Release Date: 19/07/12
BOOK BLURB:
The kingdom of Goredd is populated by humans and by dragons who fold themselves into a human form. Though they live alongside each other, the peace between them is uneasy. But when a member of the royal family is murdered, and the crime appears to have been committed by a dragon the peace and treaty between both worlds is seriously threatened ...Into this comes Seraphina, a gifted musician who joins the royal court as the assistant to the court composer. She is soon drawn into the murder investigation and, as she uncovers hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace in Goredd for good, finds herself caught desperately in the middle of the tension. For Seraphina hides a secret - the secret behind her musical gift - and if she is found out, her life is in serious danger...
REVIEW:
A new title by a new author in a fantasy world setting that will amaze, delight and bring to the fore a new character who will not only endear herself to the reader but develop her skills and personality as events unfurl. It has great prose, the world is wonderfully designed and when you add a writing style that gently brings the reader in alongside allowing them to get to know the lead character then you’ll be in no doubt about the time and care that has been lavished upon the pages.
Add to this a plot that is almost too big for one book to contain, solid pace and a whole host of supporting cast which will leave the reader in no doubt that this author is not only here to stay but has the imagination alongside ability to keep the reader glued for future releases.
Release Date: 07/06/12
BOOK BLURB:
Posing as one of Robin Hood's thieves to avoid the evil Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only her fellow outlaws, John Little, Much and Robin Hood know the truth - this agile thief is no boy but in fact a fearless young woman with a secret past. But Scarlet is torn between her desire to get as far from Lord Gisbourne as possible and a strong sense of responsibility to those who took her in when she was first on the run. As Gisbourne draws closer to Scarlet and puts innocent lives at risk, she must decide how much the people of Nottinghamshire mean to her, especially John Little and Robin, whose quick smiles and temper have the rare power to unsettle Scarlet. Full of exciting action, secrets and romance, this imaginative retelling of the classic tale will have readers following every move of Robin Hood and his band of thieves.
REVIEW:
A modern retelling of the Robin Hood myth with a twist within that really makes this truly remarkable storytelling. The lead character Scarlet is a woman of daring, great skills and of course whilst she can fight, the sheer brutality of the time make this a book to be savoured by readers of all ages.
Add to this a solid storytelling themes, great prose, danger and of course combat all go on to add additional layers and flavours to the story. Back that up with a wonderful sense of pace, solid dialogue and all in this book will appeal to both genders seeking adventure, historical escapism and a great tale all wound up within.
Finally back this up with a suitably dark villain, some cracking sequences and a solid twist of fate or two all go to make this something special. Great stuff.
Release Date: 07/06/12
BOOK BLURB:
The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka. Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom's magical elite - the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free? The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him. But what of Mal, Alina's childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can't she ever quite forget him? Glorious. Epic. Irresistible. Romance.
REVIEW:
OK, this is a book that I originally put on the back burner for a number of reasons, first of all because the burb sounded a little confusing alongside complex and at the time I fancied something straight forward and secondly because I had to be in the mood for a love story.
Whilst I am pleased I left it until I was really in the mood for it, I was a little upset that I left it so long, purely because the author, Leigh Bardugo has put a lot of work in, the world building is up there with a lot of the top adult authors, the characters shine through the pages and the complex plotline works on so many levels keeping the reader guessing from the first page to the last.
Add to this a wonderful sense of roundedness to the characters, wonderful interaction and of course a love thread that really does make this a hard to put down book. But when you throw in a great sense of pace alongside solid prose as well as cracking dialogue the reader really is in for a treat. All in a great novel to use as a break through from Teen to Adult but also one that will enamour itself of a great many readers old and young. Magical.
Release Date: 05/01/12
BOOK BLURB:
By the time seventeen-year-old Delaney Maxwell is pulled out of the icy waters of a frozen lake, her heart has stopped beating. She is in a coma and officially dead. But Delaney pulls through. How? Doctors are mystified. Outwardly she has completely recovered. But Delaney knows something is very wrong. Pulled by sensations she can't control, she finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her brain predicting death or causing it? Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who lost his whole family in a car accident and emerged from a coma with the same powers as Delaney. At last she's found a kindred spirit who'll understand what she's going through. But Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature - or something much more frightening?
REVIEW:
Debut authors are a treat for me and when one breaks through on the young adult market there are times when you know that they’re going to have a solid career from the book blurb. Such was the case from this title by Megan Miranda who from the first paragraph had me hooked.
Delaney is a pure joy to read about, she’s rounded, is surprised at how things evolve and of course is a miracle of the modern world in a news story that people just love to hear about. Add to this some solid fleshing out of her so that readers can associate mentally as well as emotionally and it really was a title that didn’t let up from the start.
Add to this solid prose, some wonderfully delicious twists and a romantic element within to bind you within its spell and all in, this young adult story I suspect will be one that many authors can learn from as much as readers. Great stuff.
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: 01/09/11
BOOK BLURB:
Imagine if you lost your parents – not just in place, but in time.
Jake Djones’ mum and dad have gone missing and they could be anywhere in the world – at any time in history. Because the Djones family have an astonishing secret, which for years they’ve managed to keep - even from each other. They belong to the HISTORY KEEPERS: a secret society which travels through the centuries to prevent evil enemies from meddling with History itself.
In the quest to find his parents, Jake is whisked from 21st Century London to 19th century France, the headquarters of the mysterious History Keepers, where he discovers the truth about his family's disappearance - and the diabolical Prince Zeldt's plan to destroy the world as we know it . . .
REVIEW:
History is fluid and whilst many say that history is written by the victors, this title goes to prove that history is saved or damned by the victors. This debut has been cleverly crafted with cracking characters and a whole host of supporting cast members that add extra flavour and believability. Its quirky, it has some great drama and the author does a lot to give the reader some amazing twists and turns as the tale progresses. Add to this mix some decent prose and a wonderful pace that keeps you glued and all in this was a most satisfactory read.
If you’ve read Alex Scarrow’s Time Riders and looking for something in a similar vein then give this a go, definitely worth your time as well as giving you an experience to remember as our hero is thrown into the past with little more than his wits to save not only himself and friends but his parents. Glorious.
Release Date: 09/06/11
BOOK BLURB:
Back in Oregon, Kelsey tries to pick up the pieces of her life and push aside her feelings for Ren. But danger lurks around the corner, forcing her to return to India where she embarks on a second quest-this time with Ren's dark, bad-boy brother Kishan, who has also fallen prey to the Tiger's Curse. Fraught with danger, spellbinding dreams, and choices of the heart, TIGER'S QUEST brings the trio one step closer to breaking the spell that binds them.
REVIEW:
Second books can be harder to do than the original, after all you’ve got the initial idea down but now’s the time when you have to step up and prove that you’re not a one hit wonder. Too often this is sadly the case and when you find a series that not only has potential but wonderful delivery then it’s something that’s pretty critical.
Having loved the original release (Tiger’s Curse) I was a little worried about this, would it be as good, would the characters grow and perhaps more importantly had Colleen expended everything with the original. There’s only one way to find out and as such I did the only thing I could. Grabbing a copy I opened and began to read…
Whereas the first book was not only an introduction but a revelation in YA the second takes a separate step forward and introduces a new character so the lead list, that of Dirhen, the moody bad boy brother of Ren, the love interest in the original for Kelsey. Whilst the adventure was still as prevalent within, the characters emotions are the key to this release. Especially for fans of the Vampire Diaries as Ren and Dirhen feel that they take over the Salvatore brothers roles in wonderful descriptiveness. As before the writing is crisp, the characters delightful and when backed with a real humdinger of a story, it’s a title that I really couldn’t put down. I really can’t wait to see how things develop from here.
Release Date: 26/05/11
BOOK BLURB:
Would you risk it all to change your destiny? The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she'd be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that's exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.
REVIEW:
As a reader, for me a story has to take you somewhere, it’s not just about reaching the conclusion but about learning lessons along the way and that’s exactly what Collen Houck has done in this, the first book in the Tiger Saga.
Within the pages is a reasonably paced plot with outstanding characters who grow emotionally alongside the reader as they tale wends its merry way and whilst at the beginning you doubt Kelsey’s ability to handle the strange and unusual she steps up to the role that the fates have thrown her way. It’s handled wonderfully, the characters have real traits alongside desires and when backed up with cracking dialogue and the twist of shape shifters (feline as opposed to the usual canus) it really steps out on its own.
Finally add to this a love story interwoven within with a feeling that eastern myth has also woven its way into this tapestry of words and it was a more than satisfactory book. I’ll look forward to the second book.
Release Date: 05/05/11
BOOK BLURB:
Stuart Horten - ten years old and small for his age - moves to the dreary town of Beeton, far away from all his friends. And then he meets his new next-door neighbours, the unbearable Kingley triplets, and things get even worse.
But in Beeton begins the strangest adventure of Stuart’s life as he is swept up in quest to find his great-uncle’s lost workshop – a workshop stuffed with trickery and magic. There are clues to follow and puzzles to solve, but what starts as fun ends up as danger, and Stuart begins to realize that he can’t finish the task by himself . . .
The first children’s novel by Lissa Evans, this is a fast-moving blend of comedy and magic.
REVIEW:
REVIEW BLURB
Release Date: 28/04/11
BOOK BLURB:
IN THE ENCLAVE, YOUR SCARS SET YOU APART, and the newly born will change the future. In the future, in a world baked dry by the harsh sun, there are those who live inside the walled Enclave and those, like sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone, who live outside. Following in her mother's footsteps Gaia has become a midwife, delivering babies in the world outside the wall and handing a quota over to be "advanced" into the privileged society of the Enclave. Gaia has always believed this is her duty, until the night her mother and father are arrested by the very people they so loyally serve. Now Gaia is forced to question everything she has been taught, but her choice is simple: enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying. A stunning adventure brought to life by a memorable heroine, this dystopian debut will have readers racing all the way to the dramatic finish.
REVIEW:
To be honest with you I wasn’t quite sure on this title and whilst I love a bleak future title as much as the next person, I had trouble getting to grips with the lead character, first of all she didn’t trust anyone and whilst this is due to a childhood injury it does leave the reader wondering why we should trust “her” as our heroine especially when there aren’t any real hooks to get into her so that the reader can associate. Second of all the title was all about the usual type of futuristic society where the poor are downtrodden and manipulated to allow the rich to get more powerful.
Finally add to this a love interest that if you followed the rest of society wouldn’t have been within a mile of this downtrodden minion of the future and you can see how far-fetched this title is becoming. Whilst I didn’t really enjoy this book there was a lot of potential and I did like the authors writing style so that I will keep an eye out for future titles by her, alas if the outline doesn’t make more sense next time then I think I might bypass her titles in favour of another author.
Release Date: 07/04/11
BOOK BLURB:
A chilling, beautiful debut novel inspired by a haunting folk song about murder, witchcraft and revenge. Beware of Long Lankin, that lives in the moss ...When Cora and her little sister Mimi are sent to stay with their elderly aunt in the isolated village of Bryers Guerdon, they receive a less than warm welcome, and are desperate to go back to London. But Auntie Ida's life was devastated the last time two young girls were at Guerdon Hall, and now her nieces' arrival has reawoken an evil that has lain waiting for years. A haunting voice in an empty room ...A strange, scarred man lurking in the graveyard ...A mysterious warning, scrawled on the walls of the abandoned church ...Along with Roger and Peter, two young village boys, Cora must uncover the horrifying truth that has held Bryers Guerdon in its dark grip for centuries - before it is too late for Mimi. Intensely atmospheric and truly compelling, this is a stunning debut.
REVIEW:
If you like a horror story, with a supernatural twist and one that’s set in the fifties then you really have to get your hands on this debut title by Lindsey Barraclough. It’s well written, the characters are not only fascinating but also intriguing with hooks that will allow the reader to associate and with a tale told from multiple points of view it gives the reader the chance to know all of them pretty well in order to understand their motives and driving goals.
All in its pretty accomplished and a great start to a writing career that will be interesting to see how it develops. Back that up with an addictive writing style alongside a huge plot based around the traditional English Song Lamkin which is not only haunting but a wonderful touch to build upon. It’s definitely going to be interesting to see what Lindsey will create next and with this sort of debut, will be an author who moves directly up my TBR list every time a new title is released.
Release Date: 07/01/11
BOOK BLURB:
Twelve-year-old Mira comes from a chaotic, artistic and outspoken family where it's not always easy to be heard. As her beloved Nana Josie's health declines, Mira begins to discover the secrets of those around her, and also starts to keep some of her own. She is drawn to mysterious Jide, a boy who is clearly hiding a troubled past and has grown hardened layers - like those of an artichoke - around his heart. As Mira is experiencing grief for the first time, she is also discovering the wondrous and often mystical world around her. An incredibly insightful, honest novel exploring the delicate balance, and often injustice, of life and death - but at its heart is a celebration of friendship, culture - and life.
REVIEW:
A debut novel and one that delves into the mind of the youth of today in a whimsical tale of discovery. It’s definitely well written, the characters are vibrant and above all else the principle character is a real joy to hang out with. Add to this a story arc that will appeal to readers of all ages as well as allowing the reader to take a journey emotionally alongside experiencing all sorts of events and you have a book that will keep the readers imagination fired long after the final page it turned. All in, a delight to read and one that we’ve no problem recommending to others.
BOOK BLURB:
Ten years ago Kate Winters' parents were taken by the High Council's wardens to help with the country's war effort. Now the wardens are back...and prisoners, including Kate's uncle Artemis, are taken south on the terrifying Night Train. Kate and her friend Edgar are hunted by a far more dangerous enemy. Silas Dane -- the High Council's most feared man -- recognises Kate as one of the Skilled; a rare group of people able to see through the veil between the living and the dead. His spirit was damaged by the High Council's experiments into the veil, and he's convinced that Kate can undo the damage and allow him to find peace. The knowledge Kate needs lies within Wintercraft -- a book thought to be hidden deep beneath the graveyard city of Fume. But the Night of Souls, when the veil between life and death is at its thinnest, is just days away and the High Council have their own sinister plans for Kate and Wintercraft.
REVIEW:
As a huge fan of fantasy I love to keep an eye on what’s happening not only in the adult genre but also the young adult. After all the material that they’re given now will help to shape the genre in the future so when this offering landed I was pretty psyched as the book really did pitch itself well.
The writing from this debut author is definitely crisp and kicks off at a pretty reasonable rate but also demonstrates that the author has a good idea about pace with the lulls leading into high octane action. The characters feel realistic and backed up with dialogue that the reader really wants to read so that they can make sense of the world around them. Definitely a tale to savour and one that will burst onto the scene that will make a name for this debut author. A great offering and one that will allow you to get in on the bottom rung prior to the hype.
Release Date: 19/07/12
BOOK BLURB:
The kingdom of Goredd is populated by humans and by dragons who fold themselves into a human form. Though they live alongside each other, the peace between them is uneasy. But when a member of the royal family is murdered, and the crime appears to have been committed by a dragon the peace and treaty between both worlds is seriously threatened ...Into this comes Seraphina, a gifted musician who joins the royal court as the assistant to the court composer. She is soon drawn into the murder investigation and, as she uncovers hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace in Goredd for good, finds herself caught desperately in the middle of the tension. For Seraphina hides a secret - the secret behind her musical gift - and if she is found out, her life is in serious danger...
REVIEW:
A new title by a new author in a fantasy world setting that will amaze, delight and bring to the fore a new character who will not only endear herself to the reader but develop her skills and personality as events unfurl. It has great prose, the world is wonderfully designed and when you add a writing style that gently brings the reader in alongside allowing them to get to know the lead character then you’ll be in no doubt about the time and care that has been lavished upon the pages.
Add to this a plot that is almost too big for one book to contain, solid pace and a whole host of supporting cast which will leave the reader in no doubt that this author is not only here to stay but has the imagination alongside ability to keep the reader glued for future releases.
