Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

Synopsis

When his guardian dies in suspicious circumstances, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider finds his world turned upside down. Forcibly recruited into MI6, Alex has to take part in gruelling SAS training exercises. Then, armed with his own special set of secret gadgets, he's off on his first mission to Cornwall, where Middle-Eastern multi-billionaire Herod Sayle is producing his state-of-the-art Stormbreaker computers. Sayle has offered to give one free to every school in the country - but there's more to the gift than meets the eye.

I know, I know - this is not one of our summer reads novels...but I am allowed to be led astray. Bought this at Oxford Street Books in Whitstable on Saturday and read it in one sitting.

I saw the movie first, ages ago, and was intrigued by the storyline. I regret putting off reading Stormbreaker because I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It may not have been high brow literature but it did what it said on the box: it introduced a cool new teen character in a modern day setting and it was chock full of adventure. It also serves to set up Alex and the the MI6 people quite well.

Bits are tremendously over the top and tongue in cheek, with nods to the 007 and Bourne books and movies. Instead of finding this jarring, I quite enjoyed it - it was like you were being let into a secret club of coolness.

I've - obvious from the above statements - not read any of the Alex Rider novels, and can only assume his character becomes fully developed throughout the series. Stormbreaker shows much promise and the world Mr. Horowitz creates for his protagonist is an interesting one. He goes a long way to show of Alex's independence and go-get-'em spirit whilst maintaining a repsonsible attitude - to a certain extent.

I tore through the book at a rapid pace - there is just enough introspection by Alex to keep the story balanced with the all out action happening. You root for him all the way through and the climax at the end of the novel is a no holds barred cinematic John Woo moment.

I look forward to reading some of the other books once I get my grubby paws on them. And although it's not a summer reads list I'll give it an honourary seven out of ten stars as it is crammed full of daring do and adventure. Find Anthony Horowitz's website here.

The First Law trilogy: The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged & Last Argument Of Kings - Joe Abercrombie

My original idea was to do three separate reviews for the trilogy, looking at each book separately.

However, I found myself unable to stop after The Blade Itself; I had kind of suspected that this would be the case by the end of Chapter 1, to be honest. I had opened TBI without any expectations or pre-conceived ideas about what to expect and man, Joe’s gritty and hopelessly addictive style was a revelation, as was the seemingly effortless way that he deals with the various threads and points of view, keeping them tight and lean.

The story evolves as it progresses, building a cast of characters that are sympathetic, likeable and complex, without ever threatening to bog things down with excruciating lumps of exposition. The trilogy covers little over a year in the life of the characters, and crams in two different wars, a (almost) heroic quest to the Edge of the World, murder, intrigue, betrayal, ungainly sex, cannibals, feuding mages from the dawn of civilisation and the occasional exploding henchman.

Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say he can write!

Some people might feel the trilogy is a bit light on the world building side of things, but any perceived shortcomings in this respect are more than compensated for by the fluid storytelling and irresistible pace. It’s a thoroughly entertaining body of work and deserves a prominent place on anyone’s bookshelf.

**RF Long Competition Winner**

Huge congrats to Ayla Fenton (not sure where she's from YET) on winning a copy of RF Long's Soul Fire in e-book format AND also the super cute acorn pendant. Please make sure to email me your address so I can pass it onto Ruth so she can send you on the pendant.

What's happening?

I am aware that things have been quiet over here at MFB with few reviews these past few days and I apologise! I have been doing some (a lot! of) work on my WIP and also writing reviews for another site I review for (a new appointment) called: http://www.sfrevu.com./

I have got Joe Abercrombie's newest standalone novel BEST SERVED COLD reviewed over at sfrevu.com - this is the link. It is a stonking read but I would warn those who do not like violence or the descriptions of violence to steer clear of the novel - it's brutal in that respect but Joe writes like an absolute dream.

Next, a review will be going up for Suzanne McLeod's The Cold Kiss of Death over at http://www.sfrevu.com/ on the 1st of August. As it is one of our Summer Reads List I can quite happy reveal that it is an absoloute blast to read - excellent work and growth from the author of The Sweet Scent of Blood. Also, keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming competition and guest blog by Suzanne.

Thirdly, this Wednesday, 15th July, I get to review: Principles of Angels by Jaine Fenn over at The Booksmugglers - this was a dare to review a science fiction novel. I was intitially asked to review Hyperion by Dan Simmons but my brain got a cramp and I went the easier route and chose Principles instead. Pop over to read the review on Wednesday along with a chance to win both Principles and the follow up novel: Consorts of Heaven. As Principles of Angels is part of our Summer Reads List I'll put the link up on Wednesday along with out starred rating.

Mark is busy ploughing through the Joe Abercrombie First Law trilogy and is currently on the third book. I keep finding him tucked in on the couch with the little dog nestled next to him reading, or hunched over some coffee at the dining room table with the book open, busily reading. So keep an eye out for those three reviews coming up soon.

Am currently reading Age of Ra by James Lovegrove whom we met on Thursday night at Forbidden Planet. Yes, it's sci fi too and let me just say, BUY THE BOOK. It is fantastic and I think I maybe have around 100 pages to go. Again this review will be for http://www.sfrevu.com/ BUT I will be linking to it and offering a competition.

I have got a few other things cooking for the site, so do keep stopping by!

Twisted Metal by Tony Ballantyne (Guest Review)

We have teamed up with Dave Brendon of Dave Brendon's Fantasy & Sci-Fi Weblog to not only bring you a review of Tony Ballantyne's newest offering - Twisted Metal - but we are also running a pretty unique competition. Check out the details below the review.

In DB's words:

Picture this: you’re sitting at your desk, in front of the PC or with a notepad and a pen, fleshing out the characters for a book you’re writing. Whether or not the characters came before the plot doesn’t matter – you still need to make the characters engaging enough that readers will see themselves in the characters, otherwise the effort is wasted. Been there? I’m still there! ;-) Now, picture this:

None of the characters are remotely human. So how do you go about doing this? How do you create characters that will resonate with readers when those characters aren’t us? Well, let me tell you, Tony Ballantyne found the answer. Somehow.

I was honestly worried about the characters when I picked up Twisted Metal and began reading –I admit that freely; I’m sure you would be, too- but Tony proved my fears unfounded about 3 pages in and I settled down to enjoy an extremely well-told tale with some cool (and creepy) robots.

Twisted Metal: the city of Artemis is expanding, violently so. The philosophy of its people is leading the world into war and death as once-free states fall to the single-minded invaders; they have numbers, they have a purpose, and they will not rest until the whole continent belongs to Artemis – until the whole continent is Artemis. One of the last cities to be targeted by the Artemisian robots, Turning City is the home of free-thinking robots and one special robot in particular. Karel isn’t like other robots – people talk behind his back, look at him strangely, but most respect him. And when Artemis turns its attention to Turing City, Karel will take center stage in a conflict that will lead him to a legend, a legend that might just spell the end of life as robots have lived theirs.

Let’s dive into the book: Tony doesn’t beat about the bush or layer his prose with information – the tale flows so well that you’ll have finished 50 pages before you realize it, and Tony does well to reveal nuggets of info about the characters and their world, so much so that in practically every chapter you find out something new about something you thought you already knew; not only does this bring the world to vivid life in your mind, but it also keeps the tale interesting and fresh. Tony also manages to lead the reader exactly where he wants you to go, and then promptly knocks you upside the head with yet another final surprise that drives the point home: expect the unexpected, and trust that it’ll be cool.

Another reason I enjoyed this book so much was that Tony also makes robots a fresh and interesting concept – these robots are damn cool! They may not be able to stand up to a T800 (then again, they don’t have to) but they are a damn sight more interesting! Yet each robot is also unique, and the concept behind the creation of robots, how they are conceived, is utterly unique, cool and creepy at the same time. Oh, you will also wince in the battle scenes – Tony isn’t afraid to bring the pain!

So, worth a read? Definitely! Everybody is interested in robots, and to be given a glimpse into an entire world of them is something very cool – Tony has ventured into territory unclaimed and uncharted and made it his own, and even if you haven’t read any of his work before (Twisted Metal was my first Tony Ballantyne) and are looking for an interesting new look into what makes SF so cool, original, and immortal, then pick up Twisted Metal; you’re in for a very different, very cool ride!

DB Rates this at: 8.5 / 10

Be EPIC!

**Competition News**

DB and I have thought about this and we've decided to do the following. There are TWO copies of Twisted Metal up for grabs: 1 paperback and 1 hardback.

We are throwing the competition open ONLY to British peeps AND South African peeps. The UK peeps get the chance to win the paperback and the South African peeps get to win the hardback - this is of course due to postage costs.

Here's what you do: email us with your name and address to EITHER of the following addresses: ours - myfavouritebooksatblogspot(at)googlemail(dot)com or DaveBrendon's email: davebrendon(at)gmail(dot)com. Duplicate entries will be disqualified! Put TWISTED METAL in the subject line. The two winners will be chosen (via Random.org) from the combined list of entires we get. Competition ends next week Friday: 17th July 2009.

Good luck and yes, be EPIC.

**RF Long Guest Blog and Competition**

I am so very pleased to welcome my new Twitter friend, R.F. Long to MFB. Today - 7th July 2009 - is the release date of her e-book (by Samhain Publishers) Soul Fire. When she mentioned this today, I leapt at the chance to get her to guest blog and run a competition - because I am greedy and I like pretty things. Sadly, I won't be allowed to enter the competition...*does puppy eyes*

In Ruth's own words:

A new release is always a time for great excitement, but I particularly feel it with the release of Soul Fire. Why? Because the story is grounded in something I love, the folklore of the Sidhe, the Irish fairy folk. These aren't the cute little winged figures the Victorians gave us. The Sidhe are more dangerous by far, often hostile. They don't quite understand humans and though they can love human beings, even that love can be fatal.

Blurb:



Iron born and iron bred.
Trust not iron, it will see you dead.

Rowan Blake could really use a magic wand to keep her struggling art gallery afloat. But the faerie key she stumbles across is far from a lucky charm. It’s a magnet for danger, and by touching it she’s unwittingly put herself in the middle of a war between the forces of light and dark. And in the arms of its rightful owner, Prince Daire.

While searching for his brother, Daire finds himself trapped in the Iron World with a mere mortal woman who ignites his passion like no other. Each stolen kiss deepens their attraction and sends him spiraling closer and closer to the edge of his inherent dark desires. Desires that act as a homing beacon for the Dark Sidhe, who are intent on forcing him to fight on their side.

The longer he lingers in her arms—and in her bed—the closer his enemies get to her door. And the greater the risk that the gateway to the Faerie Realm will shift, destroying not only his power to protect her, but his very life.

Warning: Contains enchantments, danger, some very scary monsters, a trip to the dark side and hot, soul-transforming sex with an immortal prince.



Read an excerpt online

Writing about Daire and Rowan brought me back to the folktales I heard as a child, that of the Leanán Sidhe (the fairy lover), of fairy mounds and tree lore, of people spirited away because of their talents who only returned years later, changed, or sometimes never returned at all. They are not the heroic figures of legends, nor are they demonic. They are, in a sense, very like us, trying to make sense of their world and of us. Terrible things could befall those who crossed them, or disrespected them, and great rewards could be won by pleasing them. But please them too much and they might just want to keep you.

You can never tell with the Sidhe. You never know which side they stand on or what their reaction might be.

In writing Soul Fire I was very lucky. I wasn't just writing what I know, I was writing what I love. A key thing for writers, I believe, because if you can't feel the emotions and interest you want to create in your characters and your world, how can you convey them in the story? New writers are often told "write what you know" but that's become a maxim that has slid away from its meaning. You can research anything you want to the extent that you know it. But if you don't love the subject you're writing about, don't feel the passion that your characters feel for each other, don't have to force yourself to step away from the research (as I do, frequently), that will show in the words you write.

Write what you love.

That way you'll make your wordbuilding consistent. You'll want to get those details right, to include those elements that spark a reader's interest. Of course its a balancing act. The temptation is to put in all those wonderful finds, to overload the book with facts at the expense of the story. Which is why I believe you have to love your story just as much, to want to tell it to the best of your ability. To love it.

Write what you love.

**COMPETITION NEWS**

Ruth has kindly agreed to let me give away ONE e-book copy of Soul Fire and ONE accompanying acorn pendant. To be clear: this is one prize and not two, so there will be one winner for both items. The competition is open world-wide. Email me at: myfavouritebooksatblogspot(@)googlemail.com for a chance to win. The competition runs till Tuesday, 14th July 2009.

Good luck!

Eye of the Serpent by Philip Caveney

Synopsis

Egypt 1923.

Fifteen-year-old Alec Devlin is on his way to the Valley of the Kings. Accompanied by his faithful valet, Coates, Alec is to spend his summer holidays working on his Uncle Will’s archaeological dig. It’s not the first time he's spent his summer this way . . . but this year things are different.

Uncle Will and his young assistant, Tom Hinton, have recently made an amazing discovery – an ancient tomb hidden deep below the earth. But only hours after opening its doors, Uncle Will falls mysteriously ill and Tom seems to have disappeared without trace.

Together with Ethan Wade, the young American soldier of fortune who is managing the dig in Uncle Will's absence, and a pretty French woman called Madeleine Duval, Alec sets about unravelling the tomb’s mysteries. Seemingly harmless animals have turned into rabid killers . . . long dead mummies are rising from their tombs . . . the spirit of a powerful High Priest is claiming the bodies of the living as his living hosts . . . Together Alec and Ethan must confront a terror that has waited three thousand years to be reborn.

This novel for younger readers really does hold a flaming candle for the action adventure pulp stories from days gone by, recently resuscitated by Stephen Sommers and the Mummy franchise.

Although the novel is aimed at 9 - 11 year olds, the author does not stint on the horror or his storytelling. In fact, it is a little over the top and perfectly pitched to hold your attention.

I did like the main character, Alec Devlin, and am hoping to see more of him. He is one of those intelligent creations that you enjoy reading - he does not become tedious and too good for his own boots and unbelievable in his actions.

The setting of the novel is also well thought out - with the famous archaeologist Howard Carter making a cameo/guest appearance. His discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the King gives Alec's uncle the perfect excuse to "fly under the radar" as such as the world's eyes are turned on Carter's amazing discovery.

I was quite shaken by the scene which turns Uncle Will insane - not pleasant at all and quite terrifying but I am sure the kids will lap it up. The action and adventure is non-stop and with the amount of creatures attacking Alec and Ethan and the camp, I'm surprised they've not fled for the hills. Especially the bats! - shudder -

One point of great interest to me was how Caveney used language and dialogue to form a clear differential between the English, French and American characters in this book. Ethan's character comes through very well with his use of the words "okay" and other Americanisms. Compare him with Alec's almost formal way of speech and with Ms. Duval's hesitant English, and it makes for interesting reading.

Eye of the Serpent set Alec's character very well for further adventures. The era is also perfect for this "boys own" adventure and I am looking forward to seeing what else Mr. Caveney has up his multi-talented sleeve.

As Eye of the Serpent is one of our Summer Reads I am happy to score it at:

7.5 stars out of 10

**China Mieville Events**

Peeps, some final opportunities to see the lovely, handsome, erudite, funny, handsome, charming, charismatic and handsome China Miéville talk about his newest release, The City & The City.

7th July - Upstairs at The Pineapple Public House

51 Leverton Street, London, NW5 2NX

For further details, email Richard



9th July - The Wapping Project, 7.30pm

The Greenhouse, Wapping Hydraulic Power Station Wapping Wall, London, E1W 3ST

For further information, click here



11th July – Bookmarks Bookshop, 2pm

1 Bloomsbury Street, London, WC1B 3QE

For further information, telephone 020 7637 1848



16th July - London Literature Festival, 7pm

Level 5 Function Room, Southbank Centre

For further information, click here



29th & 30th August - Edinburgh International Book Festival

For further information, click here

** Winners of the Sarah Rees Brennan Party Favours**

Big congrats to our two winners for the SRB Party Favours:

Jennifer Lawrence (not sure when Jen's from but I've emailed her!)

Poonam Shah from the US

Hope you both like your pressies. Make sure to email me back asap so I can post these out!

The Poison Garden by Sarah Singleton

Synopsis:

It is the 1850's, and a young boy, Thomas, leaves his family to be apprenticed to a pharmacist, at the behest of his dead grandmother. He also inherits a magical box from her, which provides him entry into a mysterious garden. But while visiting it, he sees a ghostly vision of his grandmother, who tells him she was poisoned, and warns him that he must find the person responsible, and save her precious garden. For she was one of five members of an arcane guild, each of whom cultivated an individual garden, mastering the art of poison, perfume and medicine. The guild members jostle for power as, one by one, they are murdered... can Thomas solve the mystery, before he in turn is threatened?

I fell in love with Sarah Singleton through reading The Amethyst Child last year. This is from part of the review I did for The Amethyst Child:

The Amethyst Child is not really a book that you read as much as experience. It is an absolutely gripping book which I would highly recommend reading for Sarah Singleton's deft touch with the poetic pen, vibrant characterisation and for her pure unadulterated storytelling skill.

Sarah has moved on from this almost dreamlike summer laden novel from last year to offer us a deeply dark, wonderfully Gothic novel in The Poison Garden.

Written with an deceptive ease and skill we very quickly come to know the 1850's world Thomas inhabits. We are drawn into the strange garden he discovers and to the story of the arcane guild, relatively newly resurrected and by the driven character whose shadow seems to loom throughout the novel.

The story moves swiftly and is peppered with eccentric and intriguing characters, anyone of whom could be responsible for his grandmother's death. The group calling themselves the Guild of Medical Herbalists is a small and intimate one. The suspect list is limited and as each bit of information gets added to the story, you find yourself nodding and saying "maybe him...maybe her..."

It is a competently written murder-mystery with Thomas being the central figure holding all the strands. He is a lovely creation - at first slightly shy and hesitant but his character growth is well plotted and soon we have a very capable, stubborn and ultimately a very likeable character on our hands who starts unravelling the plot and picking up clues.

Some parts are terrifically complex and surreal and I felt that younger readers may not entirely quite grasp some of the concepts, which is why this should be handed to slightly older readers who enjoy more of a challenge. There are some grisly bits, as there is bound to be, but what is most striking in this novel is the complexity of the world Ms. Singleton's created. I would have loved for the novel to be a bit longer - purely because I wanted to spend more time with Thomas - and that is entirely a personal thought.

As The Poison Garden is one of our Summer Reads, I get to score it and am happy to give it a well deserved 7.5 stars our of 10.