Mr Ripley's New Children's and Teen Books September 2014 - Post One

Charlie Higson - The Hunted (Enemy Book 6 ) - Published by Puffin (4 Sep 2014) 

The Hunted is Charlie Higson's sixth terrifying installment in the thrilling The Enemy series

The sickness struck everyone over fourteen.

First it twisted their minds.

Next it ravaged their bodies.

Now they roam the streets -

Crazed and hungry

The others had promised that the countryside would be safer than the city. They were wrong. Now Ella's all-alone except for her silent rescuer, Scarface - and she's not even sure if he's a kid or a grown-up.

Back in London, Ed's determined to find her. But getting out of town's never been more dangerous- because coming in the other direction is every SICKO in the country. It's like they're being called towards the capital and nothing is going to stop them . . .

In the penultimate book in The Enemy series, the survivors' stories cross with chilling consequences.

Rick Yancey - The 5th Wave: The Infinite Sea - Published by Penguin (6 Sep 2014)

The Infinite Sea is the hugely anticipated follow-up to the phenomenal - and bestselling - The 5th Wave by Carnegie-shortlisted Rick Yancey.

THE 1st WAVE: Took out half a million people.

THE 2nd WAVE: Put that number to shame.

THE 3rd WAVE: Lasted a little longer. Twelve weeks . . . Four billion dead.

IN THE 4th WAVE: You can't trust that people are still people.

AND THE 5th WAVE?

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others' ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven't seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

Tom Becker - Afterwalkers - Published by Scholastic Press (4 Sep 2014) 

Grave robbery, murder and fear... For hundreds of years the people of Alderston have guarded a terrible secret. When Jamie's family receive a summons to do a mysterious job, they move into a house that looks over the graveyard. Soon Jamie witnesses a series of strange visions and terrible attacks. He begins to suspect that the great iron cages placed on top of the graves are not there to keep robbers out, but to keep the dead in. A curse rests on the town. The undead are in charge, and somehow Jamie is the only hope.

Alex Campbell - Land - Published by Hot Key Books - ( 4 Sep 2014)

The sea rose. Civilisation was wiped out, countries drowned. Out of the ashes of a desperate refugee camp, a new society was born, with a new place to call home: Land. Trapped by an aggressive sea, its citizens were bound to rules that saw the weak removed, marriage and children by approval only, and designated work for all. All for the greater good...Decades later, and seventeen-year-old Christy's life is on the cusp of irrevocable change. She has become eligible for The Pairing, a carefully selected marriage of political and social convenience where romance is out of the question. Her grandmother, Cons, has also reached a significant age - sixty-six: soon the Selection Truck will arrive to take her away forever. Christy's only hope for protection lies with her errant rebel father ...but nothing goes as it's supposed to. As Christy finds a Pairing which might offer a new opportunity for love and security she also uncovers a destiny that has been hidden from her; truths that have been disguised as childhood lies. With Cons' life under threat, Christy is forced to face a whole new world, one where she must choose between those she cares about and the greater good. A new life where she must play the reluctant rebel, revolutionary, lover ...and assassin.

Holly Black Announced as New Doctor Who Writer - Lights Out ( 12 Doctors 12 Stories) - Puffin

A Twelfth Doctor needs a twelfth adventure written by a twelfth author. That author is: Holly Black 

To celebrate the arrival of Peter Capaldi on to our screens as the newly regenerated Doctor, Puffin is reissuing its sensational series of Doctor Who short stories, each written by a different author but with an extra brand new twelfth adventure, available in eBook and as part of the 12 Doctors 12 Stories paperback anthology, publishing on 23^rd October. Offering the perfect addition to the top-selling series, the twelfth story, Lights Out, has been penned by self-confessed Doctor Who fan and best-selling female sci-fi writer Holly Black. 

Following short stories by Eoin Colfer, Michael Scott, Marcus Sedgwick, Philip Reeve, Patrick Ness, Richelle Mead, Malorie Blackman, Alex Scarrow, Charlie Higson, Derek Landy and Neil Gaiman, Holly has written the twelfth adventure in this series, based on the Twelfth Doctor played by Peter Capaldi. Holly Black commented: "It's a huge honour to get to write a story in such an amazing science fiction universe, one which makes for an ultimate writer's playground with its flexibility across time and space. I am a big fan of the series and of the Doctor himself, our alien hero who reminds us over and over of our humanity and carries a screwdriver instead of a gun."

Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi TV show in the world and celebrated its 50^th anniversary last year. The anniversary TV episode saw an average of 12.8 million viewers tune in to BBC One to watch the Doctor regenerate. To celebrate the anniversary, Puffin – in partnership with BBC Worldwide – published a series of eleven eShorts each based on one of the eleven Doctors, priced at £1.99 and released monthly from January to November 2013. The series has brought together some of the most exciting names in children’s fiction, from commercial blockbusters to literary award-winners. These authors have brought their own interpretation and reimagining of their chosen Doctor, creating a unique Doctor Who adventure in their own inimitable style. 

Holly Black is the bestselling author of contemporary fantasy novels for teens and children. She is co-creator of the hugely successful series, The Spiderwick Chronicles, which secured her several top spots in the New York Times Bestsellers List and was adapted into a film in 2008. More recently, Holly has collaborated with fellow writer Cassandra Clare, on a brand new series titled Magisterium which is due to publish this autumn. Holly lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Theo, in a house with a secret library.

The story will be available in eBook for £1.99 and will be included in a paperback anthology (£12.99) of the twelve stories, Doctor Who: 12 Doctors, 12 stories. Holly’s new story will also be included in a stylish gift slipcase, the perfect Christmas present for Doctor Who fans, containing all 12 adventures for £18. 

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Teen Horror Book Picks August 2014

Rin Chupeco -  The Girl from the Well - Published by Sourcebooks Fire (August 5, 2014)

I am where dead children go. Okiku is a lonely soul. She has wandered the world for centuries, freeing the spirits of the murdered-dead. Once a victim herself, she now takes the lives of killers with the vengeance they're due. But releasing innocent ghosts from their ethereal tethers does not bring Okiku peace. Still she drifts on.

Such is her existence, until she meets Tark. Evil writhes beneath the moody teen's skin, trapped by a series of intricate tattoos. While his neighbors fear him, Okiku knows the boy is not a monster. Tark needs to be freed from the malevolence that clings to him. There's just one problem: if the demon dies, so does its host.

April Genevieve Tucholke - Between the Spark and the Burn - Published by Dial (August 14, 2014)

Freddie once told me that the Devil created all the fear in the world. But then, the Devil once told me that it's easier to forgive someone for scaring you than for making you cry. The problem with River West Redding was that he'd done both to me. The crooked-smiling liar River West Redding, who drove into Violet's life one summer day and shook her world to pieces, is gone. Violet and Neely, River's other brother, are left to worry—until they catch a two a.m. radio program about strange events in a distant mountain town. They take off in search of River but are always a step behind, finding instead frenzied towns, witch hunts, and a wind-whipped island with the thrum of something strange and dangerous just under the surface. It isn't long before Violet begins to wonder if Neely, the one Redding brother she thought trustworthy, has been hiding a secret of his own . . .

Madeleine Roux - Sanctum: An Asylum Novel - Published by HarperCollins (August 26, 2014)

In this haunting, fast-paced sequel to the New York Times bestselling photo-illustrated novel Asylum, three teens must unlock some long-buried secrets from the past before the past comes back to get them first. Featuring found photographs, many from real vintage carnivals, Sanctum is a mind-bending reading experience that blurs the lines between past and present, genius and insanity, perfect for fans of the smash hit Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Dan, Abby, and Jordan remain traumatized by the summer they shared in the Brookline asylum. Much as they'd love to move on, someone is determined to keep the terror alive, sending the teens photos of an old-timey carnival, with no note and no name. Forsaking their plan never to go back, the teens return to New Hampshire College under the guise of a weekend for prospective students, and there they realize that the carnival from the photos is not only real, it's here on campus, apparently for the first time in many years.

Sneaking away from sample classes and college parties, Dan and his friends lead a tour of their own—one through the abandoned houses and hidden places of the surrounding town. Camford is hiding a terrible past, and the influence of the asylum runs deeper than Dan ever imagined.

Alexandra Adornetto - Ghost House (The Ghost House Saga) - Published by Harlequin Teen (August 26, 2014)

After the loss of her mother, Chloe Kennedy starts seeing the ghosts that haunted her as a young girl again. Spending time at her grandmother's country estate in the south of England is her chance to get away from her grief and the spirits that haunt her. Until she meets a mysterious stranger… 

Alexander Reade is 157 years dead, with secrets darker than the lake surrounding Grange Hall and a lifelike presence that draws Chloe more strongly than any ghost before. But the bond between them awakens the vengeful spirit of Alexander's past love, Isobel. And she will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who threatens to take him from her. 

To stop Isobel, Chloe must push her developing abilities to their most dangerous limits, even if it means losing Alex forever…and giving the hungry dead a chance to claim her for their own.

Mr Ripley's Book Choice August 2014 : Michael Grant - Messenger of Fear - Electric Monkey

Michael Grant - Messenger of Fear - Published by Electric Monkey (August 28, 2014)

This is the first book in the thrilling, chilling new series from no. 1 bestselling author of Gone, Michael Grant. I remembered my name - Mara. But, standing in that ghostly place, faced with the solemn young man in the black coat with silver skulls for buttons, I could recall nothing else about myself. And then the games began. Think you know the meaning of suspense? Think again...The Messenger sees the darkness in young hearts, and the damage it inflicts upon the world. If they go unpunished, he offers the wicked a game. Win, and they can go free. Lose, and they will live out their greatest fear. But what does any of this have to do with Mara? She is about to find out...

“Who are you?”

That was the first question I asked the boy in front of me. The pale, solemn young man in the black coat with small silver skulls for buttons.

But he didn’t answer it. Instead he answered the question I never asked, but which was nevertheless what I really wanted to know.

Am I dead?

No, not dead, he told me.

But surely not quite alive, either. How could I be?
I remembered my name – Mara. But, standing in that ghostly place, still shuddering at the memory of the creeping yellow mist that had awoken me in that strange, silent land, I could recall nothing else about myself.

The Messenger sees the darkness in young hearts. If they go unpunished, he offers the wicked a game. Win, and they can go free. Lose, and they will live out their greatest fear.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Huw Powell - Spacejackers - Published by Bloomsbury

This is one of the coolest book covers around at the moment. The cover illustration was designed by the talented Alex Fuentes. Bright, vibrant and eye-catching it will certainly help lift the book off the bookshelves by an eager reader. Spacejackers is a brand new trilogy featuring Jake Cutler and his new-found friends; it is a cracking action-packed debut from Huw Powell. 

The story is a space romp full of aliens, fantastic space monsters and an abundance of technology and cool gadgets. The mysterious start fills you with intrigue; the futuristic world catapults the reader into a fast paced page turner crafted with a high energy tempo that will have the reader lapping up the pages. 

Jake Cutler, a boy searching for his destiny in the company of a ship full of ruthless space pirates and some special cargo, is abandoned as a baby on the Planet Remota, where he is left in the care of a group of cyber-monks. After living a sheltered life, it all changes when his home is invaded by ruthless space pirates with just one target: him. Jake is now on the run with a bounty hunter and the suspicious-looking crew of a spaceship called the Dark Horse. However, Jake Cutler's destiny to find his home planet soon uncovers the truth about his past. 

This book should be dubbed as SPACECRACKERS, as it is funny, full of explosive mayhem and zero-gravity antics that you will all love. Nevermind the well-written crazy characters, vast alien worlds, shipwrecks and one mighty black hole. This book is full of high-octane space battles and planet skirmishes which is a fantasy strong point. I loved the detail in the story - it's very well imagined, highly overactive which, in my opinion, leaves the plot feeling a little quirky and delivers a sense of fun which I really enjoyed. I love a great space story and this one ticks all of the boxes - it should do very well.

This is a great interstellar delight full of exciting adventure for the young and the old. The dramatic and climactic ending leaves the story ready to be continued in 'The Sword of Altus' which is due to be published in March 2015. NEVER TRUST A SPACE PIRATE. OUT NOW IN ALL GOOD GALACTIC BOOKSHOPS. 

Mr Ripley's Book Review: Neil Gaiman - The Graveyard Book - Graphic Novel Volume One - Adaptation By P. Craig Russell

In the UK, Bloomsbury is due to release the first volume in a graphic novel adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book which is both a Carnegie and Newbery medal-winning novel. In fact this is the only novel to have won both prestigious awards. The book will be published on July 31st with Volume 2 due to hopefully follow at some point in September.

The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel: Volume 1 is adapted by P. Craig Russell, who has over forty years of experience producing graphic novels, comic books and illustrations. However there are also a number of star performers involved in illustrating each chapter such as: Kevin Nowlan, P. Craig Russell, Tony Harris, Scott Hampton, Galen Showman, Jill Thompson, and Stephen B. Scott. All contribute to the chapters in their key signature styles. Volume 1 will cover Chapter One through to the Interlude whilst Volume 2 will cover Chapter Six to the very end.

The story follows Nobody "Bod" Owens, a normal boy who lives in a graveyard, and is being raised by the graveyard’s ghosts and an otherworldly guardian.  There are adventures to be had in the graveyard, but Bod must not leave it, or he will have to face the man Jack, who killed Bod’s family.

So it was that Bod was taken in by the graveyard folk – the ghosts of those long since passed – and raised as one of their own. With centuries of knowledge between them, Bod’s education is eclectic if somewhat arcane, but it will stand him in good stead for what his fiercely inquisitive nature will lead him to encounter both inside the graveyard and when he strays oh so dangerously out. Fortunately he has a quiet yet determined guardian in Silas, the very tall man with the very pale skin and the very dark hair. Silas is no ghost as you have probably gathered; nor is he still amongst the living.

The Graveyard retains the adventure and mystery, but now it's picture perfect through a world of illustrations and images. The realism and imagery that Russell brings to the table sharpens the characters and intensifies the gruesome elements of the tale. The story is fully brought to life; the surreal and the sublime are delivered fully. It delivers a classic masterpiece to a new audience of readers and will have to be noted as one of my favourite Graphic Novels for some time. 

I really loved the idea of having six artists all working together on one novel. They all bring their own style and character to the pages through a display of immense technical skill. The use of colour brings an ambience to the story which conveys the mood of each chapter to the reader. It's a theatre of mix media that everyone should appreciate. I'm really pleased to see a favourite story of mine get this treatment and be converted into a graphic format. 

A hand moved in the darkness holding a knife of graphic colour to raise the imagination. The lurking horror that you encounter will grab you by the throat and lead you through the story like no other. It will certainly leave you wanting Vol 2 to arrive very soon. 

This is an enjoyable visual delight that has a fantastic story at heart....

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's and Teen Books Picks - August 2014

Glen Huser - The Elevator Ghost - Published by Groundwood Books (Canada) - (12 Aug 2014) - Small Press Pick 

When Carolina Giddle moves into the Blatchford Arms, no one knows what to make of her sequin-sprinkled sneakers and her trinket-crusted car. But the parents are happy there’s a new babysitter around, and Carolina seems to have an uncanny ability to calm the most rambunctious child with her ghostly stories.

Armed with unusual snacks (bone-shaped peppermints, granghoula bars and Rumpelstiltskin sandwiches), candles to set the mood, and her trusty sidekick — a tarantula named Chiquita, Carolina entertains the children with some good old-fashioned storytelling and, at the end, a great Halloween party.

Governor General’s Award winner Glen Huser brings his quirky sense of humor and horror to some time-honored motifs. The artistic Lubinitsky girls find out that artists must be wary of the power of their own creations. Holy terror Angelo Bellini discovers that no one can throw a tantrum like a double-crossed pirate. The Hooper kids, including UFO junkie Benjamin, learn about some eerie goings-on in the New Mexico desert. Timid Hubert and Hetty Croop are practically afraid of their own shadows, until they hear the story of a boy who finds the perfect weapon for overcoming his fear of the dark. And Dwight and Dwayne Fergus, two would-be Freddy Kruegers, finally meet their match in Carolina, and her story of the footless skeleton.

As for Carolina Giddle herself, it turns out that she has a timeworn connection to the Blatchford Arms, and to the ghost who still haunts the building — especially its old-fashioned elevator.

Julia Lee - The Dangerous Discoveries of Gully Potchard - Published by OUP Oxford ( 7 Aug 2014)
An improbable hero, a spine-tingling adventure, and a surprising twist of fate.. 
Gully Potchard never meant to cause any trouble. He's just an ordinary sort of boy . . . at least that what he thinks. But when an old acquaintance comes knocking, it isn't long before Gully is tangled up in a mess of mischief and skulduggery. Cats and dogs go astray, a child is kidnapped, and ransom notes are delivered to the wrong people! But as a storm rages and a fire blazes, Gully discovers that he has an extraordinary skill that might just make him an unlikely hero after all . . .

Lucy Inglis - City of Halves - Published by Chicken House - (7 Aug 2014)
London. Girls are disappearing. They've all got one thing in common; they just don't know it yet. Sixteen-year-old Lily was meant to be next, but she's saved by a stranger: a half-human boy with gold-flecked eyes. Regan is from an unseen world hidden within our own, where legendary creatures hide in plain sight. But now both worlds are under threat, and Lily and Regan must race to find the girls, and save their divided city.

Edward Carey - Foulsham (Iremonger Trilogy) - Published by Hot Key Books (7 Aug 2014)

Foulsham, London's great filth repository, is bursting at the seams. The walls that keep the muck in are buckling, rubbish is spilling over the top, back into the city that it came from. In the Iremonger family offices, Grandfather Umbitt Iremonger broods: in his misery and fury at the people of London, he has found a way of making everyday objects assume human shape, and turning real people into objects. Abandoned in the depths of the Heaps, Lucy Pennant has been rescued by a terrifying creature, Binadit Iremonger - more animal than human. She is desperate and determined to find Clod. But unbeknownst to her, Clod has become a golden sovereign and is 'lost'. He is being passed as currency from hand to hand all around Foulsham, and yet everywhere people are searching for him, desperate to get hold of this dangerous Iremonger, who, it is believed, has the power to bring the mighty Umbitt down. But all around the city, things, everyday things, are twitching into life...

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books Preview: Holly Black & Cassandra Clare Announce (The Iron Trial) Magisterium Series - First Look

Book One of the Magisterium Series: The Iron Trial. 
Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial.
Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail.
All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him.
So he tries his best to do his worst - and fails at failing.
Now the Magisterium awaits him. It's a place that's both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future.
The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come . . .

CAN YOU SAY A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE MAGISTERIUM SERIES?

Twelve-year-old Callum Hunt has grown up knowing three rules by heart.

Never trust a magician. Never pass a test a magician gives you. And never let a magician take you to the Magisterium.

Call is about to break all the rules. And when he does, his life will change in ways he can’t possibly imagine.

The Iron Trial is the first book in an epic fantasy series that I’m cowriting with Holly Black.  The Iron Trial, will be released in September 2014 by Scholastic/Doubleday Children's  Books. Four books will follow, one for year of Call’s life from twelve to seventeen, as he comes of age in a world where child apprentices train to be warriors and dark magicians seek to defeat even death. There’s not much else I can say about the books yet, as I’m sworn to secrecy, but I’ve always wanted to write with Holly, and I can definitely say the collaboration has produced characters I love and a story I hope you’ll find as funny, dark, adventurous and unexpected as I do.

PROLOGUE....

From a distance, the man struggling up the white face of the glacier might have looked like an ant crawl- ing slowly up the side of a dinner plate. The shantytown of La Rinconada was a collection of scattered specks far below him, the wind increasing as his elevation did, blowing powdery gusts of snow into his face and freezing the damp tendrils of his black hair. Despite his amber goggles, he winced at the brightness of the reflected sunset.

Still, the man was not afraid of falling, although he was using no ropes or belay lines, only crampons and a single ice axe. His name was Alastair Hunt and he was a mage. He shaped and molded the frozen substance of the glacier under his hands as he climbed. Handholds and footholds appeared as he inched his way upward. By the time he reached the cave, midway up the glacier, he was half frozen and fully exhausted from bending his will to tame the worst of the elements. It sapped his energy to exert his magic so continuously, but he hadn’t dared slow down.

The cave itself opened like a mouth in the side of the moun- tain, impossible to see from above or below. He pulled himself over its edge and took a deep, jagged breath, cursing himself for not getting there sooner, for allowing himself to be tricked. In La Rinconada, the people had seen the explosion and whispered under their breaths about what it meant, the fire inside the ice.

Fire inside the ice. It had to be a distress signal . . . or an attack. The cave was full of mages too old to fight or too young, the injured and the sick, mothers of very young children who could not be left — like Alastair’s own wife and son. They had been hidden away here, in one of the most remote places on the earth.

Master Rufus had insisted that otherwise they would be vulnerable, hostages to fortune, and Alastair had trusted him. Then, when the Enemy of Death hadn’t shown up on the field to face the mages’ champion, the Makar girl upon whom they’d pinned all their hopes, Alastair had realized his mistake. He’d gotten to La Rinconada as fast as he could, flying most of his way on the back of an air elemental. From there, he’d made his way on foot, since the Enemy’s control of elementals was unpredictable and strong. The higher he’d climbed, the more frightened he’d become. Let them be all right, he thought to himself as he stepped inside the cave. Please let them be all right.

There should have been the sound of children wailing. There should have been the low buzz of nervous conversation and the hum of subdued magic. Instead, there was only the howl of the wind as it swept over the desolate peak of the mountain. The cave walls were white ice, pocked with red and brown where blood had splattered and melted in patches. Alastair pulled off his goggles and dropped them on the ground, pushing farther into the pas- sage, drawing on the dregs of his power to steady himself.

The walls of the cave gave off an eerie phosphorescent glow. Away from the entrance, it was the only light he had to see by, which probably explained why he stumbled over the first body and nearly fell to his knees. Alastair jerked away with a yell, then winced as he heard his own shout echo back to him. The fallen mage was burned beyond recognition, but she wore the leather wristband with the large hammered piece of copper that marked her as a second-year Magisterium student. She couldn’t have been older than thirteen.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Top Children's and Teen Series Picks - August 2014 - UK Published

Derek Landy - Skulduggery Pleasant #9: The Dying of the Light - Published by HarperCollins Children's Books (28 Aug 2014) 

The FINAL shocking, heart-wrenching book in the jaw-droppingly stupendous Skulduggery Pleasant series.

Valkerie. Darquesse. Stephanie. The world ain’t big enough for the three of them. The end will come…

The War of the Sanctuaries has been won, but it was not without its casualties. Following the loss of Valkyrie Cain, Skulduggery Pleasant must use any and all means to track down and stop Darquesse before she turns the world into a charred, lifeless cinder.

And so he draws together a team of soldiers, monster hunters, killers, criminals… and Valkyrie’s own murderous reflection.

The war may be over, but the final battle is about to begin. And not everyone gets out of here alive…

Mark Walden - Earthfall: Retribution - Published by Bloomsbury Children's (14 Aug 2014)

It's been several months since the events of Earthfall, yet Sam's attempts to rouse the enslaved people of London from their trance-like state have frustratingly failed. Worse still, the enormous Voidborn drilling device which Sam and his friends disabled in London was one of hundreds scattered across the planet, all nearing the final stages of construction.

Joining up with another resistance group, they plot to disable a drilling machine in Tokyo and in the process implant viral commands that will cause a catastrophic failure of the entire network. Just as that mission appears to have been successful, Sam and the others are double-crossed by the resistance leader.

Earthfall: Retribution will take the series on to a global stage, as the true scale of the conflict being played out on Earth is revealed.

Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods - Published by Puffin (7 Aug 2014)

"If you like horror shows, bloodbaths, lying, stealing, backstabbing and cannibalism, then read on..."

Who could tell the true stories of the gods and goddesses of Olympus better than modern-day demigod Percy Jackson?

In this action-packed tour of Greek mythology, Percy gives his hilarious personal views on the feuds, fights and love affairs of the Olympians. Want to know how Zeus came to be top god? How many times Kronos ate one of his own kids? How Athena literally burst out of another god's head?

It's all here in black and white...

Pittacus Lore - I Am Number Four: Book Five - Published By HarperCollins (26 Aug 2014)

The Revenge of Seven is the heart stopping fifth installment in the Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore.

The worst was supposed to be over. We were reunited after a decade apart. We were discovering the truth about our past. We were training and getting stronger every day. We were even happy. . . .

We never imagined the Mogadorians could turn one of our own against us. We were fools for trusting Five. And now Eight is lost forever. I would do anything to bring him back, but that's impossible. Instead, I will do whatever it takes to destroy every last one of them.

I've spent my entire life hiding from them, and they've stolen everything away from me. But that stops now. We're going to take the battle to them. We have a new ally who knows their weaknesses. And I finally have the power to fight back.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Niel Bushnell - Timesmith (The Timesmith Chronicles) - Andersen

MR RIPLEY'S BOOK REVIEW.....
We have moved on from Sorrowline, which is the first book in the exciting series of The Timesmith Chronicles, to the second book called Timesmith by Niel. Jack is now thirteen years old and his adventures have only just begun. He has the ability to travel into the past through Sorrowlines which are the channels that connect every gravestone with the date of the person's death.  Jack needs to travel back again to 1940s London to find his friends and to prevent the evil Rouland from rising from the dead, as the Paladin search for the fabled lost sword, known as Durendal, so it can be used to resurrect the Paladin Master. 

This story takes you on a bone crushing adventure; a race for time with a quest to get to the sword first. It is a fight to save the world, as well as Jack's family, as he is hunted by the undead knights of The Paladin. We are whisked through the plot by the characters as they travel to and from different fantasy worlds. The story is very well written - it has just the right amount of detail without going over the top and letting the imagination run wild. More importantly, it never talks down to or patronises the reader.

I love the carefree flow of the storyline. In my opinion, this is an easy to read, and easy to follow, book which would be a great read for both young and reluctant readers.  Reading this book, it is easy to recognise how the author has really enjoyed writing about and introducing the colourful characters and the time travelling theme. The characters can just about do anything so you never know what's going to happen as the adventure unfolds. There are some amazing cinematic battles, some spilt blood, a sprinkling of death and a sting in the tale. However I'm not going to say anymore about this as I want to keep my review spoiler free.

I  thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I think that the author has really added to and developed the story from where the first book left off. Although, I would have perhaps loved to have seen more of the 1940s London being infused into the super plot line. Nevertheless, I loved the mysterious side of the Grimnire, always standing in the shadows and casting a dark atmosphere to the story - it felt very Pratchett-esq. I look forward to reading more about them in the next book.

The ending of this book was much better than the first story; it delivered a cracking finale for the next installment. This series is growing from strength to strength  and one that I would definitely recommend anyone and everyone to read who loves a good magical fantasy story.

SMALL EXTRACT - THE SCREAM

The man buried in the cold earth screamed a motionless

scream.

He had long since given up trying to move; his body

was rotten and useless. Every message his angry brain

threw out went ignored by his wasted, pathetic frame.

Yet he felt everything.

Worms moved through him, wriggling, feeding,

persistently tearing at his human remains. Moisture

formed about his darkened flesh, seeping in with needles

of ice-cold indifference that cracked his calcified bones.

And the sword; even after all this time he felt the mocking

metal of the sword impaling his inert heart. In the

age since his demise the pain had not diminished.

Unimaginable, never-ending pain.

Nothing worked any more. Only his soul, his very

essence, prevailed somewhere deep within. He felt the

passing of time like the slow, maddening drip, drip, drip of

a frozen waterfall. Seconds laughed at him for decades.

Decades scorned him for an eternity. He was buried in time.

And yet Rouland endured it all.

One burning thought kept him going. It was a thought

about a boy, a boy who had beaten him. Rouland was

immortal, unstoppable. He had never been beaten before.

The boy’s face came into his mind and a new wave of

hatred consumed him.

Jack Morrow.

He had bested Rouland. He had plunged a sword

through the centre of his heart and suspended his eternal

existence. He had buried him in this patch of earth and

left him to rot, to die like a mortal man.

But Rouland was not mortal, and his rage sustained

him through the lonely, dark years. He waited, and plotted

and schemed. He knew his day would come. His followers

would find him and restore him and he would have his

revenge on Jack Morrow.

Rouland pictured his victory, and he forgot about the

pain. He was satisfied. Then as the notion subsided

the hurt returned, stronger than ever. Inside the prison

of his mind, hate condensed into pools of agony and

Rouland’s soul screamed . . .

Captain Alda de Vienne screamed.

MR RIPLEY'S ENCHANTED BOOKS - DARREN SHAN OF HORROR BOOK COVER WARS 2014 + BOOK COMPETITION

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books has decided to do a one off Book Cover Wars featuring some of Darren Shan's amazing book images. I have tried to pick a varied selection for you to consider. This is your chance to vote for your favourite BOOK COVER from the five that I have chosen. 

It's very easy to vote by clicking the links that you'll find at the end of this post. You have one month to vote as the Book Cover Wars will end on the 16th AUGUST 2014. Feel free to tell your friends and other like minded people about this post. 

As an incentive, I will give one lucky person who votes and leaves a comment on the post a Darren Shan book of my choice. This is open worldwide - I will choose one lucky winner at random. Enjoy and get voting.....

BOOK ONE: ZOM-B BABY - UK PAPERBACK COVER - PUBLISHED BY Simon & Schuster Childrens Books (27 Mar 2014) - VOTE HERE

BOOK TWO: ZOM-B ANGELS - TAIWAN BOOK COVER - PUBLISHED BY Crown Publishing Limited - ( 16 June 2014) - VOTE HERE

BOOK THREE: THE THIN EXECUTIONER - US HARDBACK  BOOK COVER - PUBLISHED BY Little, Brown Books (1 August 2010) - VOTE HERE

BOOK FOUR: WOLF ISLAND - UK PAPERBACK - PUBLISHED 
BY HarperCollins Children's Books (27 March 2014) - VOTE HERE

BOOK FIVE: BIRTH OF A KILLER - UK HARDBACK - PUBLISHED BY  HarperCollins Children's Books - ( 30 September 2010) - VOTE HERE