Martin Howard (Author), Chris Mould (Illustrator) - Alfie Fleet's Guide to the Universe - Blog Tour Book Review

Step this way people as the UNIVERSE is now open for business. This is the second installment in Martin Howard's brilliant Alfie Fleet's series and has been given the title Alfie Fleet's Guide to the Universe. It is guided superbly by Chris Mould's expertly produced black and white illustrations and maps showcasing the narrative. This book is out in all galactic bookshops especially on OUTLANDISH, WINGSPAN and other holiday hotspots destinations around the globe now. You don't have to wait to join and enjoy this amazing adventure, so pick up a copy now.

Back in business with the Unusual Cartography Club or the UCC to its members, Alfie and Professor Pewsley Bowell-Mouvemont and Derek are travelling to far-flung planets. They are in search of the best holiday destinations for us to visit and fleece us out of our hard-earned money. They'll make sure you buy a gift from the gift shop on the way out! But don't worry,  I hear they are doing a roaring trade in Chris Mould's model Sheds which are made out of smelly socks, bits of fluff and, the all-important, blunt pencils.

Whilst exploring the narrative, you can expect to bounce along at an average pace on Betsy the Moped.  In other parts of the universe, time might vary so check the reader's ability and how many hands they have. On the FLEET, Unsuality Scale is a whopping eight and a half - it definitely tick-tocks with fizz and many moments of fantasy craziness. I can guarantee that you'll enjoy the journey immensely whilst holding on to your trousers as you fight off a bunch of pirates in ladies' clothes.

The peril in this adventure is a high octane nine on the danger twonk scale as you find yourself part of a sword chopping adventure. However, this involves none other than green, bogey-eating monsters and grog-swigging seadogs. All mixed in with many BAD PIRATE jokes. The biography of the Chosen One will become an outer planet classic that exhumes a bad smell of language as the windup translator malfunctions. The ingenious creativeness is only as good as the great scum baskets in the plot which are both cheesy and smelly. Lots of trout-waggling maybe encountered to give the reader a sense of character whilst falling over a knobbly knee.

This is a book that readers will not be reluctant to read as they are driven through a fantasy narrative by aliens or a mouthful of fruit. The book has a satisfying crunch with a fantastic array of characters that could have their own spin-off movies. The language is definitely aimed at children with the introduction of many nonsense words. However, the only thing you'll need for protection is a suit of armour and lots of emotional support.

On this website, we rate all the books. We show you the best, not too bad, and never-go-there-in-a-million years. However, this book is one to definitely give a spin, or even place it in your sock drawer with Chris Moulds Model shed! You'll look to revisiting and rereading this book time after time. Thanks for reading - I'll see you on the next voyage.

Julie Pike - The Last Spell Breather - Book Review - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

This is a review of the debut book from superstar Julie Pike. The Last Spell Breather will be published this July 2019 by the lovely Oxford University Press. The beautiful book cover has been illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova. (I hope I've spelled that right?) It is absolutely stunning and will certainly attract many potential readers. This is a book that I've been looking forward to reading for some time now as it sounded magical. However, the proof is in the reading. As I hold my breath and turn the first page - what will I discover?

After the first chapter, the narrative slowly distills into a story full of spells and unique charm. Rayne and her best friend (Tom) lead you into a story packed with sparkling fantasy adventure. Every page of the book is effortlessly enjoyable. It is very easy to get lost in a magical realm that packs such a fantasy punch. It's a place that you'll just want to explore more and more, especially the GREAT LIBRARY. The imagination and the ideas used in this book are fantastic. Whilst, the magic system feels and is totally original - I loved the concept as it certainly drives the heart of the plot. However, I feel this could have been used more by extending the story to give it greater impact. 

This is a book where you can escape into an immersive world for all of the family. There is a lot for the reader to enjoy including fantastic characters and monsters: a talking fox and the very bizarre fish people. However, my personal favourites were the GROTESQUES with their bushy eyebrows which were brilliantly written and very amusing. There are also bouts of warm humour, smugness and a sparkling friendship full of bickering and falling out which slowly builds throughout the story. 

The more you read this story, the more the mystery unfolds. It nicely builds-up the tension with an increasing sense of danger and peril. Finally culminating with some heart-stopping, nightmarish moments that I'm sure will make you run for cover. When the last page is eventually turned and the final breath expelled, the magical fantasy encapsulates the reader forevermore. The positive ending will certainly make you want to join the characters and setting once more in another adventure. It would be lovely to see some illustrations in the next book - I feel these would really make the reading experience particularly special. A fantastic new fantasy voice in children's literature.  

Spell Breathing does not come naturally to Rayne – she loathes the hours of practice, the stacks of scrolls, and the snapping mud devils that cover her mother's precious spell book.

But it is spell breathing that keeps her village safe from the dreaded monster curse that plagues their world. It is ancient powerful magic, but as Rayne learns to her horror . . . it is also fragile.
In one clumsy move, the magic that keeps them safe is broken, her village is plunged into danger, and an incredible adventure begins . . .

Martin Howard - The Cosmic Atlas of Alfie Fleet - Blog Tour

Here we are on a cosmic adventure with Alfie Fleet and Professor Pewsley Bowell-Mouvemont. The OUTLANDISH blog tour arrives at Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books with an interesting Q&A interview that might just get your Bowells (Mouvement) going in the wrong direction. 

The book has been reviewed here if you fancy taking a quick look at it - Click Here. It will take you to another world! It's certainly not one to miss out on.

There's also an amazing opportunity to WIN your own copy of this brilliant book. All you need to do is send a tweet, write a Facebook comment or leave a message on the blog mentioning the words BRAINS-IN-JARS!

In the meantime, jump aboard Betsy the moped as we set off to INFINITY and BEYOND...


In The Cosmic Atlas of Alfie Fleet it says that there is a stone circle in the basement of Number Four, Wigless Square, that opens portals to different worlds. Is that true? 

Alfie: It sounds bonkers but it’s completely true. All stone circles have the same power. Up until now no one knew why Stonehenge was built thousands of years ago. When you understand that it was put there so tourists from other planets could visit Earth it all makes sense though.

Professor: That’s why there are stone circles all over the place, you see. Australia, America and all over Europe, of course. There are some very silly theories about them. Some archeologists think Stonehenge was used as a giant musical instrument, the idiots! The truth is that Earth was very popular with tourists back in the days before all the noise and pollution and celebrities. 

How many other worlds are there? 

Professor: Well, we have the co-ordinates for a few thousand, but there are plenty more to discover. Here at the Unusual Cartography Club we make maps of them and put the best ones in The Cosmic Atlas. This morning we’re off to … ahh … where are we going again this morning, Rupert?

Alfie: It’s Alfie, Professor. My name’s Alfie, remember? And we’re going to visit planet Earwax II. 

Professor: Oh yes, that’s right. Thank you, Rupert. Marvellous place, Earwax II. I discovered and named it myself you know, just after I discovered Earwax I. Couldn’t think of a decent name at the time and I do get a terrible waxy build-up in my ears, so … 

Alfie: We get the idea, Professor. 

Professor: It’s an interesting planet. Very pretty. Some lovely vistas and landscapes only slightly spoiled by the fact that the whole planet is overrun with giant gibbon things that try and pull your arms off. Luckily, we have Derek so giant gibbon things aren’t a problem for us. 

Alfie: Derek’s my best friend but she’s quite scary. 

Oh yes, Derek’s from a world you visited called Outlandish, isn’t she? 

Alfie: Yes, it’s all in the book. Her full name is Hunter-of-the-Vicious-Spiny-Dereko-Beast and she’s from a tribe called the Children of Skingrath. She was their Under-Sixteens Beating-People-Up Champion. 

Professor: Where is young Derek? 
Alfie: In her room, learning English. She’s learning from her favourite pop songs so she says ‘yeah yeah baby oh yeah’ a lot at the moment. It’s a bit weird, but we don’t mention it.

Professor: Derek is quite likely to pull your intestines out and wear them as a scarf if you say the wrong thing. 

What’s the best world you’ve visited? 

Alfie: I’m new at the UCC so I haven’t seen very many yet but I really loved Outlandish. Apart from all the horrible danger and people trying to kill me every five minutes I had a lot of fun there. Plus they have elves and actual magic. Proper, twinkly, finger-waggling, ka-boom magic, not just people in silly hats pulling rabbits out their sleeves. My mum likes a world called Blysss, which is a beach paradise world. The people there bead your hair as soon as you arrive and you’re forced to lay around in a sun-lounger all day drinking fruit cocktails with umbrellas in. 

Professor: Hmm, that’s a tricky question. I’ve seen hundreds of worlds since I joined the Unusual Cartography Club but I very much like a planet called Sminkey-Sminkey. 

Alfie: Is that one of the worlds where you’re worshipped as a god, Professor?

Professor: Yes, yes it is. The slugfolk of Sminkey-Sminkey always welcome me with open feelers, and they have an excellent Moustache Museum. The Temple of Bowell-Mouvemont is well worth a visit, too … 

And the worst world?

Alfie: The Professor discovered a world he named Maureen a few months ago. It’s just a big desert with sand lobsters and really boring.

Professor: Although it does have three suns, so it’s a good place to get a tan. I once got lost on a lost world called Lost. Had to eat moss and my own dandruff. Plus, the local people would shove me into a sack every week and throw me into a pond. I never did find out why. It wasn’t very pleasant though. 

Professor, you are the President of the Unusual Cartography Club. Can you tell us more about it? 

Professor: No one really knows exactly how old the UCC is, but its members have been mapping planets around the universe for at least ten thousand years. I joined in 1763, when I was just a young lad of fifteen. Of course it was all very different back then. Toffee was made from sheep bladders and there was a total eclipse of the sun that lasted thirty-eight years. Everyone dressed in leaves back then, and had a twitch in their left eye. Is it leaves, or leafs? I can never remember.” 

Alfie: Leaves. And none of those things happened on Earth. You’re thinking of another planet, Professor.” 

Professor: Am I? Which one? 

Alfie: I don’t know. I wasn’t born in 1763. 

Professor: Well that was silly of you. Those were good times. Happy days. Except for wearing leaves. Surprisingly, they’re not as comfy as they look.

Alfie: You’re supposed to be talking about the history of the Unusual Cartography Club. No one’s interested in wearing leaves. 

Professor: Hardly surprising. It’s the caterpillars, you know. They wriggle into your ears and that feels weird, though a few weeks later butterflies come flapping out. It’s quite lovely when that happens. 

Alfie: The UCC, Professor. 

Professor: Of course. Of course, of course, of course. Where was I? What am I talking about? Who am I?

Alfie: You’re fifteen and joining the Unusual Cartography Club.” 

Professor: Ah yes, so it was 1763, a very good year if you liked skin diseases and stepping in horse poo. Oh, we used to have a lot of horse poo back then. It’s very good for growing cucumbers … 

Alfie: Professor!

Professor: What? Eh? 
Perhaps a different question … What’s next for the Unusual Cartography Club? 
Alfie: Wait and see! The UCC has always been a secret society but we’re going to change all that and open it up to everyone.

Professor: It wasn’t really a secret society, you know. It’s just that people lost interest in stone circles. 

Alfie: It’s all about how you present the information. If you wander up to people in the street and tell them you just got back from a cheese-eating trip to Cheeseworld they just give you funny looks. But if you give them a glossy brochure offering three week holidays on the paradise planet of Blyssss for a very reasonable price … 

Professor: There’s a Cheeseworld? Why wasn’t I told? Really, Rupert, you know how much I enjoy cheese and I am President of the UCC. I should be informed if you’ve discovered a world of delicious cheeses. 

Alfie: It’s Alfie, and there’s not really a Cheeseworld. I just made it up as an example. 

Professor: And I’m feeling quite peckish. Forget Earwax II. Come along Rupert. Let’s be off. Cheeseworld awaits. Toot toot. Coming through. To infinity and behind … 

Dragging Alfie behind him, the Professor straps on a motorcycle helmet and strides away, bringing this interview to a close. The last thing we notice is that he squeaks when he walks, exactly as if he’s wearing a tight ladies’ corset under his clothes …

Do check out the other stops on the blog tour for more fun, frolics, and mayhem.

Also check out Martin Howard at the following places @MJHowardWrites on Twitter and visit his website: https://booksbymart.pub 

Thank you for reading and have a great adventure. 

Martin Howard (Author), Chris Mould (Illustrator) - The Cosmic Atlas of Alfie Fleet - Book Review

We are on the younger person's book trail with the latest installment by Martin Howard. The Cosmic Altlas of Alfie Fleet will be published with love on March 7th, 2019 by Oxford University Press. The book supports a cracking book cover with delightfully energetic black and white illustrations by local illustrator Chris Mould. The map of OUTLANDISH is very cool and I think I might just have to acquire it from his studio! However, I'll make sure I get a slow getaway on good old Betsy the moped. 

This is a fantastic book full of pure escapism and jolly wild capers. Hop on for the ride of your life at 5 miles an hour! Strap yourselves in and put on your crash helmet. Alfie Fleet's problems started when he was feeling very sad about not having any money. All Alfie wanted to do was give his loving mum a foot spa as she worked long hours on her feet at a fish market. Life could be so dull some times, however, this foot problem took him on an unbelievable adventure. All it took was one add in the local newspaper. HELP NEEDED due to a bad back.

Simple words that then catapult the dear reader into a mighty escapade that will pop all imaginary clogs before you even finish the book. You've been WARNED! 

The story takes the reader on a far-flung fantasy adventure filled with fun, FROLICS and rather copious amounts of humour. You will travel a whole universe full of wonders with a crazy old professor and his bristly moustache all aboard the trusty old moped. You'll have a giggle and a google (make sure you check the map first) at the places they visit. It's a book full of eccentric characters that will knock out your teeth or make you smile and then, of course, there is Derek. 

The book is brilliantly creative and will engage all readers regardless of age. It has so much to offer the reader in this original heartfelt story full of action, thrills, and plenty of spills. You'll meet deadly hoarding dragons, elves that want to be supermodels and crazy gods. 
  

The diary style ramblings are a slice of genius and give us an insight into how the main character thinks through the exploits and explorations that take part on the road to INFINITY.  This, for me, worked brilliantly and enhanced the wonderful illustrations which worked in harmony with the ongoing story. It's a very cool plot for the seasoned adventurer; a great pootle of a ride into a world and beyond. This is a fully recommended family read that will uplift your mood in seconds leaving you wanting so much more. Hopefully, to be delivered very soon...

Now, let's take an OUTLANDISH blog tour with the author. Check the banner below for all the visits and come and say BRAINS-IN-JARS. It might give you a chance to win your own copy of the book. You can also Tweet me on TWITTER or contact me via FACEBOOK. The blog tour starts on Tuesday with Book Lover Jo, so don't forget to check it out. 

Bored of the same old routine? 
Longing for a bit of adventure in your life? 
Love living life on the edge? 
Then join Alfie Fleet and discover a whole universe of wonders (and things that are not so wonderful too, but we won't go into that now). 
From giant sand lobsters on planet Maureen and the Twang Bears of Mumsy, to the eerie (yet oddly quite boring) brains in jars on Brains-in-Jars World - there's something for everyone. And if danger's your thing you won't want to miss Outlandish, with its gold-hoarding dragon, take-your-life-in-your-hands cuisine, and welcoming locals who'll fire lightning bolts at you. 
Thrills and adventure await, just hop on board the slightly old and rusty moped of infinity! 

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Lorraine Gregory - Mold and the Poison Plot - Book Review

He's got a big heart . . . and a nose to match! 
Mold's a bit of a freak. His nose is as big as his body is puny and his mother abandoned him in a bin when he was a mere baby. Who else but the old healer, Aggy, would have taken him in and raised him as her own? But when Aggy is accused of poisoning the King, Mold sets out to clear her name.  
In a thrilling race against time to save Aggy from the hangman's noose, Mold faces hideous, deadly monsters like the Yurg and the Purple Narlo Frog. He finds true friendship in the most unusual - and smelly - of places and must pit his wits and his clever nose against the evil witch Hexaba. 

Lorraine Gregory’s middle-grade ‘Mold and the Poison Plot’ is a fantastic book to read. Co-creator of #ukmgchat, she is a fantastic advocate for children's books as her debut book shows passion and sparkle through the narrative.  

This is a great fantasy story that has a big heart and a smelly tale to tell. You will leap into the action from the very first page and will follow your nose into an adventure full of danger and absolute smelly mayhem. Along the way, you will follow the main character, Mold, into a narrative that will make your mind squelch through footsteps of bravery. The plot is full of deceit, danger and some really epic moments that fall straight off the pages into the subconscious mind. 

A great and distinctive new voice can be heard through the lovable character, Mold. The story starts in the settled life of Pellegarno, a fantasy world, that has been delightfully installed into this easy and fun read with utter skill and grace. However, only a few chapters later things go suddenly wrong. Aggy is arrested for poisoning the King and, with nowhere or no-one else to turn to, Mold must find a way to prove her innocence before it’s too late. It soon becomes a story full of unexpected allies and betrayals.  

It was a real pleasure to read this book, especially when struggling to find the time to read. I picked up this book, looked at the fantastic book cover by the talented Mr Tom Mead (a surreal character designer and fine artist) and was instantly sold. Tom traditionally works with pen drawings on paper or wood, but recently he has started drawing and painting on a much larger scale. He has completed works in Bristol, Brighton, Iceland and Cape Town. 

This is a fantastic start to a promising writing career. It has all the influences based on many hours of reading and the love of books with a good story. I am looking forward to reading much more from this author in the future. Thank you to OUP for sending this book to me to review. 

Mr Ripley's Interview with Tamsin Cooke - Author of Cat Burglar - Published by OUP

Tamsin Cooke SCHOOLGIRL BY DAY, CAT BURGLAR BY NIGHT, really? 
Welcome Tamsin to Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books. Thank you very much for taking the time out to answer some questions about your writing career and your latest book Cat Burglar. This is due to hit the shops on 7th January and will be published by OUP. If you would like to read the brilliant first chapter read it Here.  

Who would love reading The Scarlet Files: Cat Burglar, and why? 
I think both girls and boys aged 9+ would love to read Cat Burglar. It’s fast paced and full of adventure and humour. There are daring heists, mystical happenings and exciting characters.

Give us an insight into the main character, Scarlet McCall? 
Scarlet is an ordinary schoolgirl by day (trying to blend into the background, not making friends) but at night she is a trainee cat burglar. She and her father are on a mission to return priceless treasures to their rightful owners. Scarlet is brave and feisty but has huge issues around trust. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her, apart from her father. She’s desperate to prove herself to him. 

What tips do you have for a would-be Cat Burglar? 
You need to keep a low profile – you can’t let people get too close in case they learn your secrets. 
You need to be very fit – able to scale walls and run away from guard dogs. 
If you have a fear of heights, you probably shouldn’t go into this line of work! 


Have you ever used contemporary events or stories “ripped from the headlines” in your work? 
I’m always on the lookout for stories about heists. And I like seeing how people have managed to get into buildings. Scarlet and her father have poached some of the more elaborate ways to access a house.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? 
Whenever I need a break from writing, I go into my kitchen and pull down the blinds. Then I put on my headphones and dance. I’ve been known to dance for an hour non-stop! 

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books? 
How many rubbish cat burglars there are! 
Two men decided to paint masks on their faces with permanent marker rather than wear balaclavas. Funnily enough, the police managed to catch two men covered in fading felt-tip. 

A burglar was upstairs when the family came home. He managed to stay quiet until the husband told a funny joke. The burglar burst out laughing, giving himself away!

Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they? 
It took me twelve years to get published. Certain things helped me get better - mainly practice and listening to what professionals had to say. I got so many rejection letters, but luckily they often included gems of advice. The literary agents could see where I was going wrong. When I first got these rejection letters, the temptation was to rage and throw them away. But after I got over the initial devastation, what they told me proved to be invaluable. So I would say - listen to constructive criticism from professionals. 

At the same time – keep believing in yourself. No one can tell your story as well as you can.

What helps you be creative? 
I pay attention to my dreams. I go for dog walks on my own (well - I do take my dog!) and just let my mind wander. If my story isn’t working and I’m stuck going round in circles, I’ll take a shower. I don’t know how it works – but having the hot water drip down my head unlocks ideas. On some days, I am very, very clean! 

What question have you never been asked in an interview? 
Am I writing from experience? Have I ever been a cat burglar? 
Obviously there is no way I can answer that!!!! ;)

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Review: Philip Reeve & Sarah McIntyre - Cakes In Space

Warning: This book may contain nuts. No cakes were harmed in the production of this book. Well, that might actually be a big fat lie as the reader actually chases crumbs around space! Nevertheless, what an enticing start to a great sugary fantasy.

This is the second collaborative venture by the talented duo Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre - the creative wordsmith is Philip and the imaginative illustrator is Sarah. Although, the word on Nova Mundi is that a bunch of crazy aliens have taken both Philip and Sarah over, so perhaps we don't really know who has done what or even who is in charge of the words and the illustrations. 

This is the best exploration into space that I've undertaken for some time. It left me shaking in my armchair with the wobblies. This book is pure genius - it will lift your spirits up to the moon and back again . . . . . and then some more. The story is highly original and totally wacky; I loved every second that I spent reading this. The gravitational force behind this is pure fun, fun, fun. 

This book is packed full of amazing illustrations which definitely enhance the plot. The mixture of free flowing pencil sketches alongside the bold colourful illustrations create intergalactic ambience. The subdued next to explosive colour is exciting for the reader to engage with and, in my opinion, is well thought out and executed.

This is a great family read that can be shared together out loud or independently. The main character, Astra, is the only person left that hasn't been frozen in time. Faced with a galactic space adventure fighting sweet tooth monsters, escaping an invasion of alien Poglites and encountering a Nameless Horror, Astra has a lot to contend with. Is this too much for her to cope with alone or will the ship's robots come to her rescue?

Don't hesitate to grab a copy to read as you will definitely not look at another cake in the same way. Chocs away!!!! BEWARE - THE BATTENBERG! - FEAR THE FAIRY CAKE! - SHUN THE CHOUX BUN!

Synopsis: Astra's family are all snoring in their sleeping pods aboard their spaceship, but Astra is WIDE AWAKE. With her robot friend, Pilbeam, she goes off exploring and soon finds out the ship is in deep trouble. It's been knocked off course and invaded by a gang of Poglites, an alien salvage crew searching for spoonage (they just LOVE collecting spoons)! But even the Poglites need Astra's help when they discover something far more sinister lurking in the canteen. Sure, they're cakes; but no one would describe them as sweet.

Keep upto date with my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MrRipleyspage

William Hussey - Haunted - Book Reveal - Published by OUP

Mr Ripley's Book Cover Wars contender, this year! What do we think, people?

-Illustrated by the phenomenally talented Rohan Eason whose previous credits include his brilliant, atmospheric work on The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, it reflects the dark fairy tale vibe of a story in which a young girl must overcome her grief to battle the spectral forces that are threatening her town. The cover shows our hero, Emma Rhodes, approaching the derelict (and quite possibly haunted) Sparrow House: the former residence of a mass murderer, the Victorian ruin now harbours a mysterious newcomer to the cursed town of Milton Lake.

As Emma approaches so the spirits of the ‘unmade’ swarm around her. It is a bold, stark design which, we hope, will catch the eye and stir the imagination. It hints at the tone of the book – mystery, intrigue, spookiness galore and more than a few heart-stopping surprises – but also leaves much to the imagination…

Here’s a look at the full book design. On the back you can see the fabled ‘Ghost Machine’ telephone discharging its ectoplasmic, spirit-forming energy onto the page. This then forms into those shadowy characters that threaten Emma Rhodes. Book cover Images taken from: http://www.williamhussey.co.uk/