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Berren has lived in the city all his life. He has made his way as a thief, paying a little of what he earns to the Fagin like master of their band. But there is a twist to this tale of a thief. One day Berren goes to watch an execution of three thieves. He watches as the thief-taker takes his reward and decides to try and steal the prize. He fails. The young thief is taken. But the thief-taker spots something in Berren. And the boy reminds him of someone as well. Berren becomes his apprentice. And is introduced to a world of shadows, deceit and corruption behind the streets he thought he knew. Full of richly observed life in a teeming fantasy city, a hectic progression of fights, flights and fancies and charting the fall of a boy into the dark world of political plotting and murder this marks the beginning of a new fantasy series for all lovers of fantasy - from fans of Kristin Cashore to Brent Weeks.
REVIEW:
Stephen breaks into the Young Adult Fantasy Market with this offering and to be honest its an offering that will soon win him some younger fans. The writing style is beautiful, the prose ideal and to be brutally honest one that really will help the reader imagine the city in which the tale is set.
Add to the mix great combat, some magical twists and an author who plays for keeps which makes this title a book that really was a real joy to read. Fans of Stephens adult titles will definitely want to recommend this title to younger family members and will enjoy this title just as much themselves. A great kick off to the Gollancz Young Adult publishing business and if the quality is kept will soon make them a serious name for Young Adult quality fiction.
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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.
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Listen then, and I'll tell you again of the Battle of the Rock. But none of your usual wriggling, or I'll stop before I've begun ...Halli loves the old stories from when the valley was a wild and dangerous place - when the twelve legendary heroes stood together to defeat the ancient enemy, the bloodthirsty Trows. Halli longs for adventure but these days the most dangerous thing in the valley is boredom. He tries to liven things up by playing practical jokes. But when one of his jokes goes too far, he reawakens an old blood feud and finds himself on a hero's quest after all. Along the way he meets a ruthless thief, a murderous rival, and a girl who may just be as fearless as he is ...Jonathan Stroud has created an epic saga with a funny, unique spin, and an unforgettable anti-hero.
REVIEW:
Stroud is a masterful storyteller and as such gets the reader to consider the interpretation of myths and legends and their formation from within the bards mythos within this new offering. Beautifully written with an almost cinematic descriptiveness, backed up with some fair dialogue made this tale move along, however its his character development and personalities that made this offering stand out more than anything else as I personally loved the stubbornness of Aud who really made this book for me. Great characterisation, great descriptiveness but perhaps most of all a fun tale that will endear itselves to readers so much so they’ll be clamouring for more tales by the fireside.
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Anselm Andros has always thought he had a normal life - confidante to his mother, Maria, confessor to his stepfather, Leo, a man haunted by the secrets of his past, and support to his sister Jasmine. But when the political landscape of Malonia starts to shift, this unassuming family begin to unravel. Even though they have spent the past fifteen years leading a quiet life, Maria and Leo's actions are forever linked to the turbulent history of Malonia and its parallel world, modern-day England. The voices from the past still echo in the present and Anselm must pull all the pieces together - whatever the cost.
REVIEW:
After numerous problems with the first offering by Catherine, I was left wondering whether I should actually pick this title up and give it a go. On a day when I felt that I had nothing better to do, I prepared myself for a substandard offering and opened the first page.
What unfurls is a marked improvement on the first tale that shows that the author has not only listened to a lot of the criticism that was left and improved upon her weaker area’s. Add to this, better world building, greater prose and a greater handle on the characters making this a slightly better than average offering.
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