Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: New Book Picks In December 2013 - UK Post

                         

Joseph Delaney - The Spook's Revenge - Published by Bodley Head - 5, December 2013 

'He's the seventh son of a seventh son. His name is Thomas J. Ward and he's my gift to the County. When he's old enough we'll send you word. Train him well. He'll be the best apprentice you've ever had and he'll also be your last.'

These were the words of Tom's Mam to the county Spook some years ago. As Tom, the Spook and their allies prepare to battle with the Fiend on a huge scale, to finally enact their revenge, it now remains to be seen whether Mam's declaration will come true.

K . D. Faerydae - Hidden Magic (Liberty Realm) - Published by Matador - 1, December 2013

Eight-year-old Grace Darling lives in the small village of Witern Wood. She and her best friend Christian have had many adventures within the woods but have never once come across the ancient gate that lies concealed behind a large holly bush, the entrance into Liberty, a magical land, where everything is currently not as it should be. An evil force is lurking, depleting Liberty of all that is good. The malevolent Nomeds feed frequently and with each meal they become more formidable. The noble Zavier, leader, or 'Berthold', of Maytime Meadow is tasked with the collection of the rest of the realm's Berthold. These leaders must gather in front of the Great Prophet, who has foreseen a way in which the Nomeds may be defeated. Zavier selects some of his herd and the small and chirpy Chester to accompany him on a magical and treacherous journey across Liberty. The group face many challenges, a race against time and an increasing threat from the evil Nomeds. Will they make it in time...and what exactly has been prophesied? 

                   

J . A. Souders - Renegade (Elysium Chronicles) - Published by Tor Books - 5, December 2013

Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes, all her life she's believed that everything is perfect. Her world. Her people. The Law. But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into Elysium's secluded little world, Evelyn comes to a startling realization: Everything she knows is a lie. Her memories have been altered. Her mind and body aren't under her own control. And the person she knows as Mother is a monster. Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb...and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.

++++ New Children's Book Picks March 2013 - Post Two UK ++++

                                        
This is post two as there are so many great books out to read in March.
There might even be a third post, so keep your eyes peeled for more. 

Will Hill - Department 19: Battle Lines - Published By HarperCollins Children's - 28th, March 2013

Dracula is on the verge of coming into his full power. Department 19 is on the back foot. Ladies and gentlemen: welcome to war. The stakes? Mankind’s very survival…

As the clock ticks remorselessly towards Zero Hour and the return of Dracula, the devastated remnants of Department 19 try to hold back the rising darkness.

Jamie Carpenter is training new recruits, trying to prepare them for a fight that appears increasingly futile. Kate Randall is pouring her grief into trying to plug the Department's final leaks, as Matt Browning races against time to find a cure for vampirism. And on the other side of the world, Larissa Kinley has found a place she feels at home, yet where she makes a startling discovery.

                                      

Dan Wells - Fragment (Partials) - Published By HarperCollins Children's - 28th, March 2013

Fighting to stop a war that could destroy everyone alive…
Kira Walker nearly died searching for the RM cure, but the battle for survival is only just beginning. The genetically-engineered Partials are inextricably bound to a greater plan that could save both races and give Kira the answers she desperately seeks.
Venturing deep into the wasteland, Kira’s only allies are an unhinged drifter and two Partials who betrayed her yet saved her life – the only ones who know her secret. Back on Long Island, what’s left of humanity is gearing up for war. But their greatest enemy may be one they didn’t even know existed.
It is the eleventh hour of humanity’s time on earth; this journey may be their last.

                                
Claire McFall - Ferryman - Published By Templar Publishing - 1st, March 2013
When teenager Dylan pulls herself free from a train wreck and emerges onto an almost deserted Scottish hillside, she believes she is the only survivor. Seeing the figure of a boy on the bank she enlists his help. But Tristan is no ordinary passerby, and Dylan soon learns that instead of being the only survivor of the wreck, she is in fact the only fatality. And, Tristan is no normal teenage boy - he is her ferryman tasked with guiding her through the wasteland to her afterlife. As the pair journey further together through the dangerous wraith-infested wasteland, they fall deeply in love. When they reach the other side, Tristan promises to cross over with Dylan, but when she steps across the threshold and turns back, he is not there. Confronted with life without Tristan, Dylan vows to find him, but that means traversing the dangerous wasteland without a guide - A truly moving, epic love story, that's exciting, scary, funny, thought-provoking and truly original.
                         

                                    
Mark King - Frenzy - Published By - Book Guild Ltd - 28th, March 2013
Daniel leads a peaceful life with his family until he finds out a repulsive secret about the Over-seers, the saviours of humanity , and his security is blown to smithereens. He enters a world where death is the only certainty and quickly learns to kill or be killed. Enter Gwendolyn, with the charm of a snake and a bite that s twice as dangerous. People skills aren t her thing but she knows how to survive in a post-apocalyptic world; she s a hotshot with a bow and arrow and can rustle up a mean rat soup. Mary is the only person left alive over forty. She s not too good at fighting but she knows where to find the one thing that could save their lives; the golden shield. Only Mary can remember life before the invasion, before humanity was brainwashed into following the procedures. Pursued by the Over-seers, the Triclops and the barbaric hunters, can the three brave rebels triumph in their quest for the golden shield? The odds are stacked against them hold tight for a white-knuckle ride through a landscape of devastation!

                                       
Philip Reeve - Goblins Vs Dwarves - Published by Marion Lloyd Books - 4th March 2013
Another fantastically exciting novel set in a land of magic from the award-winning Philip Reeve. The heroes of GOBLINS continue their adventures outside the walls of Clovenstone castle. Awaiting Skarper and Henwyn are powerful dark forces that must be vanquished, monstrous creatures to be fought, and astonishing mysteries to be solved.

++++ New Children's Book Picks March 2013 - Post One UK ++++

                                                   
Kate Kae Myers - The Vanishing Game - Published By Bloomsbury - 3, March 2013
The Vanishing Game Seventeen-year-old Jocelyn follows clues apparently from her dead twin, Jack, in and around Seale House, the terrifying foster home where they once lived, and with help from childhood friend Noah she begins to uncover the truth about Jack's death and the company that employed him and Noah. 

            
Derek Landy - Tanith Low in the Maleficent Seven - Published By HarperCollins - 28, March 2103

A brilliant, hilarious one-off novel in the Skulduggery Pleasant universe, from number-one-bestselling author Derek Landy

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…

                                        
Andrew Beasley - The Claws of Evil (The Battle of Ben Kingdom) - Published By Usbourne Publishing - 1, March 2013
Welcome to Victorian London; the home of the Artful Dodger, Sherlock Holmes...and Ben Kingdom, cocky street urchin - and the saviour of mankind. Unknown to mere mortals, an ancient battle is being waged across the city. Below the streets lurk the Legion, an evil gang of miscreants and criminals in league with the monstrous Feathered Men - determined to unleash Hell on the streets of London. Above the city's rooftops soar the Watchers, a ragtag band of orphans, mystics and spies, dedicated to protecting the vulnerable and guarding London against evil. Only Ben can put an end to this war - the only problem is, he doesn't know which side to choose. 

                                          
Simmons Kristen - Breaking Point (Article 5) - Published By Tor Teen - 13, March 2013
After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed. Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance - an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumours are flying about the sniper's true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion...Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself. Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can't even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and "laying low" is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways. With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding...or fight back?