Raven Blood Eye, Sons of Thunder and Odin's Wolves by Giles Kristian

For two years Osric has lived a simple life, though he is feared and shunned for his mysterious part and blood-red eye. Then raiders from across the sea ransack his village and Osric is taken prisoner by this ruthless band of warriors.

Immersed in the Norsemen’s way of life and driven by their lust for adventure, Osric proves a natural fighter and forges a deep bond with their chief, Sigurd the Lucky, who renames him Raven.

But the Norsemen’s world is a savage one, where loyalty is often repaid in blood, and a young man must become a killer to survive. It seems the path Raven has chosen is a dangerous one indeed.
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Wow. Yes, after much deliberation, that’s how I’ve chosen to start this review. Because that was the word which sprang to mind when I picked up the Raven Blood-Eye on a Sunday morning, and again when I finished Odin’s Wolves on the following Friday.

The first of the series is Raven Blood Eye, which introduces Osric/ Raven, and how he falls in with the Norsemen who arrive at the village that has become his home. Osric isn't a native Englishman, or at least he's not sure if he is since he has no memories older than two years. Then the Norsemen arrive and he discovers a talent for their language, which becomes the gateway for his induction into their ranks and a world beyond anything he ever expected.

The second book in the series, Sons of Thunder, leaves the shores of England for the continent as Sigurd and his crew chase the traitorous Ealdred to the shores of the Frankish empire- an empire sworn to eradicate heathens like them. What follows is a combination of Ocean’s Eleven and the Great Escape, Viking style, as Sigurd and Raven risk everything for honour, love and gold.

Odin’s Wolves follows Sons of Thunder, and sees the Sigurd’s fellowship turning their prow towards the fabled city of Miklagard, seeking to sate their appetite for treasure and, perhaps more prized than that, a good saga that will see their names and deeds live on through the ages. It’s no easy journey, and takes them through frozen marshlands and the shadows of what was once the glory of Rome, but nothing will truly prepare them for what waits for them at what could be their final destination.

It’s always a wonder when you come across books that hook you from the outset and only tighten their grip along the way until you can reluctantly peel yourself away from them at the end. If you pick these up, do so in the knowledge that you will miss your train station, and look up from the page to realise that the rest of the house is in darkness because “another 5 pages” turned into “another 5 chapters”.

The source of their addictiveness lies with the depth and dynamism of the characters and their interactions, particularly Osric/ Raven and Sigurd. They’re distinct personalities, each with their own foibles and aspirations, bound together by a sense of loyalty that transcends the oaths they’ve sworn. They and the camaraderie between them are realised very well, leaving little room for doubt that they would take the risks that they are. It draws you in until you’re completely immersed in their world and not so much reading about it as sharing it.

Raven’s world has been well researched and remains grounded in reality throughout the series. There’s a clear sense that the rest of the world will carry on regardless of what happens to them, cleverly contrasting the mean drudgery of the life that Osric may have led against the Vikings’ larger than life yearnings for glory and adventure and the clear sense of freedom that their way of life represents for all its dangers and deprivations. The gulf between the Norsemen’s pagan beliefs and the growth of Christianity adds to this contrast, and provides an additional level of understanding as to what makes them tick.

The series is written in the first person from Raven’s point of view, but this provides scant relief from the tension that is piled on as they continually push their luck, because this isn’t just his story. It all comes back to how you’re made to care about Sigurd and the rest of the Wolfpack, with the full knowledge that no character is safe. There’s plenty of action in each book as you’d expect, from shield walls to single duels, and I was impressed with how vividly these were portrayed, and how unforgiving the results were.

Whether you're a regular reader of historical fiction or not, read this series. It's fast, brutal, well researched, well written and an absolute blast.

Right, I'm off to sack a village.

Guest Review - Milo and the Restart Button by Alan Silberberg

I knew right away that Milo and the Restart Button by Alan Silberberg would make me cry and it did. But it's also funny and fun and entertaining and I enjoyed every single page and illustration! While it did contain a rather sad storyline, the novel doesn't ever feel weighed down by it or depressing. Told from Milo's perspective, it also could have been a lot more emotionally manipulative and drawn-out, but instead it's very sweet and sad and a really gentle story of friendship and memory and of loss.

Milo is such a wonderful character. Nearly 13, and he's starting out at a new school in a new house. He think he's got a weird name and he can be a bit awkward around girls and his other classmates. Telling his story, he includes all these fantastic little drawings to help better explain how he's feeling or showing us the different houses he's lived in and this cool alter-ego, Dabney St. Clare, that he's created for himself. They vary from qutie small to full-page illustrations and really break up the text and possibly to maintain interest (as well as laughs!) for any reluctant readers.

I think what struck me the most from Milo's story (besides his great sense of humour) is that of accepting both the good along with the bad. Because when Milo's mother died, a restart button was pushed, one that helped to erase some of the sadness and the grief that Milo and his dad and sister were all feeling. They've gotten rid of photos and mementoes that remind them all of her and as a family they never speak of her. It's a fresh start in all things. But with the help of some new friends and a rather eccentric neighbour, Milo begins to question the wisdom of that restart button and finally comes to terms with how different his life is and what he'd like to remember of life before.

Honestly, there are some bits to the story that really made my heart ache for poor Milo. The book covers a year in his life and especially at each major holiday, Christmas for example, we can see how broken his family has become, how they've drifted apart in their grief. But while acknowledging these things, Milo, being a not-quite teenage boy, also has other things to focus on, like his obsessive crush on a popular and unattainable girl at school and hanging out with his best friends watching movies and eating pizza. I do find the balance between the sad and funny as well as the grieving and moving forward was done really well.

Alan Silberberg wrote a really touching and emotional story here and I am really glad to have read it.

***

The above review was brought to MFB via Fluttering Butterflies.  Fluttering Butterflies is run by "Clover" (Michelle to her non-online friends) whom I met for the first time, face to face, this year at the Penguin press event.  We hit it off and I check in on Fluttering Butterflies regularly as there is always interesting content and booky blogs about pretty shiny books we all want.

Extreme Kissing, Luisa Plaja

Synopsis:

Carlota and Bethany are best friends. Bethany is the sensible one with a long-term boyfriend, Carlota is the crazy one with a wild past and rebellious nature. All is fine in their world - apart from Carlota hating her stepdad and longing for a old flame. And apart from Bethany thinking her boyfriend is about to dump her and that her period is late...

Carlota comes up with a plan to put all their troubles behind them and go on a girls-only wild day out, with only their favourite magazine to guide them through the day. If they open it on a fashion page they have to get hold of a fabulous new outfit and pretend to be models. If they open it to a page on snogging, they have to find a boy to snog. The magazine will take them everywhere they need to go - but will it help them to reveal the secrets they are keeping from each other?

There is a fantastic concept encouraged by the fictional Spice! teen magazine in Luisa Plaja's second novel for teens: Extreme Travelling. Take a favourite magazine (in this instance, it will be Spice, as read as gospel by Carlotta and Bethany)open it anywhere and figure out the challenge the page has set you. And then go ahead and do it.

The two girls travel all over London following these randomly set of quests. They get into trouble, they meet some dodgy people, they take part in an X-Factor type show, the drive around in a Limo and pretend to be tour guides on one of London's Tourist Guide busses - it is sniggerlingly funny.

Initially I had my doubts - I did, I won't lie. The cover was just too cutesy for me at first, but now I love it and have grown very fond of it. My other doubts extended to me liking these two very girly girls and relating to them. These doubts were unfounded. It turns out that these two kids come across as being so sweet and real that I felt a bit sad closing the book on them last night.

Carlotta's character is that of the exuberant wild child who gets into trouble, she keeps being grounded by her step-father (the Diplomat) for doing daft things, purely because she does not think things through. She is more than a bit selfish but not in a necessarily mean way - she sees herself as that one step ahead of the pack, someone who always gets what she wants because she deserves it.

Bethany's character on the other hand is the one that goes through the most radical change in the novel. She is funny, intelligent, a bit shy and hesistant, the responsible one, the one parents love and she has the ability to charm the Diplomat into letting Carlotta out of the house, even when she's grounded. She initially gives the impression of being a bit weakwilled, following along in Carlotta's shadow, doing what she is told. She's also the one who has the biggest problem - she may be pregnant. Her boyfriend's not been sending her any text messages and she's going a little stircrazy - there is pressure from her dad to study for her GCSE's and to crown it all, proof positive that she's pregnant: she's had a "tummy bug" for a few days...

The pace of the novel is brisk - something to get used to. The novel is told from the two difference characters point of view in alternating chapters. It serves to make story move forward rapidly and it is interesting to experience some events from the two different character's points of view. There is very little overlap, but as you read each chapter, you begin to realise what makes these two girls tick.

They are firm friends - not at all blind to each other's faults and failings, but friends nonetheless. Their adventures through London are very amusing and there are some sterling scenes - for instance, when they have a silent disco at the London Eye and then they manage to get loads of tourists shimmying around with them. Excellent and giggling stuff.

There is much more to this book than meets the eye. Much more. Charlotte's behaviour is easy to analyse once you realise how much she dislikes her mother. She appears very vacant, at first but then you realise she is forcing herself to behave the way she does, doing all these crazy things, like getting herself a massive reputation when doing Kissing Etcetera with boys at school. It is to get her parents to notice HER not what she's doing. Bethany knows she has a future as she is intelligent and studious all the while desperate not to think about being pregnant - the thing is, she's too scared to do the test. Doing the test would confirm it for real. Making it genuine and true and not something that can change.

Both characters go through an amazing internal journey in one day and it will have far-reaching consequences for them both. It is all skillfully handled by an adept writer with a keen eye for cutting to the quick of the matter.

The novel ended with a tremendous conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Mark was dubious, like me, but I sat sniffling into a tissue last night after finishing it he just nodded and said: "Yep, that was a good book" and handed me another tissue.

Find Luisa Plaja's website here. The novel is now available in all good bookshops and online.

The Lost Art by Simon Morden

Synopsis

A millennium after the formidable war machines of the User cultures devoured entire civilisations and rewrote planetary geography, Earth is in the grip of a perpetual Dark Age. Scientific endeavour is strongly discouraged, while remnant technology is locked away - hidden by a Church determined to prevent a new Armageddon.

This is the world to which Benzamir Michael Mahmood must return. A descendant of the tibes who fled the planet during those ages-old wars, he comes in pursuit of enemies from the far reaches of space. The technology he brings is wondrous beyond the imaginings of those he will meet, but can its potency match that of the Church's most closely guarded treasure?

For centuries it has lain dormant, buried in a lead-lined tomb deep beneath the flagtones of a remote Siberian monastery. But it is about to be unearthed, and the powers that will be unleashed may be beyond anyone's capacity to control. Even a man as extraordinary as Benzamir . . .

Former warlord and assassin-turned-Monk Va and brash, smitten princess Eleyna set off to get them back. Meanwhile, mysterious Benzamir and a couple of desert locals set off in search of Benzamir's enemies. The two groups come together and find that their goals are far from mutually exclusive.

I have conquered my fear of sci-fi novels...thanks to The Lost Art by Simon Morden. I had no inklinkg it was going to turn sci-fi on me as I started reading it (this happens when you read as I do, i.e. go in "blind") and far from making me run for the hills, I found myself getting crabby when my reading got interrupted. I liked the world, I liked the setting and appreciated the tremendous world-building the author did. (The author, by the way, is a bona fide rocket scientist!) And I also liked the characters, Va, not so much but definitely enjoyed the spirited, intelligent and down to earth Princess Eleyna and the star man Benzamir.

The setting is rich and as the plot and story unfolds you get lured in. I would suggest the novel is perfect for older or really enthusiastic readers who will not be put off by coping with learning that the world as we know it has been turned on its head - no really! Before you wonder what I'm on about - TLA by Simon Morden is published by Random House Kids under their Corgi Children's imprint. The age bracket is around 12+ which I would say is correct, although, having said that, the novel does deal with some pretty intense science and the subject matter is quite mature.

As I mentioned, I did not really like Va's character - he was too abrupt and too rude - mostly to his travelling companion Eleyna. He is a very haunted and internally conflicted character and I think the author had good fun writing him. Although, in part, he is a hero in this novel, he is also to an extent the anti-hero because the characteristics of a hero, that of being brave, solid, trustworthy, honest, is taken that one uncomfortable step further in Va's case, turning him into a truly dangerous person, someone who has no regard for his own safety or for those around him. Va represents the old ways, the unswerving ways and is as stubborn as an ox. His faith guides him. A true paladin. He forges ahead, no matter what.

Benzamir on the other hand is the Renaissance man - a wanderer, seeker, a scholar and a fighter, but a thinker at the same time, puzzling out the story of his enemies and that which is currently happening on the planet his tribe once called home, all those many years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed travelling with Benzamir and his friends in their quest to find the lost books and piecing the story together. The author writes his set pieces with a vivid style - you can taste the dust and sand of the markets near the pyramids, you can feel the unrelenting heat beating down on you. In this instance you cannot fault the storytelling.

The Lost Art is a good solid read - an unexpected pleasure (as I'm not good with steam punk or sci-fi but I'm amending that this year!) and a book I would recommend to readers, but with a caution: although it is cited being for kids, it is not a childish book. So its intended audience may struggle to come to grips with some parts of it, but, if like me they persevere they will be rewarded with a thrilling ride.

The Lost Art was released in the UK July 08 by Corgi. You can find Simon Morden's website here.

The Black Tattoo, Sam Enthoven

Synopsis:

AN ANCIENT EVIL HAS BEEN UNLEASHED. NOW ONE BOY'S RAGE COULD DESTROY US ALL...

Jack's best mate, Charlie, has always been effortlessly cool. When Charlie wakes up one day and finds a mysterious, moving BLACK TATTOO on his back, it's a clear sign that he's even cooler than Jack thought. To top it off, Charlie is suddenly able to fight like a kung fu master, fly, and control the minds of others. Yes, he's got super powers.

Or does he?

Jack soon learns the terrifying truth: Charlie's incredible powers come from an age-old demon called the Scourge, who is using Charlie to bring about its evil masterplan. To stop the Scourge, Jack and Charlie join forces with Esme, a girl with super powers of her own, trained from birth to fight the demon. But time is running out, as Charlie falls deeper under the Scourge's dark spell.

When the Scourge vanishes with Charlie, Jack and Esme follow their friend from the streets of London into Hell itself, where they face horrors that may well cost them their lives. Can they survive to outwit the Scourge, save Charlie, and stop an even greater evil?

I picked up The Black Tattoo last year from Waterstones purely because of the incredible cover. I had to have it. And I'm glad I bought it as reading it was tremendous fun.

It is a YA book set in modern times and more specifically it is set in London, all around the West End. Even more points scored on my little card.

The story starts with Charlie going to meet his dad in China Town, dragging Jack with as a buffer. Charlie's dad has moved out and Charlie is genuinely struggling to cope. He is angry, he feels betrayed and he wants to hurt someone right back. Jack hangs back, unsure of how to react in this situation. He is torn between supporting his friend and his respect for Charlie's dad and his own concerns.

Charlie's anger calls to the dark powers and in a bit of tricky writing, worthy of Hollywood theatrics, Charlie's chosen to host the Scourge. Jack and newly made friend Esme decide to follow Charlie into Hell to save him from the Scourge and to somehow try and destroy it.

The book genuinely tears along at a tremendous pace. It starts a bit self-consciously, admittedly, but then you fall into the way the Charlie and Jack interact with one another and you realise that it is because of these two characters that the writing seems a bit self-conscious. They are two young lads, aged fourteen, with the world at their feet, the troubles of the world on their shoulders, because no one has ever been through the amount of crap they've been through. Sam Enthoven, the author, takes these boys in a time of high emotional volatality and dumps them in the worst possible situation, testing their friendship and their mettle. Throw in the mysterious butt-kicking Esme and rivalry rears its ugly head.

The scenes set in Hell are hilarious and written very tongue in cheek. I quote the back of the book, to give you an idea:

The creature had reared up in its true form, a frozen man-sized explosion of pink custard-like stuff. It wobbled and shook. Big bubbles formed and popped on its skin, belching out words.

"Fresh!" it burped. "Fresh meat! Fresh meat!"

"Whatever." Said Jack - and sighed. Yep, he thought. Gang up on the new guy. In some ways, when it came down to it. Hell was really predictable...

Need I say more? And I have to say, this is one of the coolest marketing gimmicks I had seen for a while: http://www.theblacktattoo.com/images/scarytatpic.jpg

I was lucky enough to secure a fantastic interview with Sam, please see the next post.