The Fever Code gets a cover!

I am so excited for James Dasner's The Fever Code! It serves as the second prequel to his hugely successful The Maze Runner trilogy, with the first prequel, The Kill Order, published a few years ago. Now, Dashner is set to show how the maze itself was built as that is what The Fever Code focuses on. Even the newly released cover shows that, looking eerily similar to the cover of the first book, only with the maze looking like a construction site. It looks great and I can't wait! It's out September 2016! Only 9 months to go!

James Dashner's Mortality Doctrine gets UK home

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner marks the start of a new series, or trilogy should I say, entitled The Mortality Doctrine. Set to be published in the US by Dashner's long-term publisher Random House. And it has just been announced that Random House UK will be publishing the series over here in Blighty, and not Chicken House who published his last trilogy, the awesome Maze Runner trilogy.

I for one am very excited about this and it sounds like Random House are too. They're going to be publishing it in October alongside the US publisher so thankfully there are no massive waits! Buzz! I hope they keep the US cover too. It's so cool. And hardback please Random House! Thank you! :D

"An all-new, edge-of-your seat adventure from James Dashner, the author of the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series, The Eye of Mindsis the first book in The Mortality Doctrine, a series set in a world of hyperadvanced technology, cyberterrorists, and gaming beyond your wildest dreams . . . and your worst nightmares.

Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it’s addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?

But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he’s holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific—the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer’s motives are a mystery.

The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker. 

And they’ve been watching Michael. They want him on their team. 

But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can’t even fathom—and there’s the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever."

The Maze Runner movie gets official release date!

So. We've got a Divergent movie coming out next March. Amazing. I cannot wait! Of course there is Mockingjay Part 1 in November. Brilliant. Any more of my favourite books want to be adapted into a movie and released at some point in 2014? Oh... Wait... What is this? The Maze Runner... Hell yes! I love this trilogy, the first book in particular is amazing. And it has now officially been announced that the movie will come out (in America anyway, hopefully the UK release won't be that different...) on 14th February 2014! That's right. Valentine's Day.

I for one am pretty damn excited. If done right, it could make an amazing film! Bring it on!

James Dashner's new book gets a cover!

HELL YES!!!!! WAHOOOO!

Now I am officially excited!

I loved Jame's last trilogy, The Maze Runner, which consisted of The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials and  The Death Cure and I am looking to get around to the prequel, The Kill Order pretty soon! But on to new things... James has a new trilogy that he's working on and the first book is out on 8th October in the US of A. No word on a UK release but fingers crossed. I shall just import a copy anyway! Good old Book Depo!

It's called The Eye of Minds and it is the first book in The Mortality Doctrine. What an amazing series name, eh? I love it! It looks like this...

Amazing! And it sounds like this...

"An all-new, edge-of-your seat adventure from James Dashner, the author of the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series, The Eye of Minds is the first book in The Mortality Doctrine, a series set in a world of hyperadvanced technology, cyberterrorists, and gaming beyond your wildest dreams . . . and your worst nightmares. Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it’s addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway? But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he’s holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific—the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer’s motives are a mystery. The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker. And they’ve been watching Michael. They want him on their team. But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can’t even fathom—and there’s the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever."

Cannot wait!!

The Death Cure by James Dashner [Review]

Written by: James Dashner.
Published by: Delacorte (US) / Chicken House (UK).

Format: Hardback.

Released: 11th October 2011.

Rating: 4/5.

Official synopsis: "Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.

What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine. 

Will anyone survive the Death Cure?"

I'll be honest, I'm writing this just half an hour after finishing the book, and whilst I freaking loved it, there is a big sense of disappointment for me. The book had me hooked the whole way, that's a given. It's action packed. Taught and the writing is fluid. But then the ending... Whilst good... Argh. I just can't explain it. It wasn't what I was expecting, and while I suppose it is a natural ending, it just happens. There's no explanation. No revelation. It just happens. 

So many questions that I'd hoped would of been answered are left hanging. Maybe we'll just never know their answers...

But for the main part I loved this book. As I've already said, it is so action packed. I think the book benefits from the fact that the Trials are over. At points in the previous two books, The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials, there were moments where it dragged slightly, thanks to the Trials being run by ever omnipresent WICKED.

And speaking of WICKED, they never fail to amaze me. Yet again, they seem to grow more twisted, more sinister. More sick. There were moments in The Death Cure that had me gasping for breath, and even made me feel repulsed. Janson, or Rat Man as the Gladers know him is the worst. A truly horrible character... The character development, again is lacking, but with this series, it's not really about the characters. It's more about the plot, and the destination.

Cranks are getting worse. The Flare is spreading far faster and wider than WICKED could of anticipated, and time is running out. They're nearing the end of their testing, and have nearly completed the blueprint that will end it all. They're nearing on a cure, or so they claim. But they need just one last thing, one piece of the puzzle to make it all complete. The Final Candidate. Thomas. 

Some of the scenes, the images, the descriptions and actions in this book are so chilling. One, near the end made me squirm a little and actually made me pause for a bit.

One moment in the book though, actually made me chuckle. I'm not sure it's meant to, but I couldn't help myself. The image that I created in my head was just hilarious... Maybe if you read the book you'll know which bit I mean, but I actually had to put the book down and laugh. 

Overall, an enjoyable end to the series. I was going to dive straight into the prequel, The Kill Order, which came out earlier this week, but I think I need a bit of time away from the world of the Maze, the Scorch, WICKED, Thomas and all of his friends. I would still recommend the trilogy to anyone and everyone.

Buy from Amazon UK

Buy from Amazon US

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner [Review]

Written by: James Dashner.

Published by: Delacorte (US) / Chicken House (UK).

Format: Hardback.

Released: 12th October 2010.

Rating: 4.5/5.

Official synopsis: "Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to. In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety . . . until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago. Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated—and with it, order—and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim . . . and meal. The Gladers are far from finished with running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them. Thomas can only wonder—does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?

Two years have passed since I read the first book in the trilogy, The Maze Runner, and nearly two since this book was actually released, so this review is a case of better late than never! I actually only read this a few months ago in preparation for the release of the prequel to the trilogy, The Kill Order, and I'm actually reading the final book of the original trilogy, The Death Cure right now so it's all go in world Dashner for me.

The Maze Runner ended on something of a cliff hanger. The Gladers were safe. Or so they thought. Once again, WICKED have tricked Thomas and his friends. Taken again from the relative safety, they are thrust into a world of danger and hideous, blood thirsty Cranks. The Scorch itself is a nightmare. For me personally too. I hate Summer. I hate heat. And so the thought of an expanse of land hotter than the desert and dry as can be, with no protection from the suns rays actually terrifies me. Add that to the horrifying lightning which actually evaporates your eye balls when it hits you and you've got hell on earth, right?!

Again, as with The Maze Runner, the plot is taut, and the writing rich. The only thing for me that is really missing is character development. By the end of this book, we still don't really know who the characters are, any more so than at the end of Book One. Yes, the back story is beginning to be filled in, all those gaps closing in, but there's still a missing connection with the characters that I was looking for.  But the plot more than makes up for this. It's surely action packed, danger fuelled and scary in places.

And as with The Maze Runner there are a billion and one questions raging around in your mind once you finish it. I'll be honest, it made my head swim a little bit. I'm just hoping those questions are answered in The Death Cure!

For sure, please do not miss this trilogy. I'm only two thirds through, and despite the lack of character development, it really is something special!

Buy from Amazon US

Buy from Amazon UK

Buy from The Book Depository

UK Cover for The Kill Order

The Kill Order, the prequel to James Dashner's incredible The Maze Runner trilogy comes out in America next Tuesday (14th August), but it's not out over here in the UK until 7th January 2013! If you can wait that long (I've already ordered the US copy from Book Depository! Just cannot wait!) then it'll look a little like this...

Looks awesome!

When sun flares hit the Earth, intense heat, toxic radiation and flooding followed, wiping out much of the human race. Those who survived live in basic communities in the mountains, hunting for food. For Mark and his friends, surviving is difficult, and then an enemy arrives, infecting people with a highly contagious virus. Thousands die, and the virus is spreading. Worse, it's mutating, and people are going crazy. It's up to Mark and his friends to find the enemy and a cure before the Flare infects them all.

(US cover art)

News: James Dashner unveils artwork for The Kill Order!

The Death Cure, the third and final book isn't even out in the UK until next month (5th April), yet things are already hotting up for James Dashner's next book (quite literally when you see the cover...). I think I posted about it before, probably haven't... I don't know. But it's called The Kill Order, and it's published in America on 14th August. Of course, thanks to the Book Depository, UK readers, and readers worldwide will also be able to get the book from that date too! YES! Mine is pre-ordered! 

The Kill Order is set to act as a prequel to The Maze Runner trilogy (The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials and of course, The Death Cure). Well, just twenty minutes ago, James himself blogged about the cover art for The Kill Order, unveiling it in all of his glory and boy is it stunning!!! 

It's been done by Philip Straub, who did the artwork for the original three books too. It fits in with the art for the trilogy, but you can tell that it's from an earlier time. I love the great big fireball and the utter destruction! ARGH! I CANNOT WAIT!

The Maze Runner is set in a dystopian future America, where illness has ravaged the population and weird organisations have set up to do lots of testing to see if they can find a cure... Well, James has revealed that The Kill Order will give us an insight into how it all happened and just how horrific it was. I for one cannot wait to read it! What do you think of the cover?

Pre-order from The Book Depository

News: The Death Cure given UK release date and artwork!

The Death Cure is the third and final book in James Dashner's incredible The Maze Runner trilogy, following on from the first book, The Maze Runner and the second, The Scorch Trials. I already own the US edition as the artwork was just so beautiful and I couldn't wait to read it. As it is, I haven't gotten around to it yet... but now the UK release has been set for the 5th April and it'll look a little like this...

Awesome! I like the UK covers and this is the best of them so far. I like that theres a hidden image and you really have to look hard to depict stuff. However the US covers have this sense of epic about them that I cannot help but love! Which reminds me, really must get the US hardcover for The Maze Runner to complete my set!

Synopsis is as follows: "The Trials are over. WICKED have collected all the information they can. Now it's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test. But something has happened that no-one at WICKED has foreseen: Thomas has remembered more than they think. And he knows WICKED can't be trusted ...The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than anyone could have imagined. With the Gladers divided, can they all make it"

US readers will also get another book from Dashner this year. It's called The Kill Order and is actually a prequel to the trilogy. It's out on 14th August. No fear though UK readers... you can get the book on Book Depository for under £9 with free delivery! Amazing! Especially when you're as impatient as me! Haha!

Cover Art: The Death Cure by James Dashner

Now I freaking loved The Maze Runner by James Dashner which was released here in the UK last Summer! I couldn't wait to get the second book, The Scorch Trials, but it's not even out here till August and it came out in America last year so a week or two ago now, I ordered the US hardback edition. Initially last October when it came out, I didn't like the cover, a reason  why I hadn't ordered it sooner, but it did start to grow on me and I finally said, enough waiting, I don't care, but when I opened that package I fell in love. Amazing cover art. So beautiful in person. And so a week or so ago now, I eagerly awaited the cover release for the third and final book in the trilogy. It's called The Death Cure and is out in America on 11th October and I shall be shipping my copy in! Check out the cover below!!!

The Maze Runner [Review]

Written by: James Dashner.

Published by: Chicken House (UK).

Format: Paperback.

Released: 2nd August 2010.

Rating: 5/5.

Official synopsis: "When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas remembers is his first name. But he's not alone. He's surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade - a walled encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible stone maze. Like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they came to be there - or what's happened to the world outside. All they know is that every morning when the walls slide back, they will risk everything - even the Grievers, half-machine, half-animal horror that patrols its corridors, to find out."

The Maze Runner is perhaps one of the most exhilarating, exciting books I have ever read. Wall to wall action, suspense. It doesn't stop. Not even for a second.Right from the moment that Thomas wakes up inside the Box, to the dramatic climax of the story.

The Glade is a place where all of these boys have been sent. They don't know why. They don't know how. And they don't have a clue who sent them there. They've all had their brains wiped and all they know is their names, and that their purpose for being there is to try and to find a way out. The Glade is a fantastic setting. A square where the teenage boys farm, butcher their own food and try to find a way out through the mystifying maze that surrounds them. There are four entrances to the maze, the North, East, South and West. Huge walls enclose the Glade, and at night, the walls defy the laws of physics and close, protecting them from the horrors of what lie outside of the walls in darkness.

The Grievers! Terrifying creatures. Slug like, about the size of cows with hypodermic needles pulsing in and out of their skin. Arms with all sorts of horrific appendages for torture flailing. I think they are an amazing concept and really add to the story. Get stuck outside the walls at night, and you're sure to meet your end thanks to one of these bad boys. 

All in all, this is a fantastic, no, AMAZING, book that you just have to read! One of the best books I have read this year! I cannot stress enough what an experience it is. The writing is fluid, the book highly addictive. The first chapter is a stroke of genuis and draws you in instantaneously. Mr. Dashner, I am now a reader for life! I cannot wait to read the second book, The Scorch Trials, and I found out earlier today that a third book is in the works. The Death Cure. Sounds brilliant! Simply cannot wait! 

Thank you to the amazing Claire Skuse at Chicken House for my copy!