Moonlight & Ashes

Moonlight & Ashes by Sophie Masson

I Dreamed Of Going To The Ball!
   

Selena, having lost her mother at a young age, had been sent away to school. Upon returning home she finds things vastly different, most notably is the additions to her small family. Her father has remarried and her stepmother is unreasonably cruel to her, as are her stepsisters. However after years of being treated as a slave in her own home Selena discovers a magical way to attend the prince's ball, change her fate and fulfil her destiny.

Moonlight & Ashes is a Cinderella story with witches, wizards, werewolves and wishes. True love, mistaken identities, a journey, an assassination and destiny weave together to produce a story more fairytale then fantasy, a story that younger children will enjoy. However, as there are so many stories retelling, reinventing and reproducing this age old classic in new and differing ways, this particular tale unfortunately fails to stand out of the crowd.

Sophie Masson Webpage

Sophie Masson @ Random House

On sale: 02 July 2012
Price (AU): $17.95
ISBN: 9781742753799
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Selena
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: probably
Star rating: two out of five
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The Traitors

The Traitors by Tom Becker

"Think Twice Before You Betray Your Best Friend"
 

The radio message could have been a fluke, even the letter could be taken for a joke, but a giant zeppelin on an abandoned beach can not be ignored. When a stupid mistake, a thoughtless act breaks apart a friendship, the traitor must be punished, and the only way for a traitor to learn their lesson is imprisonment on the Dial.

No one on the Dial is innocent, all have betrayed someone, been a traitor to someone, and all are paying for their actions. Life on the Dial is slow, existing outside of time, and a sentence on the Dial will last years, hundreds of years in fact. But as long as there are those who are traitors there will be the Dial to punish them, with no chance of escape.

The Traitors on the Dial are all children who have committed acts of betrayal against family and friends. With the majority of betrays being petty acts and thoughtless mistakes, here there is no allowance for the young to learn by their mistakes, only a harsh punishment for actions regretted. The idea behind this story is quite intriguing however the execution is a little standard. Still, this is a prison story young boys will enjoy.

Tom Becker @ Scholastic

On sale: 01 August 2012
Price (AU): $16.99
ISBN: 9781407109527
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Dial
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: to boys
Star rating: two out of five
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Tryelle Trilogy book 1

TRYELLE:
Switched by Amanda Hocking

Home Is Where The Heart Is!

Six years after she was born her mother finally snapped. It was on her birthday, it would have been his birthday, and that one thought finally broke her mother. All these years her mothers true child had been missing or worse and it was her fault. She should not have been there, she didn't belong, she was an impostor and he was gone. But no one but her mother saw her for what she really was, no one but her mother believed in this crazy tale. At six years old she didn't believe it either, not even when her mother went at her with a carving knife.

Eleven years on and she is starting to question whether her crazy mother was right, not about the stabbing thing though but about the monster thing. A new boy at school has just shown up and what he knows about her is enough for her to question her life. Giving up all she knows and the only family that has ever loved her, her brother Matt not her mother who tried to kill her, she runs away with this new boy, after knowing him for only a day or two. Already she is willing to put her life in his hands.

Switched is a changeling story that substitutes trolls for faeries. This is a fairytale of a girl who never belonged becoming a Princess who has fallen in love with her "knight in shining armour". Although there are bad trolls after her, this is predominantly a story of love. Almost from the first instant she has been in love with her protector and for almost the entire book talked of nothing but her feelings for him. This is definitely a story for the romantics.

Amanda Hocking Webpage

Amanda Hocking @ Pan Macmillan

On sale: 01 January 2012
Price (AU): $16.99
ISBN: 9781447205692
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Trolls
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: possibly
Star rating: two out of five
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The Narrow Escapes of Ves Asirin #1

THE NARROW ESCAPES OF VES ASIRIN:

Tower Of Parlen Min by Matt Xell

Can He Escape 'The Shadow'?

Ves is a boy with no past and no memory. Before the orphanage there is no record of his life or where he came from. He himself has no memories of his life before the orphanage, nor has he any memories of the previous years, months, weeks or days. Ves suffers from a rare condition that wipes his mind clean every 10 to 15 hours. Without his scrapbook to remind him of who he is, where he is, he would not remember anything at all.

With the opportunity of a life time to visit the Tower of Parlen Min, Ves finds himself thrown into a world of new friends, extreme challenges, werewolves, witches, ghosts, murderers and a chance to win twelve million dollars in the Sword Challenge. However surviving the Sword Challenge will be nothing compared to surviving the serial killer stalking the inhabitant's surrounding the Tower.

The Tower Of Parlen Min is an epic children's story with violence, death and a lot of history lessons. For a story of a boy with a faulty memory who happens to be somewhat of a daredevil, he has no trouble remembering when he needs too. Through all the danger Ves faces and puts himself through he comes through little scathed but in a curious position. A very long and jam-packed story that's not too bad for a self published story.

eBook @ Smashwords
Ves Asirin

On sale: 23 July 2010
Price eBook (US): $2.99
ASIN: B0058EALC0
Recommended age: 14-18
In a word: Ves
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: possibly
Star rating: two out of five
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Raven Finch Book One

RAVEN FINCH:
The Curse Of The Dead Woods by Samantha Jillian Bayarr

I'm Not A Witch!

A lonely girl sits atop a tower kept prisoner by an evil witch. A witch that just happens to be her mother. When not cooking, cleaning and singing, Raven would spend her days watching the forest from her tower window as far below children she will never get the chance to meet, run and play. While she dreams of friendships with children her own age in reality her only friend a ghost who was originally called forth to frighten her but instead is afraid of sunlight.

A dangerous fall leads to a discovery that Raven has long dreamt about, but has never believed possible. So as the evil Agatha's powers are weakening, Raven decides set off to discover just what it is her witch mother is hiding from her. Through a secret passageway she finds the paths to new friendships, a magical realm and the fearful Dead Woods and it is there that she will uncover the greatest secret of all, that is if she can survive long enough.

The Curse Of The Dead Woods is a fairytale full of ghosts, kittens and fairies. While there are magical spells and treasure hunts there are also hidden secrets from the past that must be uncovered. What started out as an intriguing story soon turned into a lot of running back and forth and Raven herself spends much of the time denying the painfully obvious. Accompanied by some enchanting illustrations throughout this story there are also a few errors that could not be ignored but overall this not a bad read as a children's book.

Samantha Jillian Bayarr @ Livingston Hall Publishers
eBook @ Smashwords

On sale: 22 November 2010
Price eBook (US): $0.99
ISBN: 9781453805190
Recommended age: 9+
In a word: Dead Woods
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: to children
Star rating: two of five
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The Hero Chronicles Book One

THE HERO CHRONICLES:
The Hero Of 1,000 Years by Christine E. Schulze

A Hero Of Destiny!

Starting at a new school is not so bad when you have familiar faces waiting to great you, and not so familiar faces just waiting to be your friends. Chasmira is happy to be reunited with her old friends Tiffany and Aaron, but soon realizes how much they have all changed when Tiffany constantly disappears without question and Aaron is shown to be a mean bully. However Chasmira's many new friends assure her that all this is nothing new.

After repeatedly finding himself the victim of several deadly incidences, out of no where Arron is flung into the past and is again under attack but this time by dark warriors on black horses carrying black weapons. For some reason these warriors have decided that Aaron and his new friend Alyssa Liv are threats to their cause, that is until it is revealed that Arron is a hero, but not just any hero, he is the Hero of 1000 years, the Hero of Destiny.

The Hero Of 1,000 Years is a story of a large group of friends who also happen to be fairies and elves. A dark and evil man is out to rule the world and only Arron as the hero, along with the help of his brave friends, stands a chance at stopping this great evil. Along the way there are dances to attend, a dragon to slay and a school to save. This self published story has some errors and forgotten story threads that I assume will be picked up in the following books, but as a story of magical teens it reads more like a children's book and I think it will be more appreciated by a younger audience.

Christine E. Schulze Webpage
Paperback @ Amazon
eBook @ Smashwords

On sale: 18 September 2009
Price (US): $6.99
ISBN: 9781448689880
Recommended age: 6-12
In a word: Hero
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: to children
Star rating: two out of five
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Need #2

NEED:

Captivate by Carrie Jones

Feeling Blue!

There is a house deep in the woods hidden by glamour, fenced by iron and full of pixies. Everyday as more and more pixies show up in Bedford, Zara, Nick and her friends round up these pixies and trap them in this house. Everyday as more pixies are rounded up the house becomes more volatile, its occupants more deranged and it is only a matter of time till something gives.

Anyone can see how much in love Zara and Nick are, they are devoted to each other and nothing and no one will ever get in the way of that. Then Zara meets Astley, a pixie king. Astley is not like other pixies, at least Zara is hoping very much that he isn't because Zara is about to make a choice to step into her destiny and her only hope of survival, and of saving the one she loves, is put her trust in Astley. But you should never trust a pixie.

Captivate is a pair of green eyes that are really silver, it is a kiss that is filled with need and desire and pain. Zara has long been a normal human girl, a pacifist and strongly against all pixies, now however all that is changing. All hell is about to break lose and Zara has some life changing decisions to make, however an act of love may yet turn against her. A teen story of pixies, weres and romance that is filled with blood, danger and mythology.

Top Ten Things To Remember When Dealing With Pixies

Carrie Jones Webpage

Carrie Jones @ Allen & Unwin

On sale: 01 June 2010
Price (AU): $15.99
ISBN: 9781408807415
Recommended age: 12-18
In a word: Kisses
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: to those reading the series
Star rating: two out of five
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The Fool's Girl

The Fool's Girl by Celia Rees

How Many Shall Fall For Her!

A young woman emerges from the sea, a lone survivor from a shipwreck, onto a foreign land. To preserve her virtue she presents herself to the Duke of Illyria as a man. In this disguise many mix-ups and mistaken identities are plotted through before Viola is able to reveal her true self to Orsino, the man she loves. Thus the story of Violetta's parents is portrayed by Shakespeare. But what has Shakespeare to do with Violetta, and what is she doing so far from home in England?

The Fool's Girl is many things, Stephano's girl, Viola's daughter, Duchessa of Illyra's, but she is no Fool's Girl. I really wanted to like this book, there are so many elements that on their own are exciting and mysterious and if explored more would have been very interesting. There are pirates, politics, Shakespeare, allusions to faeries, and love. Unfortunately the end product is a story of a girl who is always protected by one shinning knight or another.

Celia Rees Webpage

Celia Rees @ Allen & Unwin

On sale: 01 May 2010
Price (AU): $16.99
ISBN: 9781408803325
Recommended age: 12-18
In a word: Viola
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: probably
Star rating: two out of five
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Murder at Mansfield Park

Murder at Mansfield Park by Lynn Shepherd

Mansfield Has A Murderer!

Things are much changed at Mansfield. Though the names are the same the characters are not and none are more changed than Fanny, for she is no longer the romantic heroine she once was, demure, innocent and poor. Fanny is now a young woman of wealth, or else she is about to be.

Mary Crawford too is altered as she now steps into the role of heroine at Mansfield, no longer the selfish, social climber after a rich husband, but instead the intelligent and kind hearted girl who has unfortunately fallen for a man who may or may not feel the same about her. Will love be found at Mansfield Park, or will murder separate a pair of lovers forever?

Murder at Mansfield Park is a tampering of Austen's classic with a new perspective given through the watchful eyes of Mary Crawford. Fans of Austin will recognise a familiar style, however the plot has moved from romance to murder and no one is above suspicion. Its Sherlock Holmes meets Jane Austen in this Regency period who-dun-it.

Jane Austen's Mansfield Park has been twisted into a story that is a bit of a let down when compared to the original. It may be unfair to make such a comparison, but when you tamper with a classic you have to expect to be compared with the original, and unfortunately in this case it doesn't quite stand up.

Lynn Shepherd Webpage

Lynn Shepherd @ Allen & Unwin

On sale: 01 April 2010
Price (AU): $29.99
ISBN: 9781742373478
Recommended age: 18+
In a word: Murder
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: possibly
Star rating: two out of five
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Headgames

Headgames by Casey Lever

You Don't Know Me!

They were told the game could bring freedom. They were warned the game could be cruel, that it dose damage. But what they were not sure of was what the game was.

For years Steven had followed Avery around school, love sick and stupid he refused to be deterred, even when Avery came right out and told him she hated him. After all this time he thought he knew her... It was the game that finally brought them together, just not in the way Steven had hoped.

When Tala perceived a threat to his friend, he automatically stepped in and joined the game, unaware of the consequences it would have for himself. The game was also to change Jude, a troubled girl dragged into the game by her half-brother Connor, who started the game with one purpose in mind.

They all had their own reasons for wanting to play the game, they all wanted something different from the game, but the game doesn't work that way, and what they would get was not what they expected. When you play with the truth, you risk pain. But is anyone ever ready to hear brutal honesty.

When a criminal, a princes, a jock, a punk chick, and a geek come together to play an innocent child's game, no one would be left unscathed. Headgames is the modern equivalent to the movie "The Breakfast Club", where everyone learns there is more to others then what is seen at face value.

 

Casey Lever @ Random House

 

On sale: 01 February 2010
Price (AU): $18.95
ISBN: 9781741663532
Recommended age: 14-17
In a word: Truth
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: possibly
Star rating: two out of five
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Post Grad

Post Grad (Film tie-in edition) by Emily Cassel

'shitshitshit'

Its the most important moment in your life and your best friend is by your side. Unfortunately your family are creating an embarrassing sceptical of themselves, just at the moment you are taking the stage to accept your diploma. Why couldn't they have forgotten all about this and just stayed at home...?

When Ryden was very young she had come up with "the Plan". It was a simple plan, do well in high school, get collage scholarship, and try not to get too drunk too often. So far in her life everything had gone according to that plan. Until the moment she was about to complete step four, and get everything she thought she wanted.

The last and most important part of "the Plan" had been to land her dream job. Unfortunately for Ryden this was the one thing she had no control over. Interview after interview had been one disaster after another. Ryden now found herself broke, unemployed and moving back in with her family.

Post Grad is not just about what happens after collage but is about life, love and figuring out what it is that you really want. There are some very funny moments, as well as some very cringe-worthy moments, and overall it's not a bad book. However it is somewhat clichéd so expect your typical Hollywood ending.

 

Emily Cassel @ Pan Macmillan

 

On sale: 01 January 2010
Price (AU): $16.99
ISBN: 9780330425001
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Life
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: possibly
Star rating: two out of five
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Drake Chronicles #1

DRAKE CHRONICLES:
My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey

There's Nothing Like A Prophecy To Make Enemies!

Solange Drake is a vampire who was born, not made. She is not the first to be born a vampire, but she is the first female to be born. A lot of people are happy about this and a lot of people are not, such as Lady Natasha wouldbe Queen of the vampires.

There is a prophecy that all the vampire clans will unite under the Queen-ship of a female born vampire. For this reason Solange's life has just become under threat by bounty hunters. However she is also being hunted by her own kind, they can sense she is about to change, become a full vampire which will take place when she turns sixteen. The change leaves her highly attractive to her own kind, as well as vulnerable and close to death.

Lucy has been Solange's best friend for as long as either can remember. Lucy has also been fighting with Nicholas, Solange's brother, for just as long. But now things are changing. Lucy may just have discovered her feelings for NIcholas, but it is at a time that she may lose Solagne forever. Can a bounty hunter be trusted so save Solange when no one else can?

My Love Lies Bleeding is a story of teen romance, with vampires thrown in for fun. There is a lot of emphases on family and friendship which is nice, but there is also a lot of inconsistencies and plot hole throughout this story. It is evident Alyxandra Harvey has a thing for romance, and any teen girl will instantly take a liking to this new series.

Violet Hills - map

 

Alyxandra Harvey Webpage

Alyxandra Harvey @ Allen & Unwin

 

On sale: 01 January 2010
Price (AU): $14.99
ISBN: 9781408803400
Recommended age: 14-18
In a word: Blood
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: possibly
Star rating: two out of five
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A Modern Faerie Tale #1

A MODERN FAERIE TALE:
Tithe by Holly Black

An Exchange That Will Turn You Green!

When Kaye was little she had friends that only see could see, everyone knew her as the girl who believed in faeries. Now, Kaye is sixteen and people still remember her as the girl who believed in faeries.

One night while walking home Kaye hears a noise and goes to investigate, and there she finds an injured boy. But he is no ordinary boy, he is a faery; a faery knight. Not long after this her old childhood faery friends, who she had long assumed make-believe, return to her asking for help.

Kaye didn't really want to get involved in faery affairs but she agrees to do all she can to help her past faery friends, even when they ask her to trust them with her life, literally. Kaye is warned also to stay away from the very dangerous faery knight, but she can't seem to keep from thinking about him, and running into him. Things are changing for Kaye, and so is she...

Tithe is a book of faery Queens, and magic, and sacrifice. But it is also a book of smoking and alcohol, and lust, and teen angst. Although there are some good ideas in this book, there is also a lot that seems stale and monotonous. I think my expectations were a little to high.

 

Holly Black Webpage

Holly Black @ Simon & Schuster

 

On sale: 01 June 2005
Price (AU): $16.99
ISBN: 9780689860423
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Fairies
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: possibly
Star rating: two out of five
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Zombie Blondes

Zombie Blondes by Brian James

Its Dead Easy Being Popular!

Hannah and her father have just arrived in a new town; it's a new start. Hannah is used to new towns and new starts, she has had to experience both numerous times, but she still does not like it.

On first impressions Maplecrest is just like any other small town you find anywhere, the same sparse shops in the main street, the same popular kids you find at every school. Hannah is sure she has this town figured out and, if she plays it right, this time she just may be in with the popular group.

However not all is as it seems, there are strange stories and warnings from Lukas, a nice but odd boy who developed a crush on Hannah, and then there is Diana, a wannabe that is interested in Hannah only if she succeeds in being popular. But will Hannah forget them both in her bid to become popular? and is it worth being popular if you wont live to enjoy it?

This is your typical story of adolescence with your everyday trials of acceptance and identity. The familiar story of the new kid at school is used to highlight the themes of friendship and belonging; and zombies... As a young adult book about adolescent themes it falls a little short. As a fictional book about zombies it doesn't quite make it for me.

 

Brian James @ Pan Macmillan

 

On sale: 01 October 2009
Price (AU): $16.99
ISBN: 9780312573751
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Zombies
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: possibly
Star rating: two out of five
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Ruby The Red Fairy - FREE

Ruby The Red Fairy by Daisy Meadows
illustrated by Georgie Ripper

'I Always Believed In Fairies'

Rachel Walker was on her way to Rainspell Island to spend a week's holiday with her parents. On the ferry Rachel meets Kirsty Tate, and the two quickly become friends.

Once on the island Rachel and Kirsty decide to explore, a rainbow that they spotted from the ferry that seems to end not too far away and the two friends set off to see if there really is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Rachel and Kirsty are surprised when they actually find a pot at the end of the rainbow, but were even more surprised to find what was inside.

Trapped inside an old upturned pot is a tiny winged girl.
A fairy.

Ruby the Red Fairy has lost her sisters, banished from Fairyland until they can be reunited; Rachel and Kirsty agree to help Ruby find her sisters so they might be able to return home to Fairyland.

Rechel and Kirsty now only have six days to find six fairies; will they find all of Ruby's sisters before their holidays come to an end?
The adventure continues in book two Amber The Orange Fairy.

A cute story that any little girl can enjoy. The only problem is that you need all seven books in the series to fully enjoy the story. It was a bit of a letdown that the story is not able to standalone.

This book arrived FREE today in the mail and anyone, in Australia, is able to get a copy.
Click HERE to see a list of participating booksellers where you are able to pick up a free copy of this book.
Or alternatively click on the fairy below to fill in a form to have a free copy sent to you.
This offer ends 30th September 2009.

 

Daisy Meadows @ Hachette Children's

 

On sale: 19 September 2008
ISBN: 9781408305072
Recommended age: 6-9
In a word: Red
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: to children, girls
Star rating: two out of five
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