The Magic of Christmas Review

The Magic of Christmas

Trisha Ashley

Publisher: Avon Books

In the pretty Lancashire village of Middlemoss, Lizzy is on the verge of leaving her cheating husband, Tom, when tragedy strikes. Luckily she has welcome distraction in the Christmas Pudding Circle, a group of friends swapping seasonal recipes – as well as a rivalry with local cookery writer Nick over who will win Best Mince Pie at the village show…
Meanwhile, the whole village is gearing up for the annual Boxing Day Mystery Play. But who will play Adam to Lizzy’s Eve? Could it be the handsome and charismatic soap actor Ritch, or could someone closer to home win her heart? Whatever happens, it promises to be a Christmas to remember!

The book follows August to December in the village of Middlemoss where Lizzy is trapped in a loveless marriage with an emotionally abusive man, merely waiting for her son to go to university until she can escape. But when a tragedy occurs, she is given a second chance – the question is will she take it?

The village where Lizzy leaves is a typical chick-lit/Richard Curtis – an old fashioned village, still holding onto traditions in modern times and populated with eccentric characters that are basically kind-hearted but a little out-there. In fact if the cover and the brief description hasn’t warned you already, this could be an incredibly cloying and perfect. Lizzy is one of these perfect women – self-sufficient through growing fruit and vegetables and raising hens and quails. She bakes more or less continuously and is actively involved in the local community – helping with the Boxing Day Mystery play and preparing the hampers for the WI’s Christmas parcels. And off course her teen-aged beau is still sending her postcards with recipes on despite the fact they are both married to other people.

Lizzy is not very pro-active – the book follows her life for five months but she spends most of her time baking or dog-walking and never really makes any decisions to change or be pro-active. As such I found her rather lacking as heroine and wasn’t that fussed if she got her happy ending or not. I find the joy of chick-lit books is the journey on the way and apart from some wonderful descriptions of food (honestly I was starving after every chapter!), I didn't have much need to find out what happens next. The one major twist was signposted very early and so not a surprise to me. That said it was well written and would pass a few enjoyable hours if you miss the ‘traditional’ idea of an English country village!

Recommended for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Carole Matthews. 6 out of 10

The Resistance Review

The Resistance (The Declaration #2)

Gemma Malley

Publisher: UK – Bloomsbury

The year is 2140. Having escaped the horrors of Grange Hall, Peter and Anna are living freely on the Outside, trying hard to lead normal lives, but unable to leave the terror of the Declaration—and their experiences as surpluses—completely behind them. Peter is determined to infiltrate Pharma Corporation, which claims to have a new drug in the works; "Longevity+" will not just stop the ravages of old age, it is rumored to reverse the aging process. But what Peter and Anna discover behind the walls of Pharma is so nightmarish it makes the prison of their childhood seem like a sanctuary...

After flying through The Declaration a couple of week ago (read review here) and loving it, I know I wasn’t going to wait a long time before I picked up the sequel. Having escaped Grange House and now Legal, Anna and Peter attempt to figure out how the outside world works and discover that you can’t always have the world in black and white.

The Declaration was mostly told from Anna’s point of view, while The Resistance has moved to Peters view. Growing up in secret among the resistance Peter is a fairly angry young man who is determined to end The Declaration and allow people to have children and die again. However, he has been asked to undercover at his Grandfather’s firm in order to find out more about the Longevity drug and not everything is as it seems…

Anna was a very naïve lead previously – understandably considering her upbringing in Grange Hall and she still takes most people on face value – it never occurs to her that people may not always be sincere. However, Peter is very much a different character – full of action and vigour. He wants to change things today. It makes him a harder character to feel for, but you know his heart is in the right place. The Resistance is a much more complex story with the story expanded from the treatment of the Surpluses to the political and society changes that living forever makes in peoples thinking and politics. Peter’s Grandfather is quite a Machiavellian character and you never quite know the why behind his actions, while Pip the leader of the resistance is almost too good. Although I suspect a dark secret in his past…

There are some elements which seem a little too simple – how quickly Peter and Anna believe what they are told; they rarely seem to question anything for themselves – or figure it out. But they are a sweet couple and you do root for them throughout. The writing sucks you in and the pages seem to turn themselves. It is a fast moving story and once again I rarely stopped once I started reading, desperate to know how it ended and if Anna and Peter would be ok. The Legacy, the latest book in the trilogy is staring at me at the moment and I know I will pick it up soon!

Recommended for fans of Veronica Rossi and Suzanne Collins. 8 out of 10

Whispers Under Ground (Peter Grant #3) Review

Whispers Under Ground (Peter Grant #3)

Ben Aaronovitch

Publisher: Gollancz

'Come Monday I get to do some proper policing. Person Unknown has been stabbed to death on the tracks at Baker Street tube. Magic may have been involved.'
Person Unknown turns out to be the son of a US senator and before you can say 'International incident', FBI agent Kimberley Reynolds is on DC Grant's case.
And down in the dark, in the tunnels of London's Underground, the buried rivers, the Victorian sewers, there are whispers of vengeance from beyond the grave.
DC Grant's latest case is about to come off the rails...

This is the third adventure following police constable and apprentice-wizard Peter Grant as he investigates a murder at Baker Street tube station. Peter Grant is as ordinary as you can be, considering he is able to wield magic. He isn’t that good at policing though, but his friend and fellow apprentice Leslie is good at the real police work. Together they have a great chemistry and rapport which really anchors this story. The change in their relationship after the events of the first two books simmers away in the background of the investigation and adds a wonderful flavour to the mixing pot.

The course of the investigation throws Peter and Leslie into London’s art world, underground scene and international politics when an FBI agent keeps following Peter around. There has obviously been a lot research done on parts of London and the underground that mixes an air of authenticity to the story and keeps you wondering how much of this could be true. There is a large element of hidden London – both the magically hidden and below the surface which explores one of the most complicated cities in the world. However, this is all background material on a fast paced story which has numerous twists and turns that will have you scratching your head to keep up – with the magic used just occasionally to season the story without overpowering it.

The story is set in the lead up to Christmas so felt very timely to be reading it now! There is plenty of sarcasm between characters as they banter which reminds me so much of normal conversations in the UK and adds melting of comedy. This was a perhaps the least personal investigation for Peter so far and as such it lacks a little sparkle that the first two books had. However, it still puts the story, the writing and the characters miles above most books! This is a great Urban Fantasy adventure for those who like plot and characters in a well thought out world with so much potential for further adventures. Great fun!

Recommended for fans of Jim Butcher and James R Tuck. 8 out of 10

The Girl You Left Behind Review

The Girl You Left Behind

Jojo Moyes

Publisher: Penguin

In 1916 French artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his wife Sophie to fight at the Front. When her town falls into German hands, his portrait of Sophie stirs the heart of the local Kommandant and causes her to risk everything - her family, reputation and life - in the hope of seeing her true love one last time. Nearly a century later and Sophie's portrait is given to Liv by her young husband shortly before his sudden death. Its beauty speaks of their short life together, but when the painting's dark and passion-torn history is revealed, Liv discovers that the first spark of love she has felt since she lost him is threatened...

I started reading this as a complete change from my usual paranormal, fantasy and YA reads – I wanted something to clear my head out and to stop seeing vampires in every dark corner. What I found was a fantastic insight into an overlooked era of history, a beautiful romance, and a morally grey court-case over stolen art which has become one of my favourite reads of the year.

My favourite part of the book is definitely the time spent in 1916.  Sophie and her sister are struggling to keep their family hotel and bar running behind the German lines in occupied France. Most books I’ve read set in that time period tend to focus on the atrocities taking place on the front, but seeing how life was like behind enemy lines for everyday French people is fascinating with the townsfolk treading a fine line under occupation and struggling to feed themselves something that is usually associated with the second world war. Sophie is strong woman of her time – having returned to her home town when her husband went off to war to help her sister and younger brother. She has to walk a fine line when the local Kommandant takes an interest in her. Sophie’s story is told in the first person which really lets you get under the skin of the character and the times and when the story jumps forward a hundred years after following Sophie for over 150 pages it does take some getting used to the third person narrative again.

The contemporary part of the novel is less dramatic and more soap-opera with Liv still struggling to get over the loss of her husband after four years, but the guy she meets in a bar happens to work as a specialist art-retrieval and his latest commission is a picture of Sophie sitting in Liv’s flat. However, Paul’s attempts to bring Liv out of her self imposed exiled are very sweet and I liked the way Liv seems to come life over the course of the book. The contrast between Liv coming to life and Sophie clinging onto life was a pleasing juxtaposition to the story. Towards the end the story moves between the two much quicker as Sophie’s completion has a direct impact on Livs.

I was completely enthralled from the beginning and just adored the historical story. Perhaps it was just the change in pace from my usual reads but the writing was engaging and the characters felt like friends by the end. A thoroughly entertaining read with a great mix of romance, mystery and history.

Recommended for fans of Sebastian Faulkes and Audrey Niffenegger 9 out of 10

The Declaration Review

The Declaration (The Declaration #1)

Gemma Malley

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Review Copy sent courtesy of Bloomsbury & does not impact my review

Anna Covey is a ‘Surplus’. She should not have been born. In a society in which ageing is no longer feared, and death is no longer an inevitability, children are an abomination. Like all Surpluses, Anna is living in a Surplus Hall and learning how to make amends for the selfish act her parents committed in having her. She is quietly accepting of her fate until, one day, a new inmate arrives. Anna’s life is thrown into chaos. But is she brave enough to believe this mysterious boy?

Dystopian fiction for teens is the genre du jour at the moment and as such The Declaration has a lot of competition. However, the main premise here feels much scarier than a Capital imposing games on districts children’s or regulating the air you breathe. Scientists discover a drug which allows people to live forever and never having to worry about disease or old age. Unfortunately that means the planets resources are taxed to the extreme so everyone decides not to have children so as not to waste any resources on the young. Any children born are deemed Surplus with some countries deciding to put them down while others like the UK bring them up in Surplus camps training to be staff for the Legals, telling them to hate their parents for their selfish choice. The whole society hates young people and is scared by them – now if that doesn’t send a shiver down your spine, I don’t know what will.

Anna is a surplus on course to become a Valuable Asset when a new Surplus Peter comes to Grange Hall and starts to challenge all her assumptions. Anna is not a natural rebel – she believes in the rules and follows them, but still dreams of the Outside and seeing the sky and desert. However, as she starts to question what she has always been told and begins to think for herself you start to warm to her. Even if she never takes control of her own destiny completely, I wanted her to succeed and rooted for her.

It was great to have dystopian set in the UK and a scarily recognisable UK. The writing was smooth and easy to get lost in. I loved the different points of view and the insights into the adults in the story which make it seem horribly realistic how people came to support The Declaration. The first half of the book is set up, but it’s in the second half that it really comes to life with tense events and excitement. I flew through the pages in a day or so and I’m happy I have the rest of the trilogy to read soon! This was a unique dystopian which I found exciting and fun to read – one of the better dystopian’s I’ve read this year.

Recommended for fans of Veronica Roth and Sarah Alderson. 8 out of 10

Hunting Lila Review

Hunting Lila

Sarah Alderson

Publisher: Simon Pulse

17-year-old Lila has two secrets she’s prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she’s been in love with her brother’s best friend, Alex, since forever. After a mugging exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust—her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they’ve found them. In a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone—there are others out there just like her—people with special powers—and her mother’s killer is one of them...

Lila has the ability to move things with her mind. After a mugging in South London, she borrows her Dad’s credit card and runs to California to see her brother, Josh and his best friend Alex who she has hardly seen much since their Mum died five years ago. There Lila is intrigued by her brother’s job and secrecy surrounding it, but her main concern is when realises she is still in love with Alex, her brother’s best friend.

I was really looking forward to reading this book – so many bloggers adore the series and have been really excited over the release of the second book in the series. I think I had very high expectations, but in the end I didn’t really enjoy this book. The writing is good – it’s clear, fast-paced and easy to fall into – Sarah Alderson has written a book I think most teens would adore. Alex, the love the interest is thoughtful, kind, smouldering and a great character. I also enjoyed the overall plot and brisk pace – there is no padding at all, just story. So I like the writing, the pace, the ploy and the romantic hero… with all that to love, why didn't I enjoy this book…? One word answer – Lila. I couldn't stand her. This is a problem when the book is told in first person from her point of view! She seemed very brattish to me – and completely ‘in love’ with Alex despite hardly seeing since she was 12! There was no rediscovering of her feeling for Alex – she had always been in love with him. Now I admit I am a complete cynic when it comes to romance – I need my characters to connect and be realistic with each other – and their feelings. From my point of view there is no way a girl can be ‘in love’ with a guy at age twelve. Girlhood crush – yes, and it will even leave you with a soft spot when you’re older but love – nah.

On top of this there is the age gap between them – Alex is 21 while Lila is just 17. A lot of times this would be a problem but Lila acts a lot younger. She becomes irrationally jealous of any woman Alex talks too or mentions and has a tendency to run off in tears. Lila will also believe anything she is told – a strange guy in the girls loos tells you your brother is looking for people with powers like you to capture them and you believe him straight away…? And then to go home in tears…? Come on! I want someone who asks questions and demand proof! Sorry if this sounds a little ranty but Lila really annoyed me! I want a heroine who will stand up for herself and not just accept what she is told. I want her to take action rather than run away all the time. I think what annoyed me was that there was so much to love about the story and other characters, but Lila herself was just a wimp with a cool power.

Sadly I do feel like I want to know what happened to Alex and Josh next so I hope Lila has grown up a little by the time I read the next book – or that I have calmed down a bit!

Recommended for fans of Lauren Oliver and Katie McGarry. 7 out of 10 for the plot & writing…3 out of 10 for Lila! (The 3 is for her cool powers and that Alex obviously sees something in her!)

Snuff Review

Snuff

- Terry Prachett

Publisher: Corgi

According to the writer of the best-selling crime novel ever to have been published in the city of Ankh-Morpork, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a policeman taking a holiday would barely have had time to open his suitcase before he finds his first corpse. And Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is on holiday in the pleasant and innocent countryside, but not for him a mere body in the wardrobe. There are many, many bodies and an ancient crime more terrible than murder. 
He is out of his jurisdiction, out of his depth, out of bacon sandwiches, and occasionally snookered and out of his mind, but never out of guile. Where there is a crime there must be a finding, there must be a chase and there must be a punishment. 
They say that in the end all sins are forgiven. But not quite all.

Another visit to the Discworld with Terry Prachett! This another Sam Vimes story but this time he and his family have left Anhk-Morpork behind to have a holiday in the country. The first half of this book is Discworld’s version of Midsomer Murders. Sam Vimes wanders about the country, where someone is always watching you, talking to people and becomes sure that something isn’t right about the country...especially with Goblins in the area...  

After so many books set in the colourful and fragrant Anhk-Morpork, it’s a refreshing change to see the countryside surrounding the premier city of Discworld. Terry Prachett manages to subvert a dozen English countryside stereotypes every two pages – whether it’s the local barflys at the pub, to the upstairs-downstairs relationships in the big house they is some amusing and clever take on traditions. Personally, I loved the idea of the spinning maids – it had me smiling all through the latest episode of Downtown Abbey! J

The second half of the story is more action packed with river chases and close escapes –more Twenty-Four less Midsomer Murders. There is even some deep philosophical ponderings about the nature of evil – and if you understand how evil minds work, does that make you evil...? It’s quite deep, but subtly done and adds to Sam Vimes character after so many books. The other element that adds to Sam Vimes personality is how much he loves his son, young Sam. Young Sam is a joy and delight to read about, with his obsession with poo and complete disregard for knowing what he should be afraid off.

This is another entertaining visit to the Discworld showing that Terry hasn’t lost his knack for making the ordinary sublime and ridiculous normal. Good, clean(ish) fun.

Recommended for fans of Tom Holt and Jasper Fforde. 8 out of 10

The Song of the Quarkbeast Review

The Song of the Quarkbeast (Last Dragonslayer #2)

- Jasper Fforde

Publisher: Hodder

As the background Wizidrical Power slowly builds after the Big Magic, King Snodd IV of Hereford realises the man who controls Magic controls almost anything. But one person stands between him and his plans for power and riches: Jennifer Strange, sixteen-year-old acting manager of Kazam. It may involve a trip on a magic carpet at the speed of sound to the Troll Wall, it may involve a second Quarkbeast sniffing around town. It might also involve the mysterious Transient Moose, and a powerless sorceress named Once Magnificent Boo. But one thing is certain: Jennifer Strange and her faithful assistant Tiger Prawns will not relinquish the noble powers of magic to big business and commerce without a fight.

This is the second visit to the weird and wonderful world of Jennifer Strange, foundling and acting manager of Kazam, a magic agency which delivers pizza via flying carpet and finds lost objects through spells. Once again Jennifer has a lot on her plate – King Snodd of Hereford wants a competition between Kazam and their magical rivals iMagic to see who will Court Magician. The twin of Jennifer’s Quarkbeast is being hunted around town and the future of magic could be at stake. So like any other day really.

I love that so much of the joy of this series is from acting sensibly in a ridiculous world. Jennifer and her fellow foundling ‘Tiger’ Prawns are the only sensible people who behave in a way we would find normal – and this makes them geniuses – or close to it. There is a lot of fun from the silly situations such as the mysterious X’s outing to the zoo to the transient Moose’s appearances around the hotel. The plot is simpler than The Last Dragonslayer, but fast paced and never less than interesting.

Jasper Fforde has one of the most fascinating comic writers – he seems to be able to take some as simple as building a bridge and base so much plot and intriguing plot elements on it to make it the most interesting story. Some elements are laugh out loud funny, while others are wry smiles, but either way you are left entertained and wanting more amusing adventures!

Recommended for fans for of Robert Rankin and Amanda Ashby. 8 out of 10

A Monster Calls Review

A Monster Calls

- Patrick Ness

Illustrated by Jim Kay

Based on an Idea by Siobhan Dowd

Publisher: Walker Books

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...
This monster, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.

Conor is a teenager who’s mother is sick. Very sick. One night when a monster comes to visit it’s not the monster he is expecting. The monster tells him three stories...stories where the truth is not what is first appears...

First I have to say the illustrations in this book are beautiful – dark, atmospheric and reflective of Connor’s mind at this time. I could look at them for hours. Jim Kay has done a beautiful job. Second Patrick Ness has a wonderful hand of writing stories where there is no black and white – nothing is simple. He makes you think. Connor is going through a tough time – the toughest time of his life. His mother is his only family – his father is living in America with his new wife and child. All the teachers and his old friends at school behave differently towards him now. Connor is as isolated as can be and no-one can reach him – apart from the monster.

I cried while reading this – this is a full box of tissue books. Connor is struggling to come to terms with what is happening and how his life has changed. I think everyone should read it. I will admit to being biased as my mum has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer for the last 18 months. It’s buying her time and some of the emotions that Connor has are very familiar and relatable – luckily I’ve had a better support from my friends and family than Connor has.

A Monster Calls invokes a range of emotions from despair, guilt, sadness, anger and sympathy. This book will surprise and enthral you – and is one of the most powerful books I’ve ever read. It will not be the happiest book you read this year but it will be one of the best and one of the most important. Highly recommended.

Recommended for fans of John Boyne and Michale Morpurgo. 10 out of 10.   

The Woman In Black Review

The Woman in Black

- Susan Hill

Publisher: Vintage

Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor in London, is summoned to Crythin Gifford to attend the funeral of Mrs Alice Drablow, and to sort through her papers before returning to London. It is here that Kipps first sees the woman in black and begins to gain an impression of the mystery surrounding her... From the funeral he travels to Eel Marsh House and hears the terrifying sounds on the marsh...

Arthur Kipps heads to a distant township on the edge of the marsh to see to the paperwork of the recently deceased Mrs Alice Drablow. The people he meets on the way behave oddly when they discover what he is there for and there is a certain atmosphere at the house which makes him uncomfortable – especially when he starts to discover the history of the place...

For some reason I had imagined that The Woman in Black is an older story than it is. It was first published in the early 1980s but with a long running stage show in London’s West End and the recent Daniel Radcliffe film it has a certain timeless quality to it. The book is much closer to the stage show than the recent film with the creeping horror built through atmosphere and description and is much stronger for it. There is no blood, little violence but the eeriness is palpable and the growing fear as you realise with Mr Kipps what is waiting for him at Eel Marsh House.

Again I am impressed at how much story and description can be squeezed into so few pages (authors take note – some stories don’t need a thousand pages!). The description is creepy and gothic, painting a bleak house on the edge of civilisation, only accessible at certain times and feels very much like the edge of the world as we know it. The true horror slowly builds up and while you might be tempted to say that the start is slow, it is merely laying the foundation for what follows. Like most ghost stories some of the horror stays after the events making you think continually on what happened – and what didn’t.

This is very much a traditional ghost story – like the sort you used to tell around the campfire at Halloween and a welcome change from many modern horror stories. This is a personal tale – no world ending fears, but as a result plays on your mind for longer. The pictures Susan Hill has painted will flicker into your mind at random times – like squelching through puddles on the way to work will give you a sudden flash to the path to Eel Marsh House through the tidelands – or it did me at least! Creepy and timeless – I think all horror fans should read this tale!

Recommended for fans of Dean Koontz and Wilkie Collins. 8.5 out of 10.

The Curious Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Review

The Curious Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

-       Robert Louis Stevenson

Kindle Book

Dr. Jekyll has been experimenting with identity. He has developed a drug which separates the two sides of his nature, allowing him to abandon himself to his most corrupt inclinations as the monstrous Mr. Hyde. But gradually the journey back to goodness becomes more and more difficult, and the risk that Mr. Hyde will break free from Dr. Jekyll’s control puts all of London in grave peril

As regular readers of my blog will be aware I’m not much for the classics – I’ve never read Jane Eyre and despite some constant encouragement of a certain BookGirl of Mur-y-Castell I have never even picked up Pride and Prejudice. But a quick glance at my stats as my most popular posts happen to be the few classics I have read – the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and A Christmas Carol. So I thought I would try to mix up my reading with some of the science fiction and adventure classics occasionally. So for Halloween I decided to read Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde...

Once again I am struck by how the story you think you know is NOT the story that was first written. Told through the point of view of My Utterson, Jekyll’s long time friend and lawyer we first meet Mr Hyde via some gossip. He is described as small and young but with some sort of peculiar loathing that he seems to inspire to make everyone feel. Mr Utterson is worried about how this vile creature seems to have attached itself to his good friend Dr Jekyll. It is some time before we meet Dr Jekyll who is described as an amiable, elderly gentleman who does many good deeds for the community. I have to confess the idea of My Hyde as a slight, young man surprised me – I always had that picture in my head of a big, hunched monster which is how he is usually seen in films and TV shows!

The story actually takes places over a couple of years and is very much influenced by Victorian manners and society at that time for doctors and lawyers. Mr Utterson is very worried about his friends reputation and if he is being blackmailed or not. There is a great insight into how men of a certain age and level of society behave towards each other – indeed the only women in the whole plot are a maid (who cries and faints) and a selfish, corrupt housekeeper – each of whom only have once scene each. An insight into women at that time or more an insight into Robert Louis Stevenson’s attitudes towards women? I’ll leave that to the English Literature graduates to discuss, but this is very much a man’s story about man’s urges.

Dr Jekyll himself admits he is still himself as Mr Hyde but without conscience – free to indulge his base instincts. Unless I missed it (always possible!), these base instincts are not revealed explicitly and apart from a short temper and tendency towards violence, it is left to your own imagination to think what these base instincts are. I found that particularly interesting as each person would probably be thinking of their own deepest and reviled thoughts at that point. This makes you part of the story and more involved in MR Hyde's activities. 

This is a classic for a reason as the reader is drawn into the story – and even knowing the ‘twist’ can read it on many levels. I imagine the surprise ending would have been as revolutionary in its day as The Sixth Sense was when it first came out! It’s not a long book and perhaps a little wordy for modern sensibilities but this is a fascinating insight into the ‘true’ story behind the myth we all know. It's not a long story - but there is a reason it has stayed with us for the last hundred years!

Recommended for fans of Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley. 8 out of 10

Fated Review

Fated (Alex Verus #1)

-          Benedict Jacka

Publisher: Orbit

Alex Verus is part of a world hidden in plain sight, running a magic shop in London. And while Alex's own powers aren't as showy as some mages, he does have the advantage of foreseeing the possible future--allowing him to pull off operations that have a million-to-one-chance of success. But when Alex is approached by multiple factions to crack open a relic from a long-ago mage war, he knows that whatever's inside must be beyond powerful. And thanks to his abilities, Alex can predict that by taking the job, his odds of survival are about to go from slim to none

A new urban fantasy set in London that is similar to the Dresden Files? How was I going to resist that? I am unashamedly biased towards my home town and any stories set there give me a little shiver of pleasure and pride – especially when the details are done right.

Upon meeting Alex Verus for the first time, we find a relatively isolated mage living in Camden who happens to be able to divine multiply future probabilities and learn from them. After some trouble in his past, he keeps mostly to himself and tries not to get involved in the magical community too much. That is until several parties want to use his gifts in order to retrieve a rare item and his almost-apprentice brings him a special type of magical object…suddenly Alex is a very popular man and it might just get him killed.

This is the first in a new series and there is a lot of world building as Alex introduces us to his world. The beginning of the book especially has a lot of ‘to a mages eyes the world looks different’ phrases that can throw you out of the story as you are being told rather than shown the differences. However, this soon settles down and we really get to see the world. Alex’s gift for divining the future is a little erratic – it only works when he concentrates on it so he can be surprised – and would make for a dull book otherwise! While I liked Alex I never really felt like I got to know him particularly well. Some of the smaller characters really stood out – I loved Luna and her curse makes live very interesting while Archane makes me almost like spiders again. In later books I would love for Alex to let his guard down a bit more and relax so we can get to know him better.

The story is pretty quick with plenty of different scenes and some really interesting concepts – the dream walking and labyrinth in the relic are wonderfully described – I almost felt like I watching a film at time. They had very cinematic aspects to them and I can’t help thinking Alex Verus would make a wonderful movie hero – similar to Nicholas Cage in National Treasure! Overall, this is a decent to a new series – and like some of my favourite series has a lot of potential. Both the Dresden Files and Kate Daniels books weren’t strong starts to the series but rough cuts to what have become must-buy books. I think this has the same sort of potential and I will be looking forward to the next book in the series, Cursed which is currently sitting on my TBR pile…

Recommended for fans of the Dresden Files and Ilona Andrews. 7 out of 10

The Eagle of the Twelfth Review

Rome: The Eagle of the Twelfth

-       M.C. Scott

Publisher: Bantam

Demalion of Macedon never wanted to be a legionary. An unwilling recruit, he is appalled to be posted to the infamous XIIth legion, notorious for its ill luck. Promoted slowly through the ranks, he does his best to please his superiors, and in doing so, finds that he has come to love his legion, that he will willingly give up his life -- and his chance of death -- to protect its sacred heart: the Eagle.

Rome managed to conqueror and hold vast amounts of land in its hay day with its military might based in its legions. This story tells the tale of a reluctant solder – at least at first - and how he grows into his role of warrior through form friendships with his comrades. I have to confess I’m not usually a fan of war stories and this book is a war story albeit set in Roman times. Focusing on the eastern edge of the empire, where the Roman Empire meets the empire of the King of Kings, this tells the tale of one of Romans campaigns to hold Jerusalem and surrounded environs from local horse lords and rebel Hebrews.

This give a real inside view of what life is like in a legion – complete with floggings, intense close relationships between soldiers and war games. The description of the surroundings and the every life of the legion is well portrayed and multi-coloured. At times you could taste the sweat of the soldiers and smell the copper of blood. However, I never really felt an emotional connection to the main character. As a result I read the whole story as if from a birds-eye view. I watched all that was happening but never really felt part of it. I suspect that’s mostly my fault as I don’t usually read a lot of war stories. But I couldn’t stop watching nonetheless.

From the description I thought this was going to be an undercover mission to rescue the eagle of the Twelve, but it’s more a story of the Twelve and the hardships they faced over ten years. A detailed and involving story which will thrill and delight those who love historical stories and Roman period especially, but for some reason fell a little short for me personally.  

Recommended for fans of Conn Iggulden and Douglas Jackson. 7 out of 10

Early Review: The City's Son

The City’s Son (The Skyscraper Throne #1)

-       Tom Pollock

Publisher: Flux Books (To be Published 8^th September 2012)

E-Arc read courtesy of  Flux Books and Netgalley

Expelled from school, betrayed by her best friend and virtually ignored by her dad, who’s never recovered from the death of her mum, Beth Bradley retreats to the sanctuary of the streets, looking for a new home. What she finds is Filius Viae, the ragged and cocky crown prince of London, who opens her eyes to the place she’s never truly seen. But the hidden London is on the brink of destruction. Reach, the King of the Cranes, is a malign god of demolition, and he wants Filius dead. In the absence of the Lady of the Streets, Filius’ goddess mother, Beth rouses Filius to raise an alleyway army, to reclaim London’s skyscraper throne for the mother he’s never known. Beth has almost forgotten her old life – until her best friend and her father come searching for her, and she must choose between the streets and the life she left behind...

Beth hasn’t had an easy life – her Mum died and her father has never got over it. Her only escape is with her best friend Pen and the graffiti art they do together around the city. That is until she meets Fil – a boy who’s mother was the Goddess of the city of London, a boy who’s skin is pavement grey and can absorb nutrition directly from the streets. Suddenly, she involves herself in a war raging across London...

Tom Pollock has managed to capture the essence of modern London, distil it and use it to turn everyday ordinary objects into something fascinating and bizarre. After finishing The City’s Son, there’s no way I will every look at cranes, statues or even broken down trains in the same light again. This has imagination and inventiveness stuffed into every sentence as the real world has been twisted through 180 degrees to look the same but completely new. I adore stories that take the familiar and make it extraordinary. The writing might be a little dense for young teens but for adult and older teens this will open up new worlds.

Beth and Fil are both interesting characters although the immediate connection between them was a bit of a jump to accept. However, Beth’s friend, Pen is immediately relatable - trapped between worlds and expectations she struggles to know what to do. I would love to get to know more about her!

As well as exploring this new London beneath the familiar there are some intense battle scenes – the fight at Chelsea Bridge is crying out for the big screen. This is the first book of a trilogy but does a great job of wrapping up the main story plots – even managing to reveal something unexpected at the end that may make the next instalment a completely different story. Intense, imaginative and bags of fun – what more can you ask for?!

Recommended for fans of Kate Griffin and Neil Gaiman. 9 out of 10

Falling Fast Review

Falling Fast

-       Sophie McKenzie

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Childrens

When River auditions for a part in an interschool performance of Romeo and Juliet, she finds herself smitten by Flynn, the boy playing Romeo. But Flynn comes from a damaged family—is he even capable of giving River what she wants? The path of true love never did run smooth . . .

This is a story about first love and young love. River longs to fall in love – that all consuming  can’t live without them love. And when her all girls school agrees to work with alocal boys school for a production of Romeo and Juliet, River meets Flynn. Flynn is intense, interesting and completely different from anyone River has ever met before. But River solely realises that love isn’t as simple as she thought it was...

This is the first Sophie McKenzie book I ever read and it was well written – River, her friends and family all felt real. River’s emotions at seventeen are spot on and her struggle to find something that was missing from her life familiar. Sophie McKenzie managed to perfectly capture the mindset of the ordinary teenage girl growing up. The emotions of falling in love for the first time are well described. However, there is a big reason why I didn’t like this book as much as I could have: Flynn. The boy River falls for is from the wrong side of the tracks as it were and he is angry. He is moody and critical of others – jumping to conclusions quickly and doesn’t really listen to River. In fact, I really thought he was too tough and too angry to be the hero. I struggled to see a heart of gold underneath the short temper and obsession with money. In fact his principals are non-existent and his respect for River and others minimal. I really didn’t like him!

In short this is a well written, interesting story about first love and possibly first mistakes. It’s quick and easy to read with real heart – but I just wanted to tell River to open her eyes a little more!

Recommended for fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Alderson 6.5 out of 10

Before I Go To Sleep Review

Before I Go To Sleep

-       S.J. Watson

Publisher: Black Swan

Christine wakes up every morning in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar man. She looks in the mirror and sees an unfamiliar, middle- aged face. And every morning, the man she has woken up with must explain that he is Ben, he is her husband, she is forty-seven years old, and a terrible accident two decades earlier decimated her ability to form new memories.But it’s the phone call from a Dr. Nash, a neurologist who claims to be working with Christine without her husband’s knowledge, that directs her to her journal, hidden in the back of her closet. For the past few weeks, Christine has been recording her daily activities—tearful mornings with Ben, sessions with Dr. Nash, flashes of scenes from her former life—and rereading past entries, relearning the facts of her life as retold by the husband she is completely dependent upon. As the entries build up, Christine asks many questions. What was life like before the accident? Why did she and Ben never have a child? What has happened to Christine’s best friend? And what exactly was the horrific accident that caused such a profound loss of memory? Every day, Christine must begin again the reconstruction of her past. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more un- believable it seems...

Every morning Christina wakes up in a strange bed, next to a strange man. When she looks in the mirror she sees a reflection she doesn’t recognise...wrinkles around the eyes, older hands – what happened to her youth? Her potential? Christina struggles to form new memories and even accessing some old memories is a struggle. Christina struggles with this every day. Asking the same questions over and over.

This is a pretty emotional book. It’s impossible to read without wondering what you would do in the same position...? When all you have is today and today’s memories. In another writer’s hands this could be repetitive to read but SJ Watson allows us as readers to have a wider view than Christina who has to read her journal again and again everyday to know what is going on. Christina’s daily emotional journey is heart breaking and yet chilling. Having to rely on what people around you tell you every day is a huge step of trust – and one I’m not sure I could ever take!

There is a compulsive element to the writing making you want to know what happens next. It’s curious to see how your feeling to the people in Christina’s life and her discoveries change over time from suspicion to trust to sympathy and back to suspicion again. There is a melodic element to the story – in fact it’s almost like a full bard’s song at time and I was anxious to know how it would end. This is a great summer read – perfect for those you don’t read much and a cut above the average for those who read more often!

Recommended for fans of SJ Bolton and Robert Goddard. 8 out of 10.

The King's Spy Review

The King’s Spy

-       Andrew Swanston

Publisher: Bantam Press

Summer, 1643. England is at war with itself. King Charles I has fled London, his negotiations with Parliament in tatters. The country is consumed by bloodshed. For Thomas Hill, a man of letters quietly running a bookshop in the rural town of Romsey, knowledge of the war is limited to the rumours that reach the local inn. When a stranger knocks on his door one night and informs him that the king's cryptographer has died, everything changes. Aware of Thomas's background as a mathematician and his expertise incodes and ciphers, the king has summoned him to his court in Oxford. On arrival, Thomas soon discovers that nothing at court is straightforward. There is evidence of a traitor in their midst. Brutal murder follows brutal murder. And when a vital message encrypted with a notoriously unbreakable code is intercepted, he must decipher it to reveal the king's betrayer and prevent the violent death that failure will surely bring.

Set near the start of the English War in 1643, The King Spy find bookseller and mathematician Thomas Hill asked to come to the Royalist court in Oxford by his old professor and ends up caught in the political intrigue of codes and ciphers. The Civil War is a period of history I’m not overly familiar with – other than that it was between the King and his loyal royalists and Parliament and the cavaliers. While Thomas Hill is working for the royalists and the king, this seems to be because more through default rather than any great loyalty or belief in the cause. The court seems decadent and unsympathetic in the extreme, still throwing lavish balls and masques for its own entertain while draining Oxford dry of its resources.

However, Thomas Hill is a clever man and one who generally hates violence avoiding it were he can and hoping to save as many lives as possible through his work and bring the war to a quick close. He is an easy man to like – although I didn’t manage to really feel a deep emotional connection to him. He spends a lot of time on his own figuring out ciphers, which slows the pace down even if it is still interesting. Thomas’s walks around Oxford are how we really get to see what impact the war has had on the ordinary people and where the descriptions come to life.

The intrigue is well done, but because Thomas doesn’t meet a lot of people it’s easy to guess what will happen making me wish for an unexpected twist or shake up in the final few pages. Overall, though this is a fun read – and considering the Civil War lasted until 1651, there is plenty of scope of sequels!

Recommended for fans of Margaret George and Ariana Franklin. 7 out of 10