MR RIPLEY'S ENCHANTED BOOK COVER WARS - HEAT FOUR 2016 + JEFF KINNEY BOOK GIVEAWAY

It is a delight to have your company in the book cover war zone. Please make sure that you vote and enjoy the experience. Don't forget to share this exciting adventure with your friends and followers - everyone is welcome. #Bookcoverwars

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover War Rules:
There will be four weekly heats with five book covers to vote for. All heat winners will make the grand final. However, one more entry will also be entered into the final; this will be the book cover with the most votes from the other four heats as the highest runner up. 

Heat one Winner:  Alexander Gordon Smith - The Devil's Engine: Hellfighters Bk2 - Book Cover by Andrew Arnold - (171 Votes)

Heat two Winner: Book One: Rob Lloyd Jones - Jake Atlas and the Tomb of the Emerald Snake - Book Cover by Petur Antonsson - (168 Votes)

Heat three Winner: Lucy Strange - The Secret of Nightingale Wood - Book Cover by - Helen Crawford-White - (52 Votes)

As a voter, not only will you get the chance to choose your favorite book cover, but you will also be in with the chance to win a different special book each week. Therefore, in order to kick off the competition this week, we have an amazing book which is the latest hardback book - Jeff Kinney - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down. 

If you are interested then all you need to do is:

• Vote for your favorite book cover using the poll - VOTE HERE
• Leave a comment through this post or poll - VOTE HERE
• Mention it on Twitter/Facebook any place you like!  #BOOKCOVERWARS 
• Sit back, watch the voting develop and wait to hear whether you've won (once the poll has closed). Please note that this book giveaway competition is  only open to the UK only.
• This poll will end 16th December 2016 at midnight UK time. 

So here are the five book covers to vote for this week:

Book One: Roderick Gordon - Summerhouse Land - Book Cover by Stanley Donwood - Published by Mathew & Son Limited -  (20 Jun. 2016) - VOTE HERE

Book Two: Cornelia Funke - The Golden Yarn (MirrorWorld) - Book Cover by Cornelia Funke - Published by Pushkin Children's Books (3 Nov. 2016) - VOTE HERE

Book Three: Sara Pennypacker - Pax - Book Cover by Jon Klassen - Published by HarperCollins Children's Books (25 Feb. 2016) - VOTE HERE

Book Four: Ross Montgomery - Perijee & Me - Book Cover by David Litchfield - Published by Faber & Faber (3 Mar. 2016) - VOTE HERE

Book Five: Frances Hardinge - The Lie Tree (Illustrated Version) Book Cover by Chris Riddell - Published by Macmillan (20 Oct. 2016) - VOTE HERE 

Happy Voting all!

Mr Ripley's Book Review: Roy Gill - Werewolf Parallel - Published by KelpiesTeen (Plus Book Giveaway)

I first discovered Scotland's dark side when reading Roy Gill's Daemon Parallel about two years ago. This was a truly brilliant read that I thoroughly enjoyed. In fact, the book made my list of favourites back in 2012. Since that time I have been eagerly waiting for the sequel and finally it has arrived. 

With the recent launch of Kelpies Teen, this book is one of four due to be released in March. A revamped version of the cover of Daemon Parallel, with it's bright red glowing eyes beaming daemonically at you, is quite different to the original version. This is in-line with the current sequel, Werewolf Parallel, which has a very similar cover style but in green.  Now that the anticipation is over and the book has been read, the question has to be . . . .  was it worth the long wait?

The opportunity to run with the pack again in another heart pumping adventure has been fantastic. I raced through the Parallel world turning the pages like a Daemon riding the Janus express train. The imagination Roy has applied to this instalment left me running wild through the Scottish countryside. Although, the next time that I walk down Princess street or Leith walk, my fantasy side will turn to the adventures in this book. I know that I will be making connections with elements of the story which, to me, shows that the story has really engaged with me on many levels. 

I will be running away from the malevolent beast known as Mr Grey, who has arms that endlessly stretch, as if they are continually growing and not to tickle you with! His fingers are waiting to strike you down whilst his sidekick, Mr Black, watches over you.  They are planning to destroy the Parallel - the realm between worlds which is populated by daemons, dark fantastical creatures, old gods and werewolves - and everyone in it. The sinister plot that is afoot makes for a very interesting and imaginative story. The book definitely reads with a distinctive older feel, as it's now aimed at the teen market. However, I still feel that this book will be loved by younger people as well as the older population, like myself!

This book is action packed with a pulsating adventure. It has a big wolf heart at the very core. Flowing with Scottish charm, this story has everything from spine tingling moments to emotional character enlightenment. It is difficult not to become wrapped up in the whole essence of the story and, before you know it, to be wolfing down each word. 

This is definitely a recommended read. By the light of the full moon, this story is both captivating and thrilling. I am looking forward to reading, what I hope will be, another exciting encounter. 

I will be giving away a copy of the Daemon Parallel on Twitter/ Facebook. All that you need to do is like my new Facebook page and comment on this review post at https://www.facebook.com/MrRipleyspage or retweet and follow me on Twitter,  @Enchantedbooks. Apologies but this is only open to the UK due to postage costs. Closing date is Tuesday 1st April 2014. 

Guest Post: My Top Five Sci-Fi Films By Jennifer Ridyard + Conquest Book Competition

                              

CONQUEST by John Connolly and Jennifer Ridyard is the first in a new sci-fi series for young adults. To celebrate the publication day, you can win a hardback copy of the book. All you need to do is to write something interesting about the book ,in the comments section, and I will pick a winner on the 10th October. I look forward to reading your comments ..... this competition is open worldwide. Thank you Jennifer for taking the time to write the follow post.

My Top Five Sci-Fi Films by Jennifer Ridyard

The best science fiction films ever made? You’re asking me? Are you sure?
Well, there’s obviously the canon (Alien/s, Star Wars, et al), and then there are the ones with cannons (Riddick, Mad Max, etc), but these are not necessarily my own favourites, or the ones that made me laugh, or cheer, or sob into my popcorn, or that have simply stayed with me.

So then here they are, my top five sci-fi movies, with no nodding to canons or even cannons, and no apologies either. If you expected more from me then, to quote Ripley, “I’m happy to disappoint you”:

5) Donnie Darko – yes, we’re veering into noir fantasy here, but this has that sci-fi staple of time travel, a rabbit from the future, schizophrenia, and the end of the world too. And love. And a very dark heart.

4) The Terminator – the first of a great series, because you just can’t argue with Arnie. “I’ll be back,” he said, and he didn’t let us down. See also: Total Recall for more Schwarzenegger splendour as well as that sci-fi chestnut, the three-boobed woman.

3) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – because Steven Spielberg has never been sweeter and neither has an alien.

2) District 9 – because sci-fi is often social commentary, and sometimes it can be really witty, but very occasionally it’s both, and this has calorific dollops of spectacular violence thrown in for good measure too. Yes please.

1) Men in Black – watch all three of them. I insist. You’ll pray for a fourth. I laughed until my stomach hurt, and I still do every time. I even love the maligned number two – and quit sniggering at the back, please. What’s not to love about a tiny alien world inside a storage locker at Grand Central Terminal?

Mr Ripleys Book Cover Wars 2010 - Heat 1 of 4 - Plus Charlie Higson Book Giveaway - The Enemy

They are finally back. . . . . you are now entering the book cover war zone for 2010. 


For any follower of this site, this is the chance to become part of the weekly book cover wars. Each week (for the next 4 weeks) we are going to select four book covers for you to vote for. The winner of each heat will then go forward to the final round and get a chance to be crowned as 'Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover Winner 2010'.


As a voter, not only will you get the chance to choose your favourite book cover but you will also be in with the chance to win a different signed book each week. Therefore, in order to kick off the competition this week, we have a signed copy of Charlie Higson's 'The Enemy' to give away. All you need to do is:

• vote for your favourite book cover using the poll (see top of the page)
• leave a comment through this post or send a tweet through Twitter
• sit back, watch the voting develop and wait to hear whether you've won (once the poll has closed)

Book One is - Cristy Burne - Takshita Demons:The Filth Licker - Published By Frances Lincoln Children's Books - June 2011


                               
Book Two - Tom Percival - Tobias and the Spooky Ghost Book -  Published By HarperCollins - Sept 2010


                               
Book Three - Steve Feasey - Changeling:Zombie Dawn - Published By Macmillan Books - 2011

Book Four - Adam Jay Epstein & Andrew Jacobson - The Familiars - Published By HarperCollins -  Sept 2010

***Twitter Book Give Away*** Chelsea Campbell - The Rise Of Renegade X - U.S Proof Copy

The Book Give Away Rules : Follow me on Twitter and RT The Book Give Away.  If you want a better chance,you can leave a comment on the blog as well. The last day to enter is 7 April 2010.
Open Worldwide.


Book Synopsis
Sixteen-year-old Damien Locke has a plan: major in messing with people at the local supervillain university and become a professional evil genius, just like his supervillain mom. But when he discovers the shameful secret she's been hiding all these years, that the one-night stand that spawned him was actually with a superhero, everything gets messed up. His father's too moral for his own good, so when he finds out Damien exists, he actually wants him to come live with him and his goody-goody superhero family. Damien gets shipped off to stay with them in their suburban hellhole, and he has only six weeks to prove he's not a hero in any way, or else he's stuck living with them for the rest of his life, or until he turns eighteen, whichever comes first.

To get out of this mess, Damien has to survive his dad's "flying lessons" that involve throwing him off the tallest building in the city--despite his nearly debilitating fear of heights--thwarting the eccentric teen scientist who insists she's his sidekick, and keeping his supervillain girlfriend from finding out the truth. But when Damien uncovers a dastardly plot to turn all the superheroes into mindless zombie slaves, a plan hatched by his own mom, he discovers he cares about his new family more than he thought. Now he has to choose: go back to his life of villainy and let his family become zombies, or stand up to his mom and become a real hero.
Book Published by Egmont USA May 11 2010