Christopher Edge - ESCAPE ROOM: Game Zero - Book Review - Mr Ripley’s Enchanted Books

Get ready to enter the Escape Room: Game Zero! This thrilling new vibrant middle-grade novel by Christopher Edge, author of the bestselling Escape Room series, is an absolute must-read for young adventurers and lovers of virtual reality games. 

When a swirling flock of birds plunges the sky into darkness, Eden finds herself transported to The Escape, a virtual world unlike anything she's ever imagined.  This is no ordinary game; it's a place where the impossible becomes possible and nothing is as it seems.  Teaming up with the enigmatic Ted, Eden must navigate treacherous landscapes, solve mind-bending puzzles, and overcome escalating challenges to unlock the secrets of this captivating and absorbing digital realm. Edge wonderfully crafts a world brimming with suspense, intrigue, and heart-pounding excitement.  The fast-paced plot keeps readers on the edge of their seats, while the richly detailed virtual landscapes pop and spark the imagination.  Eden and Ted's burgeoning friendship adds a touching layer of camaraderie to their perilous quest.

"Escape Room: Game Zero" is more than just an adventure; it's a celebration of the power of games to transport us to new worlds and unlock the hidden potential within ourselves.  A true testament to Edge's talent as a storyteller, this book is sure to be a massive hit with young readers and leave them craving more.  Don't miss out on this extraordinary escape room experience – it's a game-changer!

Published by Nosy Crow Books 5.Jun 2025. Book Cover Illustration by David Dean. Book Series Escape Room. 

Check out these other brilliant books from Christopher Edge:

• Black Hole Cinema Club - Book Review HERE
• Escape Room - Book Review -Book Review HERE
• The Many Worlds of Albie Bright - Book Review HERE
• The Jamie Drake Equation - Book Review HERE

Loris Owen - The Myriad Mysteries of Eartha Quicksmith (BK2) - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Hello everybody - we hope you are managing to keep cool this week! One of our favourite books of July 2022 has to be the epic and thrilling second book in the QUICKSMITH series by Loris Owen. The book has been published by Firefly Press Ltd and has a cracking book cover image. I think this is by Anne Glenn but unfortunately, I cannot find any information in the book to back this up. 

New readers might not instantly realise that this is the follow-up book to The Ten Riddles of Earth Quicksmith. It's not essential that you start at the beginning of the series as it is possible to read this as a standalone story. However, I would personally recommend reading the series in sequence as the back history is such an important aspect of the book to understand the complexity of the plot. It will certainly help you to understand more within the second book. 

Currently, there are so many books being published that the choice is vast and somewhat challenging in being able to find a great read. However, this author (Loris Owen) has a fantastic vision of the world she has created; it's magical and easily grips the reader by transporting you to the world of fantasy and mayhem.  The storyline is like no other book. It's a quest full of well-imagined sequences and ideas that are told with so much depth and detail. The plot allows you to explore with the characters as you follow the clues and decipher new riddles to solve the mystery as well as defeat old enemies. 

It's a fast-paced full of action-adventure with some rather big surprises along the way. The storyline stretches the imagination like an elastic band propelling the reader on a great fantasy ride full of fun and enjoyment. It's a really great sequel that takes you further into a creative world of discovery that is unlike any book I have read for some time. Packed with inventions, teamwork, and gadgets that will have you scratching your head, it's time to travel the Myriad waves and find where the CRAZY PAVING might be. 

Be BOLD and be brave as you travel through space and time with Kip and his friends to a strange world. The places are so bizarre, with creatures and technology so unfathomable, that you might JUST need a helping of sideways thinking. The book is layered with a strange energy that will set your teeth tingling and your toes tapping as you evade capture by the Myriad Pirates. The secrets of the Ark hold the key but a freak accident will just nicely set you up for a quest that will have you wanting more. If this sounds like your type of book strap yourself in, come and DREAM BIG for the time of your life with our recommended book of the month. You can buy HERE. 

Sharon Gosling - The Golden Butterfly - Book Review - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

The Golden Butterfly danced in the air, beautiful and impossible, yet there before their eyes. Then the Magnificent Marko flicked his wand again. There was a shower of sparks, a bang and ... the Golden Butterfly vanished. 

Let the show begin with the latest book by Sharon Gosling. The Golden Butterfly will be published this May 2019 by Stripes Publishing. The fantastic golden book cover has been produced by the talented Pip Johnson and will certainly sparkle on the bookshelves. The story is set around 1897 and is particularly rich in detail at a time that magic was a spectacular event. It's a fully engrossing period read that makes the reader think back to the golden age of performance. However, it's also a time when women were never permitted to do magic and strict rules were adhered to by the Grand Society of Magicians.

It's 1897 and since the Magnificent Marko dramatically departed the stage, no magician has come close to performing a trick as spectacular as the Golden Butterfly. With her grandfather gone, Luciana feels that the world has lost its wonder. Then the imposing leader of the Grand Society of Magicians appears, searching for something belonging to Marko, and Luciana is drawn into a world of danger and deception. As she battles to protect her grandfather's greatest legacy, can she distinguish reality from illusion?

This book has a theatrical delight that will entertain readers. However, the tiny lights glint on the soft white snow and sadness comes sweeping in as life sadly slips away for Luciana's grandfather - The Greatest Magician - MAGNIFICENT MARKO. Then when a strange man comes looking for a mystery object, the plot once again grazes the reader's fantasy taste buds with a sense of sadness. However, Luciana and her best friend, Charley, are soon hurtled into a headlong adventure full of puzzles to solve. Whilst also hoping to uncover the hidden secrets to one of the best magical illusions ever seen, THE GOLDEN BUTTERFLY.  

This fast-paced narrative ticks all of the boxes when it comes to an entertaining read. I was hooked and mesmerised by a story full of colour and a set of strong characters that felt both real and believable; they certainly make you want the best for them. The book shows intelligence and tackles social issues that I felt were well researched and poignantly used in the plot. The story is a fantastic fluttering performance full of suspense, drama, family secrets, and dazzling bravery that will shine and hit you in the heart.

The plot is brimming full of friendship, loyalty and lots of deceitful deeds which makes this journey all the worth following. As the plot unfurls, the sense of mystery will engulf the reader and as the curtain falls, the fantasy soon roars into a middle-grade read that will certainly appeal to everybody. I loved the ending of this book; it wraps the story into a cinematic vision that will leave you breathless and wanting more. You will be desperate for an encore as the joy spills out leaving you enchanted, uplifted and longing for another book. This is a fantastic read from start to finish; an unexpected MARVEL that is very much recommended by Mr. Ripley.

Rebecca Stead - When You Reach Me - Guest Review

This looks a great read from the U.S I have heard really good things about this book.

Book Review by Meghan Cox Gurdon (Thanks for this great Review!)

Young readers may not realize how terrific “When You Reach Me” is until they’ve almost finished it. Rebecca Stead’s writing here is so clean and unfussy that it’s ­almost deceptive: The complexity of the story is obvious in hindsight, but only the most attentive children are likely to catch all the author’s clues the first time through. At its heart, the book is a mystery, but ­precisely what puzzle is being solved in these closely plotted pages remains itself a mystery until the end, when the main character has a series of jaw-dropping realizations. We see events unfolding through the eyes of 12-year-old Miranda, who lives with her single mother in a scruffy Manhattan high-rise in 1979. A savvy latchkey kid, Miranda normally walks home from school with her best friend, Sal, past the intimidating boys who lurk by the garage and past the crazy homeless guy who has recently started hanging out on the corner. Then things start going wrong. One of the garage boys ­inexplicably punches Sal in the stomach. Suddenly, Sal won’t talk to Miranda, and someone steals the ­extra key to her apartment. Soon, Miranda begins ­receiving enigmatic notes on bits of paper: “I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own,” reads the first message. “The trip is a difficult one. I will not be myself when I reach you.” Readers age 9-15 (and older) will share Miranda’s wonderment as she discovers who has been communicating with her, and why, and are likely to find themselves chewing over the details of this superb and intricate tale long afterward.

Book Published by Wendy Lamb Books July 14, 2009

Book Synopsis

Four mysterious letters change Miranda's world forever. By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner. But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper: I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own. I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter. The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late.

James Dashner - The 13th Reality - The Hunt For Dark Infinty

Mr Ripley's Review

This is the second book to be released in the 13th Reality Series by James Dashner. The story takes on a new adventure with Tick, Paul and Sofia forced to "wink" from Reality to Reality. Solving riddles and overcoming fear and danger with every test is the main theme. Tick and friends are fighting for survival as they are tested to the limits in this sophisticated world involving 13 realities. Mr.Chu is working on a mysterious new weapon called the Dark Infinity to rule all the realities. But he requires someone to help control the weapon he has invented.
It's another great story told in such detail, which gives the reader a sense of being in the story. As you delve through the pages the dark and sinister tone and feel becomes more evident. There are lots of twists and turns, including some James Bond gadgets. As with all great endings, the climax culminates in lots of action, drawing all the loose ends into a tidy knot. Recommended to anyone who loves a great read with a big Science Fiction feel. Four out of Five.

Published in the U.S by Shadow Mountain


Synopsis

It s been a quiet summer for Tick, Paul, and Sofia, but the latest message from Master George changes everything. The Realities are in danger and from something more terrible than Mistress Jane and the mutated Chi karda of the Thirteenth Reality. People from all Realities are inexplicably going insane. Worse, some Realities are fragmenting, disintegrating into nothingness. Master George has learned that Mr. Chu from the Fourth Reality is working on a mysterious new weapon called Dark Infinity. But no one has any idea how to stop the weapon or even if it can be stopped. To make matters worse, Tick and his friends have been kidnapped, forced to wink from Reality to Reality, solving impossible riddles in order to survive the deadly traps surrounding them. Mistress Jane and Tick find themselves in a race to reach the weapon first but who will destroy it and who will become its master?

Biography

A Door in the Woods
A Gift of Ice
The Tower of Air
War of the Black Curtain
The 13Th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters (2008)
The 13Th Reality: The Hunt for Dark Infinity 23 Feb 2009

Trailer for the First book.