The Polar Bear Explorers Club by Alex Bell - review

Publisher: Faber & Faber (31 Oct. 2017)

I received this book in exchange for an open and honest review.

It sounded like a respectable and worthy enough death for an explorer - tumbling from an ice bridge to be impaled upon a mammoth tusk - but Stella really, really didn't want that to happen, just the same.

Join Stella Starflake Pearl and her three fellow explorers as they trek across the snowy Icelands and come face-to-face with frost fairies, snow queens, outlaw hideouts, unicorns, pygmy dinosaurs and carnivorous cabbages . . .

When Stella and three other junior explorers get separated from their expedition can they cross the frozen wilderness and live to tell the tale? (Publishers' blurb)

I don't know how Alex Bell does it. Frozen Charlotte and Charlotte Says are two of the creepiest YA books I've ever read - I still can't look at dolls in the same way. Then, this book came along and it's one of the sweetest, quirkiest and most action-packed middle grade books I've ever read! I've heard this described as being the new Northern Lights. It could definitely have that same lasting appeal, and as a bonus is more accessible too!

Every detail about this book is really imaginative and surprising, even down to the creatures and plants of the world. These touches really complimented the magical setting and plot line.

The characters in this book are absolutely lovely, especially the group of children. All of them had unique qualities that different people could relate to, and certain characters had really interesting story arcs. It was refreshing to have characters that were surprising and multi-faceted! 

I liked the fact that this book explored some fantasy tropes and completely flipped others, which made for a fresh and fun reading experience. It also delved into some really emotional subjects, such as grief, in an empathetic way. 

My only regret is that this would be the perfect book to read on a really cold, preferably snowy day. That might be a good excuse to read it again!

If you liked the sound of this, now try The Prisoner of Ice and Snow by Ruth Lauren, which I reviewed here. 

Black Knight Blog Tour - Review and Extract

Publisher: Scholastic (6th April 2017)

Maximum security! The world’s deadliest weapons tech needs some seriously beefy guards. So who put Dev and his mates in charge? By now, it’s not exactly news that letting the planet’s scariest weapons get stolen isn’t really the best idea. But how do you go about guarding them from utterly ruthless criminals whose tactics are impossible to predict? The answer is… a new squad of crack agents trained up by Dev and his buddies (yes, really). Their mission: to defend what’s left of the Inventory, and get back the stuff that’s been lost. At least Dev, Lottie and Mase know what not to do. But will they be ready for Shadow Helix’s next strike? (Publishers' blurb)

I've participated in the blog tours for Iron Fist and Gravity, so I was really happy to join the latest tour for the brilliant Black Knight. This is one of my favourite middle grade series, perfect for fans of Alex Ryder and the Cherub books. 

I'll share my thoughts, then below you can find a link to the very intriguing extract from the book. 

This book starts with some new members joining the team, which I thought was a great way to keep the series feeling fresh. The new team members added humour, conflict and new dimensions to the plot. A special mention goes to Riya: the smart, tough new girl that I really would have loved when I was a kid. 

One of my favourite aspects of this series is the villain, Lee. I'm a huge fan of complex, believable villains and it's great that this book delves more into Lee's perspective. 

Another thing I really liked is how much the plot progressed. The stakes were higher, new players were introduced and there was plenty of new and creative tech. I feel like each book in this series provides plenty of action and twists, but at the same time there are definitely mysteries left to be explored in future books. 

If you haven't already, I'd definitely recommend starting this series from the beginning and treating yourself to a fast-paced adventure. 

Now for the main event - the extract. This chapter focuses on Lee, the villain and one of my favourite characters. Click here and enjoy!

ANDY BRIGGS

Andy has extensive experience working on multinational co-productions and has worked in comics, books, TV, film and trans-media projects.

Andy wrote and Executive Produced Legendary, currently the most successful independent UK/Chinese co-production. Released in China and grossing $5 million in the first week, with a theatric US release in 2014. With his brother he worked on Hollywood features such as Judge Dredd and Freddy vs. Jason and TV shows for the SyFy Channel and Netflix.

He wrote and co-created Secret Agents, a trans-media interactive spy experience for children, currently on at the Discover Centre, Stratford. He has 16 books and graphic novels published in the UK and around the world.

He has written 20 books and graphic novels published in the UK and around the world. In 2016 his latest feature, Crowhurst, will be released.

Dream Magic by Joshua Khan - blog tour

Publisher: Scholastic (6th April 2017)

In a world ruled by six ancient Houses of Magic, a girl and a boy begin an epic and dangerous journey of discovery . . . Lileth Shadow, princess of darkness, is struggling with her growing powers. Castle Gloom is filling with ghosts, zombies roam the country and people throughout Gehenna are disappearing. Then Lily is attacked in her own castle by a mysterious sorcerer known as Dreamweaver and his army of jewel-spiders whose bites send victims to sleep. Thorn, and his giant bat Hades, must save Lily from the realm of sleep and help her overcome the evil Dreamweaver in order for her to reclaim her kingdom. (Publisher's blurb)

I wish this series had been around when I was a child. It has all the horror, humour and fantasy that I ever could have wanted. I loved Shadow Magic, the first book in the series, and if anything I enjoyed this one more. 

Sometimes, I have a problem with sequels. I like being introduced to new worlds and am disappointed if there are no new ideas or conflicts. This book explores the world's mythology in more depth and creates new elements. The Gothic feel of the first book really hooked me into this series and I enjoyed how this book was even more inventive with the horror. I found it genuinely scary and disturbing in places, but no so much that I'd worry about a child reading it.

The characters are another part of this series that I really enjoy. Lily is an excellent hero, who revels in the darkness that she has inherited and isn't always virtuous in how she handles it. Her friendship with Thorn is great and I find the chemistry between them really entertaining. The secondary characters are also very strong. In what other series would my favourite character be a troll called Dott?

If I had to say one thing I wasn't keen on, it's the idea that women are forbidden to use magic. I understand that this was included to provide additional conflict, which it did successfully, but this is a fantasy trope I'm not a big fan of. I think it was Samantha Shannon who said that if you're creating your own fantasy world, there's no reason why men and women can't be equals.

A real strength of this book was the plotting. The compelling mystery and unexpected events kept my interest in a way that will appeal to adults and children. There was something very fresh and original about the plot that made it very hard to predict!

This has become one of my favourite middle grade series and I can't wait for the next instalment. Dream Magic comes out today, so if you like what you've read you can buy it now!

Gravity by Andy Briggs - blog tour giveaway

Publisher: Scholastic (6th October 2016)
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gravity-Inventory-Andy-Briggs/dp/1407161806
Series: The Inventory (Book 2)
Eeek! Think that’s a monster? Nope: it’s a person. What terrible weapon could do this…? Errr – well, that used to be top-secret. Problem: it’s not quite so secret anymore. Dev messed up big time the day he let the ruthless Shadow Helix gang into the Inventory. What is the Inventory, we hear you ask? Well, it’s the secret lockup for all the deadly battle tech the world is NOT ready for. Which is why letting it get nicked was a REALLY BAD IDEA. Now the Shadow Helix have Newton’s Arrow: a terrifying weapon that messes with gravity, causing … well, you get the picture from this book’s cover. Dev and his mates HAVE to get it back – even if it means crossing the entire globe. To stop this evil, no trip is too far! (Publishers' blurb)

Giveaway

Iron Fist was the first book in The Inventory series and one of the best middle grade books that I've read for a long time! You can check out my review here. I'm really excited to get stuck into Gravity (the second book in the series) and for now I have a giveaway! To win a set of the books (Iron Fist and Gravity), all you have to do is retweet my pinned tweet or leave a comment on this blog post. 

To find out a little more about Andy Briggs, you can visit his website or follow him on Twitter.

Website: www.andybriggs.co.uk
Twitter: www.twitter.com/aBriggswriter

Andy Briggs is a screenwriter, producer and author of the Hero.com, Villain.net and Tarzan series. Andy has worked on film development for Paramount and Warner Bros, as well as working with Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee and producer Robert Evans. With a strong social media following, Andy tours the UK regularly, doing festival, school and library events.


Tour Schedule

There are loads of fantastic stops on the blog tour and you can check out more details below.

Monday 17th October

Fiction Fascination
Heather Reviews

Tuesday 18th October

Kirsty Leanne
Emma’s Bookery

Wednesday 19th October

Bookish Outsider
Book Lover Jo

Thursday 20th October

YA Under My Skin
Luna’s Little Library

Friday 21st October

ArtsMum
Wonderfully Bookish

Saturday 22nd October

Library Girl and Book Boy

Sunday 23rd October

An Awfully Big Adventure

Monday 24th October

Tales of Yesterday
YA Yeah Yeah

Tuesday 25th October

It Takes a Woman
Sister Spooky

Wednesday 26th October

Bibliobeth
The Books Bandit

Thursday 27th October

MG Strikes Back
Read it Daddy

Friday 28th October

Snuggling on the Sofa
Live Otherwise

Saturday 29th October

Bart’s Bookshelf

Sunday 30th October

Kirstyes

Happy reading and good luck with the giveaway!

Shadow Magic Blog Tour

Information about the Book

Title: Shadow Magic (Shadow Magic #1)
Author: Joshua Khan
Genre: MG Fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic (6th October 2016)
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23510089-shadow-magic
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadow-Magic-Joshua-Khan/dp/1407172085

Thorn, an outlaw's son, wasn't supposed to be a slave. He's been sold to Tyburn, an executioner, and they're headed to Castle Gloom in Gehenna, the land of undead, where Thorn will probably be fed to a vampire.

Lilith Shadow wasn't supposed to be ruler of Gehenna. But following the murder of her family, young Lily became the last surviving member of House Shadow, a long line of dark sorcerers. Her country is surrounded by enemies and the only way she can save it is by embracing her heritage and practicing the magic of the undead. But how can she when, as a girl, magic is forbidden to her?

Just when it looks like Lily will have to leave her home forever, Thorn arrives at Castle Gloom. A sudden death brings them together, inspires them to break the rules, and leads them to soar to new heights in this fantasy with all the sparkle and luster of a starry night sky.

I don't read a lot of middle grade books but I really loved this one! It's appropriate that Rick Riordan is quoted on the front because I think this book is as exciting and unique as the Percy Jackson series.

I'm a huge fan of books that have an original take on familiar themes like good versus evil. The stakes were huge for Lily and Thorn and the building conflict kept me interested throughout. I really rooted for Lily and Thorn from the very beginning.  

All of the characters were great but I became particularly fond of Lily. Castle Gloom was a fantastically creepy setting (complete with bats in the belfry) and the dark roots of her family were an interesting backstory for a main character. My only complaint is that I'm not a fan of the 'women are inferior' trope that pops up in a lot of fantasy. I appreciated that Lily fought against this but I feel like there can be other forms of conflict. 

The world underpinning this book was incredible, with its ruling families whose magic is fading through the generations. It's a great introduction to fantasy, because the world is very unique and compelling but at the same time very accessible.

I was really sad when this book ended because I need more! This is a fantastic start to a series and it's renewed my interest in middle grade books.

If you liked the sound of this, now try Artemis Fowl or Percy Jackson!