Daughter Of Smoke And Bone #2

DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE:
Days Of Blood And Starlight by Laini Taylor

The War Is Over, But The Fight Has Just Begun!

Akiva had once told Karou that he thought he would always find her, and no matter what he thought he still believed that. Then he found the thurible with her name on it and almost lost all hope of ever seeing her alive again. Almost, but to believe in Karou was to believe in hope, and he could never give up believing in Karou.

The war was over and the monsters had lost. Thousands were killed in the last final battle and now the last survivors were dying, being captured as slaves and hunted to extinction. The only salvation for these chimeras are held with a small group of rebels brought back to life by a traitor resourectionist and lead by a tyrannical murderer. But with new life there comes a message of hope.

Days of Blood and Starlight are filled with uncertainty, death and hard choices. A story of war, in which the dream of peace was gone, so far out of reach that it seemed now an impossibility, a childish dream of fools. An epic tale of a world destroyed and lives rebuilt, of monsters, murder, secrets and hope. A tragic tale of a girl of two worlds and no place where she belongs. This unique series is wonderfully complex and continues to enthral.

Laini Taylor Webpage

Laini Taylor @ Hachette
Daughter Of Smoke And Bone

On sale: 01 November 2012
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9781444722680
Recommended age: 15+
In a word: Resurrectionist
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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The Colours Of Madeleine #1

THE COLOURS OF MADELEINE:
A Corner Of White by Jaclyn Moriarty

Letters Through Worlds!

A girl in the world has found a corner of white. The edge of a letter hidden within a crack in the world. The crack is actually in a parking meter and the letter is from outside the world. Or so it would have her believe. But the more letters that arrive the more she might believe, for her world is not as it should be, not at all as she wants it to be and the letters from another place are the only thing that will help her believe in the impossible and save her from her loneliness.

A boy outside the world in a far away kingdom has been travelling for sometime but has yet to find what he is seeking, that is until he discovers a corner of white. The edge of a letter hidden within a crack in the kingdom, a crack that just happens to be in a sculpture his friend made that sits within his schools grounds. At once he believes in the world, and what he learns from the world will help him to uncover a truth, and save him from his wanderings.

A Corner Of White brings hope and changes lives. A crack in the world will help to bring colour, acceptance and friendship to an otherwise grey and desolate life. A crack in the kingdom will help bring order, knowledge and family to an otherwise chaotic and unpredictable life. A charismatic, witty and touching introduction to two worlds, to lives, connected through colour, loss and the words of a stranger through a crack in the world.

Jaclyn Moriarty Webpage

Jaclyn Moriarty @ Pan Macmillan

On sale: 01 October 2012
Price (AU): $27.99
ISBN: 9781742611396
Recommended age: 13+
In a word: Colours
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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Fantasy Art Journal

Fantasy Art Journal

"My Mind Is My Weapon... And A Mind Needs Books"

A place where dragons are rescuers, where trees talk, rings are all powerful and where anything you can believe in can become reality. This is a world where anything you can imagine can be unleashed with more then enough space to give home to all those creative ideas, thoughts, dreams and wishes.

Fantasy Art Journal is a charming and inspiring journal filled with a number of fantasy quotes that will stir your imagination. Comprising of blank, lined an graph pages, this journal will support you in any creative endeavour whether that is through writing, sketching, planning or any other form of creative expression you could think of. This is a special journal you should treat yourself to or buy for that someone special.

@ Thames & Hudson

On sale: 01 March 2012
Price (AU): $19.95
ISBN: 9781908150516
Recommended age: 16+
In a word: Journal
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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The Night Creatures - book two

THE NIGHT CREATURES:
Angel Arias by Marianne de Pierres

A Song Of Freedom, A Call To Danger!
 

Naif has spent her whole life following the rules, restricted in her thoughts and actions. All that changed however during her stay on Ixion, she changed, but she was not the only one. Not only had she discovered freedom on Ixion, she had discovered a horrifying secret. But to uncover its meaning she first has to discover the link that exists between Ixion and Grave. Only then will she find the truth behind the Night Creatures.

Torn between a her greatest fear and a desire to save those she loves, Naif finds herself back in the place where she grew up and, like herself, nothing is the same. With only two days to find a way to stop a war, save her friends and discover a pirates traitor, Naif goes deep undercover and underground as she uncovers more then she ever bargained for. But discovering the truth is just the start, what she does with that truth with change her world.

Angel Arias sing out through the air waves calling to all who are lost, restless or looking for escape. With an ever present threat of danger, non stop action and endless excitement is found new horrors and tragic revelations. Grave robbing, secret meetings, alliances, betrayals and constant threats from wardens are just the beginning in a tale that continues to impress and capture those who are drawn to the dark.

Marianne de Pierres Webpage

Marianne de Pierres @ Random House

burn bright

On sale: 03 October 2011
Price (AU): $18.95
ISBN: 9781742751016
Recommended age: 16+
In a word: Grave
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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The Mall

The Mall by S. L. Grey

 

Shop Till You Drop, Literally!
  

It was supposed to be a quick trip to the mall, make the deal, score a hit and get back before anyone noticed that she, and the kid she was looking after, were missing. But after returning from her dealer to Only Book, the store she left the kid waiting in while she made her transaction, she discovered the kid had disappeared.

A run in with mall security should have been just what she needed, they would find the kid and she could leave, however they are not as helpful as she hoped. Worse still they are threatening to call the cops and with the stash in her pocket there is no way she is going to risk getting taken in. To find the kid she is going to have to take matters into her own hands.

When he left for work that morning he never imagined his day would end being held at knife point by a drugged up girl, forced to search behind the scenes at the mall for a kid that has probably already been found is long home by now. But as the detour through the mall becomes more and more dangerous and surreal, he realises he has more important things to worry about.

The mall became a labyrinth, it shouldn't have been possible, he knew the mall and none of these turns and corridors existed. But here they were being chased by monsters in the dark, stumbling over dismembered mannequins and being confronted by a distorted version of reality. Suddenly getting out is not a question of how by why.

The Mall is a gritty, raw and provocative story that turns society inside out and strips it down to expose its discarded, scared and rotting core. Through drugs, violence, consumerism and days spent in a nightmare world on the run for their lives, Rhoda and Dan discover that the life they once had is no longer the life they wish to lead. A thought provoking and chilling read.

S. L. Grey @ Allen & Unwin

On sale: 01 August 2011
Price (AU): $29.99
ISBN: 9781848878860
Recommended age: 18+
In a word: The Mall
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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The Flight Of The Silver Vixen #1

THE FLIGHT OF THE SILVER VIXEN:
The Flight Of The Silver Vixen by Annalinde Matichei

An Action Of Impulse, Or Divine Intervention!

These are not your average teen hoverbikers. These blondes and brunettes are tougher, smarter and more fearless, though some might argue reckless, then your average hoverbikers. Determined to pull of the biggest jink ever these joy-riders have decided to swoggle the Navy's new and experimental space-craft the Silver Vixen. However when a simple turn into orbit becomes a speedy getaway through an aethyr crease these seven simple hoverbikers soon find themselves changed.

Far from home these teens are no longer an anonymous gang of misfits; the crew of the Silver Vixen have, through necessity, established order into their ranks. Most notably is the newly appointed Captain Antala who is as dashing as she is fearless, but more importantly is Mela, the wise and regal Princess of the Blood Imperial. However these titles are little more then formalities until a life preserving action taken by this crew leads to far flung consequences on a strange, yet oddly familiar new world.

Flight Of The Silver Vixen is more then just an intemorphic space odyssey, it is an epic adventure of danger involving space pirates, corrupt politics, demons and a band of teens who find themselves accidental heroines. An all girl aethyr adventure on a planet where both sexes are female, this unique and compelling story holds alien terms, spiritual beings, philosophical thoughts and an appearance by a strange race of beings who possess both female and males sexes. This rare and exhilarating book is undeniably a must read.

Annalinde Matichei @ The Sun Daughter Press
Paperback @ Amazon
eBook @ Amazon

On sale: 24 March 2011
Price (US): $14.99
ISBN: 9780615464794
Recommended age: 16+
In a word: Daughter-Knights
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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Yellowcake

Yellowcake by Margo Lanagan

Short And Sweet!

The smell of a rose brings back a lost past; golden strands lead a prince to rescue his lover; two sisters are given an icy reception; a mother ascends to angelic status in front of her sons eyes; a daughter takes over the family business; a boy will discover the brutally in the workplace. This is just a taste of some of the tales that are waiting to be consumed within this delicious book.

This offering of short stories is an interesting mix of something's sweet, something's sour and other things bittersweet. For within these ten stories are weaved a wide variety of ingredients including elements of fairy tales, Bible stories, myths, fantasy and science fiction. But while some stories may leave you felling unsatisfied, others are a delight to devour, standing out for their slices of originality, their quickly capturing taste and their shore fire recipes of timeless themes.

Yellowcake is a collection that clearly highlights the differing forms of a short story, accentuating a wide variety of themes, subjects and styles. Each story presented is as unique in its language as it is in its writing style and is recommended for more mature readers due to its complexity in both. With the nature and form of short stories being here expand there is plenty to contemplate, however there is work to be done in drawing out each stories meaning, but easily grasped in each story is the emotional reactions they evoke.

Margo Lanagan Webpage

Margo Lanagan @ Allen & Unwin

On sale: 01 March 2011
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9781742374789
Recommended age: 15+
In a word: Short Stories
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: possibly
Star rating: three out of five
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Quantum Encryption - Book One

QUANTUM ENCRYPTION:
Path Of The Stray by Kim Falconer

Back To The Start!

21st Century Earth is a stark and depressive place where the airs polluted filled with smog, the seas are filled with death and the lands are barren, tainted. Despite this Luka Paree and Janis Richter are discovering that together they are able to create new life and a hope for the future of Earth, however their actions will affect worlds.

It seems the only way to survive on this changing Earth is to work for ASSIST, but working undercover Ruby must live with the fear of discovery, if her Lupin heritage were to be exposed, if her witchcraft were to be found out, even her womanhood places her in danger. However with little animal life left on Earth the newly born Lupins are in danger of discovery, but even on Gaela their presence has not go by unnoticed.

Jarrod has also been left alone in a new world with only instructions to wait, they would come for him when it was safe, someone would come, but that could take days, years or centuries. So while in Gaela Jarrod might as well make the most of it. However his encounter with Tryn and her mysterious familiar will set of a chain of events that will lead Jarrod farther then he expected while changing Tryn's life forever.

Path Of The Stray leads to self discovery, a new home and a willingness to risk everything to save Jarrod and with him Earth. For those who have followed Rosette through the corridors between worlds and navigated the portals of time this story will take you back to where it all began. An epic story that seamlessly mingles science and technology with sociology, environmentalism, philosophy, and magic. A unique series that must be read.

Gaela - map

Kim Falconer Webpage

Kim Falocner @ Harper Collins

On sale: 01 August 2010
Price (AU): $22.99
ISBN: 9780732291396
Recommended age: 18+
In a word: Ruby
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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The Night Creatures - book one

THE NIGHT CREATURES:
Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres

Beware, Burn Too Fast And You Might Burn Out!

Retra is a girl sealed of from the world living in a guarded and restrictive community where information is withheld, rules are strict and punishments are a common occurrence. With even her thoughts and feelings denied she knew she could survive because she had her brother, but then one day her brother ran away.

Naif is a girl awakening to a new world of pleasure and freedom, uninhibited by parents or rules she is discovering a side of herself she never knew existed. But more then that she is discovering the dangers of Ixion. In the dark all senses are heightened and along with enjoyment comes a very real sense of fear, not just of the unknown but of the dangers that comes only with living in the dark.

Burn Bright is a decidedly dark and decadent story of a utopian paradise layered over a richly delicate and dangerous world of secrets, pirates and dark creatures. A provocative and intoxicating story of a girl breaking through the naivety of childhood and entering the seductive world of adulthood, a world filled with sex, drugs, music and of cause night creatures. An Enthralling read that questions societies morals and individuals actions wrapped in a beguiling cover.

Marianne de Pierres Webpage

Marianne de Pierres @ Random House

burn bright

On sale: 01 March 2011
Price (AU): $18.95
ISBN: 9781864719888
Recommended age: 16+
In a word: Ixion
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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The Land Of Elyon Book 1

THE LAND OF ELYON:
The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman

If I Could Talk To The Animals!

Twelve year old Alexa has spent her whole life confined within the city walls of Bridewell longing to see more, longing to explore a world beyond the walls. But the walls were built to protect those living in the city, they were built to keep the dangers out and it was against the law to leave. But what if the real danger was not outside the walls but within?

Alexa would spend her days in the city playing as a spy, hiding in the shadows. Then when she discovered a key, a secret passageway and a magical stone suddenly she wasn't playing any more. Things were getting very dangerous, and admittedly also very exciting, when a mystery reveals a traitor in there midst. But who would be willing to risk lives and how can one small girl stop them?

The Dark Hills Divide Bridewell from its criminal past, a past that cannot be ignored any longer. Through ingenuity, circumstance and a little help from her friends Alexa is able to not only solve a dangerous mystery but also bring about a change in her city that sees a better future for everyone. At only twelve years old this little heroin has a lot more adventures ahead of her.

Land of Elyon - map

Patrick Carman Webpage

Patrick Carman @ Scholastic

Patrick Carman's Land Of Elyon

Land Of Elyon @ Scholastic

On sale: 01 March 2005
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9780439700931
Recommended age: 9+
In a word: Alexa
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: yes
Star rating: three out of five
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Wintercraft Book 1

WINTERCRAFT:
Wintercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw

Crossing Over To The Dark Side!

Albion was a country at war. It was a war that had been going for so long that no one knew why it had started and few alive could remember a life without it. But war wasn't the only threat. Kate had always been taught to be prepared for the wardens, but it had been ten years since they had come to her town of Morvane and too many had become complacent. So no one was prepared when the wardens returned.

But with the wardens came another threat, Silas Dane, a deadly killer and a man determined to hunt down Kate for her Skill. Silas has been sent to capture Kate for the Albion council and retrieve the book Wintercraft, a powerful tool that is deadly in the wrong hands. However, Silas has his own plans for Kate and Wintercraft.

Silas destroyed Kate's home, sold her uncle into slavery and kidnapped her. But he also saved her life several times over, never once broke his word to her and from the beginning was always truthful with her. Unlike Edgar, her best friend who along with her uncle she considered her only family. Kate soon learns that Edgar has been keeping secrets from her, BIG secrets, and not just about his past. Is she really any safer with her best friend Edgar then she is with the deadly killer Silas?

Wintercraft is a powerful object and deadly in the wrong hands. Kate was just an ordinary girl with a quiet life until the day her Skill showed itself, and her magical heritage was revealed. A dark twist onto the magical girl genre where a unique and ancient world is created full of dangers and the dead with a mystery to unfold. A fast-paced adventure across country into a deadly city and across the veil into death.

Jenna Burtenshaw @ Hachette

Wintercraft

On sale: 01 June 2010
Price (AU): $16.99
ISBN: 9780755370962
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Skilled
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: probably
Star rating: three out of five
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Quantum Enchantment - Book Three

QUANTUM ENCHANTMENT:
Strange Attractors by Kim Falconer

Times Have Changed, But It's Not The End Of The World!
Or Is It?

If you think time is simple, set moments in history moving ever forward towards the future, then you best think again. The future can affect the past just as easily as the past can create the future. Time is not fixed, events are not random, anything is possible and nothing is for certain. But everything depends of your perspective.

Rosette had died but she had also come back from death, her and her child. So when someone she loves most dearly, the most important person in all the worlds is lost and all but dead she refuses to give up hope in recovering them, even if it means her life. But she has another life to think about, that of her child.

The past and future are about to collide with the present as consequences of Everett's past decisions are only now just beginning to be felt; Rosette's stubborn determination may mark the beginning of a war that had long ago been fought; and the actions of one with good intentions may lead to the downfall of not only the Earth, but all the many worlds.

Evolving from the story of a young girl orphaned under tragic circumstances, this story has morphed into an ensemble cast of many characters, creatures and worlds all juggled masterfully together. Strange Attractors brings about the conclusion to Rosette's story by creating an utterly unique and thrillingly complex story of magic and science as you've never read before.

Gaela - map

Kim Falconer Webpage

Kim Falocner @ Harper Collins

On sale: 01 February 2010
Price (AU): $22.99
ISBN: 9780732287733
Recommended age: 18+
In a word: Changed
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: to those reading the series
Star rating: five out of five
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