prophecy—all these reveal the truth about Jemma's past and a destiny far greater and more dangerous than she could have imagined in her wildest fantasies. With her telepathic golden rats, Noodle and Pie, and her trusted friend, Digby, Jemma navigates increasingly dark forces, as helpers both seen and unseen, gather. But in the end, it is her own powers that she must bring to light, for only she has the key to defeating the evil ones and fulfilling the prophecy that will bring back the sun and restore peace in Anglavia.        

Cat Winters - in the Shadow of Blackbirds - Published by Amulet Books (April 2, 2013) - Teenage 

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?
Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

Three Great New Picture Books: Published In April 2013

                                       
Tom Percival - Jacks Amazing Shadow - Published by Pavilion Children's (18 April 2013)
Jack and his amazing magical shadow are the VERY best of friends. But when Jack s shadow is naughty and Jack himself gets the blame they have a falling out. Will jack and his shadow ever be reunited? A lively story that's perfect for anyone who's ever wondered what their shadow gets up to when they're not looking!




Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen - The Dark - Published by Orchard (3 April 2013)
Laszlo is afraid of the dark. The dark lives in the same house as Laszlo but mostly it spends its time in the basement. It doesn't visit Laszlo in his room. Until one night it does. With emotional insight and poetic economy, Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen bring to light a universal and empowering story about conquering fear. Join a brave boy on his journey to meet the dark, and see why it will never bother him again.




Oliver Jeffers - The New Jumper  (The Hueys) - Published by HarperCollins (25 April 2013)  
Meet the Hueys - a fabulously quirky group of characters from international bestselling, award-winning author/illustrator, Oliver Jeffers, creator of How to Catch a Star and Lost and Found.

A fight has broken out amongst The Hueys. “It was not me! It was him!” But no one can remember what they’re fighting about. If only they could find an interesting distraction…

Book Review: Fletcher Moss - The Poison Boy

     

I've been looking forward to reading this book ever since it won the 2012 Times Children's Fiction Award under the title of Sleepwell and Fly. It is now finally due to be published on the 4th April 2013 with an improved title of "The Poison Boy" - perhaps a more fitting and intriguing title.

The inspiration for this book came from a visit to Alnwick Castle and it's poisonous garden. Apparently this set the ball rolling for the authors very own adventure resulting in a culmination of hard work and sleepless nights. However, in order to get it to this very point in time it has definitely been worth it. In my humble opinion, it is a very worthy winner of the 2012 award and a book that I'm pleased to be able to speak so highly of. 

The first thing the author has specifically developed well are the characters which are both varied and particularly well written. The three main characters are believable. They're not just your average stereotypical characters that you would normally associate with this kind of story. Dalton Fly, food taster to the rich and powerful of Highlions, has a lucky escape after discovering poisoned wine. His side kick is Sal Sleepwell (one of Oscar's gang) whose specialty is mixing anti-venom and staying alive during the tough times. Finally, there's the female injection which is provided by the feisty Scarlet Dropmore, highborn girl, whose life is in danger from assassins. She is strong-headed and appears to be rather pleasing to the eye.

All three characters find themselves being thrown together by circumstance. They set off on a mission to find the answers to the mysterious times ahead and the poison murders of the city. The setting is very well depicted - it must have taken an immense amount of time to make it feel so original and authentic. It has been skilfully thought out - the imaginative qualities make it a little bit special whilst the poison boys deliver a dark edginess, which you all know that I'm very fond of. The use of interesting and imaginative vocabulary provides added flavour. It may help to read the glossary first 'The Language of Highlions' at the back of the book. 

This is a swashbuckling high adventure that will captivate readers on many levels. Although I did feel that the three main characters perhaps didn't come up against enough resistance towards the end of the book. Without giving too much away, it all appeared to fall too neatly into place, but nevertheless, it is still a good action-packed ending.

I really did enjoy reading this book. It's the sort of book that I would love to see on top of my reading pile everyday of the week. In my opinion, it is certainly one of the best original books that Chicken House has published in sometime. The ideas are unusual and the unique take on things makes it very captivating. It's gritty, dark and very engrossing to read from the very first page to the last. This is a great winner which certainly highlights Fletcher Moss as a talent of the future - definitely one to watch. I would recommend that you quickly grab a copy of this book, read it and then let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you all.  

Published By Chicken House - 4 April 2013 - ISBN: 978 1 908435 44 6

                                     

Mr Ripley's Highlighted New Books: Published April 2013 - UK Post Two

                                           

Gill Arbuthnott - Dark Spell - Published by Kelpies - 25 April, 2013

15-year-old Callie Hall has just found out she's a witch, and things keep going wrong. Sometimes her mind seems to make things happen, things she can't control. She can set fire to things without a match, and when she's angry people can get hurt. Her friend Josh understands she's a bit weird, but its only on a dark and dangerous visit to the tunnels under the ruins of St Andrews' castle that he realises just how strange she really is. Something comes back with Callie -- in Callie, something she can't escape. Can Callie control her power long enough to send back the darkness, before it takes over her life? And will Josh ever understand her secret? A brilliant, engrossing teen fantasy from the author of Winterbringers and The Keeper's Daughter.

                                           

Conrad Mason - The Goblin's Gift  - Published by David Fickling Books - 4 April, 2013

Joseph Grubb is the newest member of the Demon's Watch. He and his fellow watchmen protect Port Fayt, where humans live in peace alongside trolls, elves and fairies. And now the town needs them more than ever, because the almighty League of the Light has sent an armada to wipe it off the map.

Fayt's only hope is to persuade the magical merfolk to fight with them. But the merfolk won't go to war. Not unless their princess is returned to them from the clutches of the most dangerous nine-year-old in the Ebony Ocean.

It's up to Joseph and his friend Tabitha to rescue the mermaid princess . . . But a secret from Joseph's past is about to change everything.

                                     

Eoin Colfer - W.A.R.P - The Reluctant Assassin - Published by Puffin - 11 April, 2013
The reluctant assassin is Riley, a Victorian boy who is suddenly plucked from his own time and whisked into the twenty-first century, accused of murder and on the run.

Riley has been pulled into the FBI's covert W.A.R.P. operation (Witness Anonymous Relocation Program). He and young FBI Agent Chevie Savano are forced to flee terrifying assassin-for-hire Albert Garrick, who pursues Riley through time and will not stop until he has hunted him down. Barely staying one step ahead, Riley and Chevie must stay alive and stop Garrick returning to his own time with knowledge and power that could change the world forever.

                                           

Arnett Mindee - Nightmare Affair - Published by Tor Teen - 13 April, 2013

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she's a criminal. No, she's a Nightmare. Literally. Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother's infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker's house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He's hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn't get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder. Then Eli's dream comes true. Now Dusty has to follow the clues - both within Eli's dreams and out of them - to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she's up to and marks her as the next target.

Mr Ripley's Highlighted New Books: Published April 2013 - UK Post One

                                                 

Julia Golding - Young Knights of the Round Table - Published By OUP Oxford,  4, April 2013

HUMANS ARE THE ENEMY! 

That's what Rick's been taught to believe by the Fey Folk who stole him. Taken to the magical realm of Avalon, he's been trained, alongside other kids like him, into an elite force of warriors. 

When rumours start that a new generation of knights are re-forming the Round Table to attack Avalon, the Fey entrust Rick with a mission: go to Earth, find the knights, and stop them.

Simple, right? Well, not exactly . . . No training could prepare him for the shock of being a modern teenager. And when he discovers that the Fey have been lying to him, Rick has to ask: if humans aren't the enemy-who is?

                                                

Gillian Cross - After Tomorrow - Published By OUP Oxford, 4 April 2013 

What if you woke up tomorrow and everything had changed? Money is worthless. Your friends are gone. Armed robbers roam the streets. No one is safe. For Matt and his little brother, Taco, that nightmare is a reality. Their only hope of survival is to escape through the Channel Tunnel. But danger waits on the other side...Stay or go. What would you do?

                                           

Martha Wells - Emilie and the Hollow World - Published By Strange Chemistry, 4 April 2013

While running away from home for reasons that are eminently defensible, Emilie’s plans to stow away on the steamship Merry Bell and reach her cousin in the big city go awry, landing her on the wrong ship and at the beginning of a fantastic adventure.

Taken under the protection of Lady Marlende, Emilie learns that the crew hopes to use the aether currents and an experimental engine, and with the assistance of Lord Engal, journey to the interior of the planet in search of Marlende’s missing father.

With the ship damaged on arrival, they attempt to traverse the strange lands on their quest. But when evidence points to sabotage and they encounter the treacherous Lord Ivers, along with the strange race of the sea-lands, Emilie has to make some challenging decisions and take daring action if they are ever to reach the surface world again.

                                          
Helen Grant - Silent Saturday: Forbidden Spaces Trilogy - Published By Bodley Head, 4, April 2013

Seventeen-year-old Veerle is bored with life in suburban Brussels. But a chance encounter with a hidden society, whose members illegally break into unoccupied buildings around the city, soon opens up a whole new world of excitement - and danger.

When one of the society's founding members disappears, Veerle suspects foul play. But nothing can prepare her for the horror that is about to unfold when an old foe emerges from the shadows... No one is safe, and The Hunter will strike again...

Book Review: House of Secrets By Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini

Time flies when you're having fun! This time last year, I remember being excited by the prospect of this book and the subsequent dream collaboration between two great writing icons. The first writer being Chris Columbus, who has written and produced so many great classic household blockbusters, such as the first two Harry Potter films, Gremlins and one of my all time favourites, The Goonies. 

To add more excitement to the pot, he has teamed up with Ned Vizzini, the US bestselling author of young-adult books and screen programmes such as Teen Wolf and the ABC'S Last Resort. Last year, HarperCollins struck up a three book deal which created a great deal of discussion and conjured up a lot of eager anticipation. One year on, the first book has finally arrived and I certainly couldn't wait to read it.

This is the first in the series of the House Of Secrets to be published by HarperCollins. It will be hitting the bookshop shelves in late April. It's a very fast paced read and doesn't take long to hurtle through the 560 pages. From the offset, you uncover many secrets and mysteries - it's like an epic film script. There are some tasty glimpses of the pedigree of both writers who, at times, share slightly different visions. One writes in a film-like style, whilst the other writes in a more traditional storytelling way. At times, there might be too much emphasis on the big screen. Although, in my opinion, this will certainly be a forthcoming option for this book.

The Walker kids had it all: loving parents, a big house in San Francisco, all the latest video games . . . but everything changed when their father lost his job as a result of an inexplicable transgression. Now the family is moving into Kristoff House, a mysterious place built nearly a century earlier by Denver Kristoff, a troubled writer with a penchant for the occult. By the time the Walkers realize that one of their neighbours has sinister plans for them they're banished to a primeval forest way off the grid. 

The story begins with a mysterious start. It contains little bits of cheeky humour and some good story lines. However, in parts, a slightly darker flavour is perhaps needed to really get into the essence of the story. The characters, as a reader of 9 years and up, can easily be related to and the story concludes satisfyingly. However, there are a few negative elements to the story, in my opinion.

I felt that the story read like a mixture of different stories which, at times, all collided into one. The collaborative writing, to me, read like a jumble of ideas which were all thrown together. I have no doubt that this would work particular well as a film, but I struggled to make it work in my head. Therefore, it hindered the flow and spoilt the story in my opinion. I also felt that there was a distinct lack of voice from any one character - they really didn't stick in my memory and were easily replaced.

However, for a middle-age fantasy, this book ticks all of the right boxes and shows a lot of promise. It contains high adventure scenes, which share a similar theme to that of Pirates of the Caribbean. These are loaded with engaging action sequences that I particularly enjoyed. 

This book was an enjoyable read, but not as good as the hype. I was slightly disappointed, but I'm still looking forward to the next book in the series.          

HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks (25 April 2013)                                        

Book Review: W.A.R.P - The Reluctant Assassin By Eoin Colfer

       

This is certainly one of the most anticipated new books to be published this year. The great Irish storyteller, Eoin Colfer, has developed a new series. W.A.R.P, which is an acronym for Witness Anonymous Relocation Programme, is the title of this new and exciting series. The Reluctant Assassin is the very first book - it is very different from any other story that Eoin has previously written. This book will certainly reach out to a new fan base and entice many more readers to enter the world of Eoin Colfer.

There are some fantastic combinations in this story that will captivate the reader. It's a time travel adventure that's both steeped in conspiracy and intrigue. Partly set in Victorian London, but also within modern day London, the story weaves between the two eras. Riley, a Victorian boy, finds himself suddenly plucked from his own time and transported into the twenty-first century where he is accused of murder and on the run from his master. He finds help and friendship in Chevie, one of the youngest FBI agents, who is a very interesting and complex character. She's certainly one not to be trifled with at any cost!

Assassin-for-hire, Albert Garrick, is brilliantly written. He is one of the best characters that I've read in a long time. He serves up a nice slice of terror, which adds to the dark and delicious backdrop of 19th century London. He is fantastic to follow adding an edgy chill to the story which was quite unexpected and certainly created a new dimension to Eoin's writing. Riley and Chevie find themselves having to stay one step ahead of Garrick. They need to try and stop him from returning to his own time with the knowledge and power that could change the world forever.  

As Riley and Chevie are pursued through time, a great portal of imagination is created - Oliver Twist meets H G Wells 'The Time Machine' with a little added sprinkling of The Matrix. This story is told by a great storyteller - Eoin has definitely rocketed up in my favorite author's list. 

I'm sure that you'll fall in love with this book. I was definitely hooked on so many different levels. The sinister world of Otto Malarkey's den is mesmerising to read. This Hidey-Hole of hell is a place filled with bad-blooded people - thieves, cut-throats, wastrels and lifelong blaggers (all elite members of The Battering Rams) who bet and fight their lives away. A new world has been created which is full of nasty characters written in a slightly disturbing and graphic nature.

This is certainly one of my best reads so far this year. This story is full of Eoin's trademark wit. It is a swashbuckling high adventure which is full of magic. It will certainly transport you to the fantasy world that Eoin Colfer has brilliantly depicted. This is a book that will gain many a new follower and, perhaps, a slightly older reader. Packed full of action, original ideas and, with a laugh or two along the way, this book is a sure fire winner. I know that my followers will be itching to read this book and they will not be disappointed. Due to be published by Puffin from early April onwards, this new series delivers so much in the very first book.