Release Date: 07/02/13
SYNOPSIS:
Romance, magic and an age-old prophecy - the first novel in a stunning new paranormal young adult series. "Born Wicked" is to witches what "Twilight" is to vampires! Our mother was a witch too, but she hid it better. I miss her. To me, the magic feels like a curse. According to the Brothers, it's devil-sent. Women who can do magic-they're either mad or wicked. So I will do everything in my power to protect myself and my sisters. Even if it means giving up my life - and my true love. Because if the Brothers discover our secret, we're destined for the asylum, or prison ...or death. Praise for "Born Wicked": "A tale so captivating, you don't want it to end". (Andrea Cremer, "New York Times" bestselling author of the "Nightshade" series). Jessica Spotswood is a debut US author. She grew up in a tiny one-stoplight town in Pennsylvania. Now she lives in a gentrifying hipster neighbourhood in Washington, D.C. with her playwright husband and a cuddly cat named Monkey. She's never happier than when she's immersed in a good story, and swoony kissing scenes are her favourite. "Born Wicked" is her debut novel for teens.
REVIEW:
When I originally heard about this book I was more than intrigued as rather than making an Urban Fantasy in the modern age, the author decided to give it the flection of historical fiction and whilst for the most part the book worked well on some levels, there were quite a few others where it failed to live up to my expectations as parts were easily predicatable as well as treading a familiar road as a young woman is pulled between love and her family.
Its not that there’s anything inherently wrong with the title but when most of the book is setting the scene without bringing all those wonderful historical references to add a timely charm, that it starts to leave you wondering where the series is going to go (this is part one of the Cahill Witch Chronicles) that will give the reader not only the fire but the desire to keep on going.
Throw into the mix a major problem of Cate being a pretty perfect woman (beautiful, intelligent and of course extremely powerful) and it leaves you wondering why you want to care about this central character when others such as Maura stir the pot wonderfully well taking on Cate at every opportunity. It is a book that does have a lot of scope and here’s hoping that in future outings the characters will do a little more than follow a predictable path, but all in, for me, I’ll look at the next part to see what mayhem will ensue.
Release Date: 02/08/12
Book Blurb:
Madeleine Masterson is deathly afraid of bugs, especially spiders. Theodore Bartholomew is petrified of dying. Lulu Punchalower is scared of confined spaces. Garrison Feldman is terrified of deep water. Which is why this may be the scariest summer of their lives. Worse than detention or summer school. Worse even than the dentist. The foursome must face their phobias head-on at the exclusive and elusive School of Fear. The school is unusual, to say the least. But 'terrifying' would be a more accurate description. The curriculum is simple: Conquer your fears in six weeks or find out just how frightening failing can be.
Review:
To be honest I wasn’t sure what to make of this, I loved the concept, I enjoyed the delightfully deliciousness of helping children get over their fears but it felt to me like something was lacking partway through, almost as if the author had a clear idea of where she wanted the book to go but lost steam part way through but managed to pull it altogether by the final chapter.
Don’t get me wrong, it was an OK read, the characters had their own quirks but overall I felt that the story was lacking especially with the head teacher who felt rather disjointed and disconnected with the tale overall. All in it is OK but personally I feel that there are other authors out there that could have given a real scare backed up with a wonderful sense of achievement by the tales end which I felt was lacking here.
Release Date: 04/10/12
Book Blurb:
Have no fear! The frightened foursome are back in this this wickedly funny and phobia-inducing sequel to School of Fear! Everyone is (still) afraid of something...Madeleine Masterson is deathly afraid of bugs, especially spiders; Theodore Bartholomew is petrified of dying; Lulu Punchalower is terrified of confined spaces; Garrison Feldman is frightened by deep water...After discovering that each of her former students has secretly regressed, headmistress Mrs. Wellington brings Madeleine, Theo, Lulu, and Garrison back for a mandatory summer of retraining. Facing their fears is terrifying enough, but when they are joined by a fifth student things start to get even scarier.
Review:
Whilst I didn’t enjoy Gitty’s Monster High story, I have to admit that her own School of Fear series is something that is not only unique but fun to read if you excuse the flaws as mentioned previously. The characters do feel more fleshed out this time round and whilst there’s a new one thrown into the mix in this outing, its definitely a series that will amuse as well as entertain the reader.
Back that up with some solid one liners, reasonable prose with a steady pace which all in make this a book a decent enough read. Definitely an improvement on the first.
Release Date: 11/10/12
Book Blurb:
Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival
families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her
parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the
generations-long political feud - and unite all those living in the
Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished
mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling
in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her
memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to
unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a
gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers
of recollection - and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking
her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city - including
herself.
Review:
This was a bit of a weird book to be honest as it wasn’t really one genre or another but an amalgam that utilised aspects from several to help make a world that was not only believable for the characters but to help prop up the flaws (and there were many) within the logic of the setting which whilst interesting did leave me gasping at the huge problems when the author introduced new elements that simply weren’t feesable or possible given the situation.
That said, if you skip over that you do get a romance story that it not only interesting but one that helps give the world a little sparkle as our lead principle seeks to (oh so slowly) figure out a lot of the mysteries beneath the surface. It is definitely something different and whilst the author has done a reasonable job of pace, the lead characters intelligence is often drawn into question as the reader is going to be way quicker at finding answers than she.
All in it is a reasonable book and one that I’m pleased I took the time to read but I hope that in future outings the author tries to do a bit more sleight of hand as I hate solving things so quickly which ruins the beauty alongside carefully thought out plot for me.
Release Date: 27/09/12
Book Blurb:
Alex has escaped from Rule - but what new horrors face her in the ravaged world outside? Tom is safe - but what will he risk to find Alex? Chris - how much does he really know about the terrible darkness of Rule? And what are his true feelings for Alex? Ellie - where is she? The terrifying follow-up to the hugely popular Ashes.
Review:
Having not been really all that enamoured with the first book in the series, I really wasn’t expecting too much from the second and to be honest I wasn’t disappointed. Whilst the tale does try to keep the pace moving with an over abundance of action the tale did feel more than a little flat as the sheer volume of supporting cast within left me wondering who was who and what they’d done in the first (and no I’m not joking when I say that I did a quick reread and wrote a cheat sheet to refer to.)
All in, not a great book for me and whilst there will be a number of readers who enjoy the descriptions alongside action within, this book for me didn’t hit all my requirements in a title. All in a great shame.
Release Date: 01/03/12
BOOK BLURB:
'It is settled. The boy is in your charge. You will train him to fight. He must be able to use the dagger, throwing-knife, staves and his bare hands. One day young Marcus may well become a gladiator in the arena. But you must also teach him the ways of the street.' Now a member of Julius Caesar's palace, Marcus' training continues in the city of Rome. The streets are plagued by vicious gang war attacks, and Caesar must employ his own gang leader, who learns of a plot to murder him. Only Marcus can go in undercover. But he's in terrible danger. If the rival gang discover him the price will be fatal. Julius Caesar's isn't the only life at risk...
REVIEW:
I’m a huge fan of Simon’s Macro and Cato series and to be honest whilst I did pick up the first Gladiator book, I was left feeling that it wasn’t quite up to what I was expecting. So with slight trepidation I started this one and hoped that it would improve as I know what a great author he is for me as an adult.
What unfurled within for the first half felt like a lot of padding and left me wondering if he was really cut out to be YA author as I felt that it didn’t really allow the reader to connect with the lead character which when added to his identity problems made him hard to get along with. That said, the second half picked up the pace, it felt like he had a better grasp of the character and when you added the usual Scarrow action packed adventure into the mix, generated a story that was not only a must read but one that kept you glued as he played for keeps within.
All in, it was a tale that took a while to get going but when it does it really generated something different to a lot of other YA tales out there. The prose was crisp, the dialogue believable and when you finally threw into the mix the outcomes of politics and strategic manoeuvres; it set the pace for the next book to be truly epic.
Release Date: 01/03/12
BOOK BLURB:
We're coming. The martyrs are awakening. Spirits are gathering. This will be our time...' In York and London, strange shapes are taking form, emerging from the shadows. And who is the man who lies in a pitch-black room, listening to a voice that seems to speak from the darkness itself? Jud Lester knows that something evil is afoot. He also knows that it can't be investigated by any normal brand of counter-intelligence...This is a case for CRYPT: a team of elite teenage agents who use their extra sensory perception and arsenal of high-tech gadgets to investigate crimes that the police can't solve.
REVIEW:
I haven’t read the first book so I was a little worried about picking up this title in case I’d missed a lot of background as well as the chance to get to know the characters. With that I shouldn’t have worried as the author really allows the reader to dive in head first with the crew on their investigation. It’s quirky, the characters interesting and it was good to see the exploration of friendship within.
That said some of the details within felt that they were over used such as where the finances keeping more with telling the reader rather than just one sequence where we’re shown. Its simple niggles like this that didn’t allow me to fully get behind the title although I did like the idea’s within. All in I will read another one by Andrew to give him a fair crack but at the moment, its more the idea of what could be that I’m hoping will arrive in the next part.
Release Date: 26/04/12
BOOK BLURB:
How much would you sacrifice for just one kiss ...When smouldering Finn and sexy Lucas arrive in Winter Mill, life starts to get very complicated for Faye McCarron. But two boys battling for her heart is just the start. Soon there's a dead body in the woods, a motorcycle gang on the prowl, and the snow just won't stop falling. Something evil is at work, and only Faye and best friend Liz can stop it. As Hallowe'en draws near they must uncover the dark and sinister secret ...before it's too late. Love paranormal romance, werewolves and ethereal spirits? Then this book is for you!
REVIEW:
This is one of those books that sat on a back burner for a bit and I have to admit that I sadly left it alone for quite some time. So much so that I only found it again recently when the second title landed and I thought, “Eeeekk, I haven’t read the first one yet.”
Pulling this from my TBR shelf was more an effort of will as I’d forgotten that the cover didn’t inspire me so I sat down and read. What unfurled within at times felt like genius, the twists that the author added worked wonderfully from the curse to the links with the Devil. Yet for all that, at times it felt like the book was akin to pulling teeth as you had to wait for something to happen to keep you enthused. This became the pattern throughout and sadly for me whilst average, didn’t allow this book to stand out on its own. It could be that this is more an introduction than anything else so with the second title on hand I was more than prepared to give it another go just to see if it would improve.
Release Date: 26/04/12
BOOK BLURB:
Could you chose between the ones you love ...? A gorgeous boyfriend and a long summer in Winter Mill to look forward to - things are good for Faye McCarron. Then her friend Lucas disappears without a trace. But nobody seems to care - until two strangers arrive in town ...Faye and Finn leave Winter Mill to try and find Lucas. But with Finn struggling to adjust to his new role as leader of the wolf pack, and unknown evil forces working against them, will they save their friend before it's too late? Love paranormal romance, werewolves and immortal villains? Then this book is for you.
REVIEW:
Having just finished the first book I immediately started the second hoping that after a lot of the world building that the overall arc would pick up pace and work a lot better for me as a reader. Sadly it didn’t feeling just as convoluted and slow in pace as the original. Don’t get me wrong some of the idea’s within did come over very well, in much the same way that it did with the original but overall it just wasn’t a novel that stood out from the crowd for me as a reader.
All in I was disappointed as I felt that it could have been an absolute cracker had the pace picked up as the characters had something within for all tastes yet overall when a book lacks pace and seems to stop as well as start, it won’t keep very many glued to find out the kicker at the end.
Release Date: 26/04/12
BOOK BLURB:
In "Deadly Dare", there's a new craze at Theo and Ricky's school. The rules are simple: write a dare, put it in the bag and take turns to pick one out. But on the night Ricky does his dare and enters the deserted warehouse, he disappears. What really happened to Ricky - and how much does new girl Angela know? Theo needs to find the answers before it's too late ...There's nothing unusual about getting emails from your dad ...unless he died a few months ago. In "Computer Ghost", Jade asks Theo, Ricky and Angela to help her find out what's going on. Could the mysterious, desperate messages really be from a ghost? One thing's for sure. Whoever is behind them wants something badly - and they'll stop at nothing to get it ...Theo, Ricky and Angela have to become "Lie Detectives" to uncover the truth about top inventor, Darius Marriott, after he comes to give a talk at school and collapses. Who is out to get him, and why does their friend Bullet seem so involved? They're determined to get to the bottom of it all - but that could prove to be much more dangerous than they think ...Three gripping mysteries by bestselling Malorie Blackman, now with a fresh new look.
REVIEW:
Malorie Blackman is an author who takes the reader by the hand and gives them a story (or in this case a set of stories) that are not only vivid but ones that they can easily associate with the characters. Its lovingly woven, the prose sharp and to the point and she keeps the reader interested by knowing what they want to read.
Add to this three wonderfully woven tales in this one compendium, value for money and of course a writing talent that leaves the reader wanting more and for my money it’s a book that will encourage even reluctant readers to keep going. All in a cracking trilogy and one that will haunt long after the final page is turned.
Release Date: 28/06/12
BOOK BLURB:
'Zoey, what is is?' Stark said softly. I didn't answer Stark. Instead I faced Neferet. Somewhere in the back of my mind I could hear the buzz and whispers of the kids around me, and I knew forcing a confrontation with Neferet here and now wasn't smart. But I couldn't stop myself...Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet - which would be a whole lot easier if the High Counsel saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is. But there are new forces at work at the House of Night. An influx of humans threatens their precarious stability. And then there's the mysterious Aurox, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous boy who is actually more - or possibly less - than human. Only Zoey can sense the compassion that wars with his Dark calling. Will Neferet's true nature be revealed before she succeeds in silencing them all? And will Zoey be able to touch Aurox's humanity in time to protect him - and everyone - from his own fate?
REVIEW:
When a book comes out associated with a film it can usually go one of two ways, either its way superior or as is most often the case, it fails miserably. Sadly this book falls into the later category for a number of reasons.
Firstly the book feels rushed and doesn’t allow the reader to get to know the characters within and whilst I haven’t seen the film it also feels that there is a lot left unsaid in order to keep the tale a little too linear. The book suffers for this as for me it left the characters feeling more 2d than fully rounded relying more on the stereotypes that the readers have in their mind from the fairy tales of yesteryear.
Add to this a convoluted winding path and a real rush to get to the end which overall left me feeling cheated by the final page. With luck, a viewing of the film may clear up a lot of these feelings but I really don’t think that this is one of the better conversions and perhaps should have been left alone.
Release Date: 28/06/12
BOOK BLURB:
'Zoey, what is is?' Stark said softly. I didn't answer Stark. Instead I faced Neferet. Somewhere in the back of my mind I could hear the buzz and whispers of the kids around me, and I knew forcing a confrontation with Neferet here and now wasn't smart. But I couldn't stop myself...Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet - which would be a whole lot easier if the High Counsel saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is. But there are new forces at work at the House of Night. An influx of humans threatens their precarious stability. And then there's the mysterious Aurox, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous boy who is actually more - or possibly less - than human. Only Zoey can sense the compassion that wars with his Dark calling. Will Neferet's true nature be revealed before she succeeds in silencing them all? And will Zoey be able to touch Aurox's humanity in time to protect him - and everyone - from his own fate?
REVIEW:
Sadly this series that started out so well has sadly been on a long slippery road and I’m starting to wonder if its time they let the characters rest rather than throwing out yet another title that really doesn’t accomplish much let alone give the reader a solid read. There’s some twists but sadly the authors can’t let whats dead lie (which in my opinion they really should have.)
Throw into this a sadly lack lustre plot, characters that I’m wanting to off personally and a series that feels like its seen better days, all rounded off with yet another cliffhanger and all in, its time to take a seriously long break before I do something rash.
Release Date: 26/06/12
BOOK BLURB:
A creature of the other world, an unnatural entity bent on chaos and carnage, has come to stalk the nighttime streets of the Galicien city of Davillon. There's never a good time for murder and panic, but for a community already in the midst of its own inner turmoil, this couldn't possibly have come at a worse one.
Not for Davillon, and not for a young thief who calls herself Widdershins.
It's been over half a year since the brutal murder of Archbishop William de Laurent during his pilgrimage to Davillon. And in all that time, Widdershins has truly tried her best. She's tried to take care of Genevieve's tavern and tried to make a semihonest living in a city slowly stagnating under the weight of an angry and disapproving Church. She's tried to keep out of trouble, away from the attentions of the Davillon Guard and above the secrets and schemes of the city's new bishop.
But she's in way over her head, with no idea which way to turn. The Guard doesn't trust her. The Church doesn't trust her. Her own Thieves' Guild doesn't trust her.
Too bad for everyone, then, that she and her personal god, Olgun, may be their only real weapon against a new evil like nothing the city has ever seen.
REVIEW:
To be honest with you I was left feeling confused and a little cheated with Ari’s previous title in this series so when the second landed it wasn’t one that I was prepared for to start straight away as I felt that I was never fully sure of the characters mental stability with her relationship with her personal god, Olgun.
Don’t get me wrong Ari does present a solid fantasy title but when I’m still left questioning sanity as a reader it really doesn’t help me immerse within the world or really get to like the principle player but putting that aside I thought that I’d best give it a go.
Whilst for me, this title is an improvement on the previous outing its still not a fantasy that is top of my reading pile as I felt a lot of the cliché’s that have existed for years were played upon within. It was a solidly crafted tale but it wasn’t one for me that made it stand on its own two feet for me as a reader. That said, the villain was delicious and Ari really knows what he’s doing to keep you reading but all in when I don’t like the lead character I’m left feeling lukewarm to the writing. A great shame all in as this could have been something spectacular.
Release Date: 24/05/12
BOOK BLURB:
The first book in the thrilling YA sequence, Order of Darkness. The year is 1453, and all signs point to it being the end of the world. Accused of heresy and expelled from his monastery, handsome seventeen-year-old, Luca Vero, is recruited by a mysterious stranger to record the end of times across Europe. Commanded by sealed orders, Luca is sent to map the fears of Christendom, and travel to the very frontier of good and evil. Seventeen-year-old Isolde, a Lady Abbess, is trapped in a nunnery to prevent her claiming her rich inheritance. As the nuns in her care are driven mad by strange visions, walking in their sleep, and showing bleeding wounds, Luca is sent to investigate and all the evidence points to Isolde's criminal guilt. Outside in the yard they are building a pyre to burn her for witchcraft. Forced to face the greatest fears of the medieval world - dark magic, werewolves, madness - Luca and Isolde embark on a search for truth, their own destinies, and even love as they take the unknown ways to the real historical figure who defends the boundaries of Christendom and holds the secrets of the Order of Darkness.
REVIEW:
This has been a hard book to review, not because of the subjects tackled within but because I felt that the book was below what I expected from Philippa’s writing skills. Don’t get me wrong it’s a complete story but one that I’ve noticed with her adult writing is that when it’s based on a well-documented person it works wonderfully, yet when left to writing based on the authors imagination, it sadly falls apart and as with the recent Cousin’s War series a lot of repetition between each title.
What this book brings to the table is a farfetched story with so coincidences alongside flaws that had it not had the authors name attached I’m not sure it would have made it to the shelves. The characters are confusing, there’s no real direction with them and events seem to have been woven by strength of author rather than feeling natural. Add to this a story that feels like the pace is all over the place, characters that don’t feel rounded but thrown into a different timeline to suit the authors purpose and with a convoluted plotline that feels that additional ideas have been wedged in to fit the word count and all in I was disappointed with the overall product.
Don’t get me wrong; had it been a debut author, a lot of the errors within could have been forgiven as over zealousness alongside lessons that needed to be learned, but from a multi title writer these should never have occurred.
Release Date: 01/03/12
BOOK BLURB:
As the new girl at the elite St. Sophia's boarding school, Lily Parker thinks her classmates are the most monstrous things she'll have to face. When Lily's guardians decided to send her away to a fancy boarding school in Chicago, she was shocked. So was St. Sophia's. Lily's ultra-rich brat pack classmates think Lily should be the punchline to every joke, and on top of that, she's hearing strange noises and seeing bizarre things in the shadows of the creepy building. The only thing keeping her sane is her roommate, Scout, but even Scout's a little weird - she keeps disappearing late at night and won't tell Lily where she's been. But when a prank leaves Lily trapped in the catacombs beneath the school, Lily finds Scout running from a real monster. Scout's a member of a splinter group of rebel teens with unique magical talents, who've sworn to protect the city against demons, vampires, and Reapers, magic users who've been corrupted by their power. And when Lily finds herself in the line of a firespell, Scout tells her the truth about her secret life, even though Lily has no powers of her own - at least, none that she's discovered yet ...REVIEW:
As a huge reader of Urban Fantasy and a keen reader of YA fiction I love it when the two worlds collide. As such this title by Chloe Neill sets itself up by the blurb to be something that not only intrigued me, but demanded that I spent the time upon it. Not only that but findind out that the second book in the series was already available pretty much made it a get it now type of pick up.
Whilst for me the book started quite slow, the pace picked up and began to take the reader deeper into the world of Chloe’s imagination. It did take its time and to be honest I was left wondering if it was going to happen at all, but at the end it all came good. There was key action sequences, great prose and an author that from hindsight, wanted to get the reader to know the character prior to throwing a lot of the supernatural our way.
All in, a fun book, one that did manage to hook me and with a lead character accompanied with a strong supporting cast, its made the second book a must read. The only thing I can hope is that Chloe does a bit more building and allows the characters to grow, otherwise it won’t be a series that stands out amongst the masses already available.
Release Date: 01/03/12
BOOK BLURB:
Protecting Chicago from the dark side can be an exhausting job, especially when you're a sophomore. So when the girls of St. Sophia's start gearing up for Sneak, their fall formal, Lily decides to join in on some good, old-fashioned party prep - even if it means not giving demons, vampires and the twisted magic users known as Reapers her undivided attention. But when a Reaper infiltrates the school, Lily doesn't forget what she's sworn to protect. She reaches deep into herself to draw out her magic - and finds that it's gone. And it turns out she's not alone. A magical blackout has slammed through paranormal Chicago, and no one knows what - or who - caused it. But Lily knows getting back her magic is worth the risk of going behind enemy lines ...
REVIEW:
Having neither truly loved nor hated the previous book I wanted to give Charmfall a fair crack of the whip, so having been lucky enough to have recently finished Firespell, I thought that I’d crack on with this one and see what it did for me as a reader. Sadly it left me with the same impressions as the original and whilst its certainly not the worst out there its pretty mediocre as the world hasn’t increased and the characters sadly didn’t get the opportunity to grow which will keep a lot of the readers with no attachments and therefore the Emo reaction to what befalls them.
Don’t get me wrong, there will be people out there that love this, but for me with no character growth and a pace that struggles to get going, it was a real struggle to make my way through. A great shame all in.
Release Date: 01/03/12
BOOK BLURB:
This is a collection of wise and wacky words of advice, from the bestselling and award-winning author of "Why Eating Bogeys Is Good For You". From the marvellous mind of Mitchell Symons comes such gems of wisdom as: You can't trust a dog to watch your food. Why buy shampoo when real poo is free? Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, as you won't have a leg to stand on. And if getting even doesn't work, then just get odd.
REVIEW:
I’ve enjoyed a lot of Mitchell’s books in previous outings however this one is more advice and one that follows the weird as well as wonderful that really doesn’t make sense upon hearing. It is quirky, it does have some great illustrations however its nothing new and a lot of the snippets within are things that a great many of us have heard before. All in it is a good bit of fun but could well be a title that you might want to hold fire buying and borrow from a library to save your money.
All in you will get a laugh, some of the advice and snippets will amuse but really to be blunt, its not a title worth spending you money on unless its burning a hole in your pocket.
Release Date: 03/11/11
BOOK BLURB:
Have you ever been to a place called Boring? Met Mr Botty? Used a piece of Spong equipment? These are just three of the real-life places, people and things from around the world that feature in best-selling non-fiction author Russell Ash's fabulous new book. Jam-packed full with lists of names plus fascinating facts, stories and anecdotes, "Boring, Botty and Spong" will keep you entertained for hours on end! You'll find names to make you wonder, think and certainly laugh out loud.
REVIEW:
I was really looking forward to this book as I love titles that are full of fun, factual pieces of trivia that very few seem to know. The problem with this book however is that it reads like a long list and as such I feel will miss its place with the audience as they’ll take one look and wonder where the interest is.
It is researched very well but for me the execution falls a little flat with just the facts and no other information at hand to help keep it in the memory. Its information overload and for me would have been better had it had the writing style of Mitchell Symons to help bring it to life. A great shame all in and heres hoping a future edition will fix this major problem.
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: 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: 07/10/11
BOOK BLURB:
Alex has run away and is hiking through the wilderness with her dead parents' ashes, about to say goodbye to the life she no longer wants to live. But then the world suddenly changes. An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky zapping every electronic device and killing the vast majority of adults. For those spared, it's a question of who can be trusted and who has changed...Everyone still alive has turned - some for the better (those who acquired a superhuman sense) while others for the worse (those who acquired a taste for human flesh). Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the zombies that are on the hunt, Alex meets up with Tom - an Army veteran who escaped one war only to find something worse at home - and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse. This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to find food, shelter, while fighting off the 'Changed' and those desperate to stay alive. A tense and involving adventure with shocks and sudden plot twists that will keep teen and adult readers gripped.
REVIEW:
The concept of this title was more than intriguing to me and whilst I liked the lead character and the first part of the story, the author seemed to lose cohesion as well as believability by the second part of the title, almost as if it had been well planned and required extending to turn it into a full novel. It does have some clever twists, some interesting notions but with the loss of cohesion alongside a mishmash of characters I soon found it hard to continue reading in any seriousness.
All in this was a great shame to be honest but with this being the first part in a trilogy it is balanced on a fine edge of either going into the realm of ridiculous or whether the author can pull it back. I’ll wait and see but if it doesn’t improve I’ll leave the third well enough alone.
Release Date: 07/10/11
BOOK BLURB:
No real information.
REVIEW:
When I get the chance to bring the joy of books to the younger relative I usually jump at the chance, so this title from Campbell Books was an ideal gift to give for a nephews first Christmas, the teether is star shaped, the book attaches to the buggy and it will be quite handy to nip down to distract him when we’re out and about. Add to this the chance to let him look at bright colours and get him used to have stories will really help me get him into books in the future, in much the same way that I’ve done for my others. A great piece of fun and something that quite a few might find as an ideal gift.
Release Date: 07/02/13
