In My Postbox #13

In My Mailbox idea from Kristi @ The Story Siren, and all links take you to Amazon UK.

It's been a good week this week. So many amazing books that I cannot wait to read, and in one case wish I had read sooner!

The Map of Marvels by David Calcutt.

"When Connor starts creating a map of an imaginary world for his school project he has no idea where it will lead. As he draws the outlines of the islands and the mountains, the map begins to take shape. And then there's the tower-ominous and threatening - but so necessary that without it the map would not be complete. Perhaps without the tower, the map might not even exist. But the map does exist, and so does the tower. As Connor enters the world he's created he meets others there who all have their own tale to tell. Together they travel between many worlds, on many adventures and through many stories. On their journey they encounter places and creatures beyond Connor's imagination. But he has imagined them, hasn't he? Surely this world can't be real, because if it is, his life at home must just be another story . . ."

This sounds very good. And I love the cover!

Witchfinder: Gallows At Twilight by William Hussey.

UK Manuscript Proof

"Eight pale hands - some with fingers stripped down to the bone - rose out of the earth. Slimy with rain, the rat-gnawed heads of four soldiers loomed into view. They moaned at the sky and their cry moulded itself into a word: 'FLLLLLLEEESSSSSSSSHHHHH!' The Demon Father has escaped from hell and walks among us, his trident symbol branded into the earth in countries all over the world. A scorching beacon. A call to arms. A sign that war is coming. Jake is struggling to harness his powers and live up to his reputation of the boy who closed the demon door. But now he must push all doubt aside. To stop the Demon Father Jake must change the course of history - embark on a treacherous journey deep into the past and into another dimension, filled with horror and pain. A place where innocent people are tried and tortured. A place where the law of the Witchfinder rules. Let the rushes be lit for there will be gallows at twilight."

I am so insanely excited about this book. I adore the first book in the trilogy, Dawn of the Demontide (review here) and am so honoured to have a manuscript proof. Excited to see what happens next. Thank you to Michelle Harrison at OUP for this (and for The Map of Marvels!)! :D

The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork.

UK Proof/Advanced Reader's Copy.

"When Pancho arrives at St. Anthony's Home, he knows his time there will be short. If his plans succeed, he'll soon be arrested for the murder of his sister's killer. But then he's assigned to hep DQ, whose brain cancer has slowed neither his spirit nor his mouth. DQ tells Pancho all about his "Death Warrior's Manifesto", which will help him to live out his last days fully - ideally, he says with the love of the beautiful Marisol. As Pancho tracks down his sister's murderer, he finds himself falling under the influence of DQ and Marisol, and beginning to understand that there's more to life than revenge and more to death than sadness."

This sounds so good, and I've seen that it's gotten some rave reviews!

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.

"Grace is fascinated by the wolves in the woods behind her house; one yellow-eyed wolf in particular. Every winter, she watches him but every summer, he disappears. Sam leads two lives. In winter he stays in the frozen woods, with the protection of the pack.n summer, he has a few precious months to be human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again. When Grace and Sam finally meet they realize they can't bear to be apart. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human - or risk losing himself, and Grace, for ever."

Really looking forward to reading this. A few of my friends have read it and recommended it to me before, but I just never got around to it. I love the cover. The feel of it. It's just really cool.

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater.

"In SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in LINGER, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping dangerous secrets. For Sam, it means grappling with his werewolf past ... and figuring out a way to survive the future. But just when they manage to find happiness, Grace finds herself changing in ways she could never have expected..."

Sequel to Shiver, so shall be reading this as soon as I've finished that! Again, such a cool cover. Has an eerie feel to it.

Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve.

"FEVER CRUMB is a stunning, stand-alone prequel to Philip Reeve's brilliant science fantasy quartet. It is set many generations before the events of Mortal Engines, in whose dazzling world huge, predatory cities chase and devour each other. Now, London is a riot-torn, ruinous town, clinging to a devastated landscape and hiding an explosive secret. Is Fever, adopted daughter of Dr Crumb, the strange key that will unlock its dangerous mysteries?"

I actually haven't read anything by Philip Reeve, shamefully I dare say! But this sounds amazing. And I love the cover art. Very much looking forward to reading this one!

A Web of Air by Philip Reeve.

"Two years ago, Fever Crumb escaped the war-torn city of London in a travelling theatre. Now she arrives in the extraordinary cratr city of Mayda, where buildings ascend the cliffs on funicular rails, and a mysterious recluse is building a machine that can fly. Fever is the engineer he needs - but ruthless enemies will kill to possess their secrets. The fabulous sixth book in the Morta Engines series, from the brilliant and award-winning Philip Reeve."

See above for what I said about Fever Crumb. Applies to A Web of Air also! Plus this is the sequel to Fever Crumb so I shall be reading this after! Sounds brilliant though!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

"Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. But Katniss has been clse to death before—and survival, for her, is second nature. The Hunger Games is a searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present. Welcome to the deadliest reality TV show ever..."

WHY HAVE I NOT READ THIS BEFORE?! ARGH! What a waste of time I have had not loving this series. Now I have read it however I am in love. Just... WOW! You can read my review here Possibly the longest review I've written to date! Ha!

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.

"After winning the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen returns to her district, hoping for a peaceful future. But Katniss starts to hear rumours of a deadly rebellion against the Capitol. A rebellion that she and Peeta have helped to create. As Katniss and Peeta are forced to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. Unless Katniss and Peeta can convince the world that they are still lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying... The terrifying sequel to The Hunger Games."

Reading this now, and LOVING it! Expect a review as soon as I'm finished! So excited for Mockingjay!!!!

Thank you to Steven at Scholastic for the last 7 books listed before you today! (The Last Summer of the Death Warriors through to Catching Fire!) I am so thankful! So grateful! And thank you for introducting me to The Hunger Games! :D

The Saga of Larten Crepsley: Birth of a Killer by Darren Shan.

UK Proof/Advanced Reader's Copy.

"Following the massive success of the Demonata series, Darren Shan is back where it all started – telling the life story of the vampire Larten Crepsley. Spanning centuries and continents, taking in sea voyages, murder, war and love, this is the epic, bloodsoaked tale of a vampire who started out a nobody… and ended up changing the world forever. When Larten escapes the terrible workhouse in which he toils, he doesn’t know that he is running from an early death… into another kind of transformation. After meeting the mysterious vampire Seba Nile while sheltering for the night in a crypt, Larten finds himself drawn into the shadowy world of the vampire Clan. As he travels and learns, Larten finds himself enjoying the adventure he has always dreamed of, seeing a world beyond any he suspected in his poverty-stricken youth. But Larten begins to discover something else, too. Much like death, becoming a vampire is something you can’t come back from…"

ARGH! It's Darren Shan!!! Need I say more? I don't think so. So excited to read this! Thank you to Jessica at Harper Collins for this! :D

So there you are. That's what I got this week. Would just like to take another opportunity to thank all the publicists (not just those who have sent me books this week) for their outstanding generosity! You guys are amazing and I am so grateful and honoured!

Hope everyone has a great week! :)