Jodie Garnish - The Spectaculars - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Are you looking for your next favourite read? What about a new series involving magical settings and a trip on a flying canoe? If so, then look no further than the debut book by Jodie Garnish. The Spectaculars will be published in magnificent hardback glory with a brilliant book cover and internal illustrations by Nathan Collins. I can hear you ask when can I get my hands on this book? Well, it will fly into bookshops across the fantasy world on the 29th September 2022 (TODAY!) and has been published by the good people at Usborne Publishing. 

After reading the book synopsis, I thought the story sounded rather wonderful. To be absolutely honest, it really is a theatrical delight that I (and I'm sure you will also) fall in love with. It's a far-flung fantasy story inspired by the author's love for drama and theatre. The plot is brimming with charm and magical stardust as the setting fully immerses the reader. Welcome to the WONDRIA - a place full of magical performers with gifted special powers. However, lurking behind every curtain lies nightmares, danger, peril, and a lot of superstition. 

You will need to keep your wits about you as you join Harper, Trick and Thief in a fast-paced adventure that will elevate you off your feet. The plot is full of marvellous mayhem and unexpected explosions. It's an epic and enchanting zip wire extravaganza full of mystery as the characters look to save their travelling theatre and boarding school from closing for good. The characters are larger than life as they face rivalry, villains, scrapes, and near misses that pull you through epic scenes in a surreal and dramatic way. The story is full of surprises which are all pieced together like a jigsaw to keep the readers both interested and entertained. The author has left a lot of unanswered questions which allows the next installment to be introduced and continue seamlessly; this is going to be a fantastic new series. 

It was a wonder and a delight to read this book; it shines brighter than the North Star.  One of the best debut children's books that I have read this year.  May you be cursed with the stings of a thousand bees and may your toes be chewed off by wolves! Keep this in mind as you decide whether to embark on this new journey. But be warned that if you don't then you'll miss out on the best SPECTACULAR adventure in town. 

Philip Caveney - The Book of Secrets - Guest Book Review

This is an unlikely source for today's reading entertainment from the shady but real deal Danny Weston. This is his opportunity to sing the praises of Philip Caveney's latest shindig The Book of Secrets. Sorry, I've got that all wrong as Danny Weston said it was a pile of horse manure. In fact, he is quoted as saying 'He will never be as good as me, so get over it'. 

This review is the witness and testament from the Plague Doctor. Otherwise known as the skeleton of death with the oversized hooter from the world-renowned books the CROW BOY Trilogy. These books have been published by bad-ass Fledgling Press and can bought from their SITE.

So, are you ready to hear his thoughts about The Book of Secrets? Sure you are. Enjoy and stay safe in these crazy times. 

Greetings, fiction fans. Your friendly neighbourhood plague doctor here. Some of you (the lucky ones) may have read of my exploits in the Crow Boy trilogy, where I keep coming up against that pesky time-travelling intruder, Tom Afflick. Despite coming from the future and knowing nothing about life in the various eras in which we meet, he keeps getting the better of me. Curse him!

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that being a plague doctor is no bowl of cherries. In fact it’s sometimes quite depressing. So in those rare moments when I can find time to lose myself in a good book, I tend to seek out stories that are designed to lift my mood a little. You know the kind of thing - something that will make me smirk, chuckle and even (very occasionally) laugh out loud.

The other day, one of my patients, who clearly wasn’t going to be around long enough to finish reading it, handed a book to me, saying that since he was a bit short of cash, maybe I’d take it as part-payment for my services. I reluctantly agreed but in the end, I was glad I did!

It’s called The Book of Secrets and it’s set in this strange desert world where the climate is clearly a lot warmer than my home city of Edinburgh. It’s about this boy called er… Boy (to find out why, you’ll need to read the book) and he’s the possessor of an amazing invention, created by his late father, that can actually turn sand into water. I know, incredible, right?

Boy is on his way to the city of Ravalan, where he intends to enter the invention in a great competition that’s taking place there - but in the desert he meets up with a rascal called Gordimo, who steals the invention and leaves Boy for dead.

Now, before I go on, let me tell you that a part of me really identified with Gordimo. Yes, I appreciate he’s supposed to be the villain of the story, but as a bit of a villain myself, I really admired his cunning and evil trickery. Just saying!

Anyway, Boy is rescued by a troop of travelling players led by a fearless girl called Lexi. She’s part elvish and it’s clear from the word go that she and Boy have taken a bit of a shine to each other. Lexi’s theatre company is in dire need of a new leading actor and they ask Boy if he can help out. Since they’ve just saved his life, he can hardly say no, right?

And this is where the laughter starts because Boy is useless as an actor and accidentally turns the very serious play they’re performing into a slapstick comedy. Weirdly though, it’s a much bigger success because of this! There are lots of other characters. I particularly liked Pompio, who is a ‘boobo,’ a kind of ape-like creature who can talk and who spends most of his time making sarcastic comments about everyone he meets. (Reminded me of myself when I was younger and more care-free.) And there’s this big clumsy oaf called Grud who despite his size, is actually very gentle and child-like. I wanted to hate him, but somehow, he got to me. Grrr!

So, can Boy get to Ravalan before Gordimo does? Can he retrieve his wonderful invention and claim the (massive) prize money? And can he cope with being the new comedy hit on stages at every town the theatre troupe visits?

Well, as I said earlier, read the blessed book. 

Now it’s time for me to put on my bird mask and head off to do battle with that pesky Tom Afflick again. Honestly, who said that it was a quiet life being a plague doctor? 

I bid you good day and I hope you enjoy The Book of Secrets as much as I did.

Lyn Gardner - Rose Campion and the Christmas Mystery - Book Review - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

Here we have a brilliant conclusion to the Campion series by Lyn Gardner. This fantastically thrilling finale was published in October 2019 by Nosy Crow Books. I have to say that this is my personal favourite of all three books. These could really be read in any order as you can jump in and out of any of the books and everything will still run like clockwork.  

So let's raise the curtains on another season at Campions' Palace of Varieties and Wonders. Set in Victorian London, a fantasy treat awaits any reader. You will instantly be re-acquainted with brilliant characters and their vibrant and lively surroundings. Full of heart, courage, and friendship which all help the characters through this dangerous adventure.

Rose Campion and her friends have more to worry about in this adventure than who'll be filling the role of Cinderella. The narrative of this book is deathly and dark. It's full of mischief due to the arrival of the Duchess, a deadly ruler of the London criminal underworld, who has just been released from prison. She has her sights set, not only on Rose but also on a priceless emerald necklace that has just arrived in the city. Meanwhile, Campions' is playing host to the mysterious hypnotist Madame de Valentina and murder is afoot as the narrative takes a disturbing turn of events. However, which characters will be affected in this story? 

This is a Christmas mystery for young and old, as the story whips up a theatrical storm. I loved every single minute of this book as it is full of song, dance, and much laughter. It's a big show stopper with a fantastic plot. This sleuthing novel will keep you guessing until the very end of the book. The timely twists and turns deserve an encore as there are many secrets to uncover. The narrative wraps up nicely pulling together all the threads from this book and the previous book nicely, which leaves you, the reader, feeling very satisfied. This is a truly lovely series that will not be easily forgotten.  

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.

Ursula Jones - The Youngstars - Book Review

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• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Inside Pocket (23 April 2012)
• Age: 9+
• ISBN-10: 0956712290
• ISBN-13: 978-0956712295

It is always good to read and review work from authors who don't get much media coverage. One of my favourite small publishers, Inside Pocket, have a great authority in publishing some great books and this, is no exception.

Ursula's theatrical background really lends itself to the performance of this story. It delivers a great platform for a period story set in England in 1936. We follow a young group of people, all working on the stage, performing their comical skits in northern theatres. However, with their evil manager known as 'The Pig' they find themselves in for a colourful journey. 

This story provides a brilliant look into the past when people needed to be entertained and the television had just been invented - Hollywood and the Silver Screen were just becoming established. As a result, these young performers have big dreams of making it big one day. I don't want to give too much away about this story, so I've chosen to keep this review free of too much detail. I believe that this will then give you the chance to pick up a copy and read it for yourselves.

I have to say that I really did enjoy reading this book. It has a varied and split storyline which, at times, was quite complex such as the following of the Doppelgangers (Ollie and Ralph) after a chance meeting. It has great inside views of a pre-war time, when life was hard and variety shows were often popular but, of course, often hard work in order to please the paying customers. This book is full of highs, lows, twists and turns but very much with a slap stick approach.  

This is an adventure for everyone from twelve to a hundred and twelve. It is very entertaining and a book that I would definitely recommend. 

The author: Ursula Jones trained at RADA and is an actress and writer for children: The Witch's children trilogy, for example, which won the 2003 Gold Smartie award and the 2008 Roald Dahl Funny Prize; but also plays for children, and scripts for the TV series Green Claws.