Ryan Hammond - Villains Academy - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Villains Academy is Ryan's first author-illustrated book to be published by Simon & Schuster Children's. It is not available to buy at the moment as it isn't due to be published until February 2023. This is the first book in a planned series featuring no cute animals but only bad ones at the school full of villains (or is it?). The book is a really light-hearted and fun read that might just give you a boost producing an upbeat feeling. It is an excellent choice for particularly the younger but also the older reader with a big heart.

On the first day at Villains Academy, we are welcomed into class Z with Master Mardybum and his group of students. Each student is hoping to be crowned VILLIAN of the Week. The book follows a group of things - this is really the best way to describe the motley class of characters. One team is called The Cereal Killers and comprises of A Werewolf called Bram, Mona the elf-witch, Bryan the lion, Shelia the ghost, and Tony the skeleton. The other team is called The Overlords and includes Mr Toad, Spike the Snappy Croc, Jeeves, The Tooth Hairy, and MAL the lost. 

The teams compete in a mayhem plot that fills the reader with joy, sadness, and a rollercoaster of emotions. Bram needs to find his inner badness to become the villain he's always dreamed of being to win. However, everyone has to work as a TEAM which is easier said than DONE! The book is written in a fantasy, dream-like way as the quirky characters take you on the most wicked and nastiest adventure you could ever think of. It's a school adventure where it's always good to be bad or just to be able to leave in one piece. It's a cracking story full of laughs, wit, sarcasm, and huge dollops of bad smells. 

If you dare to enter Villian's Academy be prepared to expect lots of farting as well as illustrations that will delight an explosion of nightmares. It's a fast-page, evil adventure with the most frightening word, are you ready to hear it? "SHUBBLEMEGUMP" .... There, you have been warned. If this sounds like your kind of tasty toes to read then grab a copy as soon as you can. We may see you next time Soony Peeps or will we? 

J. R. Wallis - The Book of Mysteries (Tales From the Badlands 3) Guest Post + Book Reading

Hello Everybody. We hope you are keeping well. Today, we are rather pleased to be celebrating the release of the third book in the Tales From the Badlands series by J. R. Wallis. This book is entitled The Book of Mysteries and will be published by Simon & Schuster Children's books on the 28th May 2020. 

We are doing a lovely virtual book tour to celebrate this fantastic slice of fiction heading into the real world for you lovely people to read. This is the second stop with the first one calling at Book Monsters yesterday. Follow the link HERE if you missed it. Whilst tomorrow’s reading will take place on Miss Clevland's fantastic BLOG so be sure to visit this for the next part in the story reading. 

We are particularly excited to announce a giveaway for a copy of The Book of Mysteries @enchantedbooks on twitter. Why not head over there now for your chance to win a fantastic copy? 

Finally, there is a really interesting guest post from the author about writing Endings 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... 

Steven Butler (Author), Steven Lenton (Illustrator) - You Ain't Seen Nothing Yeti! (Nothing to see Here Hotel) - Book Review

Having just saved the hotel from a goblin prince, Frankie Banisterand the guests are looking forward to enjoying themselves and celebrating the summer holiday of Trogmanay! But when a snow storm blows in (complete with Yeti family), and a number of mysterious guests arrive, something sinister seems to be taking over the hotel and celebrating is the last thing on anyone's mind...

The magical madness has come YETI again in a snowfall avalanche of monsters and madness. Here we have the second book in the Nothing to see Hotel series. You Ain't Seen Nothing Yeti! is the wonderful hilarious book from the mighty duo of Steven Butler and Steven Lenton. One of them provides the words and the laughter whilst the other provides an amazing amount of illustrations and pencil sharpening. The book will theatrically plop and splat into the shops on the 18 October 2018 published by Simon & Schuster. 

It's time to celebrate Trogmanay! with the Banister family. What possibly could go wrong? You only need to turn the pages and open the door to the strangest hotel in (YOU GUESSED IT), Brighton. It's an extravaganza of the most bizarre guests that you might find under one roof. It all starts with the entrance of Maudlin Maloney shivering in his unhappiness. There’s a blizzard on its way even though it's summer! Maudlin curses everyone and everything in the HOTEL; all he wanted was some warmth. 

You will find yourself feasting on a ghastly gastronomical amount of food. However, the menu will literally set your taste buds on fire and make you squirm with grossness - it's pretty hilarious. This story brings the craziness of the first book (PLEASE DON'T EAT ME) whilst exploring a more outlandish excursion into the authors' imagination. For me, this was fantastic as it leads nicely into some fantastically creative and amusing illustrations which tie in with the crazy plot. 

This is a fantastic imaginary world of monsters, magic and total mayhem from the very first page to the last. The story is unpredictable just like the guests and will have the reader engrossed in a laugh-a-minute ride that will lighten every reader's mood. It is definitely a journey worth taking, it's a story that will delight many readers in a world of doom and gloom. So pick up a copy, which can easily be read as a standalone novel. However, for full enjoyment then why not read both. This is both funny and disgustingly recommended - just add taste and maybe some slugs, but don't get them in your undergarments!