Book Plug #7 - C . J . Busby - Cauldron Spells - Illustrated by David Wyatt

                                             
Get ready for more thrills, spills and spells in 2012! We now have book two out. Published by Templar.

Max Pendragon is not looking forward to attending Morgana Le Fay’s summer Spell School. Not only is his battered cauldron producing slimy sludge instead of perfect spells, but ever since he and his sister Olivia foiled evil Morgana’s plot against King Arthur, they have been wary of her plans for revenge.

Max and Olivia soon discover that Spell School has more in store for them than they ever imagined. With the help of Merlin and a mysterious bard, Caradoc, will they be able to outwit Morgana and save Arthur for a second time?

(All Images are By David Wyatt and subject to copyright 2012).

About the Author

C. J. Busby lived on boats until she was sixteen and often moved from place to place. She remembers one terrifying crossing of the English Channel in gale-force winds, when her family’s barge nearly overturned. She spent most of her childhood with her nose in a book, even when walking along the road. Luckily she survived to grow up, but she still carried on reading whenever she could. 

After studying science at university, she lived in a South Indian fishing village and did research for her PhD. She currently lives in Devon with her three children. She borrows their books whenever they let her.

Guest Post: Roy Gill - The Daemon Parallel - (Kelpies)

The original idea for The Daemon Parallel came to me in a dream… 

I saw a boy who was staying with his Gran in Edinburgh – as I had sometimes done when I was small. She sent him out to buy something, but the world beyond her front door was all twisted and strange – both like the city I knew, and very different. When he’d made his way home, and successfully dodged several scary monsters, she didn’t seem that pleased to see him. In fact, she seemed a little cold.

When I woke up, I wanted to know why the boy had to live with this odd old woman, and what had happened to the city. It all went into a notebook, and lurked there for a while. One day I sat down and wrote - ‘It was over coffee and biscuits that Grandma Ives offered to return Cameron’s father from the dead’ - and the whole mad, creepy story unfolded from there… 

I guess I had always wanted to be a writer. Growing up, I was usually scribbling away on some story, or trying to draw a comic strip (badly), or plotting how to make my own episode of Doctor Who if I could ever get my hands on a camera.

I went to university to study English and Film – and stayed there a very long time! I mainly wrote academically for a while, trying to discover how and why people fell in love with certain stories. In an odd way, I became a little sidetracked from my original goal. When I was about to hit 30 – one of those milestones where you take stock of your achievements – I realised it was time to get back to my first love of writing fiction.

The Daemon Parallel is my first novel. It sometimes feels like my second and third as well, because it took a lot of drafts to reach the final version! In 2011, it was submitted for the Kelpies Prize for new children’s fiction, and made the shortlist. I was delighted when Floris said they would like to publish it.

It’s got twists and turns, thrills and monsters, and hopefully quite a few laughs along the way. You definitely don’t need to know Edinburgh to enjoy it – although those who have visited this gothic city might start to see it differently. You’ll certainly never look at the shadow on a crumpled curtain, a rundown cinema, or a rambling department store in quite the same way again… 

Welcome to The Daemon Parallel!

If that post doesn't have you hooked and chomping at the bit to read it, then I think you might need your head testing! The Daemon Parallel is due to be published on the 22nd of March by Kelpies (great little Scottish publisher). So don't wait and get your order in now. 


Many thanks to Roy for taking the time to write such an insightful post into his debut book and for giving us a taste about the man himself.

New Book Plug Preview #1: Lissa Price - Starters

              

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday Childrens (29 Mar 2012)
• Language English
• ISBN-10: 0857531352
• ISBN-13: 978-0857531353

                              
In the future, teens rent their bodies to seniors who want to be young again. One girl discovers her renter plans to do more than party--her body will commit murder, if her mind can't stop it. Sixteen-year-old Callie lost her parents when the genocide spore wiped out everyone except those who were vaccinated first--the very young and very old. With no grandparents to claim Callie and her little brother, they go on the run, living as squatters, and fighting off unclaimed renegades who would kill for a cookie. Hope comes via Prime Destinations, run by a mysterious figure known only as The Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to seniors, known as enders, who get to be young again. Callie's neurochip malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her rich renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, even dating Blake, the grandson of a senator. It's a fairy-tale new life . . . until she uncovers the Body Bank's horrible plan. . . .


“The only thing better than a terrific concept is one that is as well executed as “Starters.” Readers who have been waiting for a worthy successor to Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games” will find it here. Dystopian sci-fi at its best, “Starters” is a terrific series kickoff with a didn’t-see-that-coming conclusion that will leave readers on the edges of their seats, waiting for the second and final book, “Enders,” which will be out this year.” http://www.lissaprice.com/

Conrad Mason - The Demon's Watch - Happy Launch Day - March 1st 2012

Many thanks to Conrad for taking the time to write a little post about his exciting debut book which is out today. I for one loved it, so check out the review Here
I hope that you enjoy the blog post below. If it grabs your attention then go and buy a copy of the book so that you can have an amazing amount of fun reading it. 
If you've already read the book then please let us know what you thought of it. Don't be shy and write a few words in the comments part at the bottom of this page. I look forward to reading all your thoughts and comments soon. 


When I was young, I thought it would be cool to read a book which had magic, elves and goblins, but in an 18th century style setting - with pirates, tricorne hats and muskets. I never found that book, so years later I decided to write it.
There are a lot of fantasy stories in which a young farmboy goes on a quest to defeat a dark wizard, facing evil creatures along the way (usually orcs of one sort or another) and discovering that he is the chosen one, destined to rule the kingdom. I love this kind of story. But for The Demon's Watch I wanted to do something different. So my hero is a goblin boy, and there's nothing special about him at all. My villains are the League of the Light - self-righteous humans who want to rid the world of anyone who isn't like them. It's a sort of fantasy-in-reverse.

Here's a bit about the story:

Port Fayt - where humans live in peace alongside trolls, goblins and fairies alike. Captain Newton and his men are the Demon's Watch, keeping the town safe from pirates and smugglers. But now Fayt is under threat from a much more deadly enemy - the all-human, all-powerful League of the Light. And to make matters worse, a dangerous witch has just arrived in town.

Half-goblin boy Joseph Grubb works in his uncle's tavern, the Legless Mermaid, and has only ever heard stories of the Demon's Watch. But when he runs away from his uncle and finds himself deep in a criminal underworld, Grubb might be the one person who could help the watchmen save Port Fayt.

The Demon's Watch is my first book, and it's out in March with David Fickling Books. I've tried to pack it full of action, humour and mystery, with some big twists along the way. I like to think the younger me would have enjoyed it. I hope you will too. 

Conrad Mason's website: www.conrad-mason.com

Jim Carrington - Drive By -Happy Book Publication Day - Bloomsbury

What would you do if you thought you had killed someone? After an innocent prank goes horribly wrong Johnny is wracked with guilt, but things go from bad to worse as the consequences of his actions spiral out of control.  

On the way back from the park one sweltering summer day, Johnny and his friends spot the mean old lady who burst their football. They decide to take their revenge and give her a drive-by soaking with their water pistols. Johnny later discovers that the old lady has suffered a heart attack and died. He feels terrible, and when he starts waking up at the same time every night, in a cold sweat, sensing a presence in his room, he is convinced she is haunting him.

To make matters worse, the impossibly cool girl Johnny can’t get out of his head is the old lady’s granddaughter. He doesn’t know what to do, but the sleepless nights and ghostly visits are getting to him. Something has to change . . .

Jim Carrington is an expert at writing gripping stories with teen dilemmas at the heart of them. Drive By raises moral questions about taking responsibility for your actions as well as keeping the reader guessing right until the end. 

Jim Carrington grew up in Norfolk before moving to Raynes Park, London, where he still lives. When Jim was at university he started writing a fanzine, which is when he realised that he was better at making things up than reviewing gigs and albums. Not long after that he moved on to writing short stories and decided to do the MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. Jim is also a primary school teacher.

Jim’s debut novel was inspired by his memories of school bullies. Inside My Head was initially a short story he wrote for anti-bullying week. It was shortlisted for the Lancashire Book of the Year award.

Barry Hutchison - The 13th Horseman - Book Review

The road to scaring children is definitely not the easiest of paths to take when writing a story. However, in the past, Barry has done a great job with his first five books in the Invisible Fiends series. These have already been published and are doing really well, but now it's time to seek pasture new and green. Welcome to Barry's new sequence of books entitled AFTERWORLDS - I'm not sure how many will be in the series, but I hope it's lots.

The first thing that you will notice about this story is the brilliant book cover - it is absolutely 100% bonkers. This book comes with a warning,it will put a massive grin on your face. In fact my jaw is still hurting now that I come to think of it. This book is essentially a trip back into Barry's mind - plucking out everything that he has enjoyed reading and then crammed it into this book with equal measure. The result is a fight between Pratchett, Gaiman and his childhood memories - which comes out on top I have no idea.

This book is brilliant. However, if Barry's reading this review then we will tell him, for his own sake, that it's a bag of bilge water and not to be read unless supervised by a moral understanding of life coming to end as we know it. It's the funniest book that I've read for a long time. The plot and the characters are both highly imaginative and very awe inspiring. I actually have no idea as to what they story is really about - although it features a flying shed and three horsemen of the apocalypse playing snakes and ladders, drinking tea and eating chocolate! It also includes Drake (not you average heroic young boy) who has no cares in the world. That is until he's told that he's a good candidate for Death and therefore he's the man for the job.

There are a number of fantastic visionary instruments of torture and a transformer-like epic monster who battles it out in the park. This action scene involves a great deal of madness and the characters are very engaging. It has great comedic moments that will leave you chuckling to yourself. 

I hope that this review is grabbing you as potential readers as I think that this is Barry's best work. However, it has me written all over it - a fantasy world that is well written but with a touch of darkness to give it light. In fact I think it is up there with the best of them; just about anyone and everyone will love to read it. It has everything going it for it so don't wait for the world to end, read it now. 

You can follow more of the madness by reading the Diary of the Apocalypse here: http://www.the13thhorseman.com/

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books New Book Picks: March 2012

                                  


Kristen Simmons - Article 5 - Published by Tor Teen - 12 March 2012
New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned. The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes. There are no more police - instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behaviour - instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back. Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different. Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow. That is, until her mother is arrested for non-compliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings...the only boy Ember has ever loved.

                                  
Dan Wells - Partials - Published by HarperCollins - 29 March 2012
The only hope for humanity isn’t human.
In a world where people have been all but wiped out by a virus created by part-human cyborgs called ‘Partials’, and where no baby survives longer than three days, a teenage girl makes it her mission to find a cure, and save her best friend’s unborn child.
But finding a cure means capturing a Partial…

                                 
                                  

Oisin McGann -  Merciless Reason - Published by Corgi Children's - 1 March 2012
Nate Wildenstern has been on the run from his family for the past three years, but he is about to discover that the murderous Wildensterns cannot be hidden from forever... Megalomaniac and extremely dangerous cousin Gerald has been advancing his research into intelligent particles, with the intention of creating the ultimate engimal. Can Nate return to the Wildenstern estate incognito, and take his revenge upon Gerald?
 

                                  
                                 
Kai Meyer - Arcadia Awakens - Published by Templar Books - 1 March 2012
When troubled teenager Rosa escapes her life in New York to stay with family in Sicily, she stumbles into a sinister Mafia underworld of murder, corruption and bitter, generations-old rivalries. How is handsome, mysterious stranger Alessandro involved? And why is Rosa so powerfully drawn to him, even though she knows he spells danger for her and her family? Simmering at the heart of the conflict is an ancient myth surrounding the vanished empire of Arcadia and its people, who - in the tales of legend - could shapeshift into animal form. Can Rosa unravel the dark secrets of the past before untamed savagery is unleashed on the present?

                               

                                                         

                                             

Sarwat Chadda - Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress - Published by HarperCollins - 1 March 2012

Breathtaking action adventure for boys of 8-12. Ash Mistry, reluctant hero, faces ancient demons… and comes into an astonishing, magical inheritance.

Varanasi: holy city of the Ganges

In this land of ancient temples, incense and snake charmers…Where the monsters and heroes of the past come to life…
One slightly geeky boy from our time…

IS GOING TO KICK SOME DEMON ASS.
Ash Mistry hates India. Which is a problem since his uncle has brought him and his annoying younger sister Lucky there to take up a dream job with the mysterious Lord Savage. But Ash immediately suspects something is very wrong with the eccentric millionaire. Soon, Ash finds himself in a desperate battle to stop Savage's masterplan – the opening of the Iron Gates that have kept Ravana, the demon king, at bay for four millennia…

Kazu Kibuishi - Explorer: The Mystery Boxes - Review

                                

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (March 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141970009X
• 
  

Like the lesson of Schrödinger’s Cat, what exists within a box is possibilities—when opened, we all have to face the reality of that decision. The tales in this anthology—which add up to a kind of Twilight Zone for younger readers—offer characters who encounter the mystery boxes of the title, with no unification beyond their geometry and their role as catalysts to unexpected narrative turns. Gathering multiple creators to work within that concept, editorial dynamo Kibuishi (the author of the Amulet series) creates a mixture of laughs and creeps, with some philosophy thrown in, as well as the kind of graphical triumphs expected from Kibuishi’s previous Flight collections. Outstanding among the contributions are the spooky tale of a sinister doppelgänger invading a girl’s life by up-and-coming comics star Emily Carroll; Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier’s comedy of wizarding errors and online bidding wars; and Rad Seachrist’s romp involving a teenage girl, an introduction to the basics of Shintoism, and a manic butter thief driving a grandma to the brink. All the stories offer top-notch storytelling while providing readers with something more to think about without being overbearing in their intellect.

Conrad Mason - The Demon's Watch - Book Review

     

• Hardcover: 400 pages 
• Publisher: David Fickling Books (1 Mar 2012)
• ISBN-10: 0857560298
• ISBN-13: 978-0857560292

                                   
Since this book cover was a big contender of my book cover wars (at the back end of last year) I have eagerly anticipated this release. The magical book cover, illustrated by the talented David Wyatt, couldn't have had a more magical touch applied to it. However, could this magic find its way inside the book and onto the pages? 


I have to say that the review of this book is a glowing one. This story is both fast paced and action packed from the very start of the book. With no problem at all, this author gets stuck into the action very early on. He uses every page to keep the action flowing right until the end of this story. The author has not packed the writing with detail, instead the emphasis has been placed on the storyline. He has created a story that both children and adults alike will enjoy. However, I perhaps would have liked the evil monsters to have been written more creatively - perhaps making a Demon Beast from scratch so that it was totally unique. Yet having said all that this is only book one.


Set on the enchanting island of Port Fayt (the jewel of the Middle Islands) this is a safe haven for a whole host of creatures, as well as a half-gobling boy named Joseph Grubb. Yet protection from the League of Light is essential. This book follows the adventures of The Demon's Watch, an unusual group of characters, who protect the Island from smugglers. However things become complicated when they encounter a powerful witch. At this point the adventure turns into a run away train - the pace hurtles through the story right to the very end. 


This book is a great family read; it has some of the best pirate banter that you will find such as "Come on maggot breath". The entertaining battles scenes, close scrapes and the odd bar brawl (in the Legless Mermaid) will have you running for your grog. I particularly loved the chapter involving Harry's Shark Pit which is written with oodles of imagination, humour and wit. I also enjoyed and appreciated the interesting use of vocabulary such as walrus dung, Dockside Militia and the three-legged, one-eyed dog - brilliant stuff. Interestingly, I can't help but compare this to the brilliant Edge Chronicle series written by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. 


In one of my book reviews a little while ago, I highlighted that I'm finding less fantasy-themed books in my reading pile. However, this is one debut book that will definitely find its way onto the bookshelves in March. It is also one that could fill a hole in the fantasy market and do really well if you ask me. Conrad has created a fantastic start to an amazing adventure - I loved every minute embroiled in this story. I'm very pleased to be able to heartily recommend this book to you all; I feel sure it won't let you down matey!