Book Trailer/Press Release: Alex Barclay - Curse of Kings: The Trials of Oland Born Part One

                                     

                                               

The Trials of Oland Born Part One

Curse of Kings

Alex Barclay

9780007335756 £12.99 HB/£10.99 TPB 31 January 2013

Fourteen-year-old Oland Born lives in a world  tyrannised by dark magic. He knows little

about his past or why the evil tyrant Vilius Ren keeps such a sharp eye on him. But when he

receives a letter from a long-dead king which urges him to fight back, Oland must battle his

own demons to undertake the greatest test of bravery and cunning a boy has ever faced.

Curse of Kings is the first story in The Trials of Oland Born and is a thrilling fantasy adventure

that will grip readers from the outset.

The story is set in a beautifully evoked and richly atmospheric fantasy world of medieval

castles, Romanesque games arenas, supernatural forests, desert pits and harsh seas.

Terrifying hybrid creatures and monsters abound – and Oland’s greatest ally is a girl called

Delphi who has dark secrets of her own.

About the author:

Alex Barclay is the award-winning author of five crime novels for adults. She has been living with the world of Oland Born inside her head for years, a world of adventure, mysterious prophecies, secret identities, fantastical creatures and great heroes who are tested to their limits. Curse of Kings is her first novel for children, and the first in The Trials of Oland Born series. She is a major new voice in children’s fiction. Alex lives in Ireland.

Visit Alex’s official website on http://www.alexbarclay.co.uk/

Book Review: Richard Masson - Boonie - Hot Key Books

                                         

This is a book that is very different to other books that I have read recently and being published at this moment in time. In fact it's not a book that I'd expect to be published by a mainstream publisher such as Hot Key Books. Therefore, I definitely congratulate them in championing this book.

The start of the book is not an easy one to digest. The harsh realties of the story are quickly thrust upon the reader and set a sombre tone. In parts, this book is set in a futuristic fantasy world. Although, it is basically about a world of survival in an arid landscape. Both water and food are very scarce; the world is ruled by dictatorship from the Silver Men. These men leave a lot to the imagination - not much is given away about them, which is good in my opinion. It leaves the imagination running wild as to the possibilities of their comings and goings. 

The story moves through a lot of bleak action before there is any glimpse of a ray of sunshine. However, that ray of sunshine soon shines through in the form of friendship and will have you hooked. 

The main character, JD, is lost in the desert after fleeing from the clutches of the Silver Men. He encounters a strange old man whose mouth has been sewn shut. The element of mystery starts to creep in at this point giving the reader more to think about as the old man reveals a secret. He helps JD to find the city in order to search for his missing mother. At this point the story unfolds into a tale of horror and brutality with enslaved children trapped inside pits scraping for water and food. This is certainly not a light-hearted and happy read. However, it really makes you think - it is an intelligent and well-crafted story. 

This is another great book that will stay with you until the very last page has been turned - just like a good old friend. It is a great debut start from an author who has been writing all of his life. Shortlisted for Undiscovered Voices 2012 - this great book, I am sure, is the reason why.

If you would like to read a copy of this book then the author is giving one lucky person a chance to win a signed hardback copy on his website. Why not pop over to enter the competition by following the link here http://richardmasson.com/

Equally, if you would like to read about the author's thoughts on Boonie then take a look at the guest post that he has written for my blog. More details on the competition can also be found here

Gareth L. Powell - Ack-Ack Macaque - Book Review

                                          

Warning: This book contains graphic scenes of violence and language which is definitely not suitable for anyone under the age of sixteen.

From time to time I dip my toes into the pond and when the waves ripple then you will occasionally find me reading a book written for adults. On even rarer occasions, you may even find that I actually like it. Therefore, when this happens, I feel that I should rightfully review it; tapping the keys at this very moment I shall summarise my thoughts and feelings about this particular book. It will then be put to rest in the archive of book reviews (otherwise known as Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books library!)  

I have actually read a slightly different version of Ack-Ack Macaque a few years ago. At the time, I felt that it needed a little bit more personality and meat to it. If you're not familiar with the short story (Interzone - fiction magazine) then you may not have realised or understand why I would say this. Especially as this newer version is absolutely amazing and fantastic; the book title is also ingenious and, just like the author, I love to say it out loud. It just rolls off the tongue and makes you smile - just like the book itself. 

I love books that are firmly set in a Sci-fantasy world. This story begins in the futuristic world of 2058, where power has shifted to a stronger European commonwealth due to a merger in the late 1950's. Nuclear-powered Zeppelins, the threat of world war and the total destruction of the world is all in existence. There is a mad cult named the Undying and a twisted, power-crazed woman named Celeste, who is behind a manic plot to rule a new world. What more do you want? Well, I could begin to mention Ack-Ack Macaque and his life through the virtual world, but I really don't want to say too much more about this at this point.

The main character, Ack-Ack Macaque, is written particularly well and each scene has been very well planned and thought out. He is definitely unique when it comes to being an all action-hero. He is one that you will love to read about - a cynical, one-eyed, cigar-chomping monkey who particularly likes to kick ass whenever he gets the chance. He's a Spitfire pilot, who has a penchant for daiquiri and bananas, and shoots down anything from German aircraft to parachuting Ninjas. You may think that this sounds really cool and you'd be right...! 

Equally, you might be thinking at this point that this sounds a tad cheesy, but Gareth really has written a belter of a plot. It really does leave you gripped - there is certainly more to this story then just Ack- Ack. Although for me, he really does play a crucial and innovative part. Nevertheless, the story is also plagued with evil - characters such as Berg, who steals brains and electronic soles. He injects a particularly darker side to the story; he really will make your skin and flesh crawl. Parts of the story are very graphic in detail - an element that captivated me as it gave the story a hearty punch in the right direction.   

This is an action-packed story full of colossal ideas and a host of great characters - some that you will instantly love and others that you really won't. The story is very detailed; it quickly thumps along to its own rhythm. It has originality in spades and buckets full of tension; it's a fantastic world in what could be. I really connected with this book and loved every minute of it. It has a great ending which does not let you down. Instead it lets the mind stew on what may happen next, if anything. This is the best book that I have read in a very long time from the adult Sci-Fi world - I look forward to visiting this world again in the not to distant future. 

Published by Solaris - Jan 2013

Guest Post Book Plug #2 - Richard Masson - Boonie and Book Competition

                                                            

This is the second post in the guest blog series. This week I would like to welcome Richard Masson to my blog; he has written a post about his debut book 'Boonie'.  At the end of this post you will find an opportunity to win a rather rare and signed first edition book. It is published by Hot Key Books and looks rather wonderful.  If this post has interested and inspired you (which I'm sure it will), then visit Richard's site to enter the competition by following the link provided. Good luck to all of you who enter - we look forward to hearing from you.

So over to Richard.....

What is Boonie?

Since I wrote Boonie, all sorts of people have given it so many different tags that even I sometimes wonder what sort of a book it really is. Essentially, it’s an adventure story, the story of a boy and a girl and their struggle to overcome the perils of the world they live in. It’s set on a planet scourged by war and pollution where water and getting enough of it is the main preoccupation. 

Ah-ha!  you say, an environmental book, a warning to humanity. No, or probably not but if it strikes that chord with you, then that’s fine by me.

Dystopian then, like The Hunger Games? Well, no, not really that either .

Hot Key Books, the publishers have said it’s a book about friendship.  I liked that and certainly friendship and loyalty come into it but maybe, or then again, maybe not. 

What I really like about these descriptions is that different readers seem to be getting different things out of Boonie.  I’m a writer who likes to lay down clues from which the reader can build their own world and gain their own understanding of my people and their motivations. OK, so I write the story but I like to put lots of different layers into it and, encouragingly, it seems readers are seeing through the layers, taking up the clues and  building their own worlds and having  their own light-bulb insights into the characters.

What is it then? What is Boonie all about?

Going back to the beginning, I still maintain that Boonie is an adventure story and if you want to read it as a straight forward yarn about two kids, getting through each day in an arid, desolate world and battling against some pretty nasty enemies in the hope of building a better life for themselves, then I’m happy. If you see an environmental warning in there or get an insight into friendship too, then great because what I’d really like is if everybody who reads Boonie thinks they have read a different book to everybody else, a book essentially their own, a book in which only they see the real story, only they really know JD and what he’s going through or understands that feisty little Aqua girl.

That would make me very happy. 

Getting to the point at last, I wonder what you think? Obviously you can’t say until you’ve read Boonie and here’s how you can.

Boonie Book Giveaway.

Would you like a signed first edition hardback edition of Boonie? 

Just visit my website at www.richardmasson.com where you will find the first 27 pages of the book. I’d love you to read it anyway but if you do just answer a simple question and leave a nice comment.  I promise I’ll read every entry and I’ll post the winner’s name on the website and tweet it too. All entries must be in by 31^st March 2013 and must be from UK residents only. Good luck everybody.

Guest Post Plug: #1 Karen Saunders - Me, Suzy P - Templar Publishing

                                                      

People often ask me where I got the inspiration for my novel, Me, Suzy P. It’s the story of teenager Suzy Puttock, a pretty normal kind of girl with a terrible surname, who just happens to be a walking disaster area. The answer is that I didn’t have to look very far to create Suzy, because a lot of her is based on me. I am the girl that had her nose broken in a tickling fight, fell in a huge hole up to my neck while out for a country walk and needed pulling out, damaged my hand and ended up in a plaster cast after opening a window and I’ve also walked into a lamp-post. These are just four examples. There are zillions more, believe me. So hey, why not exploit a lifetime of making a complete donkey of myself?

I also take inspiration from my friends. I have an amazing group of mates, as does Suzy – her best friend Millie (wannabe cheerleader, fuelled mainly by jelly babies), boyfriend Danny (Star Wars nut) and Millie’s boyfriend Jamie (can’t-stop-eating footballer). Other inspiration comes from all sorts of places, celebrities, music, snippets of conversation I hear on the bus...(don’t tell anyone that last one, though. I don’t want people to stop having interesting chats near me). 

So when I started writing I knew I wanted a girl protagonist who was no stranger to catastrophe, who had a tight-knit friendship group. Then I looked around at a lot of the similar books in this genre, and noticed that a lot of them had storylines where the girl wanted a boyfriend. I thought it would be interesting to take a different approach, where a girl already has a boyfriend…but then realises she fancies someone else. 

Yup. Big fat uh-oh. 

Lots of conflict there, and the character put in this situation should end up causing a lot of laughs, I thought to myself.  And I really hope the book’s funny. I certainly had a good time writing it, although it was quite a rollercoaster ride. It had a fair few major rewrites along the way, which did have me tearing my hair out at several points (luckily it’s all grown back now). 

So after all that…I really hope you enjoy it. 

Come visit me online, at www.karensaunders.co.uk, ‘like’ me on Facebook at www.facebook/karensaunderswriter , or follow me on Twitter: @writingkaren. There are also tweets from Suzy Puttock @suzyputtock – so do follow her too. 

Look forward to seeing you around!

Thank you for the post Karen - what an interesting insight into the world of Me, Suzy P. I'm sure that this will interest many followers - if you like the sound of it then go and buy a copy to read. Let us know what you think of it as sometimes a male orientated blog needs some girl power! I look forward to reading all of your comments - male or female! 

Allan Jones - Codename Quicksilver: KillChase - Book Review

This is the fourth book to be published so far in this series. Another book is due to be published in March entitled Adrenaline Rush. I first stumbled across these books, last July, after my involvement in a blog tour regarding the first two books in this series. The author produced a really insightful post about Free-Running which was really interesting. If you like to read it, click the following link: Guest Post Here

The main character in the book is Zak, a teenage spy, who has amazing skills in Free-Running. As a result he's very fast and nimble on his feet. This story finds Zak taking a thrilling ride on the Orient Express - very action packed and particularly well written. In fact, at times, it feels very James Bond-esk in the telling.  

Zak's mission in the fourth book is to find the mole in MI5. It takes him to the heights of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the beautiful backdrop of Venice. All great settings for this high octane adventure. 

This book is action packed; it is a quick fire race for time as Zak is being hunted from two different angles in the story. The further you travel through the story, the more intense the action and the outcome of the story. 

These are brilliantly engaging stories for the young budding spy. A fast paced thrilling ride of adventure and mystery combined. I think that this book is the best in this ever growing series, so far. In my opinion, these books are often overlooked. However I would recommend these as a good easy reading series.

Published by Orion Children's - 3 Jan 2013

***Book Review: Shadows of the Silver Screen by Christopher Edge***

                                     

Lights! Camera! Action!

This is the second book in recent times to catch my interest regarding early film production. I particularly like it when a plot takes a pinch of historical fact and weaves it magically into the book - Christopher has managed to do just that. He has created an intelligent and brilliant story. 

This is a classic encounter of a horror story - full of darkness and oozing with the flavour of Victoriana. 1900 is the era in which the silent movie was first created. As you read this story, it will feel like you are watching the actors on the silver screen itself as you become engaged by its hypnotic charm.

The story is based around a mysterious filmmaker, who approaches The Penny Dreadful, with a proposal to turn Penny's tales of terror into motion pictures. Whilst Montgomery Flinch, the star of his own production, is plagued by a series of strange and frightening events. These frightening events draw you into the dark and chilling world where acting becomes reality. Penny finds herself living a nightmare that keep both her, and probably you, awake at night.

This is the second book to feature Penelope Tredwell, a feisty thirteen-year old orphan and heiress, of the bestselling magazine, The Penny Dreadful. I have to confess that I haven't read the first book in this series, but I will definitely be paying a visit to it very soon.  

The idea behind the story is very imaginative. I felt myself becoming immersed in the scenes played out in Eversholt Manor, and the filming of The Daughter of Darkness. It really was a feast of dark delights and one that will haunt you to the core. I loved the cast of interesting and entertaining characters, which all lead to the stories appeal and readability.  

 Published By Nosy Crow - 1st Jan 2013

Book Review: F. E. Higgins - The Phenomenals: A Tangle Of Traitors

       
I remember being gripped many years ago by this author's debut book 'The Black Book Of Secrets'. This was a brilliant and slightly different read to anything else at that time. It was certainly an exciting platform for the start of her writing career - a book that made me into a huge fan. This is now her sixth book to have been published and the start of a new series. One, that in my opinion, will find a new readership. So step this way into the new world of F. E. Higgins.....

From the very first page, you will note the interesting use of words and, at times, experimental vocabulary that conjures up a flavour to this unusual adventure. I particularly enjoyed this aspect of the writing. I found myself looking up many of the words to find that they were not in the dictionary that I possessed. However, they certainly added to the interest of the story and the plot.

With this story we are thrown into a great twisted adventure full of eerie and somewhat macabre comings and goings that I have come to expect from this author. There is an undercurrent of a supernatural or, in this book, a Supermundane nature that will tug at your soul. I was hoping for more of the story to be developed, but I was left wanting more to quench my thirst.

The book is full of phenomenal characters that will both intrigue and engage you on different levels. Citrine Capodel - heiress to a corrupt empire and framed for a murder she did not commit; Folly Harpelaine - a merciless destroyer of Lurids, who dabbles in the dark arts; Jonah Scrimshander - a deadly harpoonist, who has already cheated death and, Vincent Verdigris (my favourite with such a great name) who is light-fingered but even lighter on his feet. That's just for starters. The next motley crew include Edgar (brother to Citrine evil) and heartless Leopold Kamptulicon, who hangs out with his old pal - a Lurid ghost who has risen from the tar pits. A beastly destination for the dead. This is a putrid place full of Wraiths - the traitors and murderers who have drowned in its bubbling depths. 

I loved the storyline as it was both clever and funny. Although the imaginative elements, at times, were very creepy. The depiction of the tar pits and Vincent's encounter with the torture chair were both gripping and enthralling to read. Fiona has stretched her creative juices and let everything go in this book. The expectations for this book have been delivered making it a mouth-watering beginning for the next book "A Gaggle of Ghouls" which is due to be published in 

August.

Published by Macmillan Children's Books

Book Launch Post: Louis Nowra - Into that Forest - Book Review

                                                  

If you have read any of my previous posts, then you will have seen that I've been very fortunate to read some cracking books at this start of this new year, already. Yet again (if this book is anything to go by) then we are in for another feast of delight. It would be fair to say that I was not expecting this book - it was a very delightful surprise. In fact I knew nothing about it, or the author, until it arrived on my doorstep. Therefore, I would like to send a big thank you to Egmont for sending this to me and making my day.

The first thing that I'd like to comment on is related to the production of the book. It has been produced as a hardback with a really attractive dust jacket and a beautifully finished binding (and end pages) which are particularly well produced and eye-catching. The book is illustrated with small black and white sketches, which also work very well alongside the story. It's nice to see that so much effort has been put into the making of this book. Especially when so many people, and the market in general sadly, are turning to e-books and other similar formats due to ease and price.

This is one particular story which you will not easily forget. It is a book that reads like a true story - it will leave you questioning whether the events really did or did not happen. It's a story about two girls who find themselves lost in the Tasmanian bush after a tragic accident. The girls find a saviour in the form of two fierce Tasmanian tigers. Everything is viewed from the perspective of Hannah O'Brien - told through a brilliant and extraordinary voice. 

It's a particularly captivating read following the survival of the two girls. It has a lot of uncomfortable twists and turns - it is one that will definitely have your heart strings tugged in many directions. I loved the sea adventures that were depicted within the book. However, I don't want to say too much more as I really don't want to spoil any part of the enjoyment for when you grab your own copy, which I hope you do!

This is a beautifully poignant story about survival and relationships. It will certainly leave many lasting memories. Breathtaking in detail and setting, realistic to the core and a rare book that will both shock and move the reader at the same time. This is another early recommendation from myself, but with this book expect some tears so have the tissues ready.

Published By Egmont 7th January 2013 - ISBN: 9781405266437 - (Hardback)

US Children's New Book Picks: January 2013

Sage Blackwood - Jinx - Published By HarperCollins - 8, January 2013
In the Urwald, you don't step off the path. Trolls, werewolves, and butter churn–riding witches lurk amid the clawing branches, eager to swoop up the unwary. Jinx has always feared leaving the path—then he meets the wizard Simon Magnus.
Jinx knows that wizards are evil. But Simon's kitchen is cozy, and he seems cranky rather than wicked. Staying with him appears to be Jinx's safest, and perhaps only, option. As Jinx's curiosity about magic grows, he learns to listen to the trees as closely as he does to Simon's unusual visitors. The more Jinx discovers, the more determined he becomes to explore beyond the security of well-trodden paths.
But in the Urwald, a little healthy fear is never out of place, for magic—and magicians—can be as dangerous as the forest. And soon Jinx must decide which is the greater threat.
Sage Blackwood introduces a daring new hero for an innovative new world as Jinx is joined by friends, battles enemies, and discovers that life beyond—and even within—the forest is more complex than he can imagine, and that the Urwald itself needs him more than he could ever guess.
                     

                                
Andy Gavin - Untimed - Published by Mascherato - 1, January 2013
Charlie's the kind of boy that no one notices. Hell, his own mother can't remember his name. So when a mysterious clockwork man tries to kill him in modern day Philadelphia, and they tumble through a hole into 1725 London, Charlie realizes even the laws of time don't take him seriously. Still, this isn't all bad. Who needs school when you can learn about history first hand, like from Ben Franklin himself. And there's this girl... Yvaine... another time traveler. All good. Except for the rules: boys only travel into the past and girls only into the future. And the baggage: Yvaine's got a baby boy and more than her share of ex-boyfriends. Still, even if they screw up history - like accidentally let the founding father be killed - they can just time travel and fix it, right? But the future they return to is nothing like Charlie remembers. To set things right, he and his scrappy new girlfriend will have to race across the centuries, battling murderous machines from the future, jealous lovers, reluctant parents, and time itself.

Victoria Schwab - The Archived - Published by Hyperion - 22, January
2013

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive. Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was: a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Niel Bushnell - Sorrowline (The Timesmith Chronicles) - Book Review

This is the second book on the bounce that I've really enjoyed from a debut author. Looking ahead to 2013, I feel that we might be in for a very good year. One where the imagination flows and the stories do the talking - just like this book. 

I was very happy to receive this book, directly from the author, after the cover had been featured in the book cover wars. I was looking forward to reading it from the cover alone, and it certainly did not disappoint me. It's a rapid page turner which is full of great ideas. The main character, Jack, is a Yard Boy and someone with the ability to travel through Sorrowlines (the channels that connect every gravestone with the date of the persons death).  When Jack visits his mum's grave, he falls head first into an unimaginable adventure that will leave you gasping for breath by the end. 

This book incorporates a superb slice of history - paying a visit to war torn London in the forties. In my opinion, this has been very well written and certainly added a good slice of reality to a book packed full of fantasy. It's so easy to get lost in parts that have a time travel theme, but in this book the author kept it very clear as to what was going on.

Along the way you will meet some very interesting characters. The Boagymen and their secret underground system and the army of Paladin, who would easily fit into a Tolkien novel. However, at the centre of every good book there needs to be a particularly evil or power-hungry, mad character. In this case his name is Rouland. I would have liked to see him feature a little bit more as he was deliciously dark - just what I wanted to read!

This book is a fantastic read, although I wasn't quite sure about the ending. I was hoping for something different perhaps a few more incidents and surprises to spice it up. However it is a high octane journey that is full of adventure and will keep you on your toes until the very last page. A must read for 2013 - it leaves you thinking about what might be coming in the next book.

Published by Andersen - 3rd January 2013

Mr Ripley's Cracking New Books For January 2013

                                   

Tim Bowler - Sea of Whispers - Published By OUP -  3 JAN 2013

Somehow the boat was still afloat - another wave had lifted it clear of the first rock and was driving it further inshore. It bumped against the base of Crab Rock and skewed around, then tipped momentarily to starboard...and as it did so, she saw a figure crouching in the bottom.

Hetty's always been a bit of a loner, preferring to keep to the outer edges of the close-knit island community. But when a strange woman is washed up on the shore, Hetty finds herself under increasing scrutiny from the islanders. There's a connection between Hetty and the woman that makes people suspicious, so when death comes to the community the woman is branded a bad omen and Hetty has no choice but to take matters into her own hands.

As she heads out to sea, a storm is breaking and the whispers that she's heard before are louder than ever. Voices from the very depths of the sea . . . and they're calling her name.

                                    

F E Higgins - The Phenomenals: A Tangle of Traitors - Published By Macmillan - 3 JAN 2013

A twisted adventure of intrigue, magic and superstition from the bestselling F. E. Higgins Don’t go down to the tar pits, children – for their shores are lined with the wretched wraiths of all the traitors and murderers who have drowned in its bubbling depths. In the shadows of this putrid place, an unlikely new alliance is being formed: they call them The Phenomenals, and only they can save us from a hideous fate that will befall the town if the wraiths escape their tarry shackles . . . Meet The Phenomenals: Citrine Capodel - heiress to a corrupt empire and framed for a murder she did not commit; Folly Harpelaine - a merciless destroyer of Lurids, who dabbles in the dark arts; Jonah Scrimshander - a deadly harpoonist, who has already cheated death, and Vincent Verdigris - light-fingered and even lighter on his feet.

                                                 

Bali Rai - Shivers - Published By Barrington Stoke - 1 JAN 2013

Meeting Cassie was the best moment of Sam's life. So why has everything fallen apart since? Can he really trust her at all? Terrifying ghost story. Sam hates life on the council estate - everyone knows why he and his mum had to move there and they won't let him forget it. When he meets the beautiful and mysterious Cassie he quickly falls head over heels. But when Sam's devotion starts to cloud his judgment and his life begins to spin out of control, he still can't seem to walk away. Will the truth about Cassie be more than he can bear? With a reading age of 8+ this is also suitable for reluctant, struggling and dyslexic teens.

                                        

Emerald Fennell - Shiverton Hall - Published By - Bloomsbury - 3 JAN 2013

They slowed as they reached the gate; two stone columns, each with its own crumbling angel perched on top. The angels held up a rusty, wrought-iron arch that read, in curling, serpentine letters: SHIVERTON HALL. Arthur Bannister has been unexpectedly accepted into Shiverton Hall, which, as it turns out, is an incredibly spooky school, full of surprises. And it is just as well that Shiverton Hall has made its offer, because Arthur had a horrible time at his previous school, and was desperate to leave. Timely indeed . . . But Arthur has no time to worry about the strange coincidence. He is too busy trying to make head or tail of Shiverton Hall, dogged as it is by tales of curses and bad fortune. At least there are a few friendly faces: George, who shows him around; also Penny and Jake. But not all the faces are friendly. There are the bullying Forge triplets for starters. And then there is the acid tongue of the headmistress, Professor Long-Pitt, who seems to go out of her way to make Arthur's life a misery. Luckily Arthur has his new friends to cheer him up. Although there are some friends that you don't want to have at all, as Arthur is soon to find out.

                                 

Niel Bushnell - Sorrowline ( The Timesmith Chronicles) - Andersen - 3 JAN 2013

Twelve-year-old Jack Morrow is used to life being complicated. His mother died five years ago, and his father is now headed for prison. But then Jack discovers he's a Yard Boy - someone with the ability to travel through Sorrowlines, the channels that connect every gravestone with the date of the person's death - and he is quickly pulled into an adventure beyond anything he could have possibly imagined.

Finding himself in 1940s war-torn London, with his then-teenage grandfather, Davey, Jack soon realises that his arrival in the past has not gone unnoticed. The evil forces of a secret world are determined to find him - and to find out all he knows.

As Jack struggles to survive, he comes ever closer to unlocking the dark secret at the heart of his family, and to - just maybe - changing his own destiny . . .

                                      
Cornelia Funke - Fearless (Reckless) - Chicken House - 7 JAN 2013
After saving his brother, Jacob Reckless faces death from the fairy's curse burning in his heart. In search of a cure he returns to the Mirrorworld, where he is reunited with Fox, a beautiful shape-shifting girl. He has one more chance: a golden crossbow, with the power to both save and destroy life, buried in a dead king' tomb beneath an invisible palace. Jacob must cross continents,ace monsters and men \- including a dangerous rival \- and learn what it means to stay alive.