Release Date: 01/09/11
BOOK BLURB:
'I am Grimalkin, and I have already chosen those I will kill...' Grimalkin has made it her lifetime ambition to destroy the Fiend, avenging the brutal murder of her son. Having grudgingly joined forces with the Spook and his apprentice, Tom, and assisted them in the binding of the Fiend, she is now on the run. And her mission is deadly. She has to help them bind the Fiend's spirit for ever no matter who - or what - comes after it ...This latest chilling instalment in the "Wardstone Chronicles" follows Grimalkin, the terrifying witch assassin, feared wherever she is known.
REVIEW:
The latest book in the Spooks series and the first that has the tale told by another character, in this case Grimalkin the infamous witch assassin who fights against the fiends cronies who seek to reunite his head with his body. It’s cleverly written and the reader gets a real sense of the body count that is going to be coming in the final few instalments and sadly it appears that not everyone is going to survive.
As with the other stories its wonderfully written, the cast is delightful (and freakishly scary where they have to be) and when you add to the mix local knowledge of the area’s where the battles play out, the reader is in for a real treat. Finally add to this cracking prose and pace as well as a dark foreboding history and the reader has a real treat in store. Cracking.
Release Date: 20/09/11
BOOK BLURB:
The frighteningly hip teenage children of the world's most famous monsters have gathered together under one roof...to brave the horrors of high school! Always overshadowed by her six brothers and her fab friends, Clawdeen Wolf plans to finally strut her stuff in the spotlight at her upcoming Sweet Sixteen bash. But after The Ghoul Next Door goes viral, it's into the woods for the family Wolf. Clawdeen goes stir crazy lying low at her family's B&B with her annoying brothers until Lala shows up to keep her company. But is the vamp flirting with Claude?!
REVIEW:
OK, we’re fans of Monster High in this household, we love the characters, their own little catchphrases and of course how they’re gelling together to get through the experience of high school together. It’s quirky, it has great plot lines and of course choices lead to consequences that they all have to deal with.
Add to this a wonderful overall outline that threads through the books, a sense of normality even though the characters are strange to the usual heroes that appear and a decent sense of pace to the titles. It’s a great piece of fun to read and for us, was a wonderful experience as we had another adventure thrown in as Claudette tries to have her Sassy Sixteenth even whilst her world changes around her.
Release Date: 27/10/11
BOOK BLURB:
Nobody expected Dru Anderson to survive this long. Not Graves. Not Christophe. Not even Dru herself. She's battled killer zombies, jealous djamphirs, and bloodthirsty suckers straight out of her worst nightmares. But now that Dru has bloomed into a full-fledged svetocha - rare, beautiful, and toxic to all vampires - the worst is yet to come. Because getting out alive is going to cost more than she's ever imagined. And in the end, is survival really worth the sacrifice?
REVIEW:
A cracking outing from Lili for her Young Adult series featuring Dru, Graves and Christophe in a high action, high tension and emotionally charged release that will keep you glued from the start to the end. As usual with Lili it has great prose, serious pace and a kick ass plotline that keeps you going throughout.
Add to this a ready made audience that can’t wait to find out what happens in this title and a few questions left requiring answers at the end and it’s truly a series that keeps on giving making the wait for the next title really hard. Damn you Lili. Damn you….
Release Date: 04/08/11
BOOK BLURB:
Jack Fletcher faces his toughest challenge yet. After a snowstorm forces him to take shelter, Jack comes across a village in need of protection from raiding mountain bandits. Torn between moving on or helping, Jack is persuaded to stay and fight the villagers' cause. But Jack is the first and only samurai to do so. Now he must enlist other warriors to the villagers' aid before the bandits return to steal their harvest. No easy task when the reward is so little and he is a foreigner. If only he had his friends to call on...Using the Ring of Fire, can Jack overpower the bandits and win?
REVIEW:
I’ve been a fan of the Young Samurai series for quite a while, so when I had the opportunity to read the latest outing, I really couldn’t refuse. What Chris does in this title is bring his love of Akira Kurosawa to the young reader as his own interpretation of the Seven Samurai fight to save a village from raiders. It exhibits positive attributes such as honour, friendship and courage and gives the reader an ideal to live up to.
Add to this cracking pace, great prose and an adventure to devour as part of the lead characters tribulation to find his way home, and it was a very satisfying read. All in a great bit of fun and when some old friends appear it has some heart stopping moments which make this latest release an absolute corker. Definitely a series I’d recommend for Christmas and prepare to silence whilst it’s being enjoyed.
Release Date: 29/09/11
BOOK BLURB:
'On the third night after the day her father died, Liesl saw the ghost.' Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice - until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone. That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable. Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.
REVIEW:
A strange and yet beautiful story for the younger reader that takes them on an adventure with a cast of wonderfully weird and eccentric characters as our heroine takes on a quest to return her father’s ashes to the place where they were happiest. It’s cleverly written, its full of twists and to be honest it’s a story that I was never quite sure what to expect as the author had a manner of writing that left you missing the sleight of hand movements just before she pulled the rug out from underneath you.
Add to this a solid pace, a great support cast as well as dialogue that the reader can get along with and it’s a thoroughly enjoyable book. My only problem is that I did wonder if the subject matter may be a little grown up for the reading age to which its aimed, which whilst I enjoyed it left me wondering how many more questions it would cause the reader to ask that they may not be prepared to receive the answers for.
Release Date: 01/10/11
BOOK BLURB:
Enroll in Monster High with this fab journal featuring a foil cover and ribbon book mark! All your favorite Monster High characters prompt you to share your dreams, fashion sketches and more, while offering royal beauty secrets, scary-cool inspirations, drop-dead gorgeous fashion tips and even some freaky-fabulous DIY projects!
REVIEW:
Having felt that the last YSH title was a little rushed at the ending I was still looking forward to this one so that I could see the character develop future skills that he would utilise to save Victorian England. As with the other titles in the series it has a cunningly crafted plot, the characters are outstanding and when you add a foe to worry Sherlock’s mentor, its one of the most hair raising adventures for our young hero to date.
Finally add some additional background to a certain housekeeper, a fast moving plot and above all else a title that doesn’t let up from the word go and it’s a book that very much hit the mystery spot to leave us sated as a reader. Great stuff.
Release Date: 07/10/11
BOOK BLURB:
16 years ago, Waverly and Kieran were the first children born in space. Now a perfect couple, they are the pride and joy of the whole spaceship. They represent the future. The ship is their entire world. They have never seen a stranger before. Old Earth is crumbling, and the crew is hoping to reach (and colonise) New Earth within fifty years. Along with their allies on the second spaceship - who set off a year before them and whom they have never met. One day, Kieran proposes to Waverly. That same morning, the 'allies' attack - and Kieran and Waverly are separated in the cruellest way possible. Will they ever see each other again?
REVIEW:
A different type of Science Fiction novel for Teens and one that is a great way to introduce them to the adult world of the genre. This story is cleverly plotted, the characters within cracking and have a realistic flair that allows the reader to sympathise as well as link with them which when added to the authors writing style generates a title that is not only hard to put down but one that can be enjoyed by a great many.
Add to this a wonderful set up for the whole series with a whole chain of events that will lead you to wonder if there is any hope for mankind and for me it’s a delightful debut and one that I hope I can continue to enjoy as Amy develops as a writer.
Hail Mighty Readers,We are having a fiesta in celebration of the forthcoming Puss in Boots and as part of this, our friends at Random House/Bantam have let us have five copies of the four Dreamwork Puss in Book titles (Puss in Boots: The Novel, Puss in Boots: The Cat, The Legend, The Boots, Puss in Boots: 3D Movie Guide and Puss in Boots: Colouring and Activity Book) to give away to five lucky winners. The competition will run from today (15/11/11 to 30/11/11) so that we can get the prizes out to our lucky winners in time for the opening of the film. So dig deep and answer the question to our usual email address, drosdelnoch (at) hotmail (dot) com:Name the duo that Puss is most associated with:A) The King and QueenB) Dragon and FionaC) Shrek and Donkey
Release Date: 04/10/11
BOOK BLURB:
This is a compendium of the Brothers Grimm's most beloved fairy tales, newly translated and accompanied by an array of vintage illustrations. This book brings together twenty-seven of the most beloved of the famous Grimms' fairy tales, including all the classics, such as "Cinderella", "Snow White", "Sleeping Beauty", and "Hansel and Gretel" in an all-new translation specially commissioned for this publication. Containing a painstakingly-researched selection of illustrations by some of the most famous illustrators from the 1820s to the 1950s-including golden age legend Kay Nielsen, bestselling author Gustaf Tenggren, British darlings Walter Crane and Arthur Rackham, and giants of nineteenth century German illustration Gustav Sus, Heinrich Leutemann, and Viktor Paul Mohn, as well as many new discoveries-this compilation also includes beautiful silhouettes culled from original publications from the 1870s and 1920s that run throughout the entire layout. Interlaced in the book are also dozens of entirely new silhouettes designed and created especially for this book. In addition to the tales, the book also includes an introduction to the Grimms' legacy, brief introductory texts for each tale, and extended artists' biographies in the appendix. For adults and children alike, this classic addition to any library brings to life the never-ending magic of the Grimms' fairy tales and their delightful illustrations. The following fairy tales are featured in the book: "The Frog Prince"; "The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats"; "Little Brother and Little Sister"; "Rapunzel"; "Hansel and Gretel"; "The Fisherman and His Wife"; "The Brave Little Tailor"; "Cinderella"; "Mother Holle"; "Little Red Riding Hood"; "The Bremen Town Musicians"; "The Devil with Three Golden Hairs"; "The Shoemaker and the Elves"; "Tom Thumb's Travels"; "Sleeping Beauty"; "Snow White"; "Rumpelstiltskin"; "The Three Feathers"; "The Golden Goose"; "Jorinde and Joringel"; "The Goose Girl"; "The Twelve Dancing Princesses"; "The Star Coins"; "Snow White and Red Nose"; "The Hare and the Hedgehog"; "Puss n' Boots"; and, "The Golden Key".
REVIEW:
Many modern readers believe that the Brothers Grimm were all sweetness and light, usually as their tales have been bought and translated to the modern medium of film by companies like Disney, for those of us raised with the older material, you’ll more than be aware of the darker and, at times, quite scary tales that we were raised on that contained hidden morals and messages for the reader to learn.
This title by Taschen is a wonderful new translation of the original text (now celebrating its second centenary) by Matthew Price, picked up with artwork from some of the original stories alongside some modern masters to create a truly unique experience. It’s dark, its foreboding but most of all it’s a book that children will love (after all who doesn’t like a scare just before lights out?) Add to this some insight into the stories for the adult reader and this is a book that will beloved for generations. An absolute cracker of a title that will appeal to the child in all of us and a book that I feel will make one of the most amazing gifts this Christmas. Magic.
Release Date: 01/09/11
BOOK BLURB:
Before he knew about the Roses, 16-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small Ohio town of Trinity. Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick scar above his heart set him apart from the other high-schoolers. At least, until one day Jack forgets his 'medicine'. Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident than ever before. And it feels great - right up to the moment when he loses control of his own strength and almost kills another player during the soccer team tryouts. An incident which proves to be just the beginning. Jack is about to learn the startling truth about himself: he is Weirlind; part of an underground society of magical people who live among us. At the head of this magical society sit the feuding houses of the Red and the White Rose, whose power is determined by playing The Game - a magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to fight to the death. The winning house rules the Weir. As if his bizarre magical heritage isn't enough, Jack discovers that he's not just another member of Weirlind: he's one of the last of the warriors, and his power has manifested at a time when both houses are scouting for a player. Jack's performance on the soccer field has alerted the entire magical community to the fact that he's in Trinity. And until one of the houses is declared Jack's official sponsor, they'll stop at nothing to get Jack to fight for them ...
REVIEW:
Having enjoyed Cinda’s other fantasy series, I was interested to see what she’d do with an Urban Fantasy and loved the way that she brought magic to the modern world with some similar touches to David Gemmell in this warrior based title. Add to this some decent characters that the reader can associate with as well as some dark touches that placed the reader in territory that was not only unfamiliar but had the fright factor added.
It’s cleverly written and its definitely a book that has all the right elements to include great pace, some wonderful lulls and peaks as well as cracking prose. It’ll be interesting to see what the other two titles in the series contain.
Release Date: 06/10/11
BOOK BLURB:
Seph McCauley has spent the past three years getting kicked out of one exclusive private school after another. And it's not his attitude that's the problem: it's the trail of magical accidents - lately, disasters - that follow in his wake. Seph is a wizard, orphaned and untrained, and his powers are escalating out of control. Worse, as the magical accidents that plague him grow in intensity, Seph makes a discovery: the stories he's been told about his parents' life and death are fabrications. The people he most trusted have been lying to him. After causing a tragic fire at an after-hours party Seph is sent to the Havens, a secluded boy's school on the coast of Maine. Gregory Leicester, the headmaster, promises to train Seph in magic and initiate him into his mysterious order of wizards. Maybe here he will find a community he can trust? But Seph's enthusiasm dampens when he learns that the training comes at a steep cost. Who can he trust, when everyone around him is keeping secrets? And where can he turn, when he finds himself at the centre of a war he may well not survive?REVIEW:
The second title in the Heir Chronicles and one that continues to build upon the success of the first by delving into another of the powerful dragon sects has its own share of problems, especially with the new rule changes from Cumbria taking the various peoples in a whole new direction with some angered at the diminishing of their own power within the races.
It’s clever, the characters have realistic hooks to bind them to the reader and when you add to this Cinda’s cracking pace, wonderful walkthrough plotline and a great overall arc with darker agenda’s beneath the surface of the whole its one that really has been a joy to explore and enjoy.
Release Date: 07/10/11
BOOK BLURB:
"PARP!" Pssst! Do you know the story about Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) and the -- er -- farting courtier? One day, when bowing low to Her Majesty, the Earl of Oxford couldn't help but break wind. The poor man felt SO embarrassed, that he left the court -- and some say the country -- for SEVEN years. Upon his return, after such a long absence, the first thing Good Queen Bess said on seeing him was, "Lord, I had forgot the fart!"
REVIEW:
To be honest with you, we love books full of weird facts from history and whilst our usual tastes are met by books like Horrible Histories we gave this book by Philip a go as we thought that it would contain more of the same sort of thing. Whilst it is fun, parts of it are unsubstantiated and we like the bits that have basis on reality as well as having the information for the common man.
I’m not saying it isn’t decent or a fun book but when you own a large number of other historical fun facts, a lot the information within has already been printed in those titles. A great shame to be honest but if you don’t have any others, it’s a great way to pick up fun facts for going out and about and helping to breath life into the past with your young reader.
Release Date: 03/10/11
BOOK BLURB:
Enroll in Monster High with this fab journal featuring a foil cover and ribbon book mark! All your favorite Monster High characters prompt you to share your dreams, fashion sketches and more, while offering royal beauty secrets, scary-cool inspirations, drop-dead gorgeous fashion tips and even some freaky-fabulous DIY projects!
REVIEW:
I’m a fan of the compendium so when I had the chance to read a new take on the fairy tale I jumped at the chance. This title from E.D. Baker is a series that not only entertains but grows as the characters grow and make life changing choices. Add to this some magic, a great cast and of course a whole set of magical problems which overall made this a fun as well as satisfying read.
Finally add to the mix the sheer value for money on the purchase of this and it’s a book that will make a cracking Christmas present as well as giving the household a little bit of peace and quiet whilst its devoured which all in, leads to cracking fun and a great way to encourage and entertain the young reader during the season of repeats.
Release Date: 06/10/11
BOOK BLURB:
Have you ever had the feeling that you've lived another life? Been somewhere that has felt totally familiar, even though you've never been there before, or felt that you know someone well, even though you are meeting them for the first time? It happens. In 2073 on the remote and secretive island of Blessed, where rumour has it that no one ages and no children are born, a visiting journalist, Eric Seven, and a young local woman known as Merle are ritually slain. Their deaths echo a moment ten centuries before, when, in the dark of the moon, a king was slain, tragically torn from his queen. Their souls search to be reunited, and as mother and son, artist and child, forbidden lovers, victims of a vampire they come close to finding what they've lost. In a novel comprising seven parts, each influenced by a moon - the flower moon, the harvest moon, the hunter's moon, the blood moon - this is the story of Eric and Merle whose souls have been searching for each other since their untimely parting. Beautifully imagined, intricately and cleverly structured, this is a heart-wrenching and breathtaking love story with the hallmark Sedgwick gothic touches of atmosphere, blood-spilling and sacrifice.
REVIEW:
This is a quirky story and one that Marcus Segwick does well as he takes the reader on a journey of discovery through the principle characters past lives as well as giving the reader the chance to observe the almost Shakespearian tragedy of them throughout. It’s experimental, it has Segwick’s fingerprints all over it and it has some interesting twists but to be honest it wasn’t a title that kept me enthralled as it felt a little flat and more a series of short stories with an interlinking thread throughout rather than a fully planned or realised novel by the final page.
Don’t get me wrong, it does do what it promises and gives you something different, but for me, its not a title that’s going to stay with me for very long and I feel that others have tackled this sort of thing before with greater success. Still something for Marcus’ fans but for the majority of readers, not the authors best piece of work to date.
Release Date: 03/11/11
BOOK BLURB:
Arnold Ruben has created a memory machine, a utopia housed in a picture palace, where the happiest memories replay forever, a haven in which he and his precious daughter can shelter from the war-clouds gathering over 1937 Britain. But on the day of her seventeenth birthday Amaryllis leaves Warlock Hall and the world she has known and wakes to find herself in a desolate and disturbing place. Something has gone terribly wrong with her father's plan. Against the tense backdrop of the second World War Sally Gardner explores families and what binds them, fathers and daughters, past histories, passions and cruelty, love and devastation in a novel rich in character and beautifully crafted.
REVIEW:
When I want a book that’s different against any other in the Young Adult market then you’ll often find me picking up a title by Sally Gardner, as they have realistic associable characters, great plot lines and whilst usually historical in nature, they are available to the modern reader without any difficulty.
What this latest book from Sally presents to the reader is a story that whilst it has science fiction elements, allows the reader to find the principle characters perils and tribulations whilst being able to associate with them which keeps this book at an adrenaline high throughout as you worry about each new situation that arises. It has some cracking dilemmas, harsh choices and above all else an authorly voice that is easily unique in the YA world. Finally add to this a wonderful use of language alongside pace and authorly sleight of hand and the reader really won’t put this down until that last page is turned.
Release Date: 03/11/11
BOOK BLURB:
There is only one way to become a warrior. Boys are chosen for teams called Brotherbands and must endure months of gruelling battles in the treacherous sea. Hal finds himself the unwilling leader of a band of outcasts, the boys that no one wants. They are small and wiry but what they lack in size, they make up with skill and courage. Now they must battle against the other bands in the ultimate race where there can only be one winner. The icy waters make the sea a treacherous playing field. Especially when - for some - this is anything but a game...
REVIEW:
This is the brand new title and a new beginning for a whole new set of main characters within the world of John Flanagan as he concentrates on a band of Skandian boys learning to become sea wolves. As with the other stories it’s about adversity, it’s about friendship and above all else it’s a story where the characters learn to utilise their own sets of skills to aid the group as a whole buoying up the others weaknesses with their own strengths.
Add to this John’s usual style of fast pace with spartanesque prose and a wonderfully simplified explanation about sailing (which to be honest made a lot more sense than a lot of the stuff in adult books) and it was a title that really spoke to fantasy side as the characters within took the reader on a whole new adventure which has a Young Adult David Gemmell type of feel. My only gripe was that there wasn’t a lead female within in much the same way that the roles were fulfilled in the Rangers Apprentice. With luck that will be fixed in the next book which I really can’t wait to read.
Release Date: 17/10/11
BOOK BLURB:
*A comprehensive history of disease and pestilence, told from the point of view of the bugs and pests that cause them. The book features case histories of specific epidemics, eyewitness' accounts from the rats, flies, ticks and creepy-crawlies who spread diseases, plus plenty of fascinating facts and figures on the biggest and worst afflictions. Illustrated throughout with brilliantly entertaining artworks and endearing characters, you'll be entertained by a cabinet war room showing the war on germs, a rogues' gallery highlighting the worst offenders, the very deadliest diseases examined under the microscope and much more.
REVIEW:
I love a book that is vibrant, has great colours and looks, on first glance that it’s going to get the information over to the reader in a simple, easy to comprehend manner that will entertain as well as educate. Sadly this title from Kingfisher fails as on a closer examination there are a great many problems.
My first major gripe is that the images take over and detract from the text boxes (that had they been highlighted in a separate colour would have helped them to stand out) which in the long run will take the reader a great many views to make their way through and can end up with them becoming lost amongst the towers of data quite easily.
Add to this the text feels too adult orientated (almost as if it was written for the Discovery Channel) which when added to the language felt that it was aimed at an older audience than the 8 year old market which whilst interesting for me, felt that it would end up relegated to the back of a shelf by any child who received it as they will quickly lose interest.
All, this book sadly falls flat on so many levels and I suspect that had I put it together I’d have taken the approach, of looking at a great many successful books like Horrible Histories (written by Terry Deary) or the entertaining writing of Mitchell Symons which keeps the interest as well as passing the information in a fun as well as educative way without coming across as condescending. Finally add to that some diseases mentioned within could give nightmares and it’s a title that really should have been better planned.
Release Date: 01/09/11
