Exciting Releases Coming Soon

There are lots of cool books coming out in the next few months that I for one am very excited to read. Here are my top picks to come soon!

The Saga of Larten Crepsley: Ocean of Blood by Darren Shan.

PUBLISHED: 28TH APRIL.

"The epic tale of the vampire Larten Crepsley continues. The question is – how far can Larten go… alone?

Free from their mentor Seba Nile, Larten Crepsley and Wester Flack join the Cubs – wild young vampires with little respect for human life, and a taste for mindless enjoyment.

For the Cubs, everything is easy. But nothing has ever been easy for Larten, and soon fate throws his life into another spin. With dark paths to travel, Larten finds himself far from the Vampire Mountain and its rules. A long way from home, sick and alone, he must decide what kind of vampire he will be. Whether he will stand firm, be true to his master and his princples – or whether he will lose himself in blood…"

I really enjoyed the first book of the saga, Birth of a Killer which was released last October! Been waiting for this ever since. Thankfully there are only a few weeks left to go! Check out my review of Birth of a Killer here! And pre-order Ocean of Blood here!

A Small Free Kiss In The Dark by Glenda Millard.

PUBLISHED: 1ST MAY.

"A haunting story of war that will profoundly affect readers Young teenage boys will engage with the central character and the subject matter *Skip's an outsider. He's never fitted in. So he takes to the streets. Life there may be hard, but it's better than the one he's left behind, especially when he teams up with Billy, an old homeless man. Then come the bombs which bring little Max and Tia, the sad dancer with a tiny baby. Scavenging for food, living on love and imagination, Skip's fragile new family tries to hold out as war grips the city, but too soon tragedy strikes when Tia dies. Max, Billy, Skip and the baby move on, to an old farm where they try to find new hope."

This sounds blooming brilliant and I am really looking forward to reading it. But just LOOK AT THAT COVER!!!! How amazing is that cover? The title placement and styling... I am in love with it! Pre-order this beaut right here!

The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

PUBLISHED: 2ND JUNE

"The book begins with a chase through the streets of Calcutta in May 1916. Lieutenant Peake pauses for breath outside the ruins of the Jheeter's Gate station knowing that he only has a few hours to live. Inside his overcoat he is sheltering two newborn babies - twins, a boy and a girl. Peake entrusts them Aryami Bose. Sixteen years later we meet the boy, Ben, and his friends. They have formed a secret club, The Chowbar Society, which meets each week at midnight in the old ruin they have christened The Midnight Palace. Then Aryami Bose turns up with Sheere, Ben's sister, and tells them the story of the parents they never knew. Their father was an engineer and writer who died in tragic circumstances at the inauguration of Jheeter's Gate station. But as the novel unfolds, there is more to their history than meets the eye and they are lured by a shadowy figure from the past into a final showdown in the ruins."

I loved Carlos' The Prince of Mist which was released over here last Summer and have been looking forward to reading more of his work! Thank the gods of publishing that this is on it's way! Loving the cover! Review of The Prince of Mist can be found here, and make sure you pre-order The Midnight Palace here!

Kidnap In The Caribbean by Lauren St John

PUBLISHED: 7TH JULY.

"Laura cannot contain her excitement when she wins a trip to the Caribbean for herself and her uncle, Calvin Redfern, especially when her best friend, Tariq, and her three-legged husky, Skye, accidentally find themselves on board too. But when they dock at Antigua, they discover that Calvin Redfern has vanished, and Laura and Tariq are about to be kidnapped by the fearsome Straight A gang. Dramatic escapes, an erupting volcano and a race against time to stop the deadly undercover 'Marine Concern' make Laura's second adventure every bit as exciting as the first."

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Dead Man's Cove. I read it last Summer and it sure is an enjoyable read for guys and girls of any age. Very excited to read this one and loving the cover! Check out my review of Dead Man's Cove (which was even quoted on the paperback release!!! :D) right here, and pre-order the book here!

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
PUBLISHED: 13TH JULY.
"In SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. In LINGER, they foughtto be together. Now, in FOREVER, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in"


I really enjoyed Maggie's first book of the trilogy, Shiver and liked the second book, Linger, just as much. So looking forward to this one! Review of Shiver here, and Linger here... and the obligatory pre-order here!

Be sure to check them out and look out for more exciting releases in the coming weeks as there are toones of brilliant new books coming out in time for people to devour on their Summer holidays! :D

Vampirates Catch-Up

Now, I am a massive massive massive Vampirates fan. I have been ever since the first book, Demons of the Ocean was published in June 2005. The artwork was dark, brooding, and so stunning, it just caught my eye at first glance. I'd also seen Justin talking about the book on Blue Peter and it sounded brilliant, so I knew I had to have a read. And I was not disappointed on iota.

Demons of the Ocean opens with Grace and Connor becoming orphans after their beloved father, and Lighthouse Keeper, dies. They have no other family, and so have nowhere else to go. And rather than be put in the children's home, they make a dash for it and head out to sea. But things all go quite wrong, very fast. There is a storm and the twins are ship-wrecked, separated, each fearing that the other has died.

Connor is saved by Cheng-Li. A brooding Chinese pirate aboard The Diablo. There he meets Captain Muluco Wraith, and many others. While his poor sister is picked up by a altogether more mysterious ship. That of the Vampirates. Here she falls for the dashing Lorcan Furrey. An Irish vamp frozen at 17-years-old. Oh yes, before your Edward Cullens there were Lorcan Furrey's!

I don't want to give too much away, and that's about all I can say without going into major detail on the next three books, 2006's Tide of Terror, my personal favourite Blood Captain released in 2007, and last years offering, Black Heart. For me, the books just get better and better. More and more epic every time.

Black Heart introduced us to the most chilling female character I have come across. Lady Lola Lockwood. She bottles blood for crying out loud! She baths in it. The woman is pure terror. But so amazing. There's just something about her that makes you like her, for me anyway. She's the sort of person that you love to hate. But you can't help forming an attachment to her.

The series even under-went a make over in-between Blood Captain and Black Heart, to give us the glorious covers that we have now!

There are twists and turns a-plenty in these books. You definitely will not be disappointed. I cannot recommend them enough, for boys and girls. And what with the fifth book, Empire of Night, published in just over a weeks times, things look set to get even darker. Expect a review! It's one of my most anticipated books this year!

Michelle Paver's Chronicles Of Ancient Darkness

Now, I am a massive massive massive Michelle Paver fan. Her Chronicles Of Ancient Darknessbooks captivated me for 6 amazing years. The wait in-between books was murderous. They're just the sort of books that you crave for.

Set 6,000 years ago, in the Forest, in a world of clans named after the animals of the Forest, WOLF BROTHER was released in 2004. It's artwork was so different to anything I had ever seen. So vivid, stunning, and yet simple. The artist, John Fordham, has created 6 phenomenal cave painting covers for the entire series. Each one getting better than the last. It was the artwork that drew me to WOLF BROTHER all those years ago.

The series tells the tale of Torak. A fourteen summers old boy who's father is killed by a demon bear. Along his travels he befriends a wolf cub, aptly named Wolf.

The world in the books is a fascinating one. The Forest is completely made up. Although Michelle has said that it's European (around Scandinavia) just with the mountains moved, and the north moved to make it suit the story. Michelle researched brilliantly, going on trips all over the world to get a feeling for how the characters would feel in their settings. She even met a mother bear and her two cubs in a remote valley in Southern California.

Throught the series, Torak learns things about him that he never thought possible. Powers that the Clan Mages would die for. Powers that the dreaded Soul-Eaters want.

The Soul-Eaters are you classic villains with a twist. They are all people who should do good, the people who you should trust more than any other, Clan Mages. Instead they choose a world of demons, evil and sickness. They want to rule the Forest, and call it their own. And they are willing to do anything to achieve their goals. One of the Soul-Eaters, the Eagle-Owl Mage, Eostra is truly one of the most evil and terrifying characters I have come across. She is pure, un-adulterated evil. With an unhealthy obsession with the dead, it is plain to see why she is the last Soul-Eater standing when GHOST HUNTER, the sixth and final book in the series came around last Summer.

Michelle's writing is captivating. Completely mesmerising. She knows the world, and the characters in it, so well. Back to back action, some very chilling scenes throughout the series (there's one in GHOST HUNTER, involving Eostra and a corpse, believe me, it's not pretty).

I'm not going into too much detail here, because I really don't want to ruin these books for anyone. Michelle Paver is probably my favourite author out there. Yes, she pips JK Rowling (and JKR is a god to me!). Her books are consistently good, getting better every time. When reading them, you are transported back 6,000 years ago, back into the flickering torchlight of pre-history. The description is on target every time. The characters are believable, and interesting. The plot is fantastic. The twists and turns. Revelations that take you unawares (even on second and third readings).

I simply cannot express my love for these books enough. And having met Michelle twice she is also one of the nicest people I have ever met. She makes time to talk to you and I've met some authors who have a little chat but you can tell they kind of just want you to hurry up so they can get on and get home. But with Michelle you don't get that. She replies to all my letters.

Please, if you haven't read these books, please do. They are brilliant and should definitely not be missed. Also, they look very nice on the bookshelf. Nice and colourful...