Pat Walsh - The Crowfield Curse - Book Review

Mr Ripley's Book Review
I love the mix of subjects which the author has used to make this story a really good read. S/he has delved into the world of monks, angels, fays, magic and the great character of Master Bone (a cursed leper). The author manages to weave all of these aspects into a traditional-type spun story, which I believe is written incredibly well. The story is original, with the added religious and dark magic theme, giving the story depth and ambience. The book was actually short-listed for the Time's Children's Competition in 2008, which just shows how good it is.
It is a gripping read, taking you on an adventure which is truly wonderful and thoughtfully executed. I had to put the book down now and again (unfortunately the reality of life and work took over) but every time I left it I wanted to know more, and got excited about finding out what was going to happen next. A stunning read with the use of a great deal of memorable detail. The ending of the book was particularly good, leaving it open for the next installment which I look forward to reading.
I give this book four out of five, only because I believe that book 2 will deliver even greater things. I wonder if it has been started yet? Can't wait to read it!


Book Published by Chicken House -  1st January 2010


Synopsis
It's 1347 and fifteen-year-old Will, an orphan boy, lives at Crowfield Abbey. Sent into the forest to gather wood, he rescues instead, a creature from a trap - a hob, who shares with Will a terrible secret. Somewhere in the forest behind the abbey where he lives,is a grave. And buried deep in the snow is an angel. But how can an angel die? What has it to do with the monks of the Abbey? When two hooded strangers arrive at Crowfield asking questions about the angel's grave. Will is drawn into a world of dangerous Old Magic. The Crowfield Feather was short-listed for the Times Chidren's Fiction Competition in 2008. This is a stunning debut novel and the first of a two part series.

Wayne Thomas Baston and Christopher Hopper - The Berinfell Prophecies - Curse of the Spider King

This looks like a great book and I am looking forward to it's release date.

About the Book:

The Seven succeeding Elven Lords of Allyra were dead, lost in the Siege of Berinfell as babes. At least that’s what everyone thought until tremors from a distant world known as Earth, revealed strange signs that Elven blood lived among its peoples. With a glimmer of hope in their hearts, sentinels are sent to see if the signs are true. But theirs is not a lone errand. The ruling warlord of Allyra, the Spider King, has sent his own scouts to hunt down the Seven and finish the job they failed to complete many ages ago.

Now 13-year-olds on the brink of the Age of Reckoning when their Elven gifts will be manifest, discover the unthinkable truth that their adoptive families are not their only kin. With mysterious Sentinels revealing breathtaking secrets of the past, and dark strangers haunting their every move, will the young Elf Lords find the way back to the home of their birth? Worlds and races collide as the forces of good and evil battle. Will anyone escape the Curse of the Spider King?

Book published by Thomas Nelson November 3, 2009

Learn more about The Berinfell Prophecies at www.heedtheprophecies.wordpress.com.  Create your own tribe.  Connect with fans through the forum.  Win pre-release chapters and the opportunity to have Wayne and Christopher at your very own book party!

New books out in November 2009

These are some of the best picks due to come out in the very quiet month of November. I find that near the festive time there are less quality reads and more novelty books or books to give as presents.

Jeanette Winterson - The Battle of the Sun - Published by Bloomsbury 2 Nov 2009 - H/B


Synopsis
Jack is the chosen one, the Radiant Boy the Magus needs in order to perfect the alchemy that will transform London of the 1600s into a golden city. But Jack isn't the kind of boy who will do what he is told by an evil genius, and he is soon involved in an epic and nail-biting adventure, featuring dragons, knights and Queen Elizabeth I, as he battles to save London. 


Chris Ryan - Battleground(Code Red) - Published by Doubleday 5 Nov 2009 - H/B


Synopsis
You wake up in a dark room with no idea where you are. You are gagged and forced into a waiting truck. You have done nothing wrong. What would you do? Fourteen-year-old Ben travels to Pakistan on a school exchange programme. Ben and his Pakistani host, Aarya, find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. They see something they're not supposed to and are kidnapped by some strange men. Caught up in a terrifying planned terrorist attack that could destroy Southern Afghanistan, killing thousands, Ben and Aarya are dragged through the most terrifying battleground in the world. 


Barbara Mitchelhill - Dangerous Diamonds - Anderson Press 5 Nov 2009 - P/B


Synopsis
When Dad goes missing, twins Harry and Charlie scour Edinburgh to find him. But why are others determined to stop them? And how is a strange wooden box linked to his disappearance? The twins soon find they are in terrible danger but push themselves to the limits in their attempt to outwit those who are holding their father. 


Anthony Horowitz - Crocodile Tears(Alex Rider) - Published by Walker Books- 12 Nov 2009


Synopsis
Targeted by a hitman and under threat of his past being exposed by the media, Alex reluctantly turns to MI6. But their help doesn't come cheap: they need Alex to spy on the activities at a GM crop plant. There he spots Desmond McCain, a high profile charity organiser, who realises that Alex is on to him and the real plans for the money he's raising. Kidnapped and whisked off to Africa, Alex learns the full horror of McCain's plot: to create an epic disaster that will kill millions. Forced to ask MI6 for protection, Alex finds himself being manipulated in a deadly game that could lead to the destruction of an entire East African country.





Mr Ripley's pick of the month book.


Dave Steven's - The Rocketeer:The Complete Deluxe Edition - Published by IDW Publishing - 11 Nov - H/C


Synopsis
The phenomenally popular Rocketeer by the legendary Dave Stevens is collected in its entirety for the first time as an oversized hardcover, in a beautiful slipcase, including hundreds of never-before-seen Rocketeer drawings and preliminaries by Dave Stevens! This impressive collection combines The Rocketeer and The Rocketeer: Cliff's New York Adventure into a single volume, completely re-colored, as per Dave Stevens' wishes, by renowned colorist Laura Martin. The best possible reproduction and the highest production values will ensure that this is the definitive Rocketeer collection. Additionally, hundreds of drawings, sketches, and preliminaries by Dave Stevens, nearly all published here for the very first time, will make this a very special book.

Book Cover Wars Week Two - plus prize book to lucky voter

Hello all,

The winner of week one was Steve Feasey - Changeling - well done and see you in the final!

Win a great prize - read on!
To get more people to vote this time we are going to give away a special copy of Caro King's book "Seven Sorcerers". The book has been signed, lined and dated by the author. All you need to do is vote for your favourite book and leave your name in the comments box of this post, or you can send a direct mail via Twitter and I will pick one lucky person at random. Good luck all and start the voting.

Book One is - Tracey and Kevin Morley - The Unravellers UK

Book Two is Brandon Mull - Fablehaven - US Cover

Book Three is Caro King - Seven Sorcerers - UK Cover

Book Four is Scott Westerfeld - Leviathan - UK Cover

Tom Dolby - Secret Society - Guest Book Review

Book Review by Jenny over at cityofbooks.blogspot.com. Thanks for the great review. If you've enjoyed this review and would like to read more reviews by Jenny, then just click the link above.

From Amazon: An eccentric new girl. A brooding socialite. The scion of one of New York’s wealthiest families. A promising filmmaker. As students at the exclusive Chadwick School, Phoebe, Lauren, Nick, and Patch already live in a world most teenagers only dream about. They didn’t ask to be Society members. But when three of them receive a mysterious text message promising success and fame beyond belief, they say yes to everything. Even to the harrowing initiation ceremony in a gritty warehouse downtown, and to the ankh-shaped tattoo they’re forced to get on the nape of their necks. Once they’re part of the Society, things begin falling into place for them. Week after week, their ambitions are fulfilled. It’s all perfect—until a body is found in Central Park with no distinguishing marks except for an ankh-shaped tattoo.

I've always been fascinated by secret societies and New York life, so a book combining the two was always going to be high on my radar. Tom Dolby has combined secrets, lies and high society life to form a book shrouded in mystery and intrigue.

Secret Society features a plethora of characters -- some that I liked, and some that I could easily leave. Phoebe, Patch (love this name) and Nick were my favourites, with their stories being the most interesting to follow. I'm not saying the other characters weren't good, they just didn't stick in my mind as much as these three did.

Another part of Secret Society that I really enjoyed was the society itself, complete with creepy founders and a compulsory ankh tattoo. The influence the society has on people's lives is shocking, not to mention scary. Imagine not being to go anywhere or do anything without somebody else knowing: it would be a nightmare. There's always a price to pay in situations like this, and in this case, freedom and privacy quickly bit the dust. Patch probably dealt with it the best way, as he defied warnings and faced the society head-on. Whether that will come back to haunt him is anyone's guess, but i'm betting his immediate future won't be plain sailing.

The book's slower pace occasionally frustrated me, though it was the perfect way to create suspense. It slowly but surely reaches a satisfying conclusion, and successfully sets the scene for a sequel. I'm looking forward to delving deeper into the dangerous world of the society, and just hope that any future installments will pick up the pace a bit.

Book Published by Katherine Tegen Books Oct 2009 - U.S and for more information on the book or the author here is the link.www.tomdolby.com


~pRoPhEcY gIrL~

Book cover Wars - The Vote is on...............Week One

Each week we are going to select four book covers to vote for. The winner of each poll will go into the next round and get a chance to be crowned 'Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover Winner.'

BOOK ONE - Anthony Horowitz - Alex Rider Adventure - Crocodile Tears - U.S  Book Cover


BOOK TWO - Steve Feasey - Changeling - U.K Book Cover


BOOK THREE - Daniel Kirk - Elf Realm - Elf Realm Trilogy - U.S Book Cover


BOOK FOUR - DI Toft - Wolven - U.K Book Cover

Scott Westerfeld - Leviathan - Illustrated By Keith Thompson - Book Review

Book Review

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld is a novel of alternate history, bringing 'steampunk' to younger readers where he successfully blends the future and past incredibly well. Fact and fiction has been used cleverly throughout this book, making the story a memorable read.

The story follows the lives of Deryn and Alek. Deryn is a young woman desperate to join the Air Men of the Darwinists Army (British Empire/France). With the help of her brother, she disguises herself as a boy and joins the fight. She has excellent Air Sense, which is a must for the Darwinists, since their main type of weaponry are flying airships made of living animals, with each animal in the ecosystem playing its part. The Leviathan is an airship made up of a countless number of animals - from the smallest microscopic animal to a giant whale that contains everything. In this world, the Clanker Powers (Germany) use machines we would just about recognise today - except that lots of them have legs. The Darwinists (Britain) use DNA-fabricated animals. So the war is recast as mechanics against biotech. We have two central characters - Aleksander, son of the murdered archduke and on the run from his own Clanker people, and Deryn, a girl who's disguised as a boy in order to join the British Air Service so she could work with beasties, and who has crash landed where she shouldn't. From completely different backgrounds, they're forced to fight together against a surprisingly common enemy.

The world buildingis some the best I have read, with spectacular machinery and  a fabulous imagination  - all brought to life with wonderful Keith Thompson illustrations which add amazing depth to the journey.

The book doesn't quite end with a bang and it leaves the reading wanting answers and looking forward to the next book. I give this five out of five please can I have the next book please.

Other books you may like are Philip Reeve's - Mortal Engines and Larklight.

Book Synopsis 
The year is 1914 and Europe, armed with futuristic machines and biotechnology, is on the precipice of war. Prince Aleksandar is fleeing for his life, having discovered that his parents have been assassinated and that he is now a target for the Clanker Powers, a group determined to take over the globe with their mechanical machinery. They will stop at nothing to get what they want, so Alek knows his only choice is to keep on running. When he meets Deryn Sharpe, an orphan girl who has disguised herself as a boy so she can to join the British Air Service, they form an uneasy, but necessary, alliance. But the pair will soon discover that their emerging friendship will dramatically change their lives and the entire course of the Great World War... 

Book Published by Simon & Schuster Children's (1 Oct 2009)

About the Author

Scott Westerfeld is me. I’m the author of five science fiction novels for adults. I’ve also been an occasional ghost writer, which is like driving someone else’s car really, really fast for lots of money. (I could tell you what famous authors I ghost-wrote for, but then I’d have to kill you.) 

Joseph Delaney - The Spook's Stories:Witches Post

This to me was a refresher of all things good in the Joseph Delaney world. It gave a re-cap on some of the tales related to the different witch clans and brought me back to Pendle Hill
on a misty night with bats flying over the sky. Whilst the howl of the wolf and the cackle of a witch all became interspersed into one. 
This is a great book to read, it will entice you to read all of the books in the series from start to finish. I'm left wanting more new stories but I will have to wait until 2010 for the next gripping installment.


Book published by Bodley Head Children's Books 1 October 2009


Book synopsis
This is a fabulous collection of stories based on many of the witches from Joseph Delaney's Spooks books. Ever wondered why the Spook doesn't trust girls who wear pointy shoes? Or why Grimalkin became the Assassin for the Malkin Witch clan? Find out all this and more in this a dark and eerie collection. You don't have to know the Spook's books to enjoy the stories. They're all standalone and absolutely haunting. This is a perfect introduction to the world of "The Spook's Apprentice". But for any fans of the series out there, this collection will be a must-have.

About the Author
Joseph Delaney is a retired English teacher living in Lancashire. He has three children and seven grandchildren and is a wonderful public speaker available for conference, library and bookshop events. His home is in the middle of Boggart territory and his village has a boggart called the Hall Knocker, which was laid to rest under the step of a house near the church. Most of the places in the Spook's books are based on real places in Lancashire. And the inspiration behind the stories often comes from local ghost stories and legends. The Spook's Apprentice, The Spook's Curse and The Spook's Secret have all been shortlisted for the Lancashire children's Book for the Year Award. The Spook's Apprentice is the winner of both the Sefton Book Award and the Hampshire Book Award. His latest book is The Spook's Sacrifice, the sixth book in the spine-tingling and best-selling Wardstone Chronicles series. And The Spook's Tale was his successful WBD book for 2009. It has recently been announced that Spook's Apprentice will be adapted into a feature film by director Kevin Lima, who directed last year's family blockbuster movie Enchanted.


All the books in the Wardstone Chronicles:



The Spook's Apprentice -  July 2004
The Spook's  Curse -  June 2005
The Spook's Secret - July  2006
The Spook's Battle -  July 2007
The Spook's Mistake - June  2008
The Spook's Sacrifice -  June 2009
The Spook's Witches -  Oct 2009
The Spook's Nightmare - June 2010
The Spook's Bestiary - Oct 2010      


All books published by Bodley Head Children's books.


Please check out the author web site for more Spook's  Shananigans.


www.spooksbooks.com

Two Picture Book Reviews - Knight Time - Jane Clarke and Jane Massey

Knight Time - Jane Clarke and Jane Massey -  New story cd edition - Red Fox 1 Oct 2009

Book Synopsis

Every night, when their daddies tuck them in, Little Knight dreams of fierce knight-eating dragons and Little Dragon dreams of dangerous dragon-slaying knights. But one dark, stormy night, their two worlds collide and Little Dragon and Little Knight discover that they both have teddy bears and cuddly blankets - and they're not scary at all! It's silly to hunt each other!" they tell their daddies. And so it is. Simple language and powerful imagery shows up the nature of mistaken prejudices and uncovers the universality of night-time fears by using characters who are naturally scared of each other. The result is a reassuring bed-time book with a difference.





Book Review By Mrs Ripley
This is a beautifully illustrated book with an incredible amount of detail included on each page. Each time I opened a page I saw something different, yet all the detail adds to and enhances the story. The story is delightful in the way it addresses the fears of a dragon and a knight. The parallel storyline of both merges well to bring the two lives together. A lovely book to share together at storytime.


Anthony Bourke and John Rendall - Christian the Lion:My Scrap Book - Published by Red Fox 3 Sep 2009


Book synopsis
Follow the heartwarming and true story of Christian. The lion cub bought from Harrods, raised in a Chelsea flat and finally returned to live wild and free on the African plains. Christian's story is told in a scrapbook style, using original photographs of him as a cub. These images are both funny, moving and heart warming. The simple and accessible text, told in Christian's voice, deals with themes familiar to little ones - love, friendship, play and exploration.

Book Review by Mrs Ripley

A unique story that has been brought to life by many incredible photographs. An informative and interesting book which educates the reader in the re-housing of Christian the Lion to Africa, and his plight in adjusting to the wild. I think children will be amazed by his journey and be delighted with his new life in Africa. 

David Walliams - Mr Stink - Illustrated by Quentin Blake - Book Review

Mr Ripley's Book Review


This book comes with an overpowering smell, so if you are offended by the pong put two rabbit droppings up your nostrils and that should do the trick!
This is the second book written by David, it has been greatly illustrated by the amazing Quentin Blake. I was sent a copy of the book this week and moved it up the pile, I think it was curiosity that made me do this. 
This is a very touching story about a young girl Chloe, who makes friends with a local tramp. Chloe's mum is running for election and one of her policies was for all homeless people or 'soap-dogers' to be banned from the streets. So Chloe decides to hide him in the garden shed. What follows next is a well written story, that reads in a similar style to that of Roald Dahl. It's a magical family read, with lots of laugh-out-loud moments. The comedy in this book is quite evident showing great wit and intelligence throughout the book.  The touching and personal side to this book is well developed, bringing each characters story to life.
I loved every page of this book, in some parts it was like reading poetry. A great original story that deserves to be read.


 I give this book five out of five and would recommend it whole heartedly.


Book published by HarperCollins Children's Books  29 October 2009 

Book synopsis
 "Mr Stink stank. He also stunk. And if it was correct English to say he stinked, then he stinked as well!" Chloe sees Mr Stink every day, but she's never spoken to him. Which isn't surprising, because he's a tramp, and he stinks. But there's more to Mr Stink than meets the eye (or nose) and before she knows it, Chloe has an unusual new friend hiding in her garden shed. As Chloe struggles to keep Mr Stink a secret, and her dad tries to hide a secret of his own, the stage is set for an epic family confrontation. But there's one other person with a an extraordinary secret -- Mr Stink himself!

Ian Beck - Pastworld - Book Review

Mr Ripleys Review


This is a really great read,one of the best books that has used the themes of Victorian and Time travel  to good use.  A clever thriller of a book  and no end of entertainment to the reader.

Startling and original, Ian Beck’s vision of a world in which people are pawns and your future is predestined by place of birth makes compelling reading. Five out Five also being made into a Film as we speak.

Julia Eccleshare's comment:
Take a thrilling journey into the past in this clever time slip mystery which, written in different voices from different times, takes its readers from a dystopian future to a Dickensian past. Caleb is on a tourist trip to the future when his father is kidnapped and he is accused of murder. Eve comes from Pastworld and knows nothing of contemporary life. From different worlds Caleb and Eve find themselves caught up in the murderer’s wicked plans and escape will not be easy.

Synopsis

 

Pastworld. A city within a city. A city for excursions and outings. Pastworld is a theme park with a difference, where travellers can travel back in time for a brush with an authentic Victorian past. But what if the Jack the Ripper figure stopped play-acting and really started killing people? For Caleb, a tourist from the present day, his visit goes terribly wrong when his father is kidnapped and he finds himself accused of murder. Then Caleb meets Eva Rose, a Pastworld inhabitant who has no idea the modern world exists. Both Caleb and Eva have roles to play in the murderer's diabolical plans - roles that reveal disturbing truths about their origins. 

About the Author

Ian Beck is well known as an illustrator as well as more recently a writer of young fiction with the publication of the very succesful Tom Trueheart titles by OUP. This is his first foray in to the world of teen fiction. Ian lives in West London. He began his career as an illustrator working on album covers including the still in-print classic for Elton John's album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

Book you also may like to read are the books by Tom Becker the Darkside Series.

Darksid
1. 2010)