The Medici Seal by Theresa Breslin

Author: Theresa Breslin
ISBN # 0385610203
Publisher: Doubleday
First Published: 2006
485 pages

Blurb:
Fleeing from the murderous brigand Sandino, Matteo - a young boy - is saved from drowning by the companions of Leonardo Da Vinci. From this moment on, Matteo is at the Maestro's side as he carries out his work, which ranges from the painting of magnificent frescos to intricate dissection of the human body. But Leonardo is employed by Cesare Borgia, head of one of Italy's leading families. Cruel and ruthless, the Borgia punishes without mercy those who oppose him or who threaten him in any way. And as Da Vinci and Matteo travel across Italy on the Borgia's business, murder, deceit and revenge follow in their trail. For Matteo carries with him a secret - a secret that both the Borgia and Medici families would kill to obtain. A life-changing secret that must, finally, come to light for all to see.

Review:
Theresa Breslin is one of the most highly respected writers fro children and young adults working in Britain today and it’s easy to see why! The historical framework of The Medici Seal has been meticulously researched so that fictional characters sit comfortably alongside actual historical figures and does it so well that you can’t see the join. This story has everything you could possibly want; murder, mystery, secrets, action, drama, love, hate and all that lies in between. It’s superbly written and Breslin has a flair for bringing the characters and the era vividly to life, so that the reader is instantly plunged into the heady atmosphere of 16^th Century Italy and the life and adventures of a young boy taken into the household of the famous Leonardo Da Vinci. It’s a tale of finding one’s-self and one’s place within the world – a voyage of discovery that will lead Matteo back and forth across a country torn apart by war. If you love reading, you will love this book – trust me, you want to read it!

Rating: 8

Freeglader (Rook 3) by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Author: Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
ISBN #0552 554286
Publisher: Corgi
First Published: 2004
413 pages

Blurb:
Fleeing from the ruins of Undertown, Rook Barkwater and his colleagues - the librarian knights, Felix Lodd and his banderbear friends - must lead the escaping population to a new life in the Free Glades. But perils aplenty are ahead for the crowd - not to mention some goblins with plans of their own - This is a dramatic and exciting conclusion to the Rook Barkwater sequence that takes the reader on a thrilling journey across the Edgeworld.

Review:
Undertown is no more, New Sanctaphrax has been destroyed and the Mire has all but been washed away – life on The Edge has changed drastically and those who have survived have to make their way to the Free Glades at the heart of the Deepwoods. But the journey is arduous, and there are those whose ambitions lie in enslaving the new Freegladers. Rook will face his biggest challenge yet as he fights for freedom and uncovers the truth of his mysterious past. Both compelling and inspiring, this is a fitting end to the Rook Trilogy.

Rating: 7

Vox (Rook 2) by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Author: Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
ISBN # 0552554278
Publisher: Corgi
First Published: 2003
395 pages

Blurb:
High in the crumbling Palace of Statues, oily Vox Verlix - nominally the Most High Academe but no more than a prisoner in reality - is brewing a terrible plot to destroy the goblins and the shrykes at a stroke, leaving him free to take over once again. Rook Barkwater, a young librarian knight, stumbles upon the truth when he is taken captive and forced to work for Vox. But can Rook foil Vox's plan and save the lives of his librarian colleagues? This is a dramatic and menacing new adventure, illustrated throughout with marvellously imaginative black and white illustrations.

Review:
Scurrilous schemes abound in the second book in the Rook Trilogy, as Vox Verlix, Most High Academe, hatching a cunning plan that could destroy New Sanctaphrax and Undertown, and it’s up to Rook and the Librarian Knights to foil his evil plans… if they can. This is a striking sequel with an explosive plot that is guaranteed to entertain!

Rating: 7

The Last of the Sky Pirates (Rook 1) by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Author: Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
ISBN # 055255426X
Publisher: Corgi
First Published: 2002
379 pages

Blurb:
Rook Barkwater lives in the network of sewer-chambers beneath Undertown, the bustling main city of the Edgeworld. He dreams of becoming a librarian knight - one of those sent out to explore the mysteries of their world. Somewhere out there lie the secrets of the past - including the lost floating city of Sanctaphrax - and, maybe, hope for a future free from the fear of tyranny. When his chance comes, Rook grabs it! Breaking all the rules, he sets out on a journey to the Free Glades and beyond. His luck and determination lead him from one peril to another until, buried in the heart of the Deepwoods, Rook encounters a mysterious character - the last sky pirate - and is thrust into a bold adventure that dares to challenge the might of the dread Guardians of the Night.

Review:
Years have passed since we last visited The Edge and it is a far different place now – stone sickness has stopped virtually all flight and the once-great Sanctaphrax is no longer home to scholars and knights. In these dangerous times, the Librarian Knights live hidden lives in the sewers below Undertown and their young librarians must face a hazourdous trek across the Mire, through the bewitching Twighlight Woods and into the heart of the Deepwoods to reach the Free Glades, where they will be trained to become Knights. But there is one who can still sail the skies – the last Sky Pirate – who may be able to change everything. This entrancing tale of a young boy finding his way in a confusing world is spellbinding and dramatic and an excellent addition to the wonderful Edge Chronicles.

Rating: 8

Midnight Over Sanctaphrax (Twig 3) by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Author: Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
ISBN # 0552554243
Publisher: Corgi
First Published: 2000
368 pages

Blurb:
'Sanctaphrax will be destroyed by the energy of the mother storm...' Far over the Edge, the Mother Storm is brewing - a storm more terrifying than any seen in the lifetime of any Edgelander. Sweeping in from the open sky, it must strike the source of the Edgewater River to bring new energy to the land. But in its way is Sanctaphrax - a magnificent city built on a floating rock and tethered to the land by a massive chain...Only one person can save the Edgelands from certain disaster: Twig, the young sky pirate captain who had dared to sail over the Edge - but returned with his memory shattered and his crew flung far and wide. But to recover his memory and take action, Twig must first find his lost crew. And this means a journey back into the Deepwoods - and beyond...

Review:
Twig has grown up a lot since Stormchaser and he is now a Sky Pirate Captain with his own Sky Ship, but when he leads a voyage over the Edge – a place where no-one has dared to go before – little does he realize the chain of events it will set in motion, changing the lives of him and his crew forever! This third book in the Twig Trilogy is as action-packed and enthralling as all the others have been and is a fitting end to the trilogy… or is it really the end?

Rating: 7

Stormchaser (Twig 2) by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Author: Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
ISBN # 0552554235
Publisher: Corgi
First Published: 1999
394 pages

Blurb:
Since his childhood in the Deepwoods, young Twig has always longed to soar above the forest canopy and explore the sky. Now a lowly crew-member on his father's sky pirate ship, the Stormchaser, his dream seems fulfilled. But a much higher destiny awaits Twig as plots and treacheries from many years ago bring the lofty city of Sanctaphrax - home of the Edgeworld's most learned academics - to the point of disaster. For the city is built on a giant rock, floating high in the sky, its future balance dependent on stormphrax - a valuable yet extremely volatile substance obtained only from the heart of a Great Storm at the very instant it unleashes its most intense power. And only a ship such as the Stormchaser could risk entering the Storm...

Review:
Since Twig found his father, his life has changed dramatically and his adventure continues not on the ground where he has spent his whole life, but high above the clouds on his father’s Sky Ship, living his dream! Their quest to collect stormphrax – a substance that will keep the city of Sanctaphrax from floating off into Open Sky – is difficult and dangerous, but Twig rises to the challenge. But this adventure may be more perilous than any of the crew could ever have imagined as they venture into the heart of a Great Storm and find that the Twighlight Woods may be more than they bargained for! This is gripping stuff!

Rating: 7

Beyond the Deepwoods (Twig 1) by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Author: Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
ISBN # 0552 554227
Publisher: Corgi
First Published: 1998
284 pages

Blurb:
Young Twig lives in the Deepwoods, among the woodtrolls, but he isn't one of them. In a brave attempt to find out where he truly belongs, Twig wanders into the mysterious, fascinating and sometimes hazardous world beyond the Deepwoods. In his travels he encounters myriad peculiar creatures, like his wise guardian, the caterbird; the slaughterers, a peaceful race who butcher animals for their livelihood; and the vicious, bile-swilling rotsucker. Always mindful of the Gloamglozer, whose presence haunts the thoughts of all the inhabitants of the Edge, Twig pursues his quest until he discovers his roots, not among the trees, but in the skies. With his new allies, the sky pirates, Twig prepares to embark on his next adventure.

Review:
This first book in the Twig Trilogy is a story about being different and, no matter how hard you try to fit in, still standing out from the crowd. The Deepwoods are fraught with danger, but that doesn’t stop our hero, Twig, setting out on a perilous journey of self-discovery; making terrible enemies and wonderful friends of all shapes and sizes along the way. It’s both heart-stopping and heart-warming, and absolutely enchanting. A great start to a new trilogy.

Rating: 7

The Winter Knights (Quint 2) by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Author: Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
ISBN # 0552551260
Publisher: Corgi
First Published: 2005
416 pages

Blurb:
In the great floating city of Sanctaphrax, blizzards howl through the streets as the Edgeworld descends into an endless winter. Quint, the son of a sky pirate, has just begun his training at the Knights Academy - training that involves heading out over the Edge on tethers to develop his flying skills. But when Quint breaks the rules and head out to Open Sky on his own, he runs into the great sky leviathan known as a cloud-eater, and must use all his skill and ingenuity if catastrophe is not to strike the Edgeworld...

Review:
Sanctaphrax is gripped in a seemingly never-ending winter and it’s up to Quint, newly enrolled in the Knights Academy, to follow in his father’s footsteps and take the helm of a great Sky Ship and avert disaster. This is every bit as exciting as The Curse of the Gloamglozer, filled with thrills and spills on every page. The illustrations are delightful and the story is so well-written that the reader is instantly transported to a world of floating rocks and strange creatures that control the weather.

Quint’s adventures will continue in Clash of the Sky Galleons.

Rating: 8

The Curse of the Gloamglozer (Quint 1) by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Author: Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
ISBN # 0552564251
Publisher: Corgi
First Published: 2001
380 pages

Blurb:
In the floating city of Sanctaphrax, fusty old professors scheme and bicker with each other as they study the weather in minute detail - mistsifting, fogprobing, researching the air blowing in from beyond the Edge. But some experiments are best left alone...Quint is the son of a sky pirate captain. He arrives in Sanctaphrax at the request of Linius Pallitax, the Most High Academe, who needs an apprentice he can trust to carry out a series of highly important tasks. Just how important, Quint is about to find out as he and Linius's only daughter, Maris, are plunged into the midst of a terrifying adventure that takes them deep within the rock upon which Sanctaphrax is built.

Review:
Seldom does one come across an imagined world so fully formed as the one portrayed in The Edge Chronicles! This first book in the Chronicles introduces the reader to the magnificent floating city of Sanctaphrax – a place where the study of the sky and weather are of the utmost importance – and its quirky inhabitants. But the most learned and respected professor of them all – the Most High Academe – is about to take science too far in his quest for knowledge, and it is up to his daughter, Maris, and his young apprentice, Quint (the son of a famous Sky Pirate), to find out what terror he has unleashed!

This is a heady adventure and the inventiveness of the authors rivals that of Terry Pratchett. Beautiful line drawings illustrate the action, capturing characters and locations to perfection – there’s even a handy map in the front of the book! This is a must-read start to the Quint Trilogy.

Rating: 9

Cold Granite by Stewart McBride

Author: Stewart McBride
ISBN # 0007193149
Publisher: Harper Collins
First Published: 2005
581 pages

The Blurb:
It's DS Logan McRae's first day back on the job after a year off on the sick, and it couldn't get much worse. Four-year-old David Reid's body is discovered in a ditch, strangled, mutilated and a long time dead. There's a killer stalking the Granite City and the local media are baying for blood. If that wasn't enough, Logan also has to contend with a new boss, DI Insch, who doesn't suffer fools gladly and thinks everyone's a fool, and his own ex-girlfriend, the beautiful but chilly Isobel MacAlister, who also happens to be the chief pathologist. The only good news is WPC 'Ball Breaker' Watson, Logan's new guardian angel. The dead are piling up in the morgue almost as fast as the snow on the streets, and Logan knows time is running out. More children are going missing. More are going to die. If Logan isn't careful, he's going to end up joining them. Set in Aberdeen, where the rainy season lasts all year, criminal gangs vie for supremacy on the streets and the oil industry brings an influx of wealth and vice, this is a gritty, powerful and page-turning debut thriller by a writer with a wonderfully observant eye and a characteristically Scottish sense of gallows humour.

Review:
I’ll admit I was already looking forward to reading this long before I picked it up as the Posh Club monthly reading choice, as not only had one of my colleagues recently read and recommended it to me, but it’s set in Aberdeen – the city I live in and love. The descriptions of the city initially seem very negative, with the grey buildings and perpetual rain sounding incredibly depressing, but then again, the story is set during the run-up to Christmas when it is particularly dark and dreary. Everything felt comfortably familiar – the streets were all known to me, the pub where the coppers drink after work is one where my sister used to work and the main character appears to live in my old flat – yet the crimes committed throughout the story were disturbing and the tension is kept high throughout the proceedings.

There were one or two red-herrings that I thought were fairly obvious, but then I subscribe to the “if there’s a gun on the wall in act one, someone has to fire it by the closing scene” school of thought and I found I could easily pick out the moments that were going to smack the inspector in the face later on. However, for once I didn’t completely solve the case myself, which made a refreshing change (yes, I love getting to feel clever when I work everything out, but I can’t help feeling like they often make it all too easy and dumb-down a lot lately).

The only thing that was blatantly missing from this novel was the seagulls – Aberdeen is overrun by mobs of oversized seagulls that dive-bomb you for you chips on the way home from the chipper on the corner (or, sometimes, just because they feel like it!) and they were never once mentioned, whereas anyone who lives in Aberdeen will tell you that dodging the gulls and avoiding the oily, stinking splat of bird poo is part and parcel of living in this fair and shining city.

As a debut novel, Stewart McBride has done incredibly well with Cold Granite – the plot and characters are engaging, and the wry Scottish sense of humour is evident throughout the tautly-written prose. I shall certainly be getting hold of his second novel to see how it measures up against his first.

Rating: 9

Captives by Tom Pow

Author: Tom Pow
ISBN # 0552555479
Publisher: Corgi
First Published: 2006
222 pages

The Blurb:
Even in his wildest nightmares, Martin could never have predicted what would happen when his family sign up for two day's trekking in the National Park during their holiday on the beautiful island of Santa Clara. They've barely set off when their car is waylaid and Martin, his parents and another family are stopped at gunpoint and bundled into a lorry that heads for the dense forest. The captives are pushed to their physical and emotional limits as they are forced further into the wild terrain, away from any possible rescue. But during their ordeal, the hostages come to understand something of the harsh political backdrop to life on Santa Clara, and the events that have shaped the lives of their captors and fuelled their actions. Martin discovers deep feelings for Louise, the other teenager caught up in the nightmare, only to have to watch her growing love for Eduardo, the youngest hostage-taker. "Captives" is a wonderfully-written, deeply-engaging story about ten people thrown together under extraordinary circumstances and with devastating consequences - a story that will resonate with the reader long afterwards.

Review:
Scottish author, Tom Pow, has attempted something unusual with Captives; using two different approaches within one novel (half the story is told in diary form, the rest as a normal novel) and really manages to pull it off quite well. This story of being caught up in the conflict of another country and seeing things from multiple perspectives is engaging and harrowingly realistic, and the portrayal of two families torn apart by tragedy expertly drawn. It’s a challenging novel aimed at young adults who will easily identify with the characters of Martin and Louise, who are thrust into a nightmare of swirling emotions and physical danger. It does, however, drag a little in places with the changing in styles, which hampers progression and this is a little frustrating at times.

Rating: 6

Ithaka by Adèle Geras

Author: Adèle Geras
ISBN # 0552547999
Publisher: Corgi
First Published: 2005
405 pages

The Blurb:
While Odysseus is slowly making his way home, overcoming terrible obstacles sent by the gods, his wife Penelope does not know whether he's alive or dead. How long will she be able to withstand the pressure of the numerous suitors who seek her hand (and Ithaka) - and will she remain as faithful as mythology states, or might she fall in love with one of them? The vivid colours of life on the abundant island of Ithaka are evoked with magic and warmth, as Penelope and those around her tell their own incredible stories. Interspersed with wonderful verse retellings of Odysseus' adventures, this is a thrilling novel with a contemporary feel.

Review:
It’s not often that you come across such a treasure of a book as this - Ithaka tells the story of the women left behind after the end of the Trojan War, rather than charting the adventures of the men caught up in the action. The changing relationships between the characters play the most important part in the unfolding events and this richly-woven tapestry of a tale is brought to life with great skill. This is easily one of the most appealing books I’ve read all year.

Rating: 8

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riorden

Author: Rick Riorden
ISBN # 0141319135
Publisher: Puffin
First Published: 2005
375 pages

The blurb:
The gods of Olympus are alive in the 21st Century. They still fall in love with mortals and have children who might become great heroes, but most of these children meet horrible fates at the hands of monsters by the age of twelve. Only a few learn the truth of their identity and make it to Half Blood Hill, a Long Island summer camp dedicated to training young demigods. Such is the revelation that launches young Percy Jackson on a quest to help his real father, Poseidon, avert a war among the gods. With the help of Grover the satyr and Annabeth the daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction - Zeus' master bolt. Along the way, they face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop them. Most of all, Percy must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend.

Review:
This first in the excellent Percy Jackson and the Olympians series opens with a bang and continues at a frantic pace, grabbing you with both hands and dragging the reader along for the adventure of a lifetime! This is an exciting, funny and wonderfully entertaining promise of good things to come, bringing the gods of ancient Greece bang-up-to-date and incorporating the old myths and legends into the story in a way that is accessible to all, whether or not the reader has prior knowledge of them. This is a rip-roaring adventure that will delight young readers and encourage them to find out more.

Rating: 8

The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) by Lemony Snicket

Author: Lemony Snicket
ISBN # 0749746114
Publisher: Harper Collins
First Published: 1999
162 pages

The blurb:
Dear Reader,
I’m sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune…

Review:
To tell the truth, I was expecting great things from this book and already had plans to get hold of the entire series to read. Shortly after picking up this book, I changed my mind. The author has seen fit to include words in the story that will challenge a young reader and then adds a little bit explaining the word with another challenging word, which I find rather condescending -which here means patronising (see, I bet you don’t like it either!). The characters are not endearing in the slightest and the plot is all detailed on the back of the book, so if you’ve read all that (I only included part of it at the top of the review here), you may as well save your money and not bother. Highly disappointing.

Rating: 6

The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde

Author: Jasper Fforde
ISBN # 0340897104
Publisher: Hodder
First Published: 2005
398 pages

The Blurb:
It's Easter in Reading - a bad time for eggs - and no one can remember the last sunny day. Humpty Dumpty, well-known nursery favourite, large egg, ex-convict and former millionaire philanthropist is found shattered beneath a wall in a shabby area of town. Following the pathologist's careful reconstruction of Humpty's shell, Detective Inspector Jack Spratt and his Sergeant Mary Mary are soon grappling with a sinister plot involving cross-border money laundering, the illegal Bearnaise sauce market, corporate politics and the cut and thrust world of international Chiropody. As Jack and Mary stumble around the streets of Reading in Jack's Lime Green Austin Allegro, the clues pile up, but Jack has his own problems to deal with. And on top of everything else, the Jellyman is coming to town...

Review:
I’d been avoiding Jasper Fforde because someone had stupidly said “If you like Terry Pratchett, you’ll love Jasper Fforde,” and the last time that happened, I had the terrible Tom Holt inflicted upon me – my eyes may never forgive me for that. However, I’d been hearing about the new Nursery Crime Division series and it intrigued me, so I thought I’d give it a bash.

Not only does this adhere to the quaintness of fairytales, it really does work as a whodunnit! I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard this year as I did while I was reading this book. It’s cleverly written with an intricate plot and wonderfully warm characters that seem like old friends, but have been painted with a modern brush and brought into the real world. This is something quirky, fun and utterly original, and I can’t sing Jasper Fforde’s praises highly enough. Since I borrowed this from a very kind friend, I know I’m going to have to get my own copy and then get hold of all Fforde’s other novels (there’s a second NCD one and also the higly-acclaimed Thursday Next series) to add to my permanent collection, as I’ll be returning time and again to this one.

Rating: 8

The Tale of the Miller's Daughter by JoSelle Vanderhooft

Author: JoSelle Vanderhooft
ISBN # 1411690931
Publisher: Papaveria Press
First Published: 2006
71 pages

The Blurb:
In a world gone to flames, the miller's daughter must guess his name. Based on the story of Rumpelstiltskin, this sharp, dark tale of a girl and the creature who offers her assistance is a finely woven tapestry of daughters, fathers and lovers and the breaking of the threads that bind them.

Review:
The old stories are always the best - here, JoSelle Vanderhooft has taken the well-loved tale of Rumplestiltskin and turned the tale on its head to create something entirely new and fresh. Keeping the style of a traditional fairytale, the miller’s daughter has finally been given a voice to tell her side of events. This dark, gothic retelling has real bite and is completely engrossing and the shorter length really works to its advantage, giving an air of urgency, but also of completeness. Immensely satisfying, this is a treat you shouldn’t miss!

Rating: 8

Vampire Mountain by Darren Shan

Author: Darren Shan
ISBN # 0007114419
Publisher: Collins
First Published: 2001
162 pages

The blurb:
Darren Shan and Mr Crepsley make a long and dangerous trek to the vampire's stronghold in the mountains. The trek is a test of skill and endurance one which sees Darren's vampire nature develop, and a new understanding of the mysterious blue-robed servants of the sinister Mr Tiny. Gavner Purl makes a welcome return when he joins Darren and Mr Crepsley, but they face more than the cold on their way to the vampire princes - the vampaneze have been there before them...Will Darren's meeting with the Vampire Princes restore is human nature, or turn him further towards the darkness...

Review:
It’s been a little while since I read the first three books in this gut-wrenching saga, but the stories have stayed fresh in my memory as they were just so well-written – this continued the tale in fine tradition, picking up where the last left off. Shan has a way of plunging the reader straight into the action, creating a whirlwind of mad activity, getting you sitting right on the edge of your seat, and then leaving you dangling with a tremendous cliffhanger that has you begging for more!

In Vampire Mountain, Darren (the character) has done a lot of growing up (not that you could tell if you looked at him, as he hasn’t physically aged much in the eight years he’s been a half-vampire) and his frustration at being stuck as a teenager is something with which all teens can relate (who didn’t wish they were an adult already when they were 14?) and watching him suffer through the trials and tribulations as he struggles to gain acceptance within the vampire community mirrors the problems we all face when we’re young – Shan has a way of capturing those feelings and whacking them all down on the page so that it al makes a strange kind of sense.

I can’t wait to get hold of the rest of the series – I know I’ll be racing through them all, dying to find out what happens next!

Rating: 8