Book Review: Roger Davenport - Wanderer - Published by Sky Pony Press

The best introduction that I can come up with for this book is that it is a big time story with lots of heart and soul. It is published by Sky Pony Press in New York who sent me this review copy. I'd like to thank them for sending it over and giving me the opportunity to read it.

I was very keen to read this book when I found that the story portrayed a post-apocalyptic world. I have to say that this theme is difficult to get right when it is featured in books, but when it works it is amazing. So did this book and story live up to my expectations? Well, I have to say yes, in the main it did. This book has a great vision - the author paints the picture in full colour with some great fantasy elements that work particularly well. 

The story takes place in a lost valley in which society has been split into two: the Wanderers and the people who live in the pyramid city of Arcone. The Wanderes, by in large, have a very difficult and turbulent life - they have to battle against the elements, the arid desert landscape and each other. Whilst the people, who live in the pyramid city of Arcone, have a closed environment with a tightly controlled society which enables them to maintain a more civilized basic existence in the face of an environmentally devastated planet. I really did enjoy reading this book; it's highly imaginative and very well written. It is a fast-paced easy to follow story aimed at the 13-17 year old market but it also has a strong pull to older readers, just like myself!   

The characters are varied and very interesting; they are mostly likeable and take you along on a hair raising adventure. One of my favourite parts of the story involved the gas propelled balloon journey which took me on a breathtaking ride. It was really engrossing and set up the vision for the rest of the book. I loved the small attention to detail that you will find throughout this book - it really does make the story stand out from some of the other books within this genre.

The action intensifies the further that you travel into the story. However, it then very abruptly stops leaving the outcome, for me, to end too early. Perhaps the author took a little too long to set up the story for the next book and then made the story feel like two adventures in one book. That was my only gripe about this book really - I would have liked a stronger ending.

I really would like more people to find a copy of this book as it had a really good pace and rhythm to it. It has a gripping, fantastical world element that will have you engaged by following the characters' hardships, friendships and survival. There were some particularly great scenes and epic battles involving the survival of the main characters that will keep you immersed in the story. I really did enjoy reading this book as it was easy to follow, well written and really engaging from the start. The story included many great ideas which were well thought out and all told with a twist of mystery and a sense of adrenaline. I would recommend reading this book, so track down a copy if you can......

Book Review - Brandon Sanderson - The Rithmatist

This book is based on an original idea that the author had around Spring 2007. At this time, Brandon's initial penned title was known as the 'Scribbler' and was based around the world that he aptly calls "gearpunk". However, due to other commitments, he was unable to fix the 'major flaws' (his acknowledgement) that he had encountered until more recently. Thank goodness he did find the time to revisit this book as the overall finished product is definitely worth all of the time and effort that he has invested in it.

In fact, in my opinion, these are perhaps some of the reasons as to why this book is so brilliant. It has had time to mature, just like all things classical. I'm sure that the plot has undertaken many changes and transformations along the way in order to make it the story that we are reading today. This is the book that should put Brandon Sanderson on the UK map as a great young adult fiction writer as well as an epic and well established adult fantasy writer.

This book is a rapid fantasy ride that will grip you. It's very complex and perhaps one of the most imaginative reads that I have come across in quite a long time. The core of the story is based around the Rithmatists, who draw pictures in chalk on the ground. However these take on mysterious and magical powers. You could be mistaken into thinking that this seems quite harmless, but these chalklings can be instructed to injure people . . . especially the wild chalklings. 

The Rithmatists find themselves protecting the Isles from deadly forces until one day they start to mysteriously disappear. A killer is on the loose. It takes Joel (non-Rithmatist) and his unlikely friends to save the day.  This is a breathtaking read with a fantastic storyline. It is full of mystery and suspense that will leave the reader wanting more - much more.

This is quite easily one of the best concepts that I have read in a long time. I was really immersed in the complex structure, which is depicted in detailed diagrams throughout the book, and give an in depth insight into the author's vision. In following this fantastic adventure, many chilling turn of events are introduced.

This book is up with the best fantasy reads this year. The ideas and the development of the setting are very well thought out and detailed. The enjoyable characters, who all add to the sense of mystery, create twists and turns within the story. The fast-paced nature of events and the great injection of "gearpunk", which some might identify as Steampunk, make this book tick all of the right boxes. The ending ties up all of the loose ends in a good way and leaves a teasing glance as to what may come next.

This is definitely a book for your summer reading list if you haven't already read it. If you already have, then I would love to hear what you think.

I'm hoping that time now passes by very quickly until the publishing of the next book in the series. I hope that I'm not going to have to wait another six years............!

Mr Ripley's Children's Book Recommendation - Allen Zadoff - Boy Nobody

                                        

They needed the perfect assassin.

Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school in a new town under a new name, makes a few friends, and doesn't stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend's family to die-of "natural causes." Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, moving on to the next target.

But when he's assigned to the mayor of New York City, things change. The daughter is unlike anyone he has encountered before; the mayor reminds him of his father. And when memories and questions surface, his handlers at The Program are watching. Because somewhere deep inside, Boy Nobody is somebody: the kid he once was; the teen who wants normal things, like a real home and parents; a young man who wants out. And who just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program's mission.

In this action-packed series debut, author Allen Zadoff pens a page-turning thriller that is as thought-provoking as it is gripping, introducing an utterly original and unforgettable antihero.

The explosive new thriller for fans of Jason Bourne, Robert Muchamore and Michael Grant.

Book Published by Orchard - 23 May 2013

Follow him on twitter @allenzadoff and check out his website here http://www.allenzadoff.com/

Solaris Books: Three Great Slices Of Fiction - Out This Summer 2013 - Adult Post

                                    

Al Ewing - The Fictional Man -  7 May 2013
The most exciting new voice in SF fiction has written a novel with enormous cross-over appeal. In an L.A. where Fictional characters are cloned into living beings, the author Niles Golan is on the verge of hitting the big-time - if he can just stay on top of reality long enough to make it.

In Hollywood, where last year’s stars are this year’s busboys, Fictionals are everywhere. Niles Golan’s therapist is a Fictional. So is his best friend. So (maybe) is the woman in the bar he can’t stop staring at. Fictionals – characters ‘translated’ into living beings for movies and TV using cloning technology – are a part of daily life in LA now. Sometimes the problem is knowing who’s real and who’s not.

Divorced, alcoholic and hanging on by a thread, Niles – author of Death By Degrees: A Kurt Power Novel and many others – has been hired to write a big-budget reboot of a classic movie. If he does this right, the studio might bring one of Niles’ own characters to life. Somewhere beneath the movie – beneath the TV show it was inspired by, the children’s book behind that and the story behind that – is the kernel of something important. If he can just hold it together long enough...

                               

Ben Jeapes - Phoenicia's World -  30, July 2013

The debut SF novel by an amazing new name in Science Ficiton, Ben Jeapes. • A story of two brothers, two planets, and humankind's first attempt to colonise another world. • La Nueva Temporada is Earth’s only extrasolar colony – an Earth-type planet caught in the grip of a very Earth-type Ice Age. Alex Mateo wants nothing more than to stay and contribute to the terraforming of his homeworld. But tragedy strikes the colony, and to save it from starvation and collapse Alex must reluctantly entrust himself to the only starship in existence to make the long, slower than light journey back to Earth. But it is his brother Quin, who loathes La Nueva Temporada and all the people on it, who must watch his world collapse around him and become its ultimate saviour.

La Nueva Temporada is Earth’s only extrasolar colony – an Earth-type planet caught in the grip of a very Earth-type Ice Age. Alex Mateo wants nothing more than to stay and contribute to the terraforming of his homeworld. But tragedy strikes the colony, and to save it from starvation and collapse Alex must reluctantly entrust himself to Phoenicia, the only starship in existence, to make the long, slower than light journey back to Earth.• But it is his brother Quin, who loathes La Nueva Temporada and all the people on it, who must watch his world collapse around him and become its ultimate saviour.

                              

Lou Morgan - Blood and Feathers: Rebellion - 6, July 2013

This is the thrilling follow-up to Blood and Feathers, one of the most highly-regarded debuts of 2012. The battle between the Fallen and the Angels has turned into open warfare, on the streets of London.

"This is a war. The war. There is no stopping; no getting out. You're in this - just like the rest of us - to the end." • Driven out of hell and with nothing to lose, the Fallen wage open warfare against the angels on the streets. And they're winning.• As the balance tips towards the darkness, Alice - barely recovered from her own ordeal in hell and struggling to start over - once again finds herself in the eye of the storm. But with the chaos spreading and the Archangel Michael determined to destroy Lucifer whatever the cost, is the price simply too high… and what sacrifices will Alice and the angels have to make in order to pay it? • The Fallen will rise. Trust will be betrayed. And all hell breaks loose…

One To Watch: Monument 14 - Sky On Fire by Emmy Laybourne

                                         

Overview

Trapped in a superstore by a series of escalating disasters, including a monster hailstorm and terrifying chemical weapons spill, brothers Dean and Alex learned how to survive and worked together with twelve other kids to build a refuge from the chaos. But then strangers appeared, destroying their fragile peace, and bringing both fresh disaster and a glimmer of hope.

Knowing that the chemical weapons saturating the air outside will turn him into a bloodthirsty rage monster, Dean decides to stay in the safety of the store with Astrid and some of the younger kids. But their sanctuary has already been breached once. . . .

Meanwhile, Alex, determined to find their parents, heads out into the darkness and devastation with Niko and some others in a recently repaired school bus. If they can get to Denver International Airport, they might be evacuated to safety. But the outside world is even worse than they expected. . . .

• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
• Publication date: 28/05/2013
• Pages: 224

News: Michael Grant, meets the winner of GONE Online on the EDF Energy London Eye

                                      

Author of the bestselling GONE series, Michael Grant, meets the winner of GONE Online on the EDF Energy London Eye

www.gone-online.com

On Saturday 4 May, the bestselling author of the GONE series, Michael Grant, met the winner of GONE Online.  The game was created to celebrate the publication of LIGHT, the sixth and final book in the GONE series, which was published on 28 March and topped the children’s bestseller charts in both the UK and Ireland.

Lucy Woodcock, aged 18, whose gaming alias was Dionysus, won the game beating over 2,400 players to the prize.  She wins an Apple iPad and met Michael Grant during a trip around the EDF Energy London Eye. Lucy is from Wolverhampton and is a college student at Dudley Sixth in the West Midlands.

GONE Online (www.gone-online.com) was launched in March and ran over 6 weeks, seeing a series of mini games released on a weekly basis.  They were designed to challenge, infuriate and test the players’ skills.  Some games rewarded time and speed, others ability and knowledge of the books.  Using the latest in location-based marketing, players could pick up extra points by checking in with their smart phones at specific locations – bookshops or libraries.

By the close of play, over 53,000 games had been played with 57 million points scored in total.  Lucy Woodcock was a clear winner scoring over 226,000 points.  She comments, “I started playing the games because I really wanted to meet Michael Grant, and I wanted to see what the games were like especially the word search and the quiz. After playing them for a little while I got into the competitive element of the games and I was really enjoying playing them.” 

The game is hosted on a dedicated website and can also be played on smart phones.  Players of any age were able to play but only UK residents aged 21 years or under were eligible for the competition.  The game is still available to play, although no prizes are now available.

Michael Grant comments, “I am amazingly bad at games, so I’m particularly impressed by the fans who have done so well.  Thanks to them for their enthusiasm and support.  It’s very humbling.  Thanks to all who played and all who outscored me … which was probably everyone.”

GONE was the first instalment in the epic teen series which has become hugely popular with teenagers internationally and has been lauded by Stephen King as ‘exciting, high-tension … told in a driving, torrential narrative that never lets up.’  

Over 400,000 copies of the books have now been sold in the UK alone.

Lucy Woodcock continues, “I first started reading the series because the cover caught my attention while I was in a book shop, I read the blurb and I was interested in reading them so I bought GONE. When I'd finished reading it I was really impressed! I searched online to find out when the next one would be out because I couldn't wait to find out what would happen to everyone. I was really glad that it wasn't a book that censored the violence because that's what made the story more realistic (except the powers) knowing that anything could happen to them at any time and not everyone would be able to cope with being trapped, especially teenagers. I've loved following the books and trying to guess how the FAYZ happened, what the Gaiphage was or how little Pete was involved, although I wasn't impressed when Michael killed my favourite character! I was really happy with how the series ended overall, even though it was really emotional.” 

Mike Richards, Marketing Director at Egmont Press, comments, “This competition was part of a broader campaign for the publication of LIGHT and we’re delighted that it has been won by such a big fan of the series. We’re also celebrating the book having launched straight into the bestseller charts and I take a good deal of personal pride in outscoring Michael in the first trivia game.”

Book Review: Jon Mayhew - Monster Odyssey

                                           

A huge red tentacle gripped a sailor and whisked him above the deck. Dakkar caught the look of horror in his staring eyes as he vanished, dragged over the side and into the sea. Water rained down on the deck as more tentacles squirmed their way over the side and across the deck or through the rigging. Men's shouts of anger or terror mingled with the odd gunshot. 

This is the fourth book by Jon Mayhew - it is due to be published by Bloomsbury this month. This book is slightly different from Jon's previous books as it's not just about the frights and spills of horror. It is instead a pure epic fantasy from the bottom of the ocean. Jon, at an early age, was captivated like so may of us by the classic 1950 Disney film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. This was of course originally written by the great man and author, Jules Verne. 

At the time, the film industry was making great leaps and bounds with new technology. This film captivated many watchers, just like the book. It has certainly inspired Jon to be very creative historically - additional embellishments through a creative vision creates a mix of 200,000 Leagues and The Mysterious Island. A memorable and enchanting read has been created that will have you in awe. You'll be gripped by the strongest tentacle and dragged down into the deepest depths of fantasy. 

The main character in the book, Prince Dakkar, will rejuvenate the memory of Captain Nemo in so many ways. I'm hoping that he may pave the way for many future stories. Son of an Indian Rajah, he certainly has issues with authority, as he was expelled from the world's finest schools and finally sent to an unconventional educator known as Count Oginski. Unsurprisingly, Dakkar plans his escape immediately and eventually sets off on a roller-coaster adventure. This is a seafaring-tale that will have you splashing about wanting much more.

Count Oginski is a genius inventor, as a character he works really well for me. Although, in my opinion, he might be a little bit stereotypical but nevertheless he is very mysterious and definitely interesting to read and follow. Another key character is the sinister Cryptos, who is hellbent on taking over the world. He's just like a super villain from a Bond movie as he lives in a fantastic hideout where he can be found plotting evil world domination.  

This book was brilliant - it has all of the classic ingredients that will take you back to your childhood. Assassins, espionage and a mind boggling adventure. There are pirates and a big giant squid, which is just pure magic as it creates some epic, high-octane, action sequences.  Whilst a whole host of deadly sea creatures produce a horrifying element that cannot be imagined. All of which is told at a blistering pace - the pure fantasy and imagination does not let up until the very end of the book.

Jon's new adventure has taken him into a new territory, but he has certainly come up trumps. I loved this book as much as his other stories. He has a great ability to conjure up something really special which transports the reader back to their childhood roots . . . . . just like the classic film all those years ago. Fantastic reading - I'm sure that you'll love this book as much as I did.

Published by Bloomsbury May 9th 2013

Three Children's Books: For Reluctant Boy Readers - Out In May 2013

                                         

Chris Bradford - Bodyguard: Hostage - Published by Puffin (2 May 2013)

In a dangerous world, everyone needs protection.

Bodyguard: Hostage is the new thriller from Chris Bradford, bestselling author of Young Samurai. Bodyguard is a bulletproof action-adventure series that fans of Cherub and Alex Rider will love. This is Lee Child for younger readers - Jason Bourne for the next generation.

With the rise of teen stars, the intense media focus on celeb families and a new wave of billionaires, adults are no longer the only target for hostage-taking, blackmail and assassination - kids are too.

That's why they need a young bodyguard like Connor Reeves to protect them.

Recruited into the ranks of a covert young bodyguard squad, 14-year-old Connor Reeves embarks on a rigorous close protection course. Training in surveillance, anti-ambush exercises, hostage survival and unarmed combat, he's put through his paces and wonders if he will actually survive the course.

But when the US President summons Connor to protect his impulsive teenage daughter, Connor's training is put to the ultimate test. For Connor discovers that the First Daughter, Alicia, doesn't want to be guarded. She just wants to have fun. And with no clue Connor is her bodyguard, Alicia tries to elude her Secret Service agents and lead Connor astray. But unknown to her, a terrorist sleeper cell has been activated.

Its mission: to take the president's daughter HOSTAGE...

                        

H. L Dennis - The Knights of Neustria (Secret Breakers) - Published by Hodder Children's  (2  May 2013)

Team Veritas are back at Bletchley Park where a secret message hidden in a Shakespeare Portfolio pulls them into a new code-cracking adventure. Their investigations lead them to the writings of Sir Francis Bacon. Soon, they uncover the history of the Knights of Neustria, a brotherhood that goes back to the time of King Arthur charged with protecting a legendary secret. 

But are they any closer to their goal - to unravel the secret behind the ancient coded Voynich Manuscript? 
The stakes are getting higher as our young trio chase their quest from Cambridge to a terrifying struggle along the currents of the surging River Wye. Only one step behind them is the secret organisation who will stop at nothing to block them from discovering the truth ... 
Join the Secret Breakers team to crack the code in this highly original puzzle-solving series - The Da Vinci Code for kids.

                                        

Darren Shan - Hagurosan - Published by Barrington Stoke Ltd (15 May 2013)

When Hagurosan is told to take an offering to the shrine, he reluctantly begins his trek up the mountain. But when he gets hungry and eats the cake meant for the spirits, things take a turn that no one could have expected. Now Hagurosan must face the consequences of his actions. Terrific adventure from a master of fantasy. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers of 8+

Mr Ripley's One to Watch: Aesop's Secret By Claudia White - May 2013

At the age of ten, Melinda Hutton enjoys a dreamy world where she imagines transforming into animals. Her brother, serious minded, twelve-year old Felix scoffs when their mother, Elaine, explains that to transform is normal for Athenites. She explains that their ancestry is often disguised in stories and fables, but it isn’t until their father Jake demonstrates this talent that they begin to understand that their ancestry is anything but mythical…

 Felix looked horrified as he stared at the wolf in his father’s clothing. While Melinda had greeted her father’s transformation with delight, Felix had turned a ghostly white and his mouth hung open as he gasped for breath. He looked like he might faint, throw up or both. Instead, he stood up,

moved backwards then ran out of the room and out of the house.

Understanding their heritage is only one of the challenges that Melinda and Felix must contend as they discover that treachery and greed impact their family’s lives. Melinda uses the skills of her ancestors (with strange and less than perfect results) to uncover Professor Horace Stumpworthy’s frightening plans…

Melinda panted under the heavy fabric of her bed clothes. She was dizzy after the quickest transformation of her life, leaving her feeling the way she might have having plummeted down in an elevator after the cable snapped. Her heart was racing as the floor vibrated while the professor walked closer. An involuntary shiver rippled along the length of her rabbit-shaped body and a single droplet of sweat trickled down her tiny freckled human face. She knew that if he turned on the lights he would see the pile of clothing and it would take only a second or two to discover her underneath.

Professor Stumpworthy’s brilliance in using his Athenite skills has made him a rich and powerful man. He had exploited humans, as well as his own kind, with ease until the Huttons got in the way…

Feeling the professor go limp, Melinda released her grip and leapt free while Felix leaned closer to the professor’s prone body. “There you go Professor…Burungo, the strongest sedative known to modern science.” But the professor didn’t stay quiet for long. His body writhed and shrank; white hairs exploded out of his skin, covering his entire body. Felix pushed backwards as the professor melted into a furry mass. Seconds later all that was left of him was a small white animal now occupying the space where he had fallen. It was only then that Felix noticed Joe kneeling alongside. Joe smiled as he held up a tiny syringe. “So it really does work,” he said in amazement. “Let that be a lesson to all of us to stay as far away from Wolfbane as we possibly can.”

 Publisher: MP Publishing (14 May 2013)

Book Review: Rick Yancey - The 5th Wave - Published by Puffin - May 2013

                                     

The 1st Wave: a power cut and the world is in complete darkness

The 2nd Wave: a tidal wave wipes out three billion people and only the lucky escape 

The 3rd Wave: a deadly virus clears a further four billion - only the unlucky survive 

The 4th Wave: the few remaining survivors begin killing each other. Only one rule applies: trust no one

The 5th Wave: No one knows. But it is coming......

With the hype mounting and the movie rights already sold, will this book deliver a Hollywood blockbuster? Riding on the success of 'The Hunger Games' and 'I Am Number Four' this genre is really hot at the moment and this book is definitely seeking a slice of the action. Rick Yancey's terrifying dystopian vision is a great story. It is one that I feel people will love and say great things about. Even though I actually had a couple of issues with the book, but I will say more about this soon.

The start of the book felt a little bit slow going to me, although I was still able to really enjoy what I was reading. The story has all of the key ingredients that I love to read about. A dystopian setting and a terrifying alien invasion with a sting in its tale. All of this is set in a well-written and well imagined sci-fi setting which has a bleak outlook and an even bleaker future. It's scary, it's violent and it's psychologically gripping - this story is brilliant. It is full of originality and full of big time heroics as the characters fight for survival - the underlying theme in this story is what it means to be human. 

However, at this point, the plot then came crashing down for me. The middle part of the story just stopped and I found myself wading deeper and deeper into the character emotions and feelings of Cassie. These ran strongly between trust and despair, defiance and surrender and between life and death etc. It was far too deep for me and became rather annoying. It felt as if the story was only based around two or three characters in the book, but it really could have been so much more than that. In my opinion, this section really just took the fantastic edge of a great story.  

The book did recover towards the end. All of the story segments were expertly woven together to make it a particularly intense and epic ending. It is an action-packed story which is full of great ideas. However these are wrapped up in with some rather big surprises. I was definitely superglued to the final outcome, which made the whole reading experience enjoyable and captivating. This was the ending that I was hoping for - the author delivered this in a really big way. It is an outstanding finish which, in my opinion, made up for the middle section.

This book is the first part of a trilogy. It is a story, in my opinion, which should work well as a movie. The book is due to be published on the 7th of May by Puffin. With a UK author tour confirmed in early June, this is definitely an opportunity worth looking out for. I look forward to your comments, as always.

Here is the book trailer....

Guest Post By Teresa Flavin - Behind the Cover - The Shadow Lantern

Behind the Cover: The Shadow Lantern

By Teresa Flavin

I’m very pleased to be a guest on Mr Ripley’s Enchanted Books, especially because Mr R hosts the ever exciting ‘Book Cover Wars’ feature where readers vote for their favourite design of the year. I’m always impressed, but not surprised, with how many people register their opinions. Book covers can inspire delight, disdain, awe and even controversy. They are analysed, categorised and compared. We may pick up a book just because we like the cover – and avoid a book for the same reason. And that’s why book cover design is such a tricky and important business. 

When Templar Publishing acquired The Blackhope Enigma, my fantasy-adventure novel about a magical Renaissance painting, one of the things I thought about most was how the cover would look. It felt a bit odd (but good) to know that a designer was creating a look for my debut book, deciding what elements to highlight and which font would catch the reader’s eye. When I saw the design for the first time, it was as if my story had been distilled into a gorgeous, mysterious image and reflected back at me. The Parish, the design consultancy that created the cover, had most definitely ‘got’ it. Everything from the ravens to the thorny border to the fragments of the painting in the background worked for me. And it was extra nice to have my labyrinth drawing included.

With The Crimson Shard, the second book in the trilogy, The Parish cooked up an even darker look to go along with the story’s setting in an eighteenth-century London underworld of art forgery, alchemy and body-snatching. I provided the illustration of the shard and the designer made it into a creepy silhouette. 

So it was with great anticipation that I waited to see what The Parish would make of The Shadow Lantern, which will be published in the UK on 1 May. In the final story, it’s Halloween and my two teenage characters, Sunni and Blaise, are pulled back to the Scottish castle where their adventures began. They encounter a strange old oil lantern that projects painted slides made by artist-magician Fausto Corvo - and there is far more to these projections than the eye can see. Sunni and Blaise must decipher the cryptic messages hidden inside these images, but enemies, alive and dead, are watching their every move. 

I couldn’t have asked for a more striking cover to end the trilogy. As soon as it was revealed, I received enthusiastic comments about the dancing skeleton under the full moon. And, as is often the case, I was asked whether I designed the cover since many people know about my background as an illustrator. I always answer no and that I am happy to have design wizards like The Parish take my stories and work their magic with them, especially when they let me draw the skeleton!

I guess the only big unanswered question is whether The Shadow Lantern has a chance in Mr Ripley’s Book Cover Wars. But that, dear readers, is up to him and to you! 

Thank you so much to Teresa for taking the time to write this post. I hope that this has piqued your interest to read the series. As for the book cover, if I get five or more comments stating that it should be in this years Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover Wars 13. Then it may find itself being added to a heat - what do you think?

New Children's Fantasy Books: Published In May 2013 - US Post

                                        
                                          

Viviane Schwarz - The Sleepwalkers - Published by Candlewick (May 14, 2013) - Age 7+ 
Nightmares are turned around with the help of The Sleepwalkers, a dreamlike graphic-novel adventure by Vivane Schwarz. When you are afraid to fall asleep, when all your dreams are nightmares, write us a letter, put it under your pillow, we will rescue you...It is almost time for the old and tired Sleepwalkers to return to the waking world. But before they go, they must conjure and train three new replacements. Who else will look after the Sleepwalking House and be there to answer the call of a child frozen with fear, trapped in a nightmare? Faced with a series of cliff-hanging dream predicaments, the three brave new heroes tackle the weird and the wild in this tale about pulling together as a team and having the confidence to stand up to your fears.

Marianne - Malone - The Pirate's Coin: A Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventure - published by Random House Books for Young Readers (May 28, 2013) -Age 8+

Fans of magic, mystery, and adventure will love the third The Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventure—a perfect next step for kids who love the Magic Tree House series, and just right for readers who love Chasing Vermeer, The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and Wonderstruck. Sixth Graders Ruthie and Jack return to the Art Institute of Chicago's magical Thorne Rooms. During a school presentation, Ruthie and Jack discover that their classmate Kendra is descended from Phoebe Monroe, the young slave they befriended when they traveled to 19th-century South Carolina. Kendra tells them that long ago her family lost their good name and their business selling herbal remedies when mobsters accused them of stealing the recipes! Only Ruthie and Jack know the truth--because only they know about the secret ledger that Phoebe wrote the recipes in long ago! Ruthie and Jack's mission to clear Kendra's name takes them back to the Thorne Rooms, where a mysterious old coin leads them to 1753 Cape Cod and to Jack's own ancestor . . . the pirate Jack Norfleet! But playing with history can be dangerous! Suddenly, Jack's very existence is in jeopardy! Can Ruthie and Jack find the proof they need to help Kendra? And can they fix the past and save Jack's future . . . before it's too late?
     
                                           

Anne Nesbit - A Box Of Gargoyles -  Published by HarperCollins (May 14, 2013) - Age 8+
In this sequel to The Cabinet of Earths, twelve-year-old Maya is feeling more at home in Paris, a city filled with old magic. Her little brother, James, is safe, and the terrible man with purple eyes is gone. At least Maya believed he was until a person-sized column of dust and leaves with hints of purple where its eyes should be begins following her.
 
Maya suspects the strange, shadowy column is what’s left of the purple-eyed man, and that it—he—is behind the eerie changes in Paris, including the appearance of flying, talking stone gargoyles. She’s right. Worse, he has bound Maya to make him whole again, even if it kills her.

                                            

Anne Cameron The Lightning Catcher - Published by Greenwillow Books (May 7, 2013) - Age 8+
The Lightning Catcher, the first in a funny four-book fantasy / adventure series by Anne Cameron, is a must-read for middle-grade fans of The Underland Chronicles series and the Savvy books.
 
Any kid who has dreamed of having magical powers will want to follow the thrilling story of eleven-year-old Angus, an ordinary boy who discovers he is a Storm Prophet. That means Angus can predict and control extreme weather! While learning about his powers at the Perilous Exploratorium for Weather and Vicious Storms on the island of Imbur, Angus finds out his parents are also far from ordinary. His mom and dad are Lightening Catchers—and they’ve been kidnapped.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted: Fab Four Books - Published in May 2013 - UK

                                           

Holly Black - Doll Bones - Published by Doubleday Children's 9 May 2013

Twelve-year-old Zach is too old to play with toys. Or at least, that's what his father thinks. But even though he stops hanging out with Poppy and Alice, stops playing with his action figures, it's no good. There's one toy that still wants to play with him. A doll that's made from the bones of a dead girl.

The only way to end the game is to lay the doll to rest forever. It's time for a journey to Spring Grove cemetery. It's time to grow up.

                                              

                               

Isobelle Carmody - Metro Winds - Published by Allen & Unwin - 2 May 2013

Enter a universe of yearning and transformation. Herein, find a girl who seeks a lost sister in a park where winter lasts forever, and another sent across the world to discover her destiny in the dark tunnels of the Metro; a young man who travels to meet a woman in place of a man who has died, and a mother who works magic to summon a true Princess for her son; a man who seeks an ending to his story, and an old man who travels in search of his shadow…

Metro Winds reflects Isobelle's own exotic, adventurous life, and features stories set in Paris, Sydney, Venice, Prague and the Greek Islands. Ideal for transporting readers away from everyday life into a world where anything is possible, these stories are glimpses into a world we inhabit and recognise, but with a beguiling magical twist. They explore the interface between old cultures and new, innocence and wisdom, danger, adventure and coming home, the natural world and the dark beating heart of wise women and shape-shifters. Anything is possible.

Carmody's stories are rooted in the present, but have a medieval atmosphere. They wind their way through cityscapes, familiar and not, simultaneously revealing and concealing the characters and their fates. Metro Winds is fantasy as metaphor – sensuous, gritty, sometimes dark though seldom bleak. The stories are redemptive, journeys leading to metamorphosis and transformation.

                                          

Carlos Ruiz Zafon - The Watcher in the Shadows - Published by Orion Children's - 9 May 2013

A mysterious toymaker who lives as a recluse in an old mansion, surrounded by the mechanical beings he has created... an enigma surrounding strange lights that shine through the mists that envelop the small island on which the old lighthouse stands... a shadowy creature that hides deep in the woods... these are the elements of a mystery that bind 14-year-old Irene to Ismael during one magical summer spent in the Blue Bay. Irene's mother has taken a job as a housekeeper for the toymaker, Lazarus, but his house contains more secrets than Irene and Ishmael have bargained for.

                                              

Chris Wooding - Silver - Published by Scholastic - 2 May 2013 

Perfect for fans of Michael Grant and Charlie Higson, this thrilling novel about a mysterious virus spreading through a boarding school is like 28 DAYS LATER meets ASSAULT ON PRECINCT THIRTEEN. Who will turn silver next? When a boy is bitten by a strange silver beetle, he becomes the first victim of a mysterious infection. But this is no ordinary virus. It turns flesh into metal, and pupils into machines. As the virus spreads and more terrifying, blood-thirsty machines appear, a small group manage to barricade themselves inside the school Can they keep the machines at bay long enough for help to arrive? Is help even coming? Meanwhile the virus is spreading and its vctims are changing... evolving... becoming stronger... The world as our heroes know it is turning silver. Will any of them survive?