HISTORICAL FICTION REVIEW: THE BERNICIA CHRONICLES 1-3: The Serpent Sword, The Cross and the Sword, Blood and Blade - Matthew Harffy

RELEASE DATE:  04/05/17
PUBLISHER:  Aria

SYNOPSIS:
Beobrand is a young man with a shadowy past. As an outsider in the kingdom of Bernicia, he is compelled to join his brother, Octa, as a warrior in the household of King Edwin. He must learn to fight with sword and shield to defend the war-ravaged kingdoms of Northumbria.
In a period of great upheaval for Dark Age Britain, all he finds is death and war. Men and women strive to seize control of their destinies in a time of despair, and the land is rife with danger as warlords vie for supremacy and dominion. Amongst the blood and the betrayals, Beobrand learns of his brother's near-certain murder. Inexperienced but ruthless, Beobrand must form his own allegiances and learn to fight as a warrior with sword and shield.
Driven by a desire for vengeance and a relentless pursuit of his enemies, he faces challenges which transform him from a boy to a man who stands strong in the clamour and gore of the shieldwall. As he closes in on his kin's slayer, can Beobrand mete out the retribution he craves without sacrificing his honour... or even his soul?


REVIEW:
I love books that take me on an adventure and when they coincide with a landscape to which I'm familiar its not only easy to visualise but also helps you get your bearings but brings the tale to life as you can walk the landscape with the heroes of old.

The book is a solid treat for fans of Historical fiction and gives enough action to keep your heart in your mouth as this tale of vengeance alongside honour keeps the pages turning. Back this up with cracking prose, top notch sequences alongside an overall arc that furthers the characters development all round makes this a book that is hard to put down.

Finally throw into the mix the second title The Curse and Cross coming from Aria in November and you know that the wait won't be too long to see what else happens in our heroes timeline. Magic.


 

RELEASE DATE:  16/11/17
PUBLISHER:  Aria

SYNOPSIS:

AD 634.
ANGLO SAXON BRITAIN.
Confusion and conflict continue as warlords battle across Britain to become the first King of the English.
After a stunning victory against the native Waelisc, Beobrand returns to a hero's welcome. His valour is rewarded by wealth and land by Oswald, King of Northumbria.
Exhausted, he retires to his new estate with his bride only to find himself surrounded once again by enemies old and new. With treachery and death on all sides, Beobrand fears he will lose all he holds dear.
On a quest for revenge and redemption, he accepts the mantle of lord, leading his men into the darkest of nights and the bloodiest of battles.
The Cross and the Curse is the second gripping, action-packed instalment in The Bernicia Chronicles.

REVIEW:
Following on from The Serpent Sword, this the second book works wonderfully well, with emotional drama, top notch action sequences, character growth and of course consequences for actions taken.

Throw into this a pace that gives you just enough space to grab a breath and all round I was a more than happy reader.  A pure joy to read.

RELEASE DATE:  03/05/18
PUBLISHER:  Aria

SYNOPSIS:

Oswald is now King of Northumbria. However, his plans for further alliances and conquests are quickly thrown into disarray when his wedding to a princess of Wessex is interrupted by news of a Pictish uprising.
Rushing north, Oswald leaves Beobrand to escort the young queen to her new home. Their path is fraught with danger and uncertainty, Beobrand must try to unravel secrets and lies if they are to survive.
Meanwhile, old enemies are closing in, seeking brutal revenge. Beobrand will give his blood and blade in service to his king, but will that be enough to avert disaster and save his kith and kin from the evil forces that surround them?
Blood and Blade is the third gripping, action-packed instalment in the Bernicia Chronicles.


REVIEW:
The third book in the series and one that continues to build the principle character wonderfully as events from the previous novel are still taking their toll physically and mentally.  As with the previous the world building is wonderfully done, easy to visualise and when you throw in cracking combat alongside a kickass plot line all round makes this a book that is, like the previous hard to put down.

Add to this, lessons that have been clearly learned with some well done authorly tricks alongside a cracking understanding of prose all round make this a series that I've thoroughly enjoyed.  I now have the fourth part to look forward to in December but for me, a re-read will be happening prior to that.  Provided I can half hitch my books back from my Dad who is getting just as much fun from them.

CRIME THRILLER REVIEW: Ragdoll 2: Hangman - Daniel Cole

RELEASE DATE:  22/03/18

PUBLISHER:   Trapeze


SYNOPSIS:

The new thriller from the bestselling author of Ragdoll
A detective with no one to trust
A killer with nothing to lose
18 months after the 'Ragdoll' murders, a body is found hanging from Brooklyn Bridge, the word 'BAIT' carved into the chest.
In London a copycat killer strikes, branded with the word 'PUPPET', forcing DCI Emily Baxter into an uneasy partnership with the detectives on the case, Special Agents Rouche and Curtis.
Each time they trace a suspect, the killer is one step ahead. With the body count rising on both sides of the Atlantic, can they learn to trust each other and identify who is holding the strings before it is too late?

REVIEW:
I love a crime novel that delivers not only on high octane thrills but also delivers characters that you want to spend time around and whilst thats what happened for me with Daniel's first book, Ragdoll, this one felt that it was a bit flat compared to it, with sadly poor character development for me and a plot line that whilst Ok, wasn't up to the standard I was expecting.

Whether this was due to the second book syndrome that some authors suffer I don't know but for me, without that development, I don't have the hook with the character and don't really care as to what happens to them.  That takes a lot of the thrill and of course endorphins away from the reader as they make thier way through the book. 

All round, Daniel is an author that I will spend more time with in the future but for me, with this book being more of an OK title, its not one that will hit my top recommendations for the year and stand out from the competition like his original did.  A great shame.

FANTASY REVIEW: The Sond of the Shattered Sands 3: A Veil of Spears - Bradly Beaulieu

RELEASE DATE:  22/03/18

PUBLISHER:  Gollancz


SYNOPSIS:

The Night of Endless Swords nearly saw the destruction of Sharakhai, and since then the Kings have come down hard on the rebelloious Moonless Host. Hundreds have been murdered or given to the Confessor King for questioning. Hundreds more have fled. Including Çeda, who has discovered that Onur, the King of Sloth, has returned to the desert to raise an army and challenge the remaining kings.
The Moonless Host - who have taken to calling themselves the Thirteen Tribe - will be trapped between Onur's growing influence and the considerable might of the kings who, with Sharakhai firmly back under their rule, are turning their attention to the desert once more.
Çeda knows that the asirim are the key. If she can lift their curse and free them from their bondage, then they can save Thirteenth Tribe from the the squabbling kings . . . and perhaps the kings themselves are no longer as unified as they once were. As they vie against each other for control of the city, could Çeda make an ally of one of them? And which one, when any of them could betray her as easily as they would their fellow kings.
Whatever the solution, the end is coming: as Çeda focuses on freeing the asirim and weaken the kings' hold on Sharakhai, the kings' forces, the scheming queen of Qaimir, Hamzakiir the ruthless blood mage, and the thirteenth tribe all prepare for a grand clash that may decide the fate of all who sail the desert.

REVIEW:
The third book in the series and remembering that the second jumped straight in from where the original left off I pretty much expected the same with this the conclusion to the trilogy.  Which to be honest was just as well I did as from the start, the book never let up with its top notch pace and plot lines that you had to pay attention to.

However the best bit about the book, is the way that the principle characters have changed over time, they've grown, they've expanded and been affected by previous choices which feels not only organic but a sign that the author has really worked hard to keep the book not only consistant but developed in such a way that you can't help but care as to their fates.


All round a wonderful read and an author I'll be returning to in the future with pure joy.  Magic.

CINEMA RELEASE REVIEW: Avengers: Infinity Wars - Marvel/Disney

RELEASE DATE:  26/04/18
PUBLISHER:  DISNEY

SYNOPSIS:
An unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War” brings to the screen the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time. The Avengers and their Super Hero allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.



REVIEW:
OK, I'm going to try and avoid spoilers here as if there's one thing I hate myself its having a film ruined by others being careless.  After all with it being out today, I was one of the lucky people who've managed to get to see it early and have time to process my thoughts as to the events within.

The first thing I really want to say about the film is that i loved Thanos, rather than being a 2d villain like you may have come to expect, Josh Brolin gave him depths and an ideology that did make sense and also brought emotional context to the fore really making him a joy to watch on the big screen, and whilst a certain amount of the film was bringing together all the heroes from across the universe, a fair few of them suffered from lack of writing and depth almost as if it was give them screen time rather than any real purpose.

The acting was pretty solid with Robert Downey Jr bringing Tony Stark into a future he dreaded, a good performance from Tom Holland as Spidey who acted as a foil to the seriousness of the situation and to be honest a fair few of the others were overshadowed by these two.

Throw into a mix an especially huge battle for the fate of the universe, with many sacrificing themselves for the greater good and the fans are in for a treat.  All in the writing was OK and followed a formulaic plot line but the one thing I will say is if the second part to this film (released next year) has a "And then they woke up" type of scenario I'm going to be more than peed off.

SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW: Everything About You - Heather Child

RELEASE DATE:  26/04/18

PUBLISHER:  Orbit
EXTRACT

SYNOPSIS:

A missing girl. Dangerous new technology. Perfect for fans of Black Mirror and Gone Girl, discover this year's most cutting-edge thriller - before it discovers you.
Think twice before you share your life online.

Freya has a new virtual assistant. It knows what she likes, knows what she wants and knows whose voice she most needs to hear: her missing sister's.
It adopts her sister's personality, recreating her through a life lived online. But this virtual version of her sister knows things it shouldn't be possible to know. It's almost as if the missing girl is still out there somewhere, feeding fresh updates into the cloud. But that's impossible. Isn't it?

With twists and turns you'll never see coming, Everything About You is a thrilling debut showing a chilling vision of a future that's just around the corner. You'll never look at your privacy settings in the same way again . . .
The world of Everything About You is closer than you think:
* Right now, the average child features in over 1,500 online photographs by the age of five
* By 2025, you will interact with connected devices nearly 5,000 times per day
* Today there are already companies who will collect your data so that your relatives can interact with your 'digital doppelganger' after you die.

REVIEW:
This is a book that is not only quite freaky in its premise but does get the reader to ask themselves a lot of questions about what exactly is out there about themselves.  Its well written, has a great arc and above all else is a story that is built around a realistic feeling character that you not only want to associate with but get to know.



Its a definitely a title of today's modern media world and with us each using it more and more each day, giving trust easily as well as information, its a theme that I feel is going to become more popular disguising the ease of use alongside convenience against your own identity and freedom.

The author really works the premise alongside the questions well into the overall arc and with a good use of pace alongside dialogue makes this a book that will stay with me for quite some time.  Cracking.

FANTASY REVIEW: Swords and Fire 2: The Defiant Heir - Melissa Caruso

RELEASE DATE:  26/04/18
PUBLISHER:  Orbit
EXCEPT

SYNOPSIS:
Across the border, the Witch Lords are preparing for war. But before an invasion of Raverra can begin, all seventeen Witch Lords must gather to agree a course of action. Lady Amalia Cornaro knows that this conclave might be her only chance to stifle the growing flames of war.
Amalia and her warlock Zaira must go behind enemy lines, using every ounce of wit and cunning they have to avert the coming conflict. If they fail, it will all come down to swords and fire.


REVIEW:
As a reader, I love it when a book takes me on a journey and does something a little different and having read the original book in this series, The Tethered Mage, I was wondering what the author would do with the cast and how the events that were portrayed previously would effect them.  After all with so much having happened, its not like those involved could carry on as they were and the events certainly shaped changes not only in the world but in the characters themselves.

What Melissa did well was carry on with the expansion of her creative world, the magics, the cultures and perhaps best of all, the characters as we got to see how they'd not only changed in thier relationships but personality based on what they'd done.

Back this up with cracking prose, delightfully written plot and of course a pace that gives you chance to breath and think about events as they play out.  Finally throw into the mix, new cast introductions, political intrigue and this YA Fantasy shows that it offers a lot to readers of all ages.  Magic.

YOUNG ADULT FACTUAL REVIEW: So You Think You Know About... Tyranosaurus Rex, Diplidocus, Triceratops - Ben Garrod

RELEASE DATE:   08/03/18

PUBLISHER:  Zephyr


SYNOPSIS:

Biologist and TV scientist Ben Garrod's fun, funny, informative and collectable series about dinosaurs, launching with T. Rex, Diplodocus and Triceratops. Ben Garrod's So You Think You Know About . . . Dinosaurs? is fun, funny and informative. This highly collectable, pocket-size series is the most up-to-date in 66 million years, featuring Tyrannosaurus Rex, Diplodocus, Triceratops, and introduced by Steve Backshall. The series continues with Velociraptor, Stegosaurus and Spinosaurus in September 2018.
Did you know that not all dinosaurs were green and scaly, some were ginger and feathered, or that they didn't all roar, they cooed like pigeons, or that the ultimate prehistoric predator was actually not a dinosaur?
TV scientist, Dr Ben Garrod, is proud to be a geek as he mixes hard science and humour to prove that science is for everyone. All children know their dinosaurs but Ben encourages them to think differently, revealing how new discoveries and breakthroughs occur in science every day. By looking at the evolutionary arms race, prey, predators, place, time, groups and species, Ben reveals new-look dinosaurs. Palaeo art by Scott Hartman and Gabriel Ugueto and cartoon illustration by Ethan Kocak. Also available in audio download, read by the author.

REVIEW:
I have a nephew who is absolutely fascinated by Dinosaurs, he's read books about them, retains facts and figures like no one else I know and loves them so much that he has tons of Dinosaur stuff around his bedroom. 

So having spotted these books by Ben, I knew that someone would probably like them, but I didn't have a clue on how much he would be glued to various titles in the series.  Each book is written in a kid friendly way and whilst some of the chapters might sound the same in each title they're all written differently so that the reader can gain as much knowledge as they want. 

There's weird facts, easy to follow illustrations that explain timelines and sizes and above all else the sheer pleasure and fun that the author has with the subject is brought across for the reader and allows them to geek out as much as they want.

This, the first book in the series was a wonderful introduction and having seen the Chris Packham documentary on this fearsome beast, I was wondering how a lot of that information would be translated to the younger reader, it's been done with careful illustrations, humour and of course in such a way that it doesn't feel dumbed down in any way.  All round this is a truly wonderful read, and as the popular "Dinotastic Uncle" who found these books for my nephew, I'm under strict orders to get as many as I can for him. 

RELEASE DATE:   08/03/18

PUBLISHER:  Zephyr


SYNOPSIS: 

Biologist and TV scientist Ben Garrod's fun, funny, informative and collectable series about dinosaurs, launching with T. Rex, Diplodocus and Triceratops. Ben Garrod's So You Think You Know About . . . Dinosaurs? is fun, funny and informative. This highly collectable, pocket-size series is the most up-to-date in 66 million years, featuring Tyrannosaurus Rex, Diplodocus, Triceratops, and introduced by Steve Backshall. The series continues with Velociraptor, Stegosaurus and Spinosaurus in September 2018.
Did you know that not all dinosaurs were green and scaly, some were ginger and feathered, or that they didn't all roar, they cooed like pigeons, or that the ultimate prehistoric predator was actually not a dinosaur?
TV scientist, Dr Ben Garrod, is proud to be a geek as he mixes hard science and humour to prove that science is for everyone. All children know their dinosaurs but Ben encourages them to think differently, revealing how new discoveries and breakthroughs occur in science every day. By looking at the evolutionary arms race, prey, predators, place, time, groups and species, Ben reveals new-look dinosaurs. Palaeo art by Scott Hartman and Gabriel Ugueto and cartoon illustration by Ethan Kocak. Also available in audio download, read by the author.


REVIEW:
The second book in this series and like the first (the one about the T-Rex) its full of fun facts, a witty writing style and anecdotes from the author about his discoveries on the Dino trail.  It celebrates the sheer pleasure of loving a subject and not being afraid of being labeled and of course is full of tons of facts that will keep your young paleontologist glued to the pages and reciting all the info when out and about. 

As with the original, it has easy access chapters, explains things in an easy to understand manner and really helps bring these giant beasts to life.  A truly magical experience.

RELEASE DATE:   08/03/18

PUBLISHER:  Zephyr


SYNOPSIS:

Biologist and TV scientist Ben Garrod's fun, funny, informative and collectable series about dinosaurs, launching with T. Rex, Diplodocus and Triceratops. Ben Garrod's So You Think You Know About . . . Dinosaurs? is fun, funny and informative. This highly collectable, pocket-size series is the most up-to-date in 66 million years, featuring Tyrannosaurus Rex, Diplodocus, Triceratops, and introduced by Steve Backshall. The series continues with Velociraptor, Stegosaurus and Spinosaurus in September 2018.
Did you know that not all dinosaurs were green and scaly, some were ginger and feathered, or that they didn't all roar, they cooed like pigeons, or that the ultimate prehistoric predator was actually not a dinosaur?
TV scientist, Dr Ben Garrod, is proud to be a geek as he mixes hard science and humour to prove that science is for everyone. All children know their dinosaurs but Ben encourages them to think differently, revealing how new discoveries and breakthroughs occur in science every day. By looking at the evolutionary arms race, prey, predators, place, time, groups and species, Ben reveals new-look dinosaurs. Palaeo art by Scott Hartman and Gabriel Ugueto and cartoon illustration by Ethan Kocak. Also available in audio download, read by the author.


REVIEW:
The third and final book in the series for now (although three more are out in September, the Spinosaurus, the Velocorapter and the Stegasaurus) and whilst my nephew was disappointed that he'll have to wait for more, I've found out that he keeps reading them and spouting facts at the dinner table (for which my name is being cursed apparently.) 

As a huge reader myself, finding books that not only entertain but enthuse children to read is a real pleasure and for me, this series is going to be one that is a must buy for anyone wanting to help get their children into books.  The fact that these have wonderful humour, solid illustrations and of course are info packed make them ideal all round.  Finally throw into the mix that we also have the new Jurassic Park film to look forward to this summer as well as other dinosaur attractions (such as Jurassic Kingdom and Dippy the Diplidocus on tour) you know that you can back these up with a real summer of fun.