Title: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles 1)
Author: Bettie Sharpe
ISBN: 978-0141340135
Publisher: Puffin
No. of pages: 400

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis (from Amazon):
A forbidden romance.
A deadly plague.
Earth’s fate hinges on one girl . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She’s reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen – and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth’s future.

Review:
A cyborg Cinderella? Count me in! This is one of the most innovative twists on the Cinderella story I’ve encountered so far. I was intrigued by the cover when I saw it on a blog and reading the reviews confirmed it as something that would most likely appeal to me – it certainly lived up to its promise!

I absolutely loved the character of Cinder – her mix of cool machine and emotional person made for a great combination and she was both believable and sympathetic.

The setting could have been anywhere, if I’m brutally honest, as there was very little in the way of actual description or mention of traditions in New Beijing that might link it to old Beijing, but I get the feeling it’s a set up for the rest of the series, so I’m more than willing to let that slide ni the hopes that it’s developed further in the subsequent novels. I’ll certainly be looking out for the next book when it’s published.

Reviewed by Kell Smurthwaite

Title: Howards End is on the Landing
Author: Susan Hill
ISBN: 978-1846682667
Publisher: Profile Books
First Published: July 2010
No. of pages: 240

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis (Amazon):
Early one autumn afternoon in pursuit of an elusive book on her shelves, Susan Hill encountered dozens of others that she had never read, or forgotten she owned, or wanted to read for a second time. The discovery inspired her to embark on a year-long voyage through her books, forsaking new purchases in order to get to know her own collection again. A book which is left on a shelf for a decade is a dead thing, but it is also a chrysalis, packed with the potential to burst into new life. Wandering through her house that day, Hill’s eyes were opened to how much of that life was stored in her home, neglected for years. Howard’s End is on the Landing charts the journey of one of the nation’s most accomplished authors as she revisits the conversations, libraries and bookshelves of the past that have informed a lifetime of reading and writing.

Review:
I’d heard so many wonderful things about this book that I think I fell victim to the hype and wanted to like it so much more than I did. That’s not to say it’s not good – it IS good, just not as good as I’d hoped.

Howards End is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home is less a love letter to the books Susan Hill loves, and more a recounting of the many anecdotes she has of meeting and working with other writers, and their books which have subsequently helped shape her life, both personally and professionally.

It’s a little dry in places and, I confess, it did not actually inspire me to search for any of the books mentioned that I had not already read, but I did enjoy some of the little stories that were triggered by Hill wandering round her book-filled home and choosing to read only books she already owns for a year.

If we were all to follow her example, I’m sure everyone’s “Final Forty” would look very different. Certainly, there are not many books on which she settles that I would include in my own list, and there are many others I would insist upon that are omitted, but, as I’ve already intimated, everyone’s tastes are different.

This is an interesting read for anyone who loves books and, who knows, may lead to others discovering the joys of those tomes Hill pulled down from her own shelves.

Reviewed by Kell Smurthwaite

I have mixed views on this book, but the more time I spend reflecting back, the positive these views become. As an early reviewer, I came across this book before I knew anything about it, and in this case it may not be the best approach.

Julianna throws you straight into her strange apocalyptic world, and it takes a while to work out exactly what has happened. I also think you need to be in a certain frame of mind.

To give that little bit of background which I think is needed, Pure is set in a world after the ‘detonations’, which appear to be dirty nuclear bombs. Those caught in these explosions have been fused with things they were near or holding. The main character, for example, has a doll’s head fused to the end of her arm, and others are much worse. Some have been fused with other people or animals, and some are fused with the earth.

I think it was this concept I had a hard time accepting, which stopped me becoming completely enveloped by the story.

A select few were selected to be protected in a large dome.. and because there was no fusion, these are known as Pure. Going a step further, they are also being ‘coded’ to make them stronger, more intelligent etc.

I believe this is being classed as Young Adult book, but it’s certainly not the fluffy romance teen books which seem all the range. It’s quite a dark book, which will make you think.. especially after reading the authors comments at the back.

For me, it didn’t have that special something I found in the Hunger Games, but I would still recommend it. I would say just be prepared to accept the world shown to you, enjoy the characters which will stay with you, and give it a try.

Published by Headline Feb 2012

Title:

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis (Amazon):
Our eyes tell us about colour. But what if you are blind? Can you still know colours? Using simple language and beautiful textured art, this book shows you how to “see” without your eyes. The pages are black, but using your imagination and your senses you can hear, smell, touch and taste colours! Red is sour like unripe strawberries and sweet as watermelon. Yellow tastes like mustard, but is as soft as a baby chick’s feathers. Blue is the colour of the sky when kites are flying. From out of the blackness, a beautiful rainbow of colours emerges!

Review:
I picked up this book in our local library for my three-year-old son because I was enchanted with both the cover (the picture is black on black, but is raised and glossy) and the concept (a book about colour with no colours!).

The text inside is bold white on black pages and is accompanied by braille, and on the opposite pages are beautiful raised illustrations (black on black) so that the colours being described by “Thomas” can be experienced by touch, rather than sight. The words are beautifully descriptive – yellow tastes like mustard, but is as soft as a baby chick’s feathers; brown crunches under his feet like autumn leaves – and I found myself closing my eyes to better absorb them with the pictures.

Reading this book with my son prompted a discussion about how some people can’t see and that they experience the world in different ways. It also resulted in us playing a game of “What colour does this taste / smell / feel / sound like?” which was fun and revealing – apparently the rustle of plastic bags sounds orange to Xander, but I suspect that’s because he’s seen the ones from Sainsbury’s, and grapes tasted purple, even though we only had green ones!

The only slight issue with this book is that the braille isn’t really raised enough to distinguish the words, and I have read elsewhere that sight-impaired children find it next to impossible to read as a result, which is a shame, because this really is a wonderful book.

The Black Book of Colours is a magical experience for both young readers and the adults who read with them and is highly recommended by both me and Xander!

Reviewed by Kell Smurthwaite

In 1886, a mysterious travelling circus becomes an international sensation. Open only at night, constructed entirely in black and white, Le Cirque des Rêvesdelights all who wander its circular paths and warm themselves at its bonfire.

Although there are acrobats, fortune-tellers and contortionists, the Circus of Dreams is no conventional spectacle. Some tents contain clouds, some ice. The circus seems almost to cast a spell over its aficionados, who call themselves the rêveurs - the dreamers. At the heart of the story is the tangled relationship between two young magicians, Celia, the enchanter’s daughter, and Marco, the sorcerer’s apprentice. At the behest of their shadowy masters, they find themselves locked in a deadly contest, forced to test the very limits of the imagination, and of their love…

I have to admit that at first this book just didn’t appeal to me, especially with the hype of it being set to be ‘the publishing sensation of 2011′. However, my reviewing instinct kicked in, and when I saw it offered on vine, I decided I should give it a go. And I have to say I was glad I did.

The main storyline is about a ‘competition’ between two magicians, which is played out through two young people, Celia and Marco. It’s the setting, however, which makes this book come alive. The Night Circus is a magical circus like no other, and it’s so well described that you find yourself wishing to experience it. The circus arrives in 1886, but the storyline is also set before and after this time. I understand some have found it a little confusing, but I managed to follow ok.

I found myself really drawn into the book, enjoying the various characters, and loving the setting. I especially fell in love with the Murray twins. This is most certainly a fantasy book, but if that’s something you enjoy, it has a rather magical feeling to it. From not appealing to me at all, it has become one of my favourite books of the year.

Megan Evens appears to have it all: brains, beauty, a successful career as a foreign correspondent. But deep down she is lonely and rootless. Pregnant, craving love but unable to trust after the destructive affair with her baby’s father she returns to the security of her birthplace in Wales. When Megan’s son is later diagnosed with a terminal condition, a degenerative, hereditary disease, everything she believed to be true about her origins is thrown into question. To save her son Megan must unearth the truth; she must excavate family history and memory. Enlisting the help of former colleague Jack North, a man with a secret of his own, Megan embarks on a journey of self discovery and into the heart of what it means to be a parent.

I was offered a review copy of the book by the author, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. It’s published by a very small publisher, but it very much deserves a larger publisher who can get it on the high street shelves.

The heart of this story is about the relationships between mother and daughter, questioning what it means to be a parent. Megan and Elizabeth provide the central characters, and as we find out more about them, we also watch their relationship grow and evolve. It’s a story any mother or daughter will take something from.

The timing and setting of the story adds a fascinating layer. The story starts in 2048, where things are recognisable, whilst slightly different. It’s not the technological driven future of sci-fi books, nor is it instantly recognisable as a dystopia. There are, however, hints of something which has happened to change life completely for many people.

The second part of the story brings us back to 2015, where these events are explored in more detail. Whereas the first part tells us Megan’s story, with her journey into parenthood, and the pain of having an ill child, this second part belongs to Elizabeth, her mother. It allows us to explore her character more, set to the background of the events which changed her life.

Finally we return to Megan’s story, as she continues the fight for her son, and her own personal struggle to understand her past.

This is an interesting and emotional début, and is highly recommended.

Buy BloodMining at Amazon

Firstly, the story… there are two tales to be told, one being Crippen’s life, and the events leading to his wife’s murder, and the other his attempted escape, and eventual capture. The book jumps between different times, but they are easy to follow. The attempted escape takes place on the SS Montrose, where some of the other passengers become a part of the story.

As a story, told on it’s own, it would make an interesting enough book. Crippen’s early life helps to build up his character, and Ethel Le Neve makes a rather fascinating mistress, as someone who appears to be rather sweet, and yet also very cunning.

My uncertainly comes from the issue of writing a fictional account of a well known murder. Having reflected, I think I would rather know that the character and events are based on known facts, not a fictional account of what may have happened. If reading fiction, I would rather all characters and events are made up.

In addition, Crippen is portrayed very differently to how I would expect, which affected the way I read the book. I’m not sure exactly what I expected, but I got the impression that the author felt sorry for him, and was presenting a man pushed to murder by his hard life, and relationships.

However, it did make me realise that I actually knew very little – my only real memory is of the Chamber of Horrors in Madam Tussauds, and vague memories of a film. Reading the book has lead me to read more about the case, and has made me realise he probably was a strange quiet man, rather than the cold bloodied killer I always imagine.

Reviews are rather mixed about this book, so it’s probably one to try for yourself. In particular it would make a good book group choice, with lots to discuss and debate.

Reviewed as part of the Transworld Book Group Reading Challenge.

Title:

Rating: 2/5

Synopsis (Amazon):
A legendary ruin. An ancient mystery. Will unveiling the past transform the future?

San Francisco, 2007. Madeline Moretti is grieving for her fiancé. Nothing brings her joy any more, and Maddie’s grandmother, a fiery Italian, sends her to Tuscany to heal. Here, Maddie is immersed in the mystery of a ruined villa. Destroyed centuries ago in a legendary storm on the Eve of St Agnes, it has been known ever since as the Casa al Vento – the House of the Wind.

Tuscany, 1347. Mia hasn’t spoken since her mother’s death, and lives in silence with her beloved aunt. One dark night, a couple seek refuge in their villa. Used to welcoming passing pilgrims, Mia is entranced by the young bride’s radiance and compassion, but mystified by her reluctance to reveal even her name. Where has she come from, and why must her presence be a secret?

Centuries apart, each searching for a way to step into her future, Mia and Maddie will be haunted by the myth of the woman who walked unscathed from the ruins of the House of the Wind.

Review:
I really wanted to like this a lot more than I actually did. I adore historical fiction and I love the cleverness of concurrent storylines, centuries apart, having bearing on each other, but this just didn’t work for me.

The problem for me was that it was just too darned slow. Hardy uses achingly beautiful prose that absolutely sings off the page, but the plot unfolds at a maddeningly sedate pace, not just in one timeline, but in both. As a result, I grew bored with the characters, their loss, their pain, their motivation, and their relationships, and grew tired of waiting for everything to happen.

The fact is, that the same writing device has been used before to better effect (if you’ve read Labyrinth by Kate Mosse, you’ll know what I’m talking about, and if you haven’t read it, I can heartily recommend it!) and I found myself forever waiting for something other than the writing to excite me. Truly, the writing often verges on the sublime and I give it a higher rating as a result, but it was let down by pedestrian plot and plodding pace.

I will be interested in reading more by Titania Hardy if only to see if the tale is worthy of the writer’s obvious talent with words.

Reviewed by kell Smurthwaite

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?

Aimed at girls aged about 8 – 14, this is a book which manages to cover time travel, relationships, grief and loss, but all with a light tone which makes it a joy to read.

Liz was a new author to me, but one I will be looking out for, and A Year Without Autumn is now waiting for my girls to pick up. The book moves at a good pace, which should keep most people’s attention. The time travel aspect is well handled.. it’s simply explained, it adds an element which will attract some readers, whilst not being off-putting to others.

For me, the best aspect is that Liz covers some very important themes, looking at grief, loss and change – but they’re so well handled, combined with humour, and an understanding of families and friendship. I would imagine it would be quite comforting to children and young people going through any of the issues or emotions.

Despite being just a tiny bit older than the age range (ok, quite a bit older!) I still really enjoyed it, and found it hard to put down. There are some interesting twists, and it’s not too predictable. It also asks some interesting questions – would you want to see the future if you could, and is it possible to change it?

Highly recommended!

Title:

Rating: 2/5

Synopsis (back of book):
Four former soldiers, who are brought together by fate, realise their military skills have become a wasted resource. They form as a team, utilising their specialist skills to steal a vast sum of money, previously recovered by the police and guarded by the RAF Regiment. The task is initially deemed impossible, but a stroke of luck changes this.
Two illegal immigrants on the run from their own country, enter the UK via the Channel Tunnel. They plan the same heist without knowledge of the other team, carrying out a raid on one of two heavily guarded security vans.

The money is stolen, leaving one group empty handed and pursuing the other; resulting in kidnapping, torture and death. Eventually, the captors are led to a hidden weapons cache in Northern Ireland, where the money is stashed.

Newly promoted, Detective Sergeant Dave Watson is assigned by the police as lead investigator and highlights the likelihood that the robbers have military skills and backgrounds. CCTV film footage is acquired from the channel tunnel and motorway cameras and is scrutinized, identifying the team and also two Kurds as known hardened criminals.

Meanwhile, M.I.6 express an interest in recruiting the former soldiers, wanting to setup a covert operations group and cover up their part in the robbery. However, changed plans alter this course and the team are double-crossed, leaving them to attempt to getaway!

Review:
When reading a self-published novel, I often try to overlook the spelling and grammatical errors that crop up, but in my heart of hearts I just wish all writers would employ a professional proofreader to get rid of the worst of them – perhaps then self-published authors wouldn’t get so much of a bad rep. There are errors of this kind in Wasted Resource but not as many as I’ve seen in others.

However, there are other problems here that might have been solved with a good editor.

I continually felt that the air was rather condescending. An author should always assume their readers have a modicum of intelligence and so do not need constant reminders of the meanings of certain words and expressions, especially if their meaning is already made clear by the context, and if explanation is required, then the author should include a glossary or footnote, rather than continually disturbing the flow of the plot. It should also be assumed that once the reader has been told something once, they will remember it themselves and do not need to be reminded every time that word or phrase crops up. The most constant example of this was that every time “Physical Training Instructor” cropped up, it was followed by “PTI” in brackets – and vice versa! There was also continual use of marine terms followed by “a marine term for…” in brackets. I found this incredibly annoying as it not only insulted my intelligence, but interrupted the flow considerably.

The story is sound enough, if a little implausible at times, with useful items suddenly appearing with no prior mention. However, if you read the blurb on the back of the book, you don’t really need to read the actual novel as almost the entire plot is given away, meaning there is little in the way of surprise as you read.

I wanted to enjoy this a lot more than I did, as I love both military and crime drama and I expected a little more from this given that it is written by an ex-marine. The basics are there, they just need a little polishing. This being a debut, perhaps Preece’s next offering will improve on this.