Mr Ripley's One To Watch - Red Rising by Pierce Brown

                       

Synopsis: Darrow is a Helldiver, one of a thousand men and women who live in the vast caves beneath the surface of Mars, generations of people who spend their lives toiling to mine the precious elements that will allow the planet to be terraformed. Just knowing that, one day, people will be able to walk the surface of the planet is enough to justify their sacrifice. The Earth is dying, and Darrow and his people are the only hope humanity has left.

Until the day Darrow learns that it is all a lie. That Mars has been habitable - and inhabited - for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look down at Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought.

Until the day Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside.

But the command school is a battlefield - and Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda.

Verdict: Crawling up the walls of dystopian fiction. Pierce Brown's top-notch debut novel, Red Rising, the first book in a new trilogy marrying The Hunger Games and The Lord of the Flies a really serious game of Risk. Brown's futuristic sci-fi world doesn't seem too far off from our own society, with the haves and have-nots, though on the planet Mars, the social strata is color-coded. The Golds, with glimmering eyes and hair, rule cities, starfleets and everything in between. On the opposite end of the spectrum are the Reds, the lower working class that everyone looks down upon.

One of those Reds is Darrow, a happily married teenager and the headstrong Helldiver of Lykos, one of many mining cities on Mars. The population of Reds have been told for years that they are gathering resources to make the surface habitable for them and future generations, but Darrow and his wife, Eo, discover that they've been lied to and that Golds and others have already created impressive cities and landscapes. In essence, the Reds have simply been used as slave labor the whole time.

In order to spur Darrow into action against this heinous treatment and fight for freedom, Eo sacrifices herself and is hanged publicly by one of the most powerful Golds, the ArchGovernor. Watching his wife die — and having to take part in it — sends Darrow on a bad path toward his own death. But he's instead recruited by the resistance group Sons of Ares for a grandiose plan: to transform Darrow into a Gold and have him take down the whole ruling society from within. Want to find out more grab the book....

Published by Hodder & Stoughton 28th Jan 2014

Other books you might like: Hugh Howey - The Wool Trilogy and Rick Yancey - The 5th Wave.

Mr Ripley's New Children's Books Published In January 2014 ( US Post One )

                       

Karen Foxlee - Ophelia and the Marvelous - Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers (January 28, 2014)
A luminous retelling of the Snow Queen, this is the story of unlikely heroine Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard who doesn't believe in anything that can't be proven by science. She and her sister Alice are still grieving for their dead mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it always snows. On her very first day in the museum Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long forgotten room.  He is a prisoner of Her Majesty the Snow Queen.  And he has been waiting for Ophelia's help.


As Ophelia embarks on an incredible journey to rescue the boy everything that she believes will be tested.  Along the way she learns more and more about the boy's own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world.

A story within a story, this a modern day fairytale about the power of friendship, courage and love, and never ever giving up.
                     

Matthew J. Kirby - The Quantum League #1: Spell Robbers - Published by Scholastic Press (January 28, 2014)
A magical crime saga filled with marvelous thrills, high action, and extraordinary adventure, from critically acclaimed author Matthew J. Kirby.

After Ben Warner is recruited to join a "science camp" led by the eccentric quantum physicist Dr. Madeleine Hughes, he quickly realizes it's no regular science camp. Along with his new friend, Peter, Ben discovers the secret, powerful art of Actuation -- the ability to change reality by simply imagining it differently.

When a mysterious group of men invade Dr. Hughes's laboratory, abducting her and stealing her precious equipment, Ben and Peter are suddenly caught up in a turf war between dangerous actuators desperate for Dr. Hughes's innovative technology. And as Ben and Peter are pulled into a perilous, hidden world full of impossibilities now made possible, will their combined powers be enough to save Dr. Hughes and vanquish their enemies before it's too late?
                     

Jon S lewis - Domination (A C.H.A.O.S. Novel) - Published by Thomas Nelson (January 14, 2014)

THEIR GOAL IS SIMPLE: TOTAL DOMINATION.

With six arms and jaws that can snap a man in two, the warmongering race of aliens known as the Thule has conquered every planet they’ve attacked.

And now their invasion of Earth has begun.

Humanity’s only hope springs from a mysterious Thule legend about a Betrayer, who they believe will rise up and destroy their people. The American government tried to manufacture their own Betrayer by injecting children with Thule blood but time after time the experiment failed . . . until Colt McAlister.

A decade later, Colt is a 16-year-old cadet at the CHAOS Military Academy where he’s training to defend mankind. But he’s afraid that the alien blood may be turning him into a Thule—and he’s beginning to suspect that fulfilling his role as the Betrayer may cost him everything.

Experience a cosmic battle filled with high-tech gear, gateways to other planets, and ultimate stakes. Not everyone will survive. But heroes will rise up and step into their destiny in this earth-shaking conclusion to the C.H.A.O.S trilogy.

Book Review: Simon Mason - Running Girl ( A Garvie Smith Mystery) - Published by David Fickling

                         

After a recent mission to find a book to review, I came across this one in Waterstone's Bookshop. I was pulled in by the book cover appeal which was bright, bold and very retro. I was instantly attracted to it - I really loved the look. Book Cover by Lorenzo Etherington. This is my first review of the year of, to be honest, a book that has instantly filled a hole from last years appetite. It really was an absolute joy to find and read.

This is a crime thriller mystery written in the Young Adult genre with a fresh and engaging plot. However, in my opinion, it will also attract an older audience - it really is that good. Simon Mason appears to have written a variety of books that I've not read or heard of before. I believe that this particular book is the the first in a series. 

The main character is Garvie Smith who is a likable character and one that the reader can relate to, especially if you have a teenage son. One of his characteristics is his very high IQ, but unfortunately he is also bone-idle. Until one day, a close school friend, Chloe Dow's body is pulled from a pond, and slacker Smith's life will never be the same again.

Another influential and important character is DI Singh who brings a range of interesting skills and beliefs to the story, which I really enjoyed. Ambitious, upright and methodical he's determined to solve the mystery and get promoted, but the case does not run his way. As a result 'Slacker' Smith and 'Methodical' Singh go in search for answers to bring one of the most dramatic crime roller-coaster adventures that you will have read. 

I would definitely recommend that you give this book a read - it certainly has a lot going on in within the 400 pages. There is a great plot with lots of twists and turns, as well as suspense and danger which are all told within a real life environment to create a very plausible crime. I loved the police transcripts that were written in to the story and the portrayed family life that all the characters have. Real characters depicted emotionally and psychologically to intensify the story. These elements really stood out to me and enhanced the plot.

The solving of the crime takes a fresh and non-stereotypical approach to keep you on your toes. There are many suspects and angles to take into consideration which will keep you guessing as well as introducing more danger in order to spice up the plot. All of this is delivered within a contemporary and modern day setting.

What a brilliant start to a series - wonderfully engaging and entertaining. Full marks for this book.... 

Mr Ripley's Most Wanted #Friday: Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell - The Nameless One - Book One Of The Cadie Saga (Edge Chronicles)

                    

Welcome to a world like no other. Welcome to the Edge.

If he didn't get out of the city now, he was as good as dead.

Cade has never met his uncle, the infamous 'descender' Nate Quarter, who years ago committed heresy by lowering himself over the cliff-face of the Edge. But Nate has returned, and the Academy of Flight are looking for revenge against all of his supporters - including Cade. So now he has to run.

With no money and nowhere else to go, Cade's only option is to stow away aboard the Xanth Filatine - a mighty sky-ship bound for the city of Hive. But getting onto the ship is only the beginning of his troubles as he runs afoul of thieving goblins, brutal skymarshals, and the unpleasant-sounding threat of 'skyfiring' . . .

Stewart and Riddell return to the world of the Edge Chronicles with the first in a brand new series of adventures starring Cade Quarter.

Welcome to a world like no other. Welcome to the Edge. A new series a new saga......

Published by Doubleday Childrens Books(30 Jan 2014)

Mr Ripley's New Children's and Teens Book Picks: Published January 2014

                     

                              
Julian Sedgwick - Mysterium 2: The Palace of Memory - Published by Hodder Children's Books - 2, Jan 2014
Danny Woo has escaped from the jaws of death once - but his trials are not yet over. He's meant to be recovering, but when he discovers the Mysterium - the circus into which he was born, and which cost his parents their lives - is being reformed in Barcelona, he determines to join them. But all is not well - who is the bad seed inside the once-loyal company? And who is the woman in green who can kill, and who seems to be trailing Danny with each move he makes? Everything, he knows, is linked to the death of his parents: he must continue his quest to find his parents' killers. Once again, the story culminates in Danny's participation in a well-known and dangerous stunt.
                   

Alan Gibbons - Raining Fire - Published by Indigo - 16, Jan 2014
The gun is the coward's fist. The gun is power. Alex and Ethan are growing up on an estate where there are just two choices: sport or crime. Ethan is selected for a football training programme in the US, his chance to escape the gangs that terrorise his neighbourhood. But Alex is drawn into an explosive feud with a gun at its heart. In this gripping and absorbing real life thriller, Alan Gibbons explores the complex issue of gun crime, and the far reaching consequences it can have.

M. J Howes - Feed - Published by Chicken House - 2, Jan 2014

Fourteen-year-old friends Lola and Patrick are in desperate trouble - along with everybody else. Monstrous enemy invaders have increased their human raids. Those taken face a terrible fate: like animals they will be transported, processed and eaten in a food chain like no other - unless Lola and Patrick can find a way to save them.

                      

Ruth Warburton - WitchFinder: Witch Finder - Published by Hodder Children's Books - 2, Jan 2014

London. 1880. In the slums of Spitalfields apprentice blacksmith Luke is facing initiation into the Malleus Maleficorum, the fearsome brotherhood dedicated to hunting and killing witches.
Luke’s final test is to pick a name at random from the Book of Witches, a name he must track down and kill within a month, or face death himself. Luke knows that tonight will change his life forever. But when he picks out sixteen-year-old Rosa Greenwood, Luke has no idea that his task will be harder than he could ever imagine.

Mr Ripley's New Children/Teens Horror Books - Published by January 2014

                   

Ransom Riggs - Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine's Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children) - Published by Quirk Book - 14 Jan 2104

"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" was the surprise best seller of 2011--an unprecedented mix of YA fantasy and vintage photography that enthralled readers and critics alike. Publishers Weekly called it "an enjoyable, eccentric read, distinguished by well-developed characters, a believable Welsh setting, and some very creepy monsters."
This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine's island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises. 
Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.


                   

William Sleator - Blackbriar - Published by Skyscape - 21 Jan 2014
Danny can feel something sinister about his new home, Blackbriar, an old, abandoned cottage in the English countryside. The residents of a nearby town refuse to speak of the house and can barely look Danny in the eyes. Then Danny begins to have strange dreams of fires and witches, and awakes to shrieks of laughter that seem to come from another time and place.With help from his friend, Lark, Danny begins to unravel the mysteries of Blackbriar and its frightening past, through the discovery of an ancient doll and a chilling list of names and dates carved on the cellar door. But what might be most terrifying of all is the mystery that does not lie in the past but in the here and now...
                       

Michelle Muto - The Haunting Season - Published by Skyscape - 21 Jan 2014

Siler House has stood silent beneath Savannah’s moss-draped oaks for decades. Notoriously haunted, it has remained empty until college-bound Jess Perry and three of her peers gather to take part in a month-long study on the paranormal. Able to talk to ghosts, Jess quickly bonds with her fellow test subjects, who have their own “gifts.” One is possessed. Another just wants to forget. The third is a guy who knows how to turn up the August heat, not to mention Jess’s heart rate…when he’s not resurrecting the dead.

The study soon turns into something far more sinister when they discover that Siler House and the dark forces within are determined to keep them forever. To escape, Jess and the others must open themselves up to the true horror of Siler House and channel the very evil that seeks to hold them in.

                    

Darren Shan - Zom-B Gladiator - Published by Simon & Schuster - 2 Jan 2014

The sixth book in the series. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, B Smith has decided to live--and to fight for good as long as possible. However, London is overridden with the brain-eating undead and swarming with human mercenaries whose sense of right and wrong dissolved when society did. When they lay a trap, B is captured. And it'll take dozens of battles--and the fight of a lifetime--to escape. Filled with gripping, bloody action sequences, the sixth book in Darren Shan's horrifying Zom-B series promises the fright--and the fight--of your life.

Mr Ripley's Children's Book Recommendation - Animal Spirits Series: Wild Born/Hunted - By Brandon Mull & Maggie Stiefvater

                         

WILD BORN - Book One by Brandon Mull - Out Now
Four children separated by vast distances all undergo the same ritual, watched by cloaked strangers. Four flashes of light erupt, and from them emerge the unmistakable shapes of incredible beasts - a wolf, a leopard, a panda, a falcon. Suddenly the paths of these children - and the world - have been changed for ever. Enter the world of Erdas, where every child who comes of age must discover if they have a spirit animal, a rare bond between human and beast that bestows great powers to both.

 A dark force has risen from distant and long-forgotten lands, and has begun an onslaught that will ravage the world. Now the fate of Erdas has fallen on the shoulders of four young strangers ... 

Book Two: Hunted is by Maggie Stiefvater - Published 1st Jan 2014 - Check out the cool game and more: http://spiritanimals.scholastic.com/

Preview: New Chicken House Children's Books Published Early 2014

                            

M.J. Howes - Feed - Published 2nd January 2014 - Age 10+

Taken, frozen and eaten – this is the fate facing the human race from enemy invaders – unless fourteen-year-olds Lola and Patrick can stop them.

Fourteen-year-old friends Lola and Patrick are in desperate trouble – along with everybody else. Monstrous enemy invaders have increased their human raids. Those taken face a terrible fate: like animals they will be transported, processed and eaten in a food chain like no other – unless Lola and Patrick can find a way to save them.

Trenton Lee Stewart - The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict - Published 2nd January 2014  - Age 9+
The prequel to the bestselling Mysterious Benedict Society series. When nine-year-old Nicholas Benedict is sent to a new orphanage, he encounters vicious bullies, selfish adults, strange circumstances – and a mind-bending mystery. Luckily, he has one very important thing in his favour: he’s a genius.                              

David Massey - Taken - Published 6th March 2014 - Age 14+
When hope is all you have, survival is all you can fight for … A crew of five young adventurers are toughing it out together, sailing around the world on a gruelling charity challenge. They are used to being pushed to the limit, but nothing could have prepared them for being kidnapped. When they are taken hostage by a notorious warlord and his band of child soldiers, the trip of a lifetime turns into a one-way journey into the heart of the African jungle.              

Philip Webb - Where The Rock Splits The Sky - Published 6th March 2014 - Age 12+
Where Megan lives it’s forever dusk: an endless indigo sky above a wounded land that’s slowly dying... Ever since the ‘visitors’ came, the world has stopped turning. No one sleeps, everyone’s afraid. But Megan wants to know what’s coming. She’ll stop at nothing to save those she loves. She’ll ride across a forsaken wilderness to where the rock splits the sky to set the world spinning again – and discover what she’s truly made of.

Wendy Constance - Brave - Published 3rd April 2013 - Age 10+
Thirteen winters old, Wild Horse and Blue Bird must prove their skill and bravery...Together with a sabre-tooth cub, they set out on the most dangerous adventure of their lives. They must fight spear, tooth and claw to survive.

This exhilarating, epic adventure was the winner of the 2013 Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition. It will appeal to fans of Michelle Paver’s Chronicles of Ancient Darkness.

Mr Ripley's Book Review: Rohan Gavin - Knightley & Son - Published by Bloomsbury

                           

Bloomsbury has acquired a “darkly comic detective series” called Knightley & Son, which has been written by the screenwriter Rohan Gavin. This debut release will be out next year - 2nd January 2014. What makes this book particularly interesting to me is the authors aim. He mixes many genres and concepts into this book - fantasy, suspense, comedy and mystery. These are all of the things that excited the author as a child, but also older readers like me. I have to say that, in my opinion, this book surpasses all expectations. It was such an enjoyable and interesting read - I was very pleasantly surprised. I believe that this book should and, probably will do very really well.

Any fan of Sherlock Holmes will find this book very appealing. It is a very fast paced exploration into the detective world where you are introduced to Alan Knightley and his son, Darkus - two great detectives for the price of one. If the crime is too strange for Scotland Yard to handle then Alan Knightley is the man usually to solve it. Unfortunately he has recently fallen into a mysterious coma. However Darkus is determined to follow in his father's footsteps and find out what has really happened. 

It comes as a great surprise when Alan Knightley suddenly wakes up, but his memory is rather vague and he needs help to piece the events together. Fortunately Darkus is on hand to support him and the partnership suddenly springs into life for Knightley & Son with a mystery that gets stranger by the minute.

I don't want to spoil your reading pleasure so I'm not going to divulge any more information about the plot. However the characters, in this action packed tale, are a mixed bunch; they are very interesting but not at all representative of your stereotypical/average characters that you would normally find in this type of story. Interestingly, Alan and Darkus are not the only characters who are able to, and are good at, working things out in this adventure. A number of secondary characters are also able to deliver a lot of punch and mystery within the story. 

This book really hooked me in - I read it in one sitting. It had lots of wonderful ideas that worked particularly well, and had a slightly different feel to what I was expecting. My only small gripe was that I was hoping for a twist at some point in the story, but I never found it. However this didn't detract from the story itself which comprises of dark and sinister moments to keep you on the edge of your seat. It delivers great moments of comedy laughter that will have you chuckling to yourself, but it also incorporates the very heartwarming relationship between father and son. 

This book is full of suspense, mystery and some very clever detective skills. All of which will appeal to any fantasy lovers at any reading level. It is a very good build-up to a potentially fantastic series.

Mystery awaits and after all, how much power can one book have? Jump into the action and find out..... 

Ransom Riggs - 'Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children' Sequel Hollow City and Other News

                                   

                                       

This is an image possibly from the front cover of "Miss Peregrine's" sequel, "Hollow City," which picks up right where the first book left off, following the merry band of peculiar orphans as they travel to London in search of answers.

Who is this stern young man, and why is he lurking in this open door in a pair of the world's most high-waisted trousers? We've no idea, but you can bet the answer is something strange—in the "Miss Peregrine's" universe, it's always something weird. (Perhaps he's come in from out-of-doors to tell us that there's a hollowgast lurking in the yard.) Either way, he'll be waiting to meet you in the pages of "Hollow City" when it comes out January 2014.

Also other connected news: Fox also announced that Peregrine's Home for Peculiars will hit big screen July 31, 2015. The film, based on Ransom Riggs' debut novel, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, will be directed by Tim Burton from a script by X-Men: First Class writer Jane Goldman. The story follows a teenage boy who is transported to an island where he must help protect a group of orphans with special powers from creatures out to destroy them.