Fright Forest: Elf Girl and Raven Boy by Marcus Sedgwick

Synopsis

From the creators of the Blue Peter award-winning Funniest Book with Pictures "Raven Mysteries" team, this is the first in a humorous and magical adventure series, "Raven Boy And Elf Girl", perfect for readers of 8+ about Raven Boy and Elf Girl's magical, humorous and creepy adventures as they battle to save the world. Eep...the adventure begins! Raven Boy has short black spiky hair, amazing night vision and can talk to animals. Elf Girl is light of foot, sharp of mind and...elfish all over. She hadn't expected to meet Raven Boy; it's not that often someone falls out of the trees and squashes your home flat like Raven Boy did. Before they know it they are plunged into some very strange, creepy, altogether spooky and hilarious adventures as they save their world from trolls, ogres, witches and things that slither and slide in the fiendish forest.

Not having read a book for younger readers in a while this title caught my eye. It sounded quirky, fun and potentially full of humour so I was looking forward to getting started. Raven Boy was quite happily sleeping in a tree (his favourite place to be) when he's rudely thrown out and lands on Elf Girl's hut, squashing it flat. Elf Girl is understandably upset with him but they have barely enough time to argue when another tree is mysteriously toppled towards them. Something definitely strange, dangerous and awful is happening in the forest - Elf Girl's family have disappeared, trees are being uprooted everywhere and they're both hungry and alone. Through necessity at first they team up, despite the fact that they spend more time bickering than anything else!

However, as the story progresses they find out more about each other. Each scrape and near-disaster brings out their individual strengths and they start to work together as a team. However, they still bicker - mostly about what Raven Boy's real name is and whether Elf Girl actually knows how to use her family's magic bow or not. It becomes clear that there's no one else prepared to get to the bottom of the whole disappearing forest problem. Together they overcome awful foe; trolls, witches, monsters and more. Both of them have special talents including Raven Boy's ability to speak to animals which leads to the inclusion of wonderful Rat into their team.

Fright Forest is full of magic but also lots of unanswered questions. Where is Raven Boy's family? Why has he never celebrated his birthday? I loved this book. I adored Rat, the camaraderie between the two main characters, the monster at the witches house and the trolls. I can't wait to read the next in the series so I can find out more about them all. Also, a word about the brilliant illustrations by Pete Williamson (who also did the illustrations for the Raven Mysteries) - they're absolutely perfect for the quirky nature of this book. I think the drawing of the landlady is my absolute favourite with her mad hair and pipe. The humour is perfect too - I loved the moment when Elf Girl accidentally kicks Raven Boy's ice-encased body down a hill. A brilliant start to a new series and I'm looking forward to Monster Mountains.

Talina in the Tower by Michelle Lovric

Synopsis

Magic is attracted to Talina, and Talina is attracted to magic, with startling results ...
Talina in the Tower is the tale of a girl who is more passionate than she is careful. Talina Molin, the daughter of an archivist, has earned herself the reputation of being the most impudent girl in Venice. When she's not campaigning for egrets' rights, or terrorizing the school librarian, Talina adores reading, cooking and magic. When she mixes all three together, she cooks up more than she had bargained for.

The story takes place in a sinister late nineteenth-century Venice, one inhabited not just by frightened people but also by ferocious foul-mouthed tomcats, argumentative rats and evil vultures.

I'm a bit embarrassed that this is my first Michelle Lovric book despite the fact that I have loved the look of them and thought that each one sounds fascinating. I've finally put this right and have to say that I had an idea in my head of how Talina would read and I was both right - and wrong. I mean, I expected it to be a Venetian fairy story full of magic, and it is but there's a lot more to Talina than this. I wasn't expecting the book to be so funny, so full of horror and to be so innovative. The heroine was a surprise to me too. I thought she'd be resourceful and fearless and she was but she was also foolish and at times infuriating. But she also has a huge heart and is charming, a true flawed heroine.

Talina's parents are kidnapped by unknown creatures which are haunting the streets of Venice. As a result Talina has to stay with her benefactor (a writer of books which are full of children who meet unfortunate ends) in a tower with vicious dogs. However, Talina's life takes a very unexpected turn and she finds herself transformed into a cat. Fortunately, help is at hand and there's a whole host of wonderful secondary characters to help her. I loved the eccentric Professor who comes to her rescue and Talina's friend and admirer, Ambrogio. Talina and her friends are very resourceful which is just as well as the antagonists in the book are totally blood thirsty and disgusting. There were some passages that really made me cringe. I felt as worried for the people of Venice as I did for Talina and I was willing her to find a way to succeed.

There's brilliant magic throughout this book that made me constantly wonder what was going to happen next. I was very fond of the idea of Thaumaturgic Tea Towels that can be ridden like magic carpets but if damaged can be torn into four and reform themselves and can also be a great handkerchief if needed. I also loved the island of grandmothers and their cats who all adore Talina and watch out for her when they can. Magic is interwoven through the pages in such a way that it's entirely natural but also wonderfully surprising too. Later in the book there's a court case and everything about it made me smile. The jury and onlookers are all manner of people, creatures and the paranormal. You really couldn't ask for more from a book.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. I think it would appeal as much to boys as well as girls as it has plenty of gore alongside the magical to keep everyone happy. I'm definitely going to read Michelle's other books based in Venice too.

Exclusive Midwinterblood trailer & extract

MFB are really proud to host, as part of Viking week, a bit of an exclusive: Marcus Sedgwick's Midwinterblood trailer and an even more exclusive mini-extract from the new novel, only out on release in October.

PART SIX

The Vampire

10th Century – The Snow Moon

Then came the beginning of wonders on Bloed Isle!

We buried Tor in the long meadow, in a mound some way from the others, though with the proper rites, for his was royal blood after all.  There was a short silence then, a short silence of days, in which a fresh snow fell, quickly hiding the bare earth and stones of Tor’s grave, and it felt as if we had been blessed.

Blessed, because we could breathe again, put the blood behind us, and breathe again, blessed.

But we were not blessed, and the blood was yet to come.
I do not remember what happened first.

Whether it was a dog or a cow.

No. I do remember now. Strange how walking the journey once more brings back both shade and detail.

One day, someone came to the great longhouse, holding the carcass of a dog.

‘It went mad,’ they said. ‘It went mad and began to claw at the cattle. I had to break its back with a spade before it would stop.’

That was the first.

The day after, the cattle began to give a great lowing, a terrible moaning, an awful sound, as when they give birth, though the calf moon was still long away, across the other side of the darkness of winter.

The sound rose and fell, rose and fell all day, until we went into the meadows, and saw that the cows were all in the fold, the winter fold, nearest to which was Tor’s grave.

My father spoke.

He raised a hand to a cowherd, a young boy.

‘Manni,’ he said, ‘take them. Put them in another fold. That one, yonder. Do it now.’

Manni did as he was bid, and was almost trampled by the cows as they stamped their way from the one fold to the other. Once in the far fold they grew quieter, though still a great cry would come from them, a
sound that haunted us, throughout the black night.

In the morning came the first of the blood.

Another dog was dead, but not, this time, at his master’s hand.  It was one of the bitches. She was found by the midden, with her throat torn, and her blood taken.

Father ordered the carcass to be burned, not thrown in the midden.

Eirik and I looked at each other, our eyes gaping.

‘Why is he doing that?’ Eirik whispered to me.

I tilted my head to one side.

‘I do not know, brother. But I am afraid.’

Laura Marlin Mysteries 2: Kidnap in the Caribbean by Lauren St John

Synopsis

Laura cannot contain her excitement when she wins a trip to the Caribbean for herself and her uncle, Calvin Redfern, especially when her best friend, Tariq, and her three-legged husky, Skye, accidentally find themselves on board too. But when they dock at Antigua, they discover that Calvin Redfern has vanished, and Laura and Tariq are about to be kidnapped by the fearsome Straight A gang. Dramatic escapes, an erupting volcano and a race against time to stop the deadly undercover 'Marine Concern' make Laura's second adventure every bit as exciting as the first.

From Cornwall to the Caribbean, 11-year-old ace detective Laura Marlin comes face to face with pirates, sharks, criminal masterminds and an erupting volcano in her second mystery adventure, which follows the Blue Peter award-winning first book DEAD MAN'S COVE.

I loved Dead Man's Cove and was really looking forward to reading the follow-up. Before I get into the review proper I just want to talk about how lovely this book looks. It's hardback with a beautifully illustrated dust cover and pictures throughout. It looks like a little gem before you even open it. Don't get me wrong, I love my Kindle for the ease of reading massive tomes whilst on the go but there's something about books like this that means, I hope, they will never be replaced.

The book opens with Laura content in St Ives except for the dreary weather. However, when she wins a holiday to the Caribbean she can't wait to get on board and head for the sun. The wonderful Tariq and Skye also find themselves stranded on the boat but even before they have left port suspicious things start to happen. Laura's Uncle Calvin is bedridden after a mysterious fall and then disappears leaving Laura and Tariq to cope alone. But once they reach Antigua things get worse and worse.

I found Dead Man's Cove reminiscent of Enid Blyton but in a better written, more exciting kind of way and still get this feel from the Laura Marlin series. Laura is self-reliant after her unfortunate start in an orphanage and drives the plot along with her determination to be as good a detective as Matt Walker - star of her favourite books. If she finds herself in a situation which seems impossible she tries to think of what Matt or her uncle would do. Tariq is her steady and calm friend who's just so loyal and sweet - however, he's no pushover and not to be underestimated. A new character, Jimmy, goads Laura and Tariq and is initially obnoxious. But his parents are so awful and pushy that I soon felt sorry for him. Laura and Tariq take time to get to know him and, happily, he's an integral part of the book.

A really enjoyable book, Kidnap in the Caribbean is a great for confident younger readers but probably too young for those aged 11- 14. It has just the right amount of action, friendship and danger to make it a compelling and exciting.

Liz Kessler chats to MFB

I was very lucky to meet and chat with Liz Kessler last year at the Orion's Children's party.  I distinctly remember doing my best to lure Liz onto Twitter and succeeding (@lizkesslerbooks) and also chatting to her about blogging and reading and writing.  When Orion approached me to ask me to read Liz's new book "A YEAR WITHOUT AUTUMN" I said yes, as the time-slip novel really appealed to me and it's not something I've read in the longest time.  Little did I expect to fall for Liz Kessler the way I did.

When they offered me a space on the blog-tour, I said yes too.  You may notice I have trouble saying "no".  What's resulted is this, my interview with Liz I wrote shortly after finishing A YEAR WITHOUT AUTUMN.

I make no excuses for the fawning overtones:

1. Where did your timeslip idea for A Year Without Autumn come from?

I had the idea years ago. I think even before I started writing books for children. Originally, my idea was about a woman in a department store who took the lift upstairs and came out a year later on in her life. When I started writing children’s books, the main character became a girl instead. But the thing at the heart of it for me is the idea that our lives seem to turn massively on the tiniest moments. Those moments seem so random and miniscule at the time, but they can change the course of our lives forever. Combined with the fact that I think time travel is just ACE, it all eventually led to A Year Without Autumn!

2. Autumn’s character is such a great vibrant one, and I loved how you contrasted Autumn with Jenni’s character. Was it a conscious choice to choose Jenni’s “quieter” voice as narrator of our story?

Yes. I wanted the main character to go through a transformation. I wanted her to be someone who didn’t see herself as important or brave or interesting, but through the course of the novel, realised that actually she was pretty cool, and that she had strengths of her own.

3. I was wondering: do you see A Year without Autumn as a science fiction novel, taking into consideration the time-slip factor? Also, did you do a lot of research?

Yikes. I don’t think I see it as science fiction. That sounds far too grown up and clever! I wouldn’t really know how to categorise it, and in fact, I think it’s more up to the reader than the author to make those kinds of decisions anyway.

In terms of research, I read various different theories about time travel and watched a few Stephen Hawking programmes, and then took the bits that I liked out of all of it and ignored the rest! The important thing to me was that at this moment in time, no one can prove that time travel actually exists – which means I could do exactly what I liked with it and no one could tell me I’d got it wrong! (No one can prove mermaids or fairies don’t exist either – which is part of what I like about writing those books too!)

4. Are you a big genre fiction fan – i.e. sci-fi/fantasy etc?

Not at all. Actually, I don’t really notice genres. I’m not a big fan of labels. I like books with interesting, believable characters and really good plots that make you want to just keep on reading. Beyond that, I don’t really mind what genre they are or aren’t as long as they’re good!

5. From a writerly perspective: how did you go about planning this novel and how did you manage to keep track of the different strands?

I plan meticulously with all of my books. I don’t even begin to write a word of the book until I’ve got the whole plan in place and I’m sure it’s going to work. Once I’d written this book, my editor still managed to find a few bits that didn’t quite work – so I had to sort those out. I hoped we spotted them all, and managed to get all the strands to match up. If we didn’t, please don’t tell me!!

6. Was it difficult to walk away from your Emily Windsnap and Philippa Fisher books to write something for an older audience?

No, because Emily and Philippa are still there. In fact, I’m writing a new Emily Windsnap book this year, which will be out next year. If anything, it feels exciting. It’s my first ever stand alone novel, and so it feels quite fresh and different for me.

7. Strong family relationships are key in your writing, yet they never feel contrived. As a writer, how do you stay aware of where to draw the line to keep it believable for your readers?

I have no idea! I don’t think this is something you can consciously set out to do. You can just write what’s genuinely in your heart and you genuinely care about, and hope that the emotions and actions you are trying to convey will successfully make their way to the page. It’s quite funny because people often tell me about the themes in my books – like friendship and family and love and loyalty. I never intend to write about these things, but I know that they are the biggest things in my life – and somehow or other, they always seem to wriggle into my books!

8. What was your path to being published?

I had my first poem published in the local paper when I was nine. That was my creative peak for about 25 years!

I worked as a journalist, and I taught English and Media Studies. Then in 1999 I had a complete lightbulb moment and suddenly remembered that I’d always wanted to be a writer, and I had to do it NOW!

So I left my job, took some temporary part-time contracts and got writing! I was lucky enough to be put in touch with the wonderful Catherine Clarke, who became my agent, and she got me the book deal with the equally wonderful Orion. I have been with both of them since, and hope to remain so for the rest of my career!

9. I realise Autumn is so new, it’s not even lost its shine yet, but what are you looking at doing next?

Well I’ve just finished the first draft of the next book. It’s (tentatively) called The Night the Sea Stole Our Town. What d’you think? Do you like the title? (oh gods, yes, I love the title!! tell me more!!) I’m currently taking votes on it. This will be the second of my stand alone books. The plan is to have three of these, which are not linked at all, apart from the fact that they all involve some kind of time slip.

Once I’ve sent this off to my editor later this month, I’ll be getting started on the fifth Emily Windsnap adventure…

10. What are you currently reading for fun?

I’ve just started reading Lionel Shriver’s ‘So Much For That’. But I’ve seen what it’s about, and I’m not sure it’s particularly cheery number, so I’m not sure if ‘for fun’ is the right expression! But I’m about five pages in and enjoying it so far!

***

My review for A Year Without Autumn can be found here.  Later this afternoon, I'll put up another piece that Liz wrote for us about character creation.  So, remember to pop by for that too.

In the meantime, do follow Liz on the rest of her blog tour - the dates are all below!

A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler

If you could see into the future - would you look? Jenni Green doesn't have a choice. On her way to visit her best friend, Autumn, Jenni suddenly finds she's been transported exactly one year forward in time. Now she discovers that in the year that's gone by, tragedy has struck and her friendship with Autumn will never be the same again. But what caused the tragedy? How did Jenni skip a year? And can she find her way back to the past to try to change what lies ahead? With humour - and her customary light touch - the author of the EMILY WINDSNAP books plays a fascinating game with time, and explores the changes that take place in friendships and families in the aftermath of a disaster.

I received a copy of A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler a little while ago and picked it up on a whim as I've not read a time-slip novel for the longest time.

What struck me immediately was Jenni's voice.  It was fresh, funny, vibrant and real.  Even if she comes across as not the most forceful of people there was a quality to her that really appealed to me as a reader.  She's the side-kick character, really.  The one who follows, not the one who leads.  And yet, Ms. Kessler has really worked hard to create a character that all of her readers could identify with.  We experience her relationship with the far more vivid and vibrant Autumn first hand - here is a girl meant for bigger things, you think to yourself, of Autumn.  She's going places and combined with her equally glamorous and arty parents, we know we're going to see Autumn as the next fashion designer or artist du jour when she is older.

But then, unexpectedly, things change horribly.  On the day Jenni and Autumn are set to go horse riding whilst on holiday, Jenni takes the old rickety lift up to Autumn's apartment and somehow falls between time.  Things are very different when she steps out.  It is a year later and things are awful.  Some terrible event had happened in their personal lives and for the longest time, we follow Jenni around as she desperately scrabbles to make sense of what's gone wrong.

There is a wild change in Autumn and the relationship between the girls has changed too - Jenni is now in the role as carer for Autumn, or rather, that is what is implied by everyone else. 

Jenni feels like she is going mad, trapped in this alternative reality where Autumn and her parents' lives have changed so awfully.  And what's happened to them also affected Jenni and her own parents. 

It is difficult to explain the rest of the plot as it will give too much away, but I can honestly say that Ms. Kessler keeps such a tight reign on the storyline that you can't help but suspend your disbelief and be swept up in the story.  There were some instances where I was very sure Jenni was losing her mind and that she had become this unreliable narrator. 

Jenni's character goes through this tremendous character development from the quiet, shy, reticent one to the girl who takes charge of a situation and almost through sheer will of character and inner strength, reforms what has gone before, to fashion something far better.

I was in tears, at the end of the novel.  Because I was so relieved the way things turned out.  It worked well and the ending made sense and it was great to see how the various strands actually came together through an author's great manipulation.  I'd recommend this for younger readers of say 9+ but I'd also recommend it to aspiring writers who would like to read an intricately plotted novel that promises a great deal but then also actually delivers.

A Year Without Autumn is my first ever Liz Kessler book.  It will not be my last.

Find Liz's excellent blog here.  A Year Without Autumn will be released on 7th April in the UK through Orion.

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher

We've received some truly exclusive bits and pieces from Orion Children's Department about a debut novel coming from them this year.

I've read an early proof of Annabel's book after the publicity person, Nina, put it in my hands and said: read it, it's unlike anything you've come across since maybe The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time.

I was hesitant. I KNEW that reading it was going to turn me into a slobbering mess of tears and emotions and I was right. But it turned me into a sniffling girl for all the right reasons. It also made me laugh out loud. It made me want to punch a character in the book, it made me want to punch the air in victory as the story developed and I came to love the characters but most of all, it's made me talk (quietly for now) about it to everyone I've come across.

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher is only out in on 1st March but I'm here to prod you to think about buying it. It is an amazing novel - the story is fabulous and heartwarming and the main character, Jamie, has not left me since I first read it. I've passed it onto Essjay to read because I needed to share it with someone so that I could talk about it. She read it in a sitting and we both just looked at each other and went: dear heavens, this is good.

But, before I waffle on even more, here is a personalised message to MFB readers from Annabel.



We are so very pleased that she's agreed to do this short clip.  We'll be hosting the actual book trailer soon as well as a guest post by Annabel in due course in which I've asked her to talk to us about her writing process.

In the meantime, we can share the cover with you and later this week I'll be putting up some photos and such from her launch later today, which I'm lucky enough to be invited to.  I may even be able to arrange a book or two (signed) to give away.

Dead Man's Cove by Lauren St John

Synopsis:

When orphaned Laura Marlin moves from a children's home to live with her uncle in Cornwall, she longs for a life of excitement just like the characters in her favourite detective novels.

A real life adventure is on hand as she is deposited at her uncle's spooky house . . . Why does her uncle, Calvin Redfern, forbid her to go to Dead Man's Cove? What's the truth about Tariq, the silent Indian boy who lives with the flamboyant Mukthars? Who is J? Who has left the message in a bottle for Laura to discover? Mysteries abound and who better to solve them than Laura Marlin, ace detective?

Accompanied by her trusty companion, Skye, a three-legged husky, the dog she's always wanted, Laura's adventures begin.

This is my first Lauren St John book. It won't be my last by any means.

Meeting Laura in Dead Man's Cove has shown me what a skilled writer can do with voice and character but also setting. Within the first few pages of picking this up, I was smitten. I wanted to run off and join Laura in St Ives on her adventure. Here is a heroine I wanted to be friends with. Funny, clever and brave, she shines like a shiny thing as she carefully feels her way through her new relationship with an uncle she never knew she had, deals with a very miserable and nasty housekeeper who seems set on making her life hell and with her budding friendship with the mysterious Tariq.

I loved everything about this book. The writing is excellent, the story is clever and full of twisty turns, our main character is charming and likable and the supporting cast of characters are more than just walk-ons.

I especially liked Laura's new uncle Calvin. Here is a man who gives Laura a vast amount of freedom and he trusts her implicitly. He doesn't know her from Adam yet he is prepared to trust her to be a stand-up kind of person. And his trust is not misplaced. Laura revels in being allowed to roam free around St Ives. She grew up in foster care and in a Home and everything was determined by rules. Now that she has no rules imposed on her, she feels like she can breathe, she can be her true self.

Deeply immersed in her reading of mysteries and thrillers, Laura loves the excitement of moving to St Ives, after she gets over the initial shock of the dark gloomy house she has to stay in. She sees mystery everywhere and wonders mainly about her uncle. He works odd hours and is hardly at home, but when they do have a chance to spend time together he is caring and lovely and treats her as an important someone in his life.

Then there is the mystery of Tariq - the son of the local shop-owners the impossibly glamorous Mukthars. He has no freedom and has to work all day in the shop. He speaks no English so Laura holds a lot of one-sided conversations with him. As their friendship grows, Laura realises that there is definitely something going on with Tariq and his "parents". Then she notices the bruises, that he looks really rough, like he's not slept for days.

As the author unfolds the story, we realise exactly how much danger Laura is in. On the surface Dead Man's Cove appears a nostalgic look at the innocence of childhood of a long ago time, but as we read further, we are transported to the here and the now and immersed in a world of crime and danger.

It is clever writing. Lauren St John is definitely - in my opinion - a master storyteller, keeping plot and pace steady, letting us run with Laura as she makes her discoveries. Her realisation that the situation she finds herself in is not just a small time mystery but something altogether bigger and that she needs to be brave and clever to see it through - well, pure magic.

I read the article Lauren St John wrote for the Waterstone's Books Quarterly magazine and I went home, picked up my copy of Dead Man's Cove and read it from cover to cover in a day during commuting and lunch the following day. Here is something special for both girls and boys to read. It has enough mystery and excitement to keep everyone entertained. Laura Marlin is a fantastic creation, irrepressible, gutsy, clever and very likable and I am very pleased to have met her and I look forward to her other adventures.

Dead Man's Cove is out today - hurrah - so make sure you head off as soon as possible to pick up a copy of this brand new series. Find Lauren's author website here.

Edited to add: COMPETITION TIME!

Just heard from the awesome Nina at Orion Kids that she's letting MFB have a signed copy of Dead Man's Cove by Lauren St John to give away. So, to enter: comment below on your favourite holiday place to visit, be it UK or abroad, and why you love it there. The only rule is: UK entrants only, please! Entries close on 12th August. Get replying!

Firespell: The Dark Elite by Chloe Neill

Synopsis

As the new girl at the elite St. Sophia's boarding school, Lily Parker thinks her classmates are the most monstrous things she'll have to face.
When Lily's guardians decided to send her away to a fancy boarding school in Chicago, she was shocked. So was St. Sophia's. Lily's ultra-rich brat pack classmates think Lily should be the punchline to every joke, and on top of that, she's hearing strange noises and seeing bizarre things in the shadows of the creepy building.
The only thing keeping her sane is her roommate, Scout, but even Scout's a little weird - she keeps disappearing late at night and won't tell Lily where she's been. But when a prank leaves Lily trapped in the catacombs beneath the school, Lily finds Scout running from a real monster.
Scout's a member of a splinter group of rebel teens with unique magical talents, who've sworn to protect the city against demons, vampires, and Reapers, magic users who've been corrupted by their power. And when Lily finds herself in the line of a firespell, Scout tells her the truth about her secret life, even though Lily has no powers of her own - at least, none that she's discovered yet . . .

Forget the House of Night, it's time to join the Dark Elite . . .

When I read the blurb for Firespell I was reminded of the House of Night but also of Hex Hall so I was interested to see how this book differed. Initially, it didn't seem to differ that much. Lily is sent to a boarding school, much against her wishes. Once there she carves a place for herself with Scout her snarky new best friend who shows her around. Almost immediately Scout starts disappearing and soon Lily follows her only to discover that Scout is not just a privileged girl at a posh school. She has a secret and Lily is drawn into her world out of concern for her new friend.

I'm not sure if it's my respect for the underdog but I love that Lily has no powers. It allows the reader to empathise with her amazement and confusion at the new world she finds herself thrown into. Lily's determination to find out what Scout is up to gets her involved in a strange world of magicians. I love the new breed of magicians that Neill has created; each one has a specialist power like the control of fire. Powers first show themselves at puberty but once the magician reaches adulthood they need souls to keep their powers from draining them. Scout's group fights against these magicians and try to stop innocent people being harmed.

I love this idea and it gave the book a real core of good against evil. The array of secondary characters are great too like the sexy-with-a-secret Jason or the hideous Mary Katherine. I especially like head teacher Mrs Foley who was suitably scary. The dialogue was quite snappy and sarcastic but not annoyingly so - I quite enjoyed it. The only bad thing I can say is that there wasn't enough book for me. I don't mean that it's too slim; it's a solid 246 pages. I wanted more of the characters, more information on the evil magicians, more on Jason and Lily. The book has a satisfying conclusion but I wish I'd read it when the second book was available so that I could go straight onto it to get a bit more depth on how Lily copes with all the changes that she's experienced. I enjoyed Firespell, I just want more of everything in the sequel.

Guest Review: Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick

I am so very pleased to have my buddy Sarah Bryars (she is Esssjay on LiveJournal and @Esssjay on Twitter) helping me review some of Marcus Sedgwick's books. As you can tell by the small little advert on the right hand side of the blog, January 2010 is "Marcus Sedgwick Month" on MFB.

Synopsis:

There is a magician called Valerian who must save his own life, or pray the price for the pact he made with evil so many years ago. But will alchemy and sorcery be any match against the demonic power pursuing him? Helping him is his servant, Boy, a child with no name and no past, and the quick-witted Willow, and watching their fortune, mapping their destinies ... is Fate.

Sarah says:

I first read this when it first came out and loved it at the time. When it came to re-reading it I discovered that I really couldn’t remember a great deal of detail except the feeling that the book gives you. It left me with the image of shadowy halls and dark, dirty streets. The story takes place on the days between Christmas and New Year but the celebration of this time doesn’t touch the inhabitants of the novel.

It starts with a magic show which sets the framework of the whole book. You feel as if you’re being shown one thing while the author’s sleight of hand is hiding the truth from you. Boy is Valerian’s assistant and slave. He can’t remember a great deal of his life before he lived with Valerian but is simply grateful for a place to sleep and the meagre food he’s given. Valerian is a character with few redeeming qualities. On odd occasions throughout, he treats Boy with kindness but moments like these are rare.

Valerian, who’s always troubled, has recently become more morose. He sends Boy out on endless errands and one of these leads to Boy witnessing a murder. On the other side of the city a girl called Willow discovers the dead body of the theatre owner where she works. Both Boy and Willow find each other in time to be arrested for murder and thrown into prison. Valerian rescues them and they are thrown together in a quest for a book that Valerian believes will save his life. This search takes the characters to suspicious inns, graveyards, underground canals and crypts.

Although I had little sympathy for Valerian I didn’t question Boys devotion to him. The alternative to the abuse Boy receives is the street, starvation and the opportunity to freeze to death. Willow is a wonderful character, she becomes the reader and asks the questions that Boy would never think of. She feels the need to take care of Boy (and Valerian to an extent). As the story progresses you get to watch their relationship develop in a touching way.

The story itself progresses at speed. There’s hardly any downtime and the characters ricochet from one event to the next. This gives the book a breathless quality that is exaggerated by the short chapters. Most of the action takes place at night. Other themes include grave digging, scientific discovery, taxidermy and the search for the book. I loved the gothic feel of the novel, you feel as if the characters’ lives are taking place out of the view of society in a secret world. It’s very seductive and secretive, the book is full of the unknown. Sedgwick is a master of world creation. The one that he’s created in The Book of Dead Days is so shadowy and alluring that it was far too easy to slip back into it again.

The final chapters do answer many questions but the very last few pages do leave you hungry for more answers and sets the reader up for the sequel; The Dark Flight Down. So, if you love the gothic and shadowy this book is for you. However, if you like something a little more flowery or glittery then leave this; it’s relentless in its bleakness and not for those with a weak stomach.

**

Liz says:

I recall reading The Book of Dead Days, having bought it from Ottakars in Bromley. I had carried it home like it was a trophy, made myself tea and sat down and read it in one fell swoop. Then I made Mark read it. This was quite a few years ago. I've been a fan of Mr. Sedgwick since then. Which is why I've decided to have Mr. S be the first of our "Author of the Month" authors on the blog for 2010.

Reading The Book of Dead Days I was struck by the strong imagery, the sense of place in the novel. I loved this dark city he created with its winding alleys and shadows that lurked. I loved the use of language and the style of his writing. How quickly he set the whole story up and how it just escalated from there, bouncing you along, come hell or high water.

You had to be a cold-hearted person not to feel empathy with Boy. Willow's treatment was equally harsh at the hands of her mistress and through both these two characters you experience a world that is dark, grim and yet, and yet, there is this vague hope of something less ugly just around the corner!

It has to be one of my all-time favourite Marcus Sedgwick books out there and having the chance to revisit it for the purpose of the Author of the Month has been good fun.