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.

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Mr Ripley's Book Review - Nick Cook - Cloud Riders - Three Hares Publishing

I really loved the look of this book; from the fantastic eye catching cover, designed by Jennie Rawlings, to the interesting synopsis that I did actually read. When I was asked if I wanted to review this book I did not hesitate - I was really happy to say yes and I am very glad that I did.

Cloud Riders is the first book in a new series that will power your mind as it takes you on a journey that will deeply immerse you in a Sci-Fi/Steampunk fantasy. The story is told from the perspective of Dom. Living with his mom in Tornado Alley, this is the setting for the frantic action that follows.  After a year of long droughts, the family diner is on the verge of going bust, but then the first twister in months appears and, from nowhere, an airship emerges from the spout.

I was really drawn to the initial idea of the story; the chasing after and filming of a deadly twister. A tornado consisting of a violent rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of the earth. This is a really fascinating natural phenomena and a refreshing idea that drew me into the story. However it didn't stop there as another dimension soon appeared, literally, in the form of a new world. 

As well as a fantastic idea, there are also a host of characters to intrigue the reader. There is Dom's long time best friend Jules and a feisty mysterious character known as Angelique. Both have a history with Dom that soon becomes known to the reader and allows us to relate to the emotional state of each character. We encounter a love triangle, as well as a range of mysteries and secrets with some timely twist and turns. The author is certainly not afraid to tackle the theme of tragedy within this story.

This book was a bag of tricks; it had the personality and blend of some of my favourite books. It was a very enjoyable read as it still brought something new to the literary table. Energetic spaceship battles, steampunk gadgets, and out of this world voyages have been very creatively written. The ending was incredibly frantic and explosive, which I wasn't too sure about. Nevertheless it created a great start for the next book which, I have to say, I am really looking forward to reading.

I would recommend this book, especially to readers who loved Philip Reeve's 'Mortal Engines' and Garth Nix's 'A confusion of Princess'. The only problem that you may have is being able to track down a copy, but it is out now for you to try.

Also check out his guest post, to the Moon and Beyond HERE

Published by Three Hares Publishing - (6 May 2014)