Sinéad O’Hart - Skyborn - Blog Tour Day One - Book Review - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

Hello Everybody and WELCOME to Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books. We are really delighted to be starting the #SKYBORN blog tour today celebrating the imminent release of Sinéad O’Hart’s third Middle-Grade children’s book. Which is being published by Stripes Publishing. 

The book cover is a cracker - we particularly love the choice of colour and sparkle. It has been illustrated by the very talented Sara Mulvanny and really sets the mood well. 

The other sites to visit, each day, as part of the blog tour are listed on the banner below. Make sure you drop by and say HELLO. There is a fantastic competition on Twitter to go with this post. To have a chance to win a copy of the book and a £10 Book Voucher and a bar of chocolate, all you have to do is head over to our pinned Tweet and find out more @Enchantedbooks 

Anyway, we’re now ready to kick off this amazing blog tour with our spoiler-free book review.

A watchful girl stands before the walls of a silent city. As we look over the walls, we take our first steps into a fantasy wonderland. The story starts with a rather intriguing prologue but as you turn the pages, a vortex of imagination and world-building leads through the narrative on a high wire adventure. Deadly and perilous situations lead to both surprising and captivating outcomes. 

The plot is very mysterious and enticing as it features magical and slightly dark supernatural theme. The second part of the story features a struggling circus that features larger-than-life characters who you may come to love or hate. The circus element of the story feels realistic without too much detail as it brings the story to life. It sparkles like a performer's sequin leotard!

I love books based on circus themes - the traditions and the history are all fascinating. It is easy to become immersed in this world as you do in the BOOK. You’ll find yourself instantly transported to the big top circus tent! 

Bastjan is the main character who will do anything he can to save his home and the circus. Even if it means participating in a death-defying new act. We are also introduced to a mysterious man by the name of Dr. Bauer. He and the ringmaster together make plans, however this creates a good plot twist. 

There is so much to keep you on your flexible toes. The eclectic mix of ideas make this book so enjoyable. For example, the runaway child called Alice who is a pickpocket and thief. There are also secret shape-shifting creatures, a mysterious island, a strange box, and a ride in an airship! All of which you will not want to miss. It's a pop fizz of static, a roller-coaster ride fuelled on adrenalin. There’s a lion’s roar here, an elephant's trumpet there followed by an acrobatic tumble. Finally, it all ends in a brilliantly climactic finish that you will just LOVE. Finishing this book may require a cup of YORKSHIRE tea, a chocolate biscuit, and a lie-down. This book is one to be read and savoured. 

Sinéad O’Hart - The Star-Spun Web - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

With her passion for scientific experimentation and her pet tarantula Violet, Tess de Sousa is no ordinary orphan. When a stranger shows up at Ackerbee’s Home for Lost and Foundlings, claiming to be a distant relative come to adopt her, Tess hopes to find some answers to her mysterious origins. But as she adjusts to her new life at Roedeer Lodge, it becomes clear that Norton F. Cleat knows more about Tess – and the strange device left with her when she was abandoned as a baby – than he’s letting on. And when Tess discovers that the Starspinner is the gateway between her world and a parallel world in which war rages, she realizes she may be the key to a terrible plan. A plan she must stop at all costs...

The Star-Spun Web is another fantastic page turner from Irish-born author Sinéad O’Hart. This will be her second book, her acclaimed debut was another favourite of mine - The Eye of the North came out early last year. This new book will be published on the 7th February 2019 by Stripes Publishing. The book cover is very appealing and captivating; it certainly catches your attention on the bookshelf. This has been brillantly illustrated by Sara Mulvanny who is a talented and renowned illustrator. If you want to read more about her then check out the Q&A we did HERE

Unlike many other books, the prologue gained my attention very quickly. It sets up the story brilliantly enabling the reader to become enraptured with the story instantly. It certainly encouraged me to read further with ease and interest which is something that I don't always find with other books.

The story is very imaginative as it pulls the fantasty silk threads into a sense of mystery. The reader is left constantly asking questions as to what lies ahead, how situations will be resolved and the characters' intentions etc. These provide the reader with an active role in the book rather than being a passive bystander within the narrative.

This magical adventure is about parallel words and highlighting all of the possibilities that might lie within. The book features a brilliant cast of characters including orphan Tess and her pet tarantula as they embark on an adventure like no other. The relationship between them is very interesting as it adds humour and fun whilst also exploring the feelings that Tess experiences through their dialogue. It was both lighthearted yet touching as she tries to navigate her way through life and the tangled web that she finds herself in.

I easily designated five stars to this book as I thoroughly enjoyed it. The blend of science-fiction and time travel through the expoloration of parallel universes was engaging and thrilling. There was a real contrast between the dark elements within the story (e.g. loneliness and grief) in comparison to the love and warmth portrayed by some of the characters. It has been very well written with some fantastic plot ideas that are perhaps not overly used at the moment, especially for the intended audience age (8-12).

I would love to be able to read more from this author and to join these characters on another adventure. Hopefully, this book stages the possibility of opening other doors and staging a fantastic series ahead.

Author Website: https://sjohart.wordpress.com