Peadar O'Guilin - The Invasion (The Grey Land Book 2) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books Book Review

In a world where teenagers are trained for the most horrific 3 minutes of their lives, Nessa and Anto have both survived their Call, but fate has a cruel way of rewarding them. Nessa is branded a traitor as no one believes that someone like her could survive the experience. She's thrown in prison and eventually sent where all traitors are sent - back to the horrifying Greylands, but this time there's no way home. Anto is packed off out of the way to join the militia. Ireland is being invaded and the enemy are building their army from the very people defending it. However, Anto can't get Nessa off his mind, he knows in his heart that she's innocent and he'll go to any length to rescue her. The final chapter in this thrilling and fast-paced adventure with the power of true love at its very core.

I've been invaded by The Invasion of Peadar O'Guilin's long-awaited sequel to the Call. It is soon to be published on the 1st March 2018 by David Fickling Books (the home of great stories). In this book, we are reunited with the two main characters, Nessa and Anto. They survived the Call, but what's in store for them in The Invasion is more terrifying than you can ever imagine. The complexity of this book is brilliant. From the very start, it pulls the reader on a journey that is captivating. The story is beautiful and brutal at the same time which makes it both compelling and disturbing in equal measure. 

It's a fantastic blend of action horror written in its own unique style. Not using any of the classic tropes normally found in this category, it really makes this story stand out and addictive to read. The plot is dark and twisted just like the characters. In a world full of monsters, Sidhe's are disfigured, amalgamations of human flesh and animals/beasts. They are very cunning in character and appear to morph from the dark depths of the author's psyche into a very bizarre world. 

You will prowl into the strange and disturbing land of the Greylands which is very descriptive and well written. It will both captivate and thrill you in equal measures. The author has cleverly blended his fascination for mythology and Irish legend by instilling a very unsettling creepiness that follows you around through every twist and turn. The nation must survive but will they survive? That is most definitely the question.  

This is a fantastic sequel. In my opinion, it is even better than the first book which is something that I very rarely say or think. The author has spent time inventing and building a brilliant backdrop that is even more surreal than the last book. It certainly sucks you into a vortex of evil and chaos. The characters have been very well written, their personalities and emotions are depicted at just the right times through the story. Their different viewpoints come across very clearly and are very much in keeping with the storyline. The story is more compact, fast-paced and free-flowing whilst delivering just the right amount of character dialogue and back history to bring the reader up to speed on the previous story.

The author has taken no prisoners with this book. It's a bloodbath fuelled on high adrenalin action that is both unpredictable and deeply satisfying to read. I really loved this book. Thanks, Peadar - I'm looking forward to the next book, whatever it maybe.

Now Open for Submissions: YA Book Prize 2017 (27th September - 1st December 2017)

We have come to the time of year when we are opening submissions for the YA Book Prize again. It’s amazing to think that we are already planning the third award, as it seems like it’s only been five minutes since we excitedly launched the prize because we wanted to support UKYA and the fantastic books being published in the UK and Ireland.

In such a short amount of time the prize has come so far. We’ve given the award to two fantastic books so far – Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill (Quercus), which was given the inaugural prize in 2015, and One by Sarah Crossan (Bloomsbury Children’s), which won this year.
Both authors are hugely successful within the YA field – O’Neill has since winning the YA Book Prize signed a big US film deal and a new publishing deal with Hachettte, and Crossan, already a huge name in children’s publishing, won the Carnegie Medal.

We really can’t wait to see which books publishers enter for the YA Book Prize 2017.
To be eligible, entries must be:
- Published either in hardback or paperback for the first time between 1^st January and 31^st December 2016
- A novel aimed at YA readers (16 and over)
- Written by an author resident in the UK or Ireland who was resident for at least six months prior to publication
This year, as with every year, we are looking for the books that YA readers are most likely to want to (A) read and (B) recommend to their friends. We also want a shortlist that is as diverse as possible – so please do send in a mix of genres and types of stories. We love contemporary YA but want to showcase different types of books, so if you have a horror or sci-fi YA, send it in!

To enter, all you have to do is fill in the form here with all the relevant details.
You will also need to send 10 copies of every book entered to The Bookseller, Crowne House, 56-58 Southwark Street,London, SE1 1UN.

The deadline for entries is 1^st December 2016.
Full terms and conditions are on the YA Book Prize website, including marketing and publicity financial commitments for shortlisted books. If you have any queries please get in touch by emailing charlotte.eyre@thebookseller.com. 
The shortlist will be announced in the spring, and the winner will be revealed at the Hay Festival 2017.