Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book - Tamsin Mori - Guardians of the Source: Gargoyles Book 1 - Book Review

Hello everybody. I'm delighted to be able to introduce the first book review of the year: "Tamsin Mori and the Guardians of the Source: Gargoyles". This is the first installment of a promising trilogy that delivers an enthralling adventure. It is scheduled to be released in April 2024 by UCLan Publishing with a brilliantly vibrant cover illustration by the talented David Dean. 

From the very first page, this captivating fantasy world springs to life by whisking readers away on a dream-like journey filled with magic, mystery, and excitement. The story kicks off with an irresistible narrative that is set in a decaying old mansion hiding a secret past. As Callen's family moves into his father's enigmatic childhood home, they are greeted by a sprawling, boarded-up mansion adorned with gargoyles, overgrown gardens, and the resurgence of long-forgotten magic. Magic, folklore, mythical creatures, and the wonder of animated gargoyles soon unfold.

Mori's storytelling prowess shines brightly in this enchanting tale as she skillfully weaves a world that is both familiar and extraordinary. The characters are endearing, effortlessly drawing readers into their world. The dilapidated mansion serves as a richly atmospheric backdrop, evoking a blend of nostalgia and mystery. When a disgruntled gargoyle awakens in Callen's presence, he must befriend Zariel and earn her trust before a looming dark threat takes hold. Only a Gargoyle Guardian and true friendship can fend off this encroaching peril.

The concept of living gargoyles adds an extra layer of excitement and mystique to the narrative, making it a real page-turner for young readers. The narrative is as enchanting as the magical elements woven throughout the story, ensuring a delightful and sometimes spooky read for both children and adults. 

"Guardians of the Source: Gargoyles" is a must-read for anyone who adores tales of magic, friendship, and adventure. Tamsin Mori has crafted a world that will capture the hearts and ignite the imaginations of all who delve into its pages. This book is a true gem that deserves a spot on every bookshelf, and I eagerly anticipate more from this talented author with the next chapter in this trilogy. BUY HERE! 

Children's Book Picks - November 2021 - US Published Post - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Quinn Sosna-Spear - The Thirteenth Hour - Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (November 2, 2021) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1534451889 - Hardback 

Fans of Road Dahl and Neil Gaiman will love this inventive middle-grade fantasy about a girl who uses a family heirloom to travel to fantastical worlds that may be more dangerous than they appear.

Twelve-year-old Rosemary has been an artist her whole life and especially loves drawing the incredible places from her Aunt Jo’s stories. But illustrating the stories doesn’t mean Rose believes them. And when Aunt Jo gives Rose a pocket watch with instructions on how to use it to access magical dream worlds, Rose just thinks Aunt Jo is being peculiar again.

While Rose is sleeping, however, she enters a fantastical place where each hour of the pocket watch takes her to a different world. There, Rose befriends a trio of outcasts with special powers and joins their war against the ominous Tall Man.

When a bully steals Rose’s watch, she can only look on in horror as dream and reality collide and he’s sucked into the Eleventh Hour. Now, Rosemary must gather magic from all twelve dream worlds to rescue the boy who makes her life a living nightmare.

Lori Adams - AVALINA JONES AND THE EYE OF THE STORM - Published by ‎Spyhop Publishing (November 29, 2021) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1737131205 - Paperback 

Worlds collide for middle-grade readers who will love the fast-paced thrills, colorful characters, secrets, legends, and the interplay of fantasy and reality in Avalina Jones and the Eye of the Storm. Author Lori Adams expertly delivers a story that is timeless, bringing together elements of sea lore, magic, and adventure. The first book in a seven-book series, Avalina Jones and the Eye of the Storm, is a romping tale for middle graders who are searching for the next enduring fantasy classic.

When a young girl learns she is the Last Heir of the legendary pirate Davy Jones, she is whisked away to begin life aboard an enchanted schoolship for Pirate Heirs where danger and excitement awaits. 

Contemporary kids who happen to be Heirs of the most villainous and celebrated pirates in history. Superstitions, mysteries, curses, secrets, strange ocean creatures, undead pirates, and seafaring legends will thrill middle-grade readers in this rollicking, globe-trotting adventure. 

Avalina Jones, the Last Heir of the infamous pirate Davy Jones, has never heard of Sea Magic, flying dinghies, Pirate Heir schoolships, phantom islands, undead pirates, or creatures called Half Ones. And she has never understood her strange connection to water. But when a beautiful woman arrives in a swirling waterspout, Avalina's life explodes with more adventures than she can possibly imagine. She takes her rightful place aboard a giant Pirate Heir schoolship teeming with Heirs of the world's most nefarious pirates.

Raised as a Landlubber, Avalina quickly realizes bizarre and danger are normal aboard Pirate Heir schoolships-food fights back, school supplies giggle or explode in your face. And not everyone can be trusted.

When Avalina is accused of a terrible crime, she must prove her innocence or risk being banished from the schoolship forever-and this in the middle of a crucial Treasure Hunt!

Avalina races to unlock secrets of the ship, and makes a dangerous discovery that threatens everyone aboard. With the help of her new friends Charlie, Pippa, and Bummy, Avalina draws closer to the truth, unaware that a deeper, darker fate awaits.

Alex Foulkes - Rules for Vampires - Published by Aladdin (November 23, 2021) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1534498358 - Hardback 

The Nevermoor series meets Hotel Transylvania in this dazzling debut middle-grade adventure set in a world of talking spiders, living forests, and haunted castles about a vampire girl who wants to fit in but first must defeat an evil ghost.

After one hundred years of being a vampire, it’s time for Eleonora to have her Birthnight. Since Leo’s last rite of passage, her Grimwalk, ended with her losing her right leg and a good deal of her confidence, she’s hoping to redeem herself in the eyes of her mother, the fearsome Lady Sieglinde. All Leo has to do is hunt down and kill her first prey, and she already has the perfect plan. After all, who will miss an orphan from the bleak St. Frieda’s Home for Unwanted Children? 

But an accidental fire causes more death and destruction than Leo bargained for. Instead of killing one carefully selected victim, she’s created several ghosts from the orphanage residents. And one sinister specter, the Orphanmaster, is poised to terrorize the living residents in a nearby town. To stop him and try to undo some of the mess she’s made, Leo must team up with the orphan ghost Minna. 

Will Leo have the chance to prove herself as a vampire before her Birthnight is over, or will she discover that there are no winners in the battle of undead versus undead?

John Peragine (Author), Chris O'Brien (Illustrator) - Secrets of the Twilight Djinn Collection: Volume One - Published by Crumblebee Books (November 12, 2021) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1737644927 - Paperback 

In this volume are Max and the Spice Thieves (Book 1) and Max and the Isle of Sanctus (Book 2)
Book 1- When his mother goes missing, Max Daybreaker’s world is turned upside down. Luckily, a crew of Spice Pirates, led by the mysterious Captain Cinn, help Max on his dangerous mission across the three seas. Along the way, an unlikely alliance aids in his search—a teenage warrior queen, a three-eyed seer, and an assassin spy. Their journey takes them through treacherous lands while facing shapeshifting bears, an ancient witch, harpies, and the nightmarish Djinn, who will stop at nothing to enslave the world. With every new challenge, Max unlocks the secrets of his unsettling past. Powers awaken within, forcing him to question everything he knows. Is Max who he thinks he is? Only time and destiny will tell…

Book 2- In the second book of Secrets of the Twilight Djinn, Max Daybreaker embarks on all-new adventures. Max must battle a Kraken, ride a fire-breathing dragon, and defeat the evil djinn whose powers are growing every day. The stakes are high for Max as he tries to protect his friends from angry sea gods and a vengeful sultan while also saving his mom from a terrible curse! Max must reach the Isle of Sanctus using his unpredictable magic power and foes on all sides before time runs out.

Julia Golding - The Tigers in the Tower - Book Review - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

Julia Golding is a multi-award-winning writer. She writes under three different pen names for both adults and young adults; all with a spark of magic for different tastes. Two of my favourite series are Cat Royal and the Campanions which are fantastic and definitely worth checking out if you have not already read them.

Her most recent book, The Tigers in the Tower, is a standalone novel that will be published by a smaller publishing company (Lion Hudson) in Oxford. The book will be published in paperback on the 18th of September, 2020. Therefore, I am really excited to be able to tell you about this book early doors. 

It was fantastic to fly back into a world with an adventure that captured the imagination. The current world slowly merged into the captivating world of the main character Sahira. Her family is travelling to England to deliver two majestic Indian tigers. However, tragedy strikes and Sahira's loving parents die on the sea voyage. Arriving alone in London, she finds herself in a much different world from the country she has just left behind. Placed in an orphanage - a soulless environment full of heartache and danger - the adventure starts to take form. With newfound friendships, her past and future all start to roll into one. Can Sahira carry out her father's last request? What will happen to the beautiful Tigers? These are the questions on every reader's lips which are answered brilliantly in this book.

This story has a fantastically thrilling plot full of magical colour, tastes and the smells of India. It shimmers in the bright fabric of the mind's eye like a silky light dancing on the Indian forest. It connects the reader to nature and the natural beauty of India. All of which is in stark contrast to the drab and dangerous times of Georgian London! 

Set around the start of the first police force (founded by Robert Peel), the book is based on the history around this time. Thus providing an authentic feel as well an opportunity to introduce more famous people of that wonderful time. It certainly produces a fabulously engaging story that warms the heart of the reader. The riot of animals - both strange and mischievous - are all written in great detail and provide a whirling dervish of action and adventure. You will feel the ups and downs with heartfelt emotion as the book deals sensitively with themes of grief, friendship, and protecting our natural environment. All of which are important themes, especially at the moment.


There is everything to love about this book and nothing to dislike. Therefore, the only thing to do now is to put this on your future booklist and join the wild adventure to find out what happens to the Tigers and whether Sahira will ever find a place she can call home.

Jennifer Killick - Crater Lake - Book Review - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

Dear Reader,

We warmly welcome you to this year's epic trip to CRATER LAKE, a brand new activity center built in an old volcanic crater, miles from anywhere. Please pack appropriately and be aware that you'll need to be prepared to run for your life. Please take plenty of rations as the food is pretty awful and the service is beyond belief. It is rated with no stars on Trip Advisor as no one has ever come out alive. Whatever you do, DONT. EVER. FALL. ASLEEP!

This thrilling preface is for Jennifer Killick's latest book CRATER LAKE.  It's a contemporary horror story aimed at middle-grade readers due to be published on the 19th March 2020 by Firefly Press. As you turn the bloodied pages, you'll need to strap yourselves in for a bumpy ride as a mysterious bloodstained man tries to stop the coach. This is the start of a rollercoaster adventure that is entertainingly bonkers full of wit and humour.  

Strange things happen to the children. No one turns up to meet them, and then a strange man serves them all only TOMATO SOUP for their tea. Something is definitely not RIGHT. As night arrives, things get much stranger and the nervous tension can be felt buzzing in the air. This is the year six school trip where your first day could be your last ...

The deeper you travel into the plotline, the more you become engrossed in a bizarre and surreal world where kids are fighting for survival against a strange swarm of enemies. The characters are all very well written. They each have secrets of their own especially the main character, Lance, who I thought was brilliant. The book explores the relationships and emotions between different characters in a fast-paced action horror story. It certainly glues the narrative together with human empathy in the face of fear and the unknown. It produces a very captivating and relatable story as they each work through this unusual situation. However, after some messing around and eating an abundance of sweets, the sugar levels get going and the kids become wise.

This is a book in which readers will sit up all night to read in one sitting. Mysteriously edgy, warm-hearted and full of many bouts of crazy action and eventful moments, it certainly keeps the reader on their scary toes as flying PHLEGM hits you full-on in the face. Remember the only way to survive is DON'T EVER FALL ASLEEP. So, pick up this book and give it a read; it might just save your life. I fully recommend it as it's pure fantasy OXYGEN. 

Guest Post: Nick Tomlinson - The Ghouls of Howlfair - How I Became a Horror Writer

Hello everybody. The nights are getting darker and Halloween is getting closer. I hear you all asking, what's new in the scary kid's book world? What book is going to get your heart racing and your spine-tingling? Well, this is the book for you. It's the fantastic debut spooky mystery by Nick Tomlinson (illustrated by Kim Geyer). The Ghouls of Howlfair will be published by Walker Books this October (2019). This might just be the book that you've been looking for. 

Welcome, Nick, to Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books. Thank you for writing this guest post about the book and how you became a Horror writer. I am sure that this post will entice everyone to pick this book up and read it this coming autumn. Bookdepository.com

Firing Jacob and Hiring Molly – How I Became a Horror Writer 
Aeons ago, after my first book (written for grown-ups) got good reviews but only sold four copies, I decided to become a children’s writer. Everyone was going loopy about Harry Potter, and becoming a famous children’s writer struck me as the best way to achieve my artistic dream of selling more than four books. Also, I’d had an amazing idea for a middle-grade fantasy story, and I wanted to write it before someone else got there first. 


In kids’ fantasy books, you tend to get the main character who journeys to a magical world (say, Narnia) from somewhere real (say, Smethwick). Often there’s a reason why the character’s destined to go to that fantasy world. They have credentials - they’ve defeated Voldemort or they’re meant to fulfil an ancient prophecy or something. This is where I tripped myself up: I had a good reason why my character, Jacob, was supposed to journey to my fantasy land (Howlfair, a scary town full of monsters), but it was so flipping complicated that it took me half the book to explain it. Jacob and my book were doomed from the start, but I wrote it anyway, and rewrote it, and rewrote it. 


There was something pure about my early efforts to write the book. Specifically, they were pure rubbish. Every other page saw some soothsayer step from behind a curtain and deliver a speech about a meaningful aspect of Jacob’s backstory. By the final scene, the monsters were so bored with delivering speeches that they wanted to be killed. 


My agent didn’t deal with children’s books, so we parted ways and now I had no agent. I wrote hundreds of drafts and sent them to scores of agents; many liked the opening chapters but spat out their coffee when I told them the final word-count. They’d advise me to cut fifty-thousand words, so I’d chop the manuscript in half and then neaten up the edges by adding some clarifying dialogue about Jacob’s highly significant past, and suddenly presto! The manuscript was even bigger than before. Like a self-renewing monster from Greek myth. 


I carried on hacking down and bulking up my manuscript for fifteen years, always convinced that the next draft would be the one that’d get published. 


My fantasy setting, Howlfair, was a town built over a gateway to Hell. Miners had accidentally opened the gateway, flooding the whole valley with monsters. The townsfolk had organised themselves into special groups to take on the monsters – the Order of Noble Vampire Hunters, the Order of the Silver Bullet, etc. My protagonist, Jacob, accidentally found himself joining a group of wimpy warrior-farmers that everyone else laughed at. But, owing to a three-hundred-page backstory involving a potion Jacob had drunk when he was four, Jacob’s destiny was to lead this rag-tag group in a mission to save Howlfair from a demon. It was a pretty good premise, I thought - but I couldn’t make it work. It wasn’t until I was lounging in a beer-barrel hot-tub on a dog-friendly eco-holiday in Wales, a holiday my wife and I had booked after adopting a dog we’d found outside a petrol station in Birmingham, that I suddenly realised how to save the story. 


What if I stopped trying to write a fantasy book and wrote horror instead? In horror, a character doesn’t go from Smethwick to Narnia. In horror, something malicious comes from Hell to Smethwick. Something evil invades the day-to-day. Your character doesn’t need a reason to go where the action happens, because in horror the action happens right here. 


Unfortunately, this meant that I had to fire poor Jacob. His backstory was a many-tentacled presence in my mind. The thought of him gave me vertigo. I needed a new protagonist, one without baggage. 


For a long time, a character called Molly Thompson had been patiently haunting my imagination. I’d never considered her for this story because she wasn’t a feisty brave hero like you nearly always get in kids’ fantasy books. She was a shy bookworm, based on the shy bookworms I’d taught in a Birmingham girls’ school, girls who described themselves as weird and clumsy and socially awkward. I’d hoped to write a book one day in which these girls could meet a character like themselves, a character who was shy and awkward but 
unstoppable, and Molly would be the star of that book. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt as though Molly wanted to be in my Howlfair story. 


I turned Howlfair from a fantasy world into a corny tourist town with lots of silly old legends about monsters, legends nobody believes in. Nobody, that is, except a shy, unstoppable amateur historian named Molly Thompson, who lives in the creepy Excelsior Guesthouse. Molly knows the old legends better than anyone else, and she certainly knows them well enough to spot when one of them – the legend of the Ghouls of Loonchance Manor – is starting to come true… 


How does Molly fare? Well, she’s definitely not your usual brave adventurer. But, though I feel bad for Jacob, I hope readers will agree that once the scary old stories of Howlfair begin coming to life and someone needs to stop them, Molly turned out to be the right person for the job.

Twitter: @Tomlinsonio
Website: https://www.nicktomlinson.com

Ellen Renner - Under Earth Quiz - Which Elemental Would Choose You? (Nosy Crow Books)

Storm Witch is the first book in a thrilling fantasy quartet which was published September 2018. It is set in a world of islands where Elemental spirits rule and pirates, known as the Drowned Ones, roam the seas looking for a home. 

At the heart of the story is thirteen-year-old Storm, who is bestowed with great but dangerous, magical powers. In this book, we ride the Storm of turbulent times on a wave of magical fantasy. It is an epic adventure which is why the next book, Under Earth, has been eagerly anticipated. It is due to be published by Nosy Crow Books this August (2019). 

Are you ready to join the fantasy middle-grade realm once again? The island's new Weather witch, Storm, finds herself sailing with the fleet into dangerous waters. The Drowned Ones are out for revenge, the sea is treacherous, but it’s Bellum Town that brings Storm her first real test. It's where she learns that her magic could save her or it could be the end of everything…  

Another great story worth investigating...

To celebrate this release Ellen Renner has created a brilliant quiz based on the books and the series– ‘Which Elemental Would Choose You?’ – to find out if you are a child of Air, Water, Earth or Fire. Take the quiz today and maybe share the results on social media. One lucky person might win a copy of the book. So, why not check it out and have some summer holiday fun. 

Buy the first book in the epic series HERE

Buy the second instalment to Storm’s adventure HERE 

Carlie Sorosiak - I, Cosmo - Blog Tour - Nosy Crow Books (8th Aug 2019)

It's an absolute pleasure to be part of the blog tour for Carlie Sorosiak's I, Cosmo which was published by the mighty Nosy Crow Books on August 1st, 2019. This is a fantastic and poignant story from the perspective of a much-loved pet, a dog called Cosmo. Below this review, Carlie has written a small post about the process of writing from this perspective. 

This is a brilliantly written story that makes you think about Cosmo's relationship with Max and his feuding family. The narrative is very thought-provoking whilst also dribbling with turkey juices and doggy humour. The more you read, the sadder the story gets, so get ready with the tissues! The story is very sensitively told and is an insightful view of modern-day family life.

The story plays with human emotions setting you on a path of human frailty and the complexities of a family unit.  It's a very relatable story, one dog's attempt to save his family, that will both delight and entertain you from the very first page. You will dance and skip through the beating narrative which will engulf you with warmth, sadness, and happiness. All of which works on so many levels. 

This is a barking and slightly different adventure where cats are not allowed.  I, Cosmo is a wagging-tail star in the making! 

Author's Guest Post. 
On writing from an animal’s perspective. 
Several times now, I’ve been asked: How difficult was it for you to write from a dog’s perspective? I think the assumption here, in large part, is that it must’ve been difficult – than placing oneself in the mind of a non-human narrator is a considerable challenge. Looking back at the writing process, I can absolutely see why people might think that; after all, Cosmo is more prone to focusing on his sense of smell (and on squirrels) than the average human. 

But I’ll admit that I’ve never truly fit in with most humans. I find a great deal of them entirely perplexing. Some social interactions baffle me; deciding where to sit in my middle school cafeteria was akin to diffusing a bomb – in stress level, at least. My comfort has always been with animals, dogs in particular. They’re great listeners. They wear their emotions in the flick of their tails, in the position of their ears. I understand them in a way that I never have with people. 

So I was quite confident when I started writing Cosmo – and that confidence continued the whole way through the process. I hope I’ve captured that essential dog-ness. And I hope that I, Cosmo is a comfort to others like me, who often prefer the company of animals.

Author Bio - Carlie Sorosiak grew up in North Carolina. She has a master’s in English from Oxford University and another in publishing from City, University of London. She is the author of two novels for young adults, If Birds Fly Back and Wild Blue Wonder. Her goals include traveling to all seven continents and fostering a wide variety of animals. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and her American dingo. 

Twitter: @carliesorosiak 
Website: carliesorosiak.com

Book Synopsis
The story of one dog's attempt to save his family, become a star, and eat a lot of bacon. Cosmo's family is falling apart. And it's up to Cosmo to keep them together. He knows exactly what to do. There's only one problem. Cosmo is a Golden Retriever. Wise, funny, and filled with warmth and heart, this is Charlotte's Web meets Little Miss Sunshine - a moving, beautiful story, with a wonderfully unique hero, from an incredible new voice in middle-grade fiction. 

Come and join in with the rest of the blog tour for more reviews, guest posts, and giveaways. See the list of stops below. 

Abi Elphinstone - Rumblestar (The Unmapped Chronicles) - Boo Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Step through the door of adventure this May with the latest book from Abi Elphinstone. This is the start of a breathtaking new series "The Unmapped Chronicles" published by Simon & Schuster. Rumblestar is an epic read that pulsates with the author's zest for real-life adventures and daydreaming in her writer's shed. Each book in this series will be a standalone read that features a child from our world trying to save the unmapped magic from being stolen by an evil harpy called Morg. 

As soon as you turn the first page, you open the doors to the soul of imagination where you meet eleven-year-old Casper Tock. He hates risks, is allergic to adventures and shudders at the thought of unpredictable events. So, it comes as a nasty shock to him when he accidentally stumbles into Rumblestar, an Unmapped Kingdom full of magical beasts. This leads to a world of magic and a fantasy web of wonder where every page will thrill and entertain. All Casper wants to do is find his way home. However, Rumblestar is in trouble and is in need of a saviour. Who could that be?

Morg is sending her followers, the Midnights, into the kingdom to wreak havoc and pave the way for her to steal the Unmapped magic for herself. However, Casper cannot turn a blind eye because the future of his own world, as he discovers, is bound up with that of the Unmapped Kingdoms. The reader is whisked into an unimaginable quest full of action and suspense where you'll sky hop with cloud giants and fly in a magical hot air balloon that can pilot itself. 

This is a story that sparkles with a kiddish excitement whilst exploring magical kingdoms and bright colored rainbows. All of which are filled with fantastical creatures floating on a dream. This, for me, is the best book that Abi has written to date; it is a sparkling jewel of a read. The book is delivered with pace and passion. It starts in reality and takes you into an illusion that will have you gripped all the way. The heart of adventure is here. This is a book and a series that is definitely not to be missed so order it NOW!

Live a life filled with adventure with Abi Elphinstone where a whole new world is waiting to be discovered... 

Kirsty Applebaum - The Middler - Book Review (Nosy Crow) Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Heading out into the literary world on 4th April 2019 will be Kirsty Applebaum's debut book, The Middler. The book (published by Nosy Crow Books) supports a brilliant book cover image designed by Nicola Theobald which features the fantastic artwork by art director/illustrator Matt Saunders. This striking design will certainly help to set this book apart from the many other great books being published this coming April. We are certainly in for a literary treat or two.

The story is told from the perspective of eleven-year-old Maggie who introduces you to her home in Fennis Wick. It's a settlement isolated and protected from the outside world by a boundary beyond which the Quiet War rages and the dirty, dangerous wanderers roam. The plot starts to set the brain ticking by asking the questions regarding what lies ahead. What we find is a story full of lies and propaganda which soon turns into a web of mystery and intrigue. The book gives a timeless feeling to it. It's hard to distinguish when and where the story is actually set - past/future? However, this definitely captures the imagination and attention of the reader.

This story is brilliantly written and well developed middle-grade children's book that will appeal to a wide reading audience for a number of reasons. Maggie the main character is bold, daring and very endearing. She is a middler, a muddler and not very important. Her older brother Jed is special, as the oldest his destiny is to go and fight in the Quiet War. Whilst her younger brother, Trig, has been written very realistically. He is loved by everyone, naive and a little bit soppy. All of the characters depict a family unit who are caring, full of love and looking for, hopefully, a safe future. 

However, one hot September day, Maggie meets Una. She's a hungry wanderer girl in need of help. Maggie's life changes forever as she begins to realise that things weren't quite what she'd been led to believe. The story takes you on an ambling adventure of forbidden friendship in a world of betrayal and deceit; the lies are unfurled page by page. The narrative is both unsettling and yet thrilling to read. It's a very good book for the inquisitive reader as the questions and intrigue wash over you like little ripples; contracting and expanding as the action unfolds. 

This is a fantastic book to read - funny, thought-provoking, tragic but also uplifting. It's an expertly crafted family story about thinking for yourself and standing up for what is right. As a great classroom read and an entertaining page-turner, what more could you want from a book? 

"I was special." 

"I was a hero." 

"I lost the best friend I ever had."

"I will take you on a journey all you have to do is turn the pages and follow me."  

Check out a preview of the book HERE

Fleur Hitchcock - The Boy Who Flew - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Athan Wilde dreams of flight. When his friend, Mr Chen, is murdered, Athan must rescue the flying machine they were building together and stop it falling into the wrong hands. But keeping the machine safe puts his family in terrible danger. What will Athan choose – flight or family?

From the acclaimed author of Murder In Midwinter, Fleur Hitchcock’s The Boy Who Flew is a thrilling, murderous tale set among the steep rooftops and slippery characters of Athan’s intricately imagined world. Perfect for fans of Philip Pullman, Peter Bunzl and Philip Reeve.

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books is having a fantastic start to the New Year. We've had so many fantastic new books through the postbox to read already. Most of these are due to be published early this year, so make sure you check my other book reviews and add these to your list. We are looking forward to many more book adventures very soon. However, in the meantime, this is a review for the latest cracking book from Fleur Hitchcock. The Boy Who Flew is due to be published on 24th March 2019 in paperback by Nosy Crow. The book cover image (by Ben Mantle) is absolutely brilliant and invites the reader to enter a world that is so thrilling that they'll be instantly transported into an entertaining fantasy world. 

The story begins with a heart-thumping moment with the reader entering a world of wonder and murder. Athan Wilde's friend and mentor, Mr. Chen, has shockingly being murdered in a brutal way. The motive is to gain access to his plans for his latest invention .... a FLYING MACHINE. It's a thrilling period story full of danger. However, this does not deter Athan and his best friend, who are determined to find the murderers and protect the flying machine at all costs. The story flies across the rooftops with an exhilarating plot of danger and intrigue. Even Athan's family are pulled into danger, although this is unbeknown to them at the time. As a result, Athan has may choices to make and lots of unanswered questions to consider if he is going to stop the machine falling into the wrong hands.

This is a book that is carved out of science and history. Set in a time of great discoveries, the story is full of heroic adventures and dastardly deeds. The book's beating heart is powered by family and friendship. The brilliant depiction of Athan highlights the choices he has to make; his caring, brave and thoughtful nature turns this story into an epic roller-coaster of emotion as he dreams of freedom. 

The author has carved out a great collection of Dickensian-type characters that fit the setting particularly well and reflect a brilliant story. The murderous Colonel Blade is the best villainous character that I have read for some time. You'll come to both love and hate him at the same time. Full of dramatic and climatic action, the story is set in a brilliant dark and atmospheric world of corruption, lies and secrets. It throws you headfirst into the poverty-stricken crowded streets with the rich looking on from a more mighty and superior height. This is a dark narrative that is not shy; it pulls some mighty and unexpected punches for a middle-grade audience. As a result, it will be loved by anyone and everyone - you'll find yourself eagerly being sucked into its fantasy charms. This is a book that is definitely well worth the wait. Don't forget to pre-order it today! 

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's/Young Adult Book Picks December 2018

Jonathan Ashley - Lily & Kosmo in Outer Outer Space- Published by Simon & Schuster Books for (4 Dec. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1534413641 - Hardback 

Explore outer outer space where dastardly villains await in this hilarious and inventive illustrated middle-grade novel.

Brooklyn, Earth. 1949. 

Lily Lupino is going to be an astronaut when she grows up. For now, she'll have to settle for listening to science fiction programs on the radio. But when certified Spacetronaut Kosmo Kidd crash lands his wind-up rocket ship in Lily's kitchen, it's a chance Lily can't pass up! 

Mistaking Lily for a boy, Kosmo agrees to take her back to his floating treehouse in the stars, but it doesn't take long for the other Spacetronauts to figure out that Lily is a girl. Kosmo has accidentally broken Spacetronaut Rule #1: NO WIMMEN ALOWD!

Banished to the far reaches of Outer Outer Space, Lily and Kosmo explore exotic alien worlds, meet a menagerie of colorful creatures, and tangle with the vilest villain in space, The Mean-Man of Morgo. But Lily's greatest challenge is proving to her new Spacetronaut peers that a girl from Brooklyn can hold her own among the galaxy's unruliest rascals.

Eric Bower - The Magnificent Flying Baron Estate - Published by Amberjack Publishing (11 Dec. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1944995263 - Paperback 

Waldo Baron awakes one morning to find his inventor parents have turned their house into a flying machine, and they intend to enter into a race across the country in the hopes of winning the $500 prize. His parents' plans go astray when they are kidnapped by Rose Blackwood, the sister of notorious villain Benedict Blackwood, who intends to use the prize money to free her brother from prison. But Rose is not what she seems to be, and Waldo finds himself becoming friends with their kindly kidnapper as they race across the country in the magnificent flying Baron estate!

Ben Guterson (Author), Chloe Bristol (Illustrator) - The Secrets of Winterhouse - Published by 

Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (December 31, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1250123909 - Hardback 

Bookish puzzles, phantom mysteries, and evil curses await as Elizabeth returns to Winterhouse in Book 2 of this magical series.

Back at the Winterhouse hotel for another holiday season, Elizabeth and Freddy dig deeper into the mystery surrounding Riley S. Granger, a hotel guest who left behind odd artifacts―one being a magical book that the evil Gracella Winters once attempted to use to gain destructive power over the entire Falls lineage. The two friends follow a trail of clues, inadvertently attracting the attention of a suspicious new hotel guest: Elana Vesper. The clock is ticking as Elizabeth and Freddy struggle to figure out whether Elana is merely a pawn or a player in the plot to revive the spirit of Gracella. If that wasn’t enough, Elizabeth suspects she is coming into her own special powers―and she’s fearful it might lead her right into Gracella’s vicious web. Mystery, adventure, and a winning friendship combine in this much-anticipated sequel.

Sarah Beth Durst - Fire & Heist - Published by Crown Books for Young Readers (December 4, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1101931004 - Hardback 

Fans of Cassandra Clare and Julie Kagawa will devour this contemporary fantasy about a teen were-dragon who must steal her first treasure. But a dark discovery during her heist could put her family in incredible danger.

In Sky Hawkins's family, leading your first heist is a major milestone--even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It's a chance to gain power and acceptance within your family and within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated, especially when you're a wyvern--a human capable of turning into a dragon.

Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family's wealth and rank in their community.

With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist, and get her boyfriend and mother back in the process. But then she uncovers a dark truth about were-dragon society--a truth more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's/Young Adult Book Picks November 2018 - US Post Two

Mari Mancusi - The Camelot Code, Book #1 The Once and Future Geek - Published by Disney-Hyperion (November 20, 2018) -  ISBN-13: 978-1368010849 - Hardback 

When young Arthur of Camelot accidentally time-travels to the 21st century and Googles himself, he discovers the not-so-happily ever after in store for him once he pulls the sword from the stone. Yes, he'll go from squire to sovereign basically overnight, but he'll also lose the love of his life to his best friend and eventually die in battle. What's a once-and-future king to do? Easy: stay in the future, where he'll actually have a future-and join the football team instead. 

Now, with the help of the great wizard Merlin, modern-day gamer-geeks Sophie and Stu find themselves in a race against time to get that sword pulled from the stone and the stubborn soon-to-be-king Arthur back to the past where he belongs. Complicating the plan? Lady Morgana-Arthur's sister and greatest enemy-has traveled to the future as well, determined to take Arthur out and seize the throne. Can Sophie and Stu use their gaming abilities to defeat the evil Morgana and set the timeline right? With the very existence of their friendship, their families, and the world as they know it (including pepperoni pizza!) at stake, they'll use every skill, power-up, and cheat code they know in their quest to save the day.

Stephanie Burgis - The Girl with the Dragon Heart - Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books (November 6, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1681196978 - Hardback 

Silke has always been good at spinning the truth and storytelling. So good that, just years after arriving in the kingdom as a penniless orphan, she has found her way to working for the most splendid chocolate makers in the city as a master promoter. Although Silke loves her work at the Chocolate Heart, she's certain it's not going to last, and what Silke wants more than anything is somewhere to call home--somewhere safe. But when your best friend is a dragon-turned-hot-tempered-girl, trouble is always right around the corner. 

Then Silke gets the opportunity she's been waiting for: the Crown Princess personally asks her to spy on the Elfenwald royal family during their first visit to the kingdom. In return, Silke will have the home she's always wanted in the secure palace. But Silke has her own dark, secret reasons for not trusting fairies . . . and her mission isn't as simple as she hoped. Soon, she discovers that her city is in danger--and that maybe it's more her home than she ever realized.

Can Silke find out the truth about the fairies while keeping her own secrets hidden?

Lyra Selene - Amber & Dusk - Scholastic Press (November 27, 2018) - 

• ISBN-13: 978-1338210033 - Hardback 

Sylvie has always known she deserves more. Out in the permanent twilight of the Dusklands, her guardians called her power to create illusions a curse. But Sylvie knows it gives her a place in Coeur d'Or, the palais of the Amber Empress and her highborn legacies. 

So Sylvie sets off toward the Amber City, a glittering jewel under a sun that never sets, to take what is hers.

But her hope for a better life is quickly dimmed. The empress invites her in only as part of a wicked wager among her powerful courtiers. Sylvie must assume a new name, Mirage, and begin to navigate secretive social circles and deadly games of intrigue in order to claim her spot. Soon it becomes apparent that nothing is as it appears and no one, including her cruel yet captivating sponsor, Sunder, will answer her questions. As Mirage strives to seize what should be her rightful place, she'll have to consider whether it is worth the price she must pay.

An extraordinary, vividly rendered YA debut.

Melanie Sumrow - The Prophet Calls - Published by Yellow Jacket (November 6, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1499807554 - Hardback 

 

Gentry Forrester feels lucky to live among God's chosen people in the Prophet's compound, but when music is outlawed, Gentry and her older brother, Tanner, sneak out of the community. When they return, all bets are off as the Prophet exercises his control.

Born into a polygamous community in the foothills of New Mexico, Gentry Forrester feels lucky to live among God's chosen, apart from the outside world and its "evils."

On her thirteenth birthday, Gentry receives a new violin from her father and, more than anything, she wants to play at the Santa Fe Music Festival with her brother, Tanner. But then the Prophet calls from prison and announces he has outlawed music in their community and now forbids women to leave.

Determined to play, Gentry and Tanner sneak out. But once they return, the Prophet exercises control from prison, and it has devastating consequences for Gentry and her family. Soon, everything Gentry has known is turned upside down. She begins to question the Prophet's teachings and his revelations, especially when his latest orders put Gentry's family in danger. Can Gentry find a way to protect herself and her family from the Prophet and escape the only life she's ever known?

This realistic, powerful story of family, bravery, and following your dreams is a can't-miss debut novel from Melanie Sumrow.