New Doctor Who Titles Publishing October 2015‏ (Time Lord Fairy Tales - Justin Richards)

Celebrate the start of the ninth series of Doctor Who with these fantastic books from Penguin Random House Children’s!

Doctor Who:

Time Lord Fairy Tales - Justin Richards

1st October 2015, £12.99, 7-11 years

Publishing in hardback

 A beautifully illustrated anthology of Doctor Who themed fairy tales

Be enchanted by fifteen captivating brand new stories based within the Doctor Who world, which draw on mysterious myths and legends about heroes and monsters of all kinds, from every corner of the universe. From Frozen Beauty to Snow White and the Seven Keys of Doomsday, these are tales that might have been told to young Time Lords at bedtime, and are filled with nightmarish terrors and heroic triumphs that will be sure to capture the imagination.

Featuring an original, specially commissioned illustrated cover and fifteen illustrations, one for each fairy tale, in a beautiful paper cut-out style, these twisted tales are an enchanting gift for Doctor Who fans of all ages.

Doctor Who:

The Dangerous Book of Monsters

1st October 2015, £9.99, 7-11 years

Publishing in hardback

 Do you know how to disarm a Dalek? Dispose of a Dream Crab? Foretell a visit from the Foretold? If the answer is ‘No’, then this is the guide for you.

This time-worn monster handbook is where the Doctor keeps his most valuable and dangerous information – his essential notes on every fearsome enemy, with original sketches of each creature and cunning foe.

The Doctor has written down all you need to know to defeat every monster in the cosmos. Or, in some cases, to make a very speedy escape instead...

Other Doctor Who titles publishing in 2015 include:

Doctor Who: Time Traveller’s Journal, 7th May, £8.99

Doctor Who: Heroes and Monsters Collection, 6th August, £6.99

Doctor Who: Time Lord Quiz Quest, 3rd September, £5.99

Doctor Who: Model-Building Book, 3rd September, £8.99

Doctor Who: The Ultimate Time and Space Collection, 3rd September, £32.99

Doctor Who Official Annual 2016, 1st October, £7.99

Doctor Who: The Colouring Book, 1st November, £9.99

Publishers News: Paul Magrs Signs New YA Book Deal - Lost on Mars 2105

Wales-based children’s and young adult publisher Firefly Press has acquired a YA science fiction title by Dr Who novel writer Paul Magrs.
 
Lost on Mars, which will be published in spring 2015, tells the story of Lora and her family, who are human settlers on the red planet and struggling to survive.
 
“I wanted to write a science fiction epic set on another planet, about human beings surviving in incredible new circumstances and encountering mysterious and fascinating new ideas,” said Magrs. “It’s a kind of blend of the best elements of classic children’s fiction, such as Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books, and Golden Age space operas such as Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles.”
 
Firefly publisher Penny Thomas, which acquired world rights from literary agent Charlotte Robertson at United Agents, said she was “delighted” to sign Magrs and described the book as a “thrilling read from a terrific writer”.
 
Magrs has written more than 25 original Dr Who novels for BBC Books, as well as YA title Exchange (Simon & Schuster Children's), which was shortlisted for the Book TrustTeen Book Award in 2006 and longlisted for the Carnegie in 2007.

Mr Ripley's Adult Book Review: Enter Wildthyme by Paul Magrs

I'd like to think that this book came from The Great Book Exchange in Darlington, but to be honest it was Oxfam in York. They are not worlds apart really, unlike the galactic voyages that take part in this little adventure. One of the main characters in the book has been around for some time, but this is the first full length appearance for them in this trans-temporal adventure. Iris Wildthyme might be familiar to some, as a character from Paul's first book, as well as appearing in the Dr Who escapades but to me, she will always be a special character in fantasy. She's the  feisty granny that you would have loved to have been related to. The gin and tonic drinking time traveller with a mysterious past.

The first part of the book is set in a dusty secondhand bookshop in Darlington. Add in to the mix a celestial red, route master double decker bus and the scene is set for a normal life, but how wrong you would be.  Undeniably, Paul has the most amazing world building skills at his finger tips in this book - the story writing is very cleverly executed. Immediately, the reader is thrown into the action with a whole host of crazy and well imagined characters.  There is Iris, as well as her sidekick (a stuffed panda) originally known as Panda who is about 10 inches high and cooks a very mean breakfast. As well as a talking vending machine called Barbra, an evil poet called Marvelle and many more crazy folk.

I've never had so much fun reading an adult novel before; this was a perfect read for me. It's so crazy and surreal that it was an absolute joy to read. The story is about an object; a glass jar filled with mysterious contents which soon form the focus of a chase. It takes then to the outlandish world of Hyspero, the throne room of the Scarlet Empress and the very brink of the strange pocket dimension called . . . . . The Obverse.

This story is an adventure of good and evil - it is a book to read with a very large gin and tonic. It's fast paced; in a blink of an eye the story moves from the mundane life in Darlington to Montmartre in Paris where an alien invasion is witnessed. Never mind being catapulted to the Hammersmith Odeon to a glam rock concert in the 1970's.  It really is a breathtaking read; a roller coaster ride of mayhem and madness.

This book is very cleverly written and highly imaginative - it is full of zany off-the-wall moments. I connected with this story through the music references as well as the ideas behind the events. I found myself deeply immersed in this adventure; it is a read that I will savour until the next instalment. Five star entertainment - looking forward to the next book very soon ....