I’ve read so many excellent books lately. So many! It feels like you can’t blink, these days, without ten world-class novels being published. Every time I set foot inside a bookshop I come out with a lighter wallet, and I couldn’t be happier about it. So, today I want to take the time to write some mini-reviews of a selection of books I’ve loved lately, and tell you all where to get your hands on ’em. Because, take it from me, they’re worth it.
Great New Books!
So. From the top:
Frida Nilsson’s The Ice Sea Pirates
Siri and her little sister, Miki, live with their ageing, infirm father in the Arctic, where they spend their lives in fear of the notorious pirate captain Whitehead. One day, when Siri lets her guard down, Miki is stolen by Whitehead, destined to be put to work in his distant mines. So, like any good sister, Siri sets out to rescue her. This is an epic book, long and full of digressions and luxurious detail; at the same time, its adventure is full of heart and is profoundly moving.
Nigel Quinlan’s The Cloak of Feathers
Nigel Quinlan’s books are a riot. They’re filled with life and vigour and wit, folklore and history and humour, and they’re completely unique. The Cloak of Feathers is set in the town of Knockmealldown, which – every hundred years – sees the Good Folk (never call them fairies!) join in for a spectacular Festival, organised by the townsfolk. Except, this time it’s being (dis)organised by Brian and his friends, who manage to muck the whole thing up. As well as that, the fairy princess has gone missing – but Brian holds the key to finding her. Can he get all his pigs in the pen before the town is wiped off the map?
James E. Nicol’s The Apprentice Witch and A Witch Alone
So, this one is a bit of a cheat: I read The Apprentice Witch when it was newly published, but its sequel, A Witch Alone, has just been published, and I read it with as much enjoyment as its predecessor. They tell the story of Arianwyn Gribble (has there ever been a heroine with a better name?), a newly-qualified witch (and granddaughter of a respected Elder in the magical community), and her struggles to find and prove herself in her new life. She has to deal with magical creatures, dark magic, cursed hexes, and a budding first love – not to mention her own remarkable powers. Charming, lovely and heartwarming, these are books not to miss.
Vashti Hardy’s Brightstorm: A Sky-Ship Adventure
I want to preface this mini-review by saying EVERYBODY NEEDS TO READ BRIGHTSTORM AND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! *ahem* Now that’s out of the way – everybody needs to read Brightstorm, and as soon as possible. It’s a marvel: beautifully written, evocatively imagined, with a cast of brilliant characters (child, adult and animal alike) and a compelling quest at its heart. Arthur and Maudie Brightstorm are twins whose father, a noted explorer, has gone missing. Not only that, but he has been accused, in absentia, of having broken the Explorers’ Code, something his children know cannot be true. They are set on rehabilitating their family’s sullied reputation, and they also want to find out the truth about what happened to him. Expect sky-ships, expeditions through the great Wide, clues to a great mystery, and majestic thought-wolves – along with a truly boo-hissable villain in the shape of Eudora Vane. I adored every word of this book.
Twister is a storm-born girl who lives with her Ma, her Aunt Honey and her faithful dog, Point. Her Pa has gone missing, and a shadow follows his track – a terrible fire that claimed two lives has been pinned on him, but Twister knows he couldn’t possibly have had anything to do with it. As she searches for her Pa, Twister comes across a strange witch-woman named May May who owns an even stranger thing: a necklace called Wah, which has the power to transform its wearer into a wolf, a storm, a rushing river – anything with a soul. But something so powerful has attracted the attention of a terrible enemy, who will do anything to own Wah… Filled with beautiful language, evocative description, and a story with the deepest love possible at its heart, Twister is wonderful.
Tin is a marvellous, moving exploration of what makes us human (can we really be sure?), the nature of war, the morality of genius, and the profound power of love and friendship. Telling the story of Christopher, a ‘Proper’ boy whose life changes completely in the wake of a terrible accident, and his band of ragtaggle mechanical friends who set out to rescue him from captivity, it is a fantastically exciting story of companionship, courage and love. Beautifully written and evocatively described, with a cast of distinct characters both human and mechanical, this is a book to treasure.
J.R. Wallis’s The Boy With One Name
Oh, how I loved this book… It’s the story of Jones, the titular Boy, who is apprenticed to Maitland, a monster-hunter. They keep the world safe from the creatures of the Badlands, which is filled with horrors most of us prefer to ignore. He wants, more than anything else, to be normal and leave all this terror behind – but then Maitland is killed fighting an ogre, and Jones’s life changes completely. With the aid of Ruby, the first and only girl he has ever known (and one who is determined to prove she is as good as any boy – booyeah!) Jones has to unravel a mystery at the heart of his own existence. This book is excellent. If you like Jonathan Stroud’s Lockwood books, this is one for you.
Kieran Larwood’s The Peculiars
Sheba, along with her friends Sister Moon, Mama Rat, Gigantus and Monkey Boy, are part of a Victorian sideshow act. Their lives are hard enough, but then someone – or something – starts to pluck poor mudlark children from the banks of the Thames. Nobody else cares enough to investigate, so the case falls to Sheba and her band of Peculiars. With steampunk monsters, intrigue, and a historical flavour, this is a thrilling, fast-paced read which begs for sequels.
SJ O'Hart 