Stung Book 1

STUNG:
Stung by Bethany Wiggins

Marked As A Monster, But Seemingly Unchanged!

Fiona has awoken in a place that is instantly recognizable to her, but into a world that she has never known before and in a body that she has never seen before. Her last memory is of a thirteen year old self, but now she wakes to see an almost grown woman reflected back to her in the mirror. Years have passed and Fiona has no idea what has happened to her during that time, nor what happened to the desolate world she has awoken to. But more worrying is what has happened to her twin brother, that he has changed so much, now more monster than human and focused on her demise.

The world has fallen apart and it is all because of the bees. The bees were dying and with them the crops that they pollinated, the animals that relied on those crops, and the humans who also began to starve. To save them all scientists created new bees, genetically modified bees whose stings were deadly, unfortunately to humans too. A cure to the bees was produced but with drastic side effects, those who didn't die changed. Those unaffected built a safe haven, a walled sanctuary, while monsters roamed the ruins of the city, and Fiona has awoken on the wrong side of the wall.

Stung brings the bee flu virus to the word, devastating all life and changing the world as we know it. A hard and unfamiliar world of violence and death but one where hope may yet survive and love may still blossom. Outside the wall everyone, everything is a killer, within the wall it is not much safer. As one girl fights for her survival she carries with her more than just determination and strength, she carries hope and a cure. An intriguing start to this first novel filled with the stench of sewers, the blood of violence and the expectation of romance.

Bethany Wiggins Webpage
Bethany Wiggins @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 01 July 2013
Price (AU): $15.99
ISBN: 9781408840665
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Bees
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: probably
Star rating: three out of five
xx

The Twin's Daughter

The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

But Which Sister Is Which?

Part I. In which an aunt is introduced. It was quite a shock for Lucy to see her mother on the doorstep, dressed so poorly. It was quite another shock to learn that this was not her mother at all but a sister, a twin, which no one had ever known existed. What could they do but invite her in, accept her as one of the family, and once living among them educate her in the ways of the upper-class.

Part II. In which a new friend is made. Lucy is not accustomed to other young people in her life, being an only child and almost always surrounded by adults. But meeting her new neighbours and their son Christopher, or Kit as he is known, has given her the opportunity for friendship. Something that she is very much thankful for after the tragic incident on New Year's Day, the murder of a twin.

Part III. In which love is declared. It is only after Kit has left to take up his commission and serve in Africa, do Lucy and Kit declare their love for each other, both knowing that there is every possibility that Kit may not return alive. It is also a time of great changes in Lucy's home life, ever since the murder her father has been changed, over eating, drinking more, taken up smoking, it is little wonder at the consequences of these actions.

Part IV. In which the truth is finally revealed. Lucy, convinced that she knows the identity of the surviving twin, has come to terms with the events of that horrific New Year's Day, where she stumbled upon the bloody scene of the twins, one dead, one alive. However after a slip of the tongue, Lucy must admit she is no longer sure and so takes drastic action to uncover once and for all the events of that tragic News Year's Day and learn which twin survived.

The Twin's Daughter has her world shaken upside down when she can no longer recognise her own mother from her identical aunt. Lucy's sheltered childhood, with only her mother for a friend, and wealthy upbringing has done little to educate her in the ways of the world, her knowledge of such things coming only from books. A story of jealousy that slowly builds into a murderous mystery, culminating in a dark, twisted ending in which happiness is found.

Lauren Baratz-Logsted @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 01 February 2014
Price (AU): $12.99
ISBN: 9781599906614
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Twins
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: yes
Star rating: three out of five
xx

The Wall

The Wall by William Sutcliffe

"Which Side Are You On?"

Despite only living in Amarias for the past four years, the imposing presence of the Wall was not something Joshua thought about every day. Not when he had a bully for a stepfather and no friends to speak of. For Joshua, this walled city was a strange place to live, with its quiet, patrolled streets and uniform buildings, he was hard pressed to find anything or even anyone, he liked in this town. Since moving to Amarias all he has ever wanted was to leave, and then one day Joshua finds a tunnel that leads him under the wall and what he sees on the other side will change his life.

The Wall segregates all those who are different, all those who are dangerous, from those who belong. But as Joshua soon learns, the world is not always black and white and not everyone outside the Wall is an enemy, just like not all those within the Wall are safe to be around. This is not the story of a revolution, the Wall will not crumble and the world will not be changed by the actions of one person, however one person's world will be forever changed. A story of one boy, the Wall that divides and a hope for the future.

William Sutcliffe @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 01 May 2013
Price (AU): $22.99
ISBN: 9781408838426
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: The Wall
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
xx

Guest Post - Hidden: Writing After Cancer

Blog Tour - Hidden

Writing After Cancer
Guest Post by Marianne Curley

  

Writing After Caner

I was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer just weeks after finishing the final revisions for The Key. The doctor put me in hospital immediately for a stem-cell bone marrow transplant. I had only weeks to live.

Thankfully, the transplant was a success, but during my third week in hospital I experienced a fall onto my back, and because the chemotherapy treatment made my bones brittle, the fall was devastating. I lost three vertebrae and quite a few inches in height. I couldn’t concentrate because of the chronic pain, and the medication they gave me to ease the pain made me sleepy.

The first year after the fall and transplant I could do little but recover slowly and build my strength up again. I had to be careful of germs and watch how I moved for fear of the pain that would sear through my back and down my legs with every movement.

Eventually the crushed bones of my vertebrae settled into place and the number of tests I needed for my transplant reduced to once every three weeks, allowing me to make the seven-hour trip home to Coffs Harbour. During this first year at home, combined with the return trips to the hospital every three weeks, I couldn’t hold my concentration long enough to write squat.

But I was grateful to have made it through the transplant, thrilled to be alive and I couldn’t wait to get back into writing. I struggled through my sleepiness to write two manuscripts over four years. Unfortunately, they haven’t made publication, but they showed that I could write. It was a matter of hitting on the right topic, creating the best characters and producing a strong, vibrant story.

So how has my battle with cancer affected my writing? I would have to say it has made me more determined to succeed, and it has given me an insight into life that not everyone gets to experience (thankfully!)  Cancer also helped me feel a whole gambit of emotions, from utter despair and hopelessness to a sense of utopia and nirvana. I now have an insight into some of life’s hardest experiences, fears and deepest emotions, which has created a rich and profound well of memories to draw from.

 

Follow the Hidden blog tour on facebook @
Hidden Facebook page.

Find out more about the book Hidden @
Hidden Bloomsbury Australia page.

 

The Avena Series #1

THE AVENA SERIES:
Hidden by Marianne Curley

She's Such An Angel!

Taken at birth and hidden away from all who love her, Ebrielle is unaware of who she is, what she is capable of and how much danger she is about to bring to those around her. Given a new name and new life on earth, Ebony has grown up in an overprotective family surrounded by sheltered peace, until the night she sneaks out to go to a party, meets a boy and uncovers a truth that will change her life.

Josh's life has been anything but peaceful. Orphaned at a young age he has experienced more loss and hardship in the last sixteen years then most have in their whole lives, and now just when he has met a girl that could be the one, he finds his short life is about to end. However as one deal is made to save his life, another may be made to bring it to an end.

Hidden is the story of an angel, a demon and a human boy all fighting it out for the love and life of a girl with violet eyes and untold powers. As the forces of good and evil turn earth into a battle field, one girl is trying to figure out who she is, what she wants and where she belongs. The beginnings of a new angel series that is sure to please.

Marianne Curley Webpage
Marianne Curley @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 01 March 2013
Price (AU): $15.99
ISBN: 9781408822623
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Ebony
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: yes
Star rating: three out of five
xx

Google Hangout & Giveaway - Hidden

Blog Post - Hidden

Marianne Curley Google Hangout
& Giveaway

Hidden Google Hangout

Hidden by Marianne Curley is out today and Bloomsbury Australia has put together a Q&A with the author Marianne Curley.
Watch and enjoy!

Hidden Giveaway

For those lucky enough to be in Angel Place in Sydney today, Bloomsbury Australia's own Angels will be giving away copies of Hidden to celebrate its launch.

Follow the Hidden blog tour on facebook @
Hidden Facebook page.

Find out more about the book Hidden @
Hidden Bloomsbury Australia page.

 

Dance Of Shadows #1

DANCE OF SHADOWS:
Dance Of Shadows by Yelena Black

A Ballet That Transcends!

As a freshman in her first year at the New York Ballet Academy it should have been impossible for Vanessa to be cast as the principal dancer in the upcoming ballet, but Vanessa has a talent for dancing, even if she lacks the passion for it. However Vanessa came to New York for more then dancing, she came to walk in the footsteps of her missing sister Margaret, to dance where she danced and to hopefully discover the truth of what happened to her.

Vanessa is consumed by two mysteries, her sister and the dance. It was the ballet her sister was meant to dance and now the part is hers, Margaret is the reason Vanessa dances, her motivation to go one when she no longer feels the will to. But when she dances she forgets everything, only the dance matters, the erratic, chaotic dance that is somehow linked to her sister. As her dancing improves she comes ever closer to discovering what happened to her sister, but will it be enough to find her.

Dance Of Shadows combines ballet with the supernatural, where dance opens a portal to another world and a ballet of love, loss and danger mirrors life. Like the dance, Vanessa is erratic in her thoughts and chaotic in her actions as she is drawn deeper into the mystery of her missing sister and driven closer to discovering the secrets of the ballet La Danse de Feu. With two leading men and supporting friends this dance is sure to please the romantics at heart.

Yelena Black @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 12 February 2013
Price (AU): $15.99
ISBN: 9781408829974
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Vanessa
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: yes
Star rating: three out of five
xx

Guest Post - Dance Of Shadows: Sisterly Love

Blog Tour - Dance Of Shadows
 
Sisterly Love
Guest Post by Yelena Black

 

Sisterly Love

There is nothing like the relationship between siblings. They can be incredibly close, or completely distant. Your sister or brother can be your best friend, or even your worst enemy. (I’m thinking specifically of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? or even, to a slightly lesser extent, the character of Louise and June in Gypsy.)

The bond between siblings is undeniable. Although I don’t have a sister, I do have an older brother … and often times he is my refuge and companion when my parents are acting crazy and I don’t what to do, or when something bad—or extremely wonderful—happens in my life. We have a special connection, and I wanted to write about a character who also had that kind of connection with her older sister. (I.e. explore a happier sibling dynamic than the ones in the above-mentioned films.)

In Dance of Shadows, Vanessa’s older sister Margaret is also a dancer—and she goes missing from the New York Ballet Academy, the very same school that Vanessa is about to attend. For Vanessa, Margaret was the person she always looked up to: she was a caring, kind sister and a talented dancer. She and Margaret were extraordinarily close, so when Margaret disappeared, it broke Vanessa’s heart.

Vanessa doesn’t want to believe that Margaret is dead, and so finding out what happened to her sister gives Vanessa a drive, and raises the stakes for her—she must find out what happened to Margaret because she cares about like her no one else does in the entire world.

In my own life, I have seen friends come and go, relationships begin and end … but family is always there, for better or for worse. This is true in Vanessa’s case as well, and it is why I wanted to include sisters in my story. Vanessa’s love for Margaret is what drives her passion and her sense of curiosity … and I hope it drives yours as well when you read the book!

 

Dance Of Shadows

 

To uncover the mystery behind Margaret's disappearance
and discover more diary entries visit the
Dance Of Shadows Facebook page.

To find out more about the book Dance Of Shadows
and its author Yelena Black visit the
Dance Of Shadows Bloomsbury Australia page.

  

Guest Post - Dance Of Shadows: Margaret Alder's Diary Entry

Blog Tour - Dance Of Shadows
 
Margaret Alder's Diary Entry
Guest Post by Yelena Black

Where is Margaret Alder?

  

Not too long ago, Vanessa was informed that her sister Margaret had run away from the New York Ballet Academy. The school said Margaret left NYBA because of all the pressure, but Vanessa knows that her sister wouldn't give up on her dreams like that.

After driving down to New York City to look for her, her parents found pages of Margaret's diary in her dorm room. Vanessa is convinced that if she can find more of these entries she will discover something about her sister's disappearance.

  

Margaret's Diary

  

Dear Diary,

Another day, another creepy exchange with Anna and Chloe. They pointedly were doing their warm-up stretches right behind me, talking loudly. (They are about as subtle as bricks, these two.)

Anna:         You know, I’d really love to have some light reading.

Chloe:        You mean like a novel?

Anna:         Maybe. Or, you know, a, like, reality book.

Chloe:        Oh, you mean like a journal!

Anna:         Right. Like a diary! The one I’m thinking of would be covered in, like, orangey leather, and have a tiny little locked clasp.

Chloe:        Locks like those, you just look at them funny and they pop open.

Anna:         Or you drop them on the ground, and oops! The clasp broke!

Chloe:        You may as well post your innermost thoughts on a blog.

Anna:         Or Facebook.

Chloe:        Because really? There’s no such thing as privacy.

There’s only one way they could know about you, Diary. I am going to kill Maddy.

xoxo

Margaret

Dance Of Shadows
  

     

To uncover the mystery behind Margaret's disappearance
and discover more diary entries visit the
Dance Of Shadows Facebook page.

To find out more about the book Dance Of Shadows
and its author Yelena Black visit the
Dance Of Shadows Bloomsbury Australia page.
  
 

Throne Of Glass #1

THRONE OF GLASS:
Throne Of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

"Her Past And Future Were Seated On A Glass Throne"

As Adarlan's greatest assassin she was the best, no one got near her, no one could stop her, no one - save a select few sworn to secrecy on pain of death - knew who she really was. Then her world was shattered, she was betrayed, captured and had spent the last year in the death camp otherwise known as the Endovier Salt Mines. The last thing she ever expected was to be rescued from hell by the son of the man who had sent her there to rot.

The King was holding a contest to find a Champion. With the entrants put forth by the courts council little more then thieves and assassins, what better way for Crown Prince Dorian to get back at his father then to enter the one person his father loathed, the girl Celaena Sardothien, better known as Adarlan's Assassin. But in doing so he would start a chain of events that will forevermore shape the future of his kingdom.

Throne Of Glass is a position of power in a kingdom that is broken, defiled and subjugated. As a powerful king seeks only more power, an assassin will be the only hope for a land in turmoil, for a people enslaved, for friend in need. In this addictive world of murder, magic, politics and secrets is an engaging story of an unlikely heroine. The first in a thrilling new series.

Sarah J. Maas Webpage

Sarah J. Mass @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 01 August 2012
Price (AU): $16.98
ISBN: 9781408832332
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Celaena
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
xx

The Wombles

The Wombles by Elisabeth Beresford

Meet The Wombles Of Wimbledon!

Living under Wimbledon common and keeping the greens clean and tidy are a family of Wombles. For years it has been their duty to collect, clear and recycle any and all manner of things we messy humans leave behind. Form scarves and umbrellas to buses and cement trucks, the Wombles have managed to reuse and borrow all that they need. But it's not just at Wimbledon where Wombles can be found.

The Wombles introduces these much loved creatures to a new generation of young readers. With their mini adventures, various foods and capacity for finding the lost and discarded, these delightful Wombles will have you laughing along with them in their various antics. A much loved story that children of all ages will adore.

Elisabeth Beresford @ Bloomsbury Australia
The Wombles

On sale: 11 December 2010
Price (AU): $13.99
ISBN: 9781408808375
Recommended age: 4+
In a word: Womble
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
xx

Fracture

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Death Can Be So Attractive!

Dying is nothing like they say it will be. It's not peaceful and painless; it hurts and is scary as hell. But once a person is dead they are supposed to stay dead, there is no coming back after 11 minutes of death. So how then did she survive? There is no evidence of the brain injury she should have sustained being so long without oxygen, there is no evidence of anything being wrong with her, at least none that will show up on any tests. But she is different, and there is something wrong with her.

Waking from a coma she should never have lived through, everything has changed. No one understands what's she's been through, what she's still going through, no one that is but Troy.  Attractive, mysterious and a little bit dangerous, Troy knows all too well what it is she is going through having been through something similar himself. But the secrets he is keeping are more then just dangerous, if she's not careful they just may be the death of her.

Fracture is part thriller, part supernatural and part romance rolled into a tale of family, friendship and death. As relationships are tested, trust is betrayed and hearts are broken, from the moment she fell through the ice and felt her life slip away her life has been irrevocably fractured. And if she is to begin to put the pieces of her life back together again she is going to have to want to live, and fight to stay alive.

Megan Miranda Webpage

Megan Miranda @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 12 February 2012
Price (AU): $15.99
ISBN: 9781408817391
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Death
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: yes
Star rating: three out of five
xx

The Scariest Thing of All

The Scariest Thing Of All by Debi Gliori

I'm Not Afraid!

When a scared little rabbit one day finds himself all alone in a scary place hearing scary sounds, he makes a most shocking discovery. The scariest thing of all is not a gobbler blowing bubbles, not a vast hisster weaving its web, not even a giant wood troll thumping its teeth. The scariest thing of all is not at all what you'd expect.

The Scariest Thing Of All is a fun and exciting children's tale that will enchant it's young readers not only with it's tale of scary critters but also with its cute and shadowy images. This sweet and haunting little story will show that no matter how little one is, there is nothing scary about 'things'. A scary little tale that isn't really that scary at all.

Debi Gliori Webpage

Debi Gliori @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 01 December 2011
Price (AU): $22.99
ISBN: 9780747599692
Recommended age: 2-6
In a word: Scarry
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
xx

After Obsession

After Obsession by Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel

After Obsession Comes Possession!

Aimee's greatest fear is that her mother was crazy and like her mother she is crazy too. At night her dreams are filled with warnings, visions of things to come. Her touch has the power to heal others wounds. But is it all real or all in her head? Is she really being haunted by her dead mother, is her best friend really being possessed, does The River Man really exist?

Alan's worst nightmare was moving to a town where football was all but none existent. But thing just went from bad to worst when the girl he liked already had a boyfriend, his cousin acted increasingly out of character and his athletic abilities were causing more problems then they were solving. But he soon realizes that there are more important things to worry about, like the man in the river.

After Obsession comes possession and with that the end of all. A dark presence has always existed in the river, it was The River Man that took Aimee's mother all those years ago, The River Man who now threatens the life of Alan's cousin. But with an evil so ancient, what chance do a couple of teens have to save a loved one when no one else in town is willing to believe The River Man exists?

Carrie Jones Webpage
Steven E. Wedel Webpage

Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 01 October 2011
Price (AU): $15.99
ISBN: 9781408818275
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Possession
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: probably
Star rating: three out of five
xx

Haunting Violet

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

I Don't Believe In Ghosts!

Violet always knew there was no such thing as ghosts, a fact that she could never admit with her mother being a medium. Mediums were another thing she never believed in, after all the years she spent assisting her mother in seances and readings she had just assumed that all mediums were frauds like her mother. But then one day Violet saw a ghost and everything she believed changed.

This was to be the most important reading of her mothers career with only the most important people in attendance. Who knew that a real ghost would show up to spoil everything. However it's not just the dead who are causing mischief and keeping secrets. There is a murder afoot and the one person who knows their identity is a girl made mute by her brutal murder.

Haunting Violet are a number of spirits, some more friendly then others, a guilty conscious, an unknown future and a new love. With a few well chosen words and a handful of parlour tricks, Violet and her mother have made a living at comforting and consoling the wealthy of London, and all at a price. A trip back in time to when propriety and social standing were all important and catching a murder could be scandalous. A great romantic ghost story.

Alyxandra Harvey Webpage
Alyxandra Harvey @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 01 August 2011

Price (AU): $15.99
ISBN: 9781408811313
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Spirits
Re-read it: probably
Recommend: yes
Star rating: three out of five
xx

Fallen Grace

Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper

Grieved, Mute And All Alone!

Grace and her older sister Lily lost their mother at a young age, before that they had lost their father. Alone in the world the girls had been sent to an orphanage and when older to a workhouse, but now they were living on their own making what they could selling watercress in one of the poorest areas in London.

It had always been Grace's responsibility to look after Lily, who now almost seventeen was still as unable to care for herself as she was when a child. Grace and Lily had left the workhouse and all it's horrors behind them, or so they had thought until Grace could no longer deny what was to be the outcome of her short stay there. And so, grieved and emotional, Grace found herself at Brookwood Cemetery with two business cards placed into her hands.

When the worst came to worst and Grace and Lily were forced from their home, Grace determined not to see her sister or herself resorting to living in the streets. She tried unsuccessfully to contact Mr Solent, the man who had given her the first business card. When that had failed she reluctantly took up the second black edged business card. She had been offered a job once, working for a funeral business.

It was not a position Grace was comfortable with but the Unwin family had agreed to take in Lily also, and although the sisters were to be separated Grace was only pleased they would both have food, clothing and shelter for the quickly approaching winter. However unbeknownst to Grace, the Unwin's had motives of their own for taking in the young girls.

Fallen Grace is a historical novel depicting life in London for both the poor and the wealthy, discriminating against neither as a poor beggar on the streets could be as much a thief as the wealthy in their posh houses, or worse. Amongst death, grief and greed Grace shines as a strong and vulnerable character able to tell a story that is fast paced, well thought out and all her own. A story full of deceptive actions, heartbreaking decisions and, if she's lucky, happy endings.

Mary Hooper Webpage

Mary Hooper @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 27 June 2011
Price (AU): $15.99
ISBN: 9780747599128
Recommended age: 14-18
In a word: Grace
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
xx

The Folk Keeper

The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley

'There Is A Price You Pay For Power.'

As Corin, Corinna has been able to trade her time and chores for skills and spells. This was essential to her plans, for only as a boy could she become educated and only with education could she become a Folk Keeper. At a young age Corinna learnt that only through power over others could she obtain what she wanted and what she wanted was the cold and dark place where she belonged.

For years Corinna kept her secrets; her secret knowledge, her magic abilities, her convictions that kept her through the tough times. Everything that made Corinna who she is was hidden behind the façade of Corin. But then one day a Lady arrived at the orphanage to fetch her and take her to a new home, here the hard and disciplined Corin is stripped away and only the vulnerable and stubborn Corinna is left behind.

The Folk Keeper is a beautifully unique story of a girl searching for her place in the world. Written with poetic language and a descriptive style, this complex story is full of vivid characters, mystery, charm and charms. A tale of transformation, homecoming and murderous plots; this story is just another reason why Franny Billingsley is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.

Franny Billingsley Webpage

Franny Billingsley @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 01 April 2011
Price (AU): $15.99
ISBN: 9781408813195
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Corinna
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
xx

Chime

Chime by Franny Billingsley

'Witches Are. Witches Do.'

Briony is not like other girls, the things she has done, the secrets she is hiding. Her sister Rose also has her fair share of secrets despite what people may think of her. Rose is special, different, people may look at her and think her simple, but they don't know her. They don't know that underneath she is perceptive and bright, they don't know that there is a reason Rose is the way she is and that reason is Briony.

Briony has done things, wicked things, things she is not proud of but being a witch wicked things will happen. When a flood swept through her home, when a fire destroyed her library it was all her doing, as is what comes next. Even though in some ways Briony's life has changed, including the arrival of Eldric, nothing can save Briony from being what she is, a murderess and a witch.

Chime Child offers the only hope of saving Briony from the gallows, but a witch has no chance of survival. Briony is a girl lost in who she believes she is and who she wants to be, as she struggles with her identity she also struggles to find a place where she belongs. This is a story of a girl that subtly blends Old Ones, danger and love in an engrossing tale of mysteries, memories and murder. A uniquely memorable and thoroughly enjoyable tale that is a must read.

Franny Billingsley Webpage

Franny Billingsley @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 01 April 2011
Price (AU): $22.99
ISBN: 9780747583813
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Witch
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
xx

Need #3

NEED:

Entice by Carrie Jones

Follow The Rainbow!

Nick may be dead, carried off by a Valkyrie to the mythical halls of Valhalla, but that doesn't mean that Zara is going to let him go. Zara will give anything to get him back, already she has given up her humanity but if her quest is to succeed more will be lost, lives will be sacrificed. Selfishly she risks all to get back her protector, her warrior, her boyfriend, but will he want her now that she has been kissed by a pixie?

What started out as a way for her to gain access to Valhalla and retrieve her soul mate Nick has for Zara become more then she anticipated. Zara had thought it would be simple, kiss Astley, become a pixie, rescue Nick. But now things are more complicated. Zara is a Queen with responsibilities to her pixies as well as Astley, her King. Astley has given all to see Zara's needs filled, even at the expense of his own heart. However, whether she admits to it or not Zara is also loosing a little of her heart to Astley.

Entice is a Pixie Queen turning others to her need, a blind desire to get back what was taken, despite the cost. For Zara, Nick's death was the excuse needed to turn her to her destiny, towards Astley and her future as a Pixie. Zara and Astley have a bond that is undeniable so even if she succeeds in finding Valhahha and rescuing her beloved Nick things can never be the same. The next instalment in this teen romance is a roller-coaster ride of danger, myth and magic.

Top Ten Things To Remember When Dealing With Pixies

Carrie Jones Webpage

Carrie Jones @ Bloomsbury Australia

On sale: 01 January 2011
Price (AU): $15.99
ISBN: 9781408810446
Recommended age: 12-18
In a word: Valhalla
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: to those reading the series
Star rating: three out of five
xx