New Children's : Dirk Jones is NOT the Chosen One - Gatlin Perrin - Firefly Press Ltd

Firefly Press Ltd - 9th October - Paperback | £9.99 | YA Dirk isn’t the chosen one. Not even close. So how did they end up in the middle of a potential apocalypse?  All Dirk wanted was to escape another argument with their parents and go for a nice quiet coffee. Instead, they’ve been kidnapped by agents, attacked by mal-realmers and forced to wear a boiler suit that they’re pretty sure someone died in.  When Dirk is taken to Base, a secret underground …well … base, they learn way more than they need to. More about other realms, more about the battle between good and evil, and more about the absolutely terrifying Violent Jack, an evil mal-realmer determined to bring about the end of the world.  Both sides need the chosen one. But there’s not a lot Dirk can do about it, is there? It’s not like it’s them.   Unfortunately for Dirk, not everyone knows that.   COMING 09 OCTOBER

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Favourite Children's/kids Book Picks - OCTOBER 2025

 

• Author: Dominique Valente
• Title: Witchlight (Witchspark)
• Publisher ‏: Usborne Publishing Ltd
• Publication Date: 9 Oct. 2025
• ISBN-13 ‏: ‎978-1805316800 - Paperback
• Reading Age ‏: ‎ 9 - 12 years

Return to the magical world of witches, royalty and curses in this spellbinding sequel to Witchspark. 

Miss Hegotty's Secret Society of Witches has a lot of work to do. The Department of Isle-Spark Regulation is up to no good.

For Princess Victoria at the palace, this means possibly losing her powers forever. And for Eglantine Bury, her magical home can't stop sneezing, causing total chaos with each "ACHOO!".

As if that wasn't enough to worry about, Eglantine's house isn't the only magical being falling mysteriously ill. With dragons and gargoyles getting sicker and sicker, the witches will have to use time travel, disguise spells and genie wishes to uncover the truth...before it's too late.

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10860/9781805316800

• Author: Phil Hickes 
• Illustrator: Oriol Vidal
• Title: The Last Day of October
• Publisher ‏: ‎Barrington Stoke
• Publication Date ‏ : ‎ 9 Oct. 2025
• ISBN-13 ‏: ‎978-0008748517
• Reading Age ‏: ‎9 years and up

• A spine-tingling middle-grade horror perfect for Halloween! (Dyslexia-friendly)

Bored with trick-or-treating, three friends venture into the woods on Halloween night to hunt for the haunted McBride House in this spine-tingling horror story from Phil Hickes.

If you go down to the woods today, you’re in for a nasty surprise …

Seeking creepy thrills instead of candy, Cody and his friends set out on Halloween to search for the ruins of the haunted McBride House in the woods near his home in Oregon.

The house has taken on a sinister legendary status after it burned down a hundred years ago with tragic consequences, and it’s said that the ghosts of the family who lived there return each year on the last day of October.

But when they find the house, the truth of what is happening on this eerie autumn night is more terrifying than the three teenagers could ever have imagined …

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10860/9780008748517

• Author: Frank J. Camacho 
• Title: The Monsters They Made Us (The Heirs of Driftmoor) BK 1 
• Publisher: FJC Books
• Publication Date ‏: ‎1 Oct. 2025
• ISBN-13 ‏: ‎979-8998781810
• Reading Age ‏: ‎15 - 18 years

For fans of supernatural dramas and dark academia comes a new tale of salt-soaked secrets, blood-bound legacies, and a coastal town where every wave carries the weight of centuries-old curses.

Some monsters are born. Others are made. But the worst are inherited.

Long before Driftmoor was a town, it was a threshold where the veil between the natural and supernatural ran thin. Where wicked bargains were struck in the dark. Bargains that cursed four bloodlines forever.

Dorothy arrives at Driftmoor Academy hoping to leave her past behind and become someone new. But after a car crash leaves her teetering between life and death, dark abilities awaken inside her. Whispers through the halls. Nightmares claw at her sleep. And death follows wherever she goes.

As Dorothy is pulled into the gilded world of Driftmoor’s elite, pieces of a forgotten legacy begin to surface—along with a power she doesn’t understand and a past someone tried to erase. And she’s not the only one marked by what came before.

There’s the boy touched by the sea, who’s drawn to a song no one else can hear. The socialite carved from gold and expectation, clinging to perfection before it shatters. And the son born in shadows, raised by a family that never intended to keep him.

Linked by the bargains of their ancestors, the heirs of Driftmoor must each decide: will they surrender to their curses, harness the power they’ve inherited, or let it destroy them?

• 
  
• Author: Katherine Child
• Title: The Notted Island 
• Publisher: ‎Flying Eye Books
• Publication Date ‏ : ‎ 9 Oct. 2025
• ISBN-13 ‏: ‎978-1913123147 - Hardback
• Reading Age ‏: ‎ 9 - 11 years

Before 1861, the world was black and white. As Colour reached the end of his job, world-weary he stopped to rest on Last Island: the last uncoloured place. The people of the island are believed to be the reason for this and seek to better themselves, in the hope that Colour will recognise their efforts and bring colour to the island. To make matters worse, the islands Nott - a deity responsible for drawing the curtain of night - begins to make more and more mistakes. As the islanders grow restless, they send a letter threatening Nott. However, when the letter finds itself in the hands of Tisky, a young islander with pockets full of cake, she tasks herself with bringing unity back to Last Island.

https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10860/9781913123147

The Best Children's Book Picks JAN 2025 - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Penny Boxall - Letty and the Mystery of the Golden Thread - Published by Puffin (30 Jan. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241657447 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Anybody who found themselves in the rigging of the good ship Lotus very early that morning would have seen an unusual sight: a shy, plump girl with a magpie fidgeting on her shoulder, holding in her hand a glinting coin…

We begin in LONDON, 1774.

Twelve-year-old Lettice Breech is excited to visit Europe with her Pa, who is eternally fascinated by ancient objects. Together they’re going to admire breathtaking French art, astounding Roman ruins, and spectacular Greek carvings.

But their plans are dashed when part of a famous statue is exposed as a forgery, and Pa is thrown in gaol for the crime.

Susan Brownrigg (Author), Jenny Czerwonka (Illustrator) - Wrong Tracks - UCLan Publishing (9 Jan. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1916747340 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Who is sabotaging the Rainhill Trials?

It is 1829. Everyone is talking about the exciting new rail ways and young Edward Entwistle cannot believe his good fortune: a chance encounter sees him offered a job at the Stephensons’ Steam Locomotive Manufactory.

The Stephensons are preparing for an important competition – The Rainhill Trials. A race of innovation and daring which will award the winner a contract to run the new Liverpool & Manchester Rail Way. Edward must protect the father and son inventors’ latest creation – their precious Premium Engine – but strange and dangerous accidents keep stalling construction.

Edward and his new loco-mad friend Prudence soon realise someone is trying to scupper the Stephensons’ chances. It is up to the friends to spot sabotage and chase down spies in a thrilling race against the clock.

Inspired by the Rainhill Trials.

Jo Todd-Stanton - The Comet - Published by Flying Eye Books (2 Jan. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1838741242 - Paperback - Age: 4+ (Picture Book) 

When Nyla has to leave her home in the countryside to start life again in the city, all she can think about is everything she misses from before. So when a comet comes crashing through the city streets and starts to glow and grow, Nyla can’t resist a chance to head somewhere that feels closer to what she had before … but what starts as an escape could be just the thing to make her finally feel at home. From the award-winning Joe Todd-Stanton, comes an exquisite and heartfelt picture book touching on the bewildering experience of moving house. This beautiful story explores how this can affect a child's sense of belonging, but also how it can open them up to new and wonderful experiences.

Alice Nuttall - The Zombie Project - Published by Chicken House (2 Jan. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915947345 - Paperback - Age: 9+ 

The action-packed and horrorful zombie adventure from debut author Alice Nuttall, with an original environmental twist . . .

In a world without bees, death-flies are needed to grow food. But death-flies need bodies – lots of them. And bodies mean zombies.
Merian understands this, but others are afraid. Can one girl prove that zombies are the future?

• The action-packed debut novel of MSLexia Children’s and YA 2023 winner, Alice Nuttall.
• An original idea that turns the usual zombie story on its head – save the zombies, don’t kill them!
• With environmental themes packaged alongside age-appropriate horror and scares.

Read Extract HERE

Guest Post by Samuel Perrett - Senior Fiction Designer – Hachette Children’s Group.

Welcome to the fantastic guest post by Samuel Perrett, who is the Senior fiction designer at Hachette Children’s Group. This post takes a look at the production and design of Bex Hogan's Viper/Venom books. It shows the final choice and the process that is undertaken before the final decision is made about the resulting book cover. This decision can make or break a book, so it is vitally important to get it right. In this case, they have done a brilliant job with the design and production of each book in the series so far. 

 “So… Do You Draw the Pictures?” 

Quite often when I meet people for the first time and they ask what I do, and say “I design children’s books”, the response is usually, “So … do you draw the pictures?”. This is understandable, as often ‘children’s books’ conjures up images of picture books, however, the world of children’s publishing is so broad. Ranging from preschool board books, picture books, and activity books through to illustrated chapter books, middle-grade fiction, young adult epics, and graphic novels. 


The role of the designer is to conceptualise, commission and create; with each book bringing different challenges and requirements. It is a big task to create a book cover because as much as we are told not to, we are all guilty of judging a book by its cover. Not to mention each designer has their own way of working, different processes to visualise their ideas. To help showcase my particular process for designing a cover, I have chosen to focus on the cover for Bex Hogan’s ‘Viper’, which published in April and is the first book in the Isles of Storm and Sorrow series. A thrilling and fast-paced fantasy YA novel, that follows the story the strong and courageous, Marianne. 

Like all projects, I started with a brief from the editor. Which contains information such as the plot, the feel-and-tone of the book and any other stand-out elements. The key themes of the book were; fantasy, adventure, danger, and (a hint of) magic. From that, I created loose ‘thumbnail’ drawings of cover concepts. Thinking about the composition of the image, the structure or hierarchy of the information and how to incorporate the key themes. 

Then some of the thumbnails were worked into concepts. They are still rough and unfinished, but this is part of my process to see how the idea looks when it is more ‘fleshed out’ and less of scribble on the page. 

The first concept showcased an inky dual image of Marianne in the snake’s mouth and was discarded pretty quickly. It is the starting of a narrative-led yet abstract design that had energy and movement with the textured brushstrokes. Even at this rough stage and with some of the details missing, I felt the concept would struggle to carry across the rest of the series and would require too much decoding by the reader to understand the premise of the book. With the cover having such a big pull in shops, and especially online, having an image that requires too much work to understand will never work, particularly when designing for children. 

These two concepts are more worked-up than the first and contain elements that informed the final cover. The artwork is created using some vectors from the image library, Shutterstock, that have been edited and with extra artwork I created. Both of these take a more decorative approach whilst keeping a sense of danger and adventure. 

After presenting these concepts to the editor along with the sales and the marketing teams, I had feedback to have more focus and give a greater sense of fantasy. 

The final concept is the response to that feedback. Having a single snake hissing for focus and giving a sense of danger, wrapping it around the compass to nod towards the journey/adventure. Adding in the sea and the starts to suggest the nautical setting, whilst keeping the visuals very graphic and decorative, so the silver and gold foil that I had planned added to the notion of magic. 

All of the elements were working well together, however, the hierarchy of the title and branding still needed work. In this concept Bex’s name, the series title and the title are holding very similar weighting. It was decided to keep Bex’s name at the top and to lead with the title, rather than the series title. I needed to find lettering to really make the title stand out and be able to echo the key themes of the book. 

This is a selection of the fonts that I looked at (there were plenty more), along with the base font that I started with and then edited for the final cover. Each has a different feel to them; some felt too fussy and they would conflict with the decorative nature of the cover; whilst others were too hard to read when small. The font that I ultimately selected has a slight nod towards being ‘pirate-like’ and is strong and bold. I then edited the letters to have more fluidity and movement and add some extra flourishes. (Such as a subtle ‘fang’ on the ‘R’ to echo the one already on the top of the ‘V’. This is something that can be taken as purely decorative or potentially go unnoticed, but it’s always fun to add a little something extra when the time is right.) 


Once the type was resolved and extra elements like the border were naturally added to balance out of the overall composition, the cover was complete. Thankfully, the author was very happy with the final design and then the cover was revealed. The printed books are finished with gold and silver foil giving them a luxurious shine that really stands out on the shelves. 


As mentioned previously, when designing the first book in a new series, there is always the thought in the back of your head about how the visual language of book one will translate to books two and beyond. With Viper it has such a strong structure that creating the cover for Venom was thankfully pretty straightforward. Keeping the key elements like the compass and the border, my focus was more on finding a way to incorporate all the new elements whilst ensuring the covers look different to each other, but still part of the same family.

So, to round off, do I draw the pictures? Sometimes yes, but sometimes no. More-often-than-not I get the privilege to work with incredibly talented illustrators who are able to bring new worlds and characters to life. But, no matter how the artwork is created, every cover comes the aim to refine the authors' words into one powerful image that can capture the attention and imagination of a reader.

Liz Hyder - Bearmouth - Book Review - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

Published by Pushkin Press / Hardback / 19 September 2019 / £12.99/ISBN-13: 978-1782692423

Today, I have a review for a powerful debut book by Liz Hyder. The book will be published on the 19th September 2019 by Puskin Press. It's aimed at a young adult audience from the age of thirteen upwards and has one of the more intriguing synopsis you will find this year.  The book cover will certainly inspire any reader to pick it up this autumn.

The story is both bold and brave, in my opinion. The plot is told from a young person's perspective - a character called Newt. The story is written in the language of his learning of letters and words. Some of the words need to be worked out as it's told more or less phonetically.  However, this gives the reader thinking time and makes the dialogue a little unique; it's a nice workout for the mental brain! The nature of the book is very dark and matches the character's surroundings deep down in the mine. There are some graphic scenes of death and other adult themes in this book, so it holds no punches for the reader as emotions see-saw up and down with the narrative. 

The story is very atmospheric and gripping. It's an epic journey into the unknown and has been written with great intelligence through a powerful and descriptive plot. The book and the characters question their beliefs as they fight the religious tyranny and social injustice they find down the mine. The working conditions are brutal and dangerous (the book explores the themes of child labour and Victorian-style working conditions). However, the bravery, courage, and friendships which are formed along the way, hit the reader with a beacon of light in a place of total darkness.

As you follow resourceful and clever Newt through his day-to-today adventures, the candlelight flickers on the reader with hope and justice for him and his fellow friends and workers. The story has some lovely twists and turns to uncover the truth as they conquer their fears in a claustrophobic environment.  It's a brilliant and thought-provoking piece of writing that you will not be able to put down. It will shock you, grip you and punch you in the fantasy face as Newt's perspective will pluck at every reader's hearts leaving each one feeling very emotional. What a great reading discovery full of gritty realism in a bygone world! Don't delay - pick it up and enter the world now. 

Book Synopsis: Life in Bearmouth is one of hard labour, the sunlit world above the mine a distant memory. Reward will come in the next life with the benevolence of the Mayker. New accepts everything - that is until the mysterious Devlin arrives. Suddenly, Newt starts to look at Bearmouth with a fresh perspective, questioning the system, and setting in motion a chain of events that could destroy their entire world.

In this powerful and brilliantly original debut novel, friendship creates strength, courage is hard-won and hope is the path to freedom.

Read more

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Top Four Teens/Young Adult Book Picks April 2019

This April Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books has read some of the best Young-Adult Fiction books this year. All my personal favourites are published this month, which is amazing. You'll find some links to the book reviews below if you would like to find out more. YA books do not get much better than this - check them all out. Have a good week. 

Scarlett Thomas - Galloglass: Worldquake Sequence Book 3 - Published Canongate Books (4 April 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1782119333 - Hardback 

EVERYTHING IS MADE OF MAGIC . . .

Effie Truelove and her school-friends Lexy, Wolf, Maximilian and Raven must use their magical skills to defeat the Diberi, a corrupt organisation intent on destroying the worlds at Midwinter.

But during a visit to the Otherworld, Effie is mistaken and imprisoned for being a galloglass - a dangerous, selfish islander. Meanwhile, Lexy is threatened by the vile professor Jupiter Peacock and Wolf embarks on a perilous journey to find his missing sister.

And back at school, Neptune the cat is bored. He's used to lording it over the other stray cats, but they've all mysteriously vanished. Where could they be - and how will he find them?

Can Effie and her friends reunite before total destruction is wreaked upon the universe?

Bex Hogan - Viper: Book 1 (Isles of Storm and Sorrow) - Published by Orion Children's Books (18 April 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1510105836 - Paperback - See Book Review HERE

Marianne has been training to be the Viper for her entire life - to serve and protect the King and the citizens of The Twelve Isles - but to become the Viper and protect the islands she loves she must find the strength to defeat her father. A new fantasy trilogy perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas.

He will make me a killer.
Or he will have me killed.
That is my destiny.

Seventeen-year-old Marianne is fated to one day become the Viper, defender of the Twelve Isles.

But the reigning Viper stands in her way. Corrupt and merciless, he prowls the seas in his warship, killing with impunity, leaving only pain and suffering in his wake.

He's the most dangerous man on the ocean . . . and he is Marianne's father.

She was born to protect the islands. But can she fight for them if it means losing her family, her home, the boy she loves - and perhaps even her life?

A brave heroine. An impossible dilemma. An epic new fantasy trilogy set on the high seas.

Charlie Pike - Jacob's Ladder - Prepare to be Born Anew - Published by The O'Brien Press (1 April 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1788490405 - Paperback - See Book Review HERE

We have heard your call You no longer need to fear. You will receive five messages, of which this is the first. The last message will inform you of the time and place of your salvation. Two hundred years from now, the earth is dying, scorched by powerful flares from the sun. A series of messages from an alien civilization sent to humanity over two centuries promise rescue to those strong enough to survive on their planet. Initiate Leon is a member of the True Path warrior culture and preparing for his Rising. But when his test comes - to kill in cold blood - he cannot do it. To redeem himself, he must journey to find the earth's fifth and final message from the Saviours, with the help of his resourceful servant, Martha. Out in the wild, Leon discovers alarming changes in his body - he can drink water through his skin, and has poison barbs buried deep in his flesh. Martha reveals to him the secret that the True Path have kept from him all this time: Jacob's Ladder, an adaptation for life on the alien planet, has lain dormant in his genes and is now being activated. He is part alien and part human, and he is in grave danger from those who wish to take what is in his body. An ambitious YA novel for fans of Patrick Ness, Rick Yancey and James Dashner.

Kesia Lupo - We Are Blood And Thunder - Published by Bloomsbury YA (4 April 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1408898055 - Paperback - See Book Review HERE

A stunning and original YA fantasy from a fantastic new talent. 

In a city where magic is feared and the dead are worshipped, life is overshadowed by a powerful and devastating storm cloud. 

One young woman is running for her life. Another is trying to return home. Both are looking for a place where they belong. 

But what Lena and Constance don't realise is that the storm cloud binds them. Without it, neither can get what she desires.

Charlie Pike - Jacob's Ladder - Prepare to be Born Anew - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

This is another exciting YA book from a debut Irish author. In this case, the author is Charlie Pike and it was such a privilege to receive a copy of this book to review. Jacob's Ladder will hit the shops on the 1st April 2019 and has been published by The O'Brien Press in Ireland. It's a brilliantly written dark fantasy story that will hook you from the very first page. Set in the year 2203 (dystopian style vision) the earth is dying, birds are falling out of the sky and people are living in fear of what is to come. 

The story is very brutal and hard-hitting with some scenes that would be more appropriate to late teen/adult fiction, in my opinion. It has an epic fantasy landscape which is incredibly well written. The imagination certainly draws the reader into the world of war, destruction, and chaos. The story takes you into a mission of salvation based on a series of mystery messages, which go like this...

We have heard your call
You no longer need to fear
You will receive five messages, of which this is the first.
The last message will inform you of the time and place of your salvation. 

This sets up the story leading the reader into a tangible feeling of what might lie ahead. The main character Leon is to come of age in his warrior culture and sets out into an unknown world. The climatic adventure starts from here. However, it is impossible to predict what is going to happen in the story. You'll hurtle through the bizarre plot whilst being showered by a world of dark fantasy and violence. The main characters are devoid of empathy (almost brainwashed) which makes the plot very edgy and intriguing. Interestingly, the narrative changes the more that you travel into the complex world, as the character's perspectives change through the course of their dangerous adventures.

I really enjoyed this book due to the creativeness of the story and the complex feelings of the characters. Ulya is my favourite character as she is mysterious, resilient and very loyal. It's both heartbreaking and emotionally challenging for the reader to follow her. I was on tenterhooks hoping for a better outcome throughout the story as you are led into an immersive dystopian adventure that becomes a living nightmare. You will journey through a world of chaos and maggots in this action-packed thriller that you will not be able to tear yourself away from. 

The ending was not the one I was hoping for. However, the story went in a new direction and the encounters with the worms made me run for cover.  So, if you like chaotic dark Irish fiction with a big dollop of Sci-fi fantasy this is definitely a book for you. I loved every page of this book and would highly recommend it. Don't delay - make sure you find a copy to read and experience this thrilling adventure. 

Synopsis: We have heard your call You no longer need to fear. You will receive five messages, of which this is the first. The last message will inform you of the time and place of your salvation. Two hundred years from now, the earth is dying, scorched by powerful flares from the sun. A series of messages from an alien civilization sent to humanity over two centuries promise rescue to those strong enough to survive on their planet. Initiate Leon is a member of the True Path warrior culture and preparing for his Rising. But when his test comes - to kill in cold blood - he cannot do it. To redeem himself, he must journey to find the earth's fifth and final message from the Saviours, with the help of his resourceful servant, Martha. Out in the wild, Leon discovers alarming changes in his body - he can drink water through his skin and has poison barbs buried deep in his flesh. Martha reveals to him the secret that the True Path has kept from him all this time: Jacob's Ladder, an adaptation for life on the alien planet, has lain dormant in his genes and is now being activated. He is part alien and part human, and he is in grave danger from those who wish to take what is in his body.