Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Guest Book Review - Chris Priestley - The last of the Spirits

This book review is by Dawn Finch, the author of Brotherhood of Shades. When a book is this good, you really do need to shout about it to everyone who will listen. Thank you Dawn for sharing this review with us. I feel that it should help find the way to many readers this festive year....

www.dawnfinch.com

Book Synopsis: 

London is in the icy grip of winter. Sam is freezing and hungry. When he asks a wealthy man, Ebeneezer Scrooge, for money he is rudely refused. Sam is filled with violent rage and vows to kills this selfish man. Later, huddled in a graveyard for warmth, Sam sees the wraithlike figure of a man approaching. The man warns Sam about the terrible future which awaits him if he chooses the path of murder...

Chris Priestley has a growing bookshelf of Gothic tales, and with The Last Of The Spirits he takes a step out into the (deep and crisp and even) snow with a companion book to Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol.

Last of the Spirits follows the misfortune of two homeless children on the icy streets of 19th Century London. The two children, siblings Sam and Lizzie, are caught up in the spectral visitations that plague Scrooge through his tormented Christmas Eve. They are not part of Ebeneezer's story, they have their own tale to tell. We learn of their tragic tales as they walk the frozen streets in the footsteps of the miser.

Many writers have tried to delve into the world of Ebeneezer Scrooge, but Priestley really nails it. The book feels pure Dickens, but remains fresh and approachable to a modern audience. There are no wasted words here and it is a completely new story, but one that still feels as if it carries the weight of time with it. It is as if Priestley has revealed the characters that once only stood in the wings, and are now drawn out to take centre stage. Priestley has turned the camera-eye around on the classic tale, bringing in wholly new aspects for readers to identify with, and it is genuinely spooky!

One thing that really jumped out at me (including the cold dread of where the story might go….) was how well this book reads aloud. Even the best of books sometimes fail when it comes to reading them aloud, but Last of the Spirits would make an excellent book to share aloud with others. Dickens regularly read Christmas Carol out loud and did so for decades after publication. Some books are written to be heard as well as read, and I can see this taking its place as one of those books brought out every year to share again.

I'm certainly looking forward to doing that, bring on the chestnuts and the crackling log fire...and a few sleepless nights!

Book Published by Bloomsbury Children's (6 Nov 2014)

http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-last-of-the-spirits-9781408854136/

Mr Ripley's Book Review: Dawn Finch - Brotherhood of Shades

This is the debut book from Dawn Finch. Ever since she was a young girl, Dawn wanted to be a writer and librarian; her home was filled with books. She had a love for Edgar Allan Poe that soon turned from a small dream into a large vision once Dawn grew older. Her love of books and reading never went away; one day her dream turned into reality and the Brother of Shades was born.

I've wanted to read this book for quite some time now but, unfortunately, I've never seen this book in any bookshop to buy. I actually find this really hard to believe as it is a cracking read. I really do agree with the quote on the front of the book by Jonathan Stroud stating that this is "a wonderful new fantasy". I love the cover as it really does scream 'read me, pick me up, delve into my pages and read me word for word' - this is exactly what I did and I was not disappointed.

From the very first page, I was gripped by the opening of the story. I loved the feel of it and the excitement that was generated at the prospect of what was to come. I seemed to read this part of the story more slowly, as I was, perhaps, rather absorbed by the world and characters a little too much. However, the more that I read, the more I really loved this book. The author's love of reading oozed from every pore and helped to create a mental picture that held-fast like a good oil painting. Every detail was stored through the clever weaving of historical events, places and people which gave it a sense of reality as you zipped from the 1500's to the present time.

This is a great ghost story but with magical elements such as talking books, scary monsters and some very well-timed twist and turns. The plot is hinged around protecting the living from the world of the dead and mythical legends. The secret order was set up along time ago by a group of monks who named themselves Brotherhood of Shades. One of the first to be enlisted was enigmatic Toby D'Scover who is humorous, dapper and totally dead. He's a saviour of the world of the living - a protector of ancient books. This is an important role as one false move and this could lead to the dead rising again to bring havoc and chaos to the world. This is a dark fantasy, with some lip smacking moments, that will have you gripped and hooked to the point that you cannot put this book down.

The characters were convincing - not too many to get to grips with which really helped to keep the pace of the book flowing. The progressive complexity of the story and the realistic dialogue between the characters supported their role in travelling back in time/spectral realm. A great deal of research has gone into the plot, but the setting really comes to life as a result of this. The ending was an explosive triumph; the climatic battle really got you thinking. I think that both teenage boys and girls will love reading this book - it is a great reading experience full of action adventure, discovery and secrets.

When a book really is this good, it's always sad to get to the end. I do have a feeling that we will be seeing Adam, Toby, Edie and the Brotherhood of Shades again real ghostly soon. This is an author to watch and a series to get very excited about. Bring it on.....

Will you join the Brotherhood?

Published by Authonomy (26 Sep 2013)