Author Archives: keithbwalters

New books! #4

Here’s the books that I’ve bought to read and review this week!

The Claws of Evil (The Battles of Ben Kingdom)

The battles of Ben Kingdom; The claws of evil (By Andrew Beasley, published by Usborne.). The steampunk cover just looked so cool, and it only recently hit the stores and the plot sounded pretty cool! I’ve just started it and am loving it so far.

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Four of the world book day titles this year! I’ve already read the Cathy Cassidy title, so I’ll write a short review of that soon. Can’t wait to read the others (Except I might not bother reviewing the Diamond Brothers title- It’s basically two already-published stories condensed. I think.)

Clockwork Angel

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By Cassandra Clare, published by Walker books.

Tessa Gray’s brother Nathaniel moved to London from America to get a new job, and soon Tessa follows him, ready to start a new life away from Nerw York. When she steps off of the ferry, she is introduced to the Dark Sisters, who claim they’re here to look after her.
They uncover her power- Tessa’s ability to see into the life of somebody else through a possession of theirs. After weeks of torture and seeing into people’s terrifying lives, Tessa is rescued by English teenager Will- who claims that the Dark sisters were demons and he was hunting them. Tessa begins an extraordinary life after discovering and seeking refuge with the Shadowhunters- an elite family of demon killers. As she begins to unravel the conspiracy of her missing brother, she also lands herself in trouble with Vampires. Can she save herself, Nathaniel, and choose between the two strikingly beautiful teenage shadowhunters?

I seriously enojoyed this, just as much as The Mortal Instruments! I actually wanted to finish the TMI series before starting the prequel, but oh well. I had this book at home and not city of ashes, so I picked it up instead!
I really liked the plot. It was very well structured, with some great twists that really hooked me in. I think, after reading so much about demons in City Of Ashes, it was great to read a story where the plot was mainly centered around the vampires. It was scarty at parts, and heartbreaking at other. Also, I enjoyed the touch of steampunkiness to Clockwork Angel- it was steampunk weapons and devices, in the victorian era, with demons and vampires. Plainly awesome, in my opinion.
Tessa was a brilliant protagonist. She was three dimensional, and well developed, and I felt really involved with her terrifying journey. I really loved her character- she had the strength and determination of the protagonist of The Mortal Instruments, Clary. It was really shocking to find that she was actually a demon warlock in a way- a seriously exciting plot twist.
Will and Jem made really great love interests. We saw alot of Will in the book, and as much as I loved his character and untameable personality… I think I would have liked to see more of Jem. Although there was quite a big involvement of Jem towards the ending when Tessa discovered his secret, I really would have liked to see a little more of him. Maybe I will in the sequel.

Overall, Clockwork Angel is a thrilling, steampunk read that’s great for teenagers and adults. ALthough a very big book (About 500 pages) it was so fun to read and I can’t wait to buy a cop of the sequel!

Ghost Knight

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By Cornelia Funke, published by Orion.

Ghost Knight. Cornelia Funke

Eleven year old Jon is living with his siters, mother and awful soon-to-be-step-father (nicknamed The Beard!) when his mum decides to send him to a train-journey-away boarding school in Salisbury. He reluctantly joins the school, and on his first night there three ghosts on horseback appear at his window! Jon discovers that his anscestors, the Hartgill family, had a dark past in Salisbury involving an an evil man who is now in Salisbury in a ghost form, hunting down any male man going by the name of Hartgill. Then Jon meets Ella- a girl who has had a history with and grew up knowing about ghosts. She leads his to a long dead knight in Salisbury cathedral called Longespee, in the hopes that he can destory the ghosts after Jon. Can Jon escape the clutches of the evil horse riding ghosts… and claim Longespee’s long lost heart for him?

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

I recieved this for Christmas last year and seeing it on my book shelf two days ago, I picked this up not knowing anything about the plot. I read it in, collectively, a few hours… and it was so brilliant! Jon made a great protagonist, whose background and personality was very well developed before he’d even gotten off of the train in Salisbury. He has got to be the most adventurous eleven year old I’ve ever read about! Ella was a really fun character, too. Her background was well planned… and the way her family intertwined with Jon’s family was a really genius, unexpected plot twist. I think her personality and role in the story could’ve been a bit bigger, however. The ghosts, who played a big role in the story, were seriously imaginative, fun to read about, and above all… Based on real people! Yep, Longespee was a real Knight (Although I’m not sure he wanders Salisbury looking for his heart at the moment). I think the touch of historical reality really brought this story to life.

The plot was brilliantly laid out, and very well written with an excellent, solid structure. Although this book was quite short (There were alot of pages, but the text was quite big and there were illustrations) the events all tied together really well. There were some genius plot twists, like, as mentioned before, how Jon finds out that Ella is actually the niece of The Beard! That was a great twist which really livened up the story, and changed the way Jon solved all of his mysteries.

Overall, Ghost Knight is another brilliant masterpiece to come from Cornelia Funke. It’s a great read for children aged around ten- but I enjoyed it too. It has some absolutely brilliant accompanying illustrations too, and being partly historically accurate, this book was a really enjoyable read!

The Scorch Trials

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By James Dashner, published by Chicken House.

The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner, #2)

Following the events of the first book, The Maze Runner, Thomas and the remaining, surviving gladers have been moved out into the real world, which is in catastrophic conditions. Deranged, zombie-like people roam the streets, claiming that they have been infected with ‘The Flare’, and the streets and houses are look dead. It’s an apocalyptic wasteland. Thomas, Minho and the eighteen other gladers think that their trials are over after the deadly maze, but they’re wrong- the maze trials were only just the beginning. They are told that they have been given the flare infection, and their only way to survive is to do the next trial- the scorch trial. Now, they have to trek one hundred miles across the barren, boiling, infected land to reach a cure. As they begin their second epic adventure, they discover secrets about WICKED, and a parallel group of children, who went through the same maze trial as them… except that they’re teenage girls, not teenage boys. Can the girls and WICKED be trusted, when they’re trying to kill Thomas?

**To read the review of the first book in this series, The Maze Runner, click HERE!**

I seriously enjoyed The Maze Runner, and couldn’t wait to read the sequel. The Scorch Trials, despite quite a few bad reviews on Goodreads, is in my opinion even better than the first book! As in the first book, I was plunged straight into the action, and the horror, which was brilliant, and made me not want to stop reading. The plot wasn’t very complex, but it was still very enjoyable, with a great and effective structure. James Dashner has managed to convey the emotions of Thomas, even in a third person narrative!

I really liked the characters of Teresa and Thomas in the first book, and how they came together, and in this sequel it was very shocking to see how Teresa had rebelled, and had been convinced by WICKED that her had to be killed! That was a great plot twist and really put a test to Teresa and Thomas’s bond. Also, a bit of a love triangle was introduced with the arrival of another character, which was fun to read. However, as all three survived for the next book, I really hope the love triangle won’t overpower the action and suspense in the grand finale.

It was great to revisit not only Thomas and Teresa, but Minho, Winston, and the many other gladers from The Maze Runner. They were great supporting characters, and were just as adventurous and outgoing as before.

Overall, The Scorch Trials was a really great read. It was fast paced, and a really terrifying and horrific adventure. Definitely not for younger readers, but definitely recommended for fans of dystopia, horror, and The Maze Runner!

The Grimm Legacy

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By Polly Shulman, published by Oxford University Press.

The Grimm Legacy

Elizabeth Rew lives a pretty ordinary life in Manhattan until one day, her mysterious teacher Mr Mauskopf, recommends her a job in his old workplace. Mr Mauskopf used to work in the New York Depository- a weird and wonderful library. Except instead of books on the shelves, it’s priceless, countless, antique objects. From Mary Antoinette’s wig to rare china tea sets… you name it, the depository has it!

When Elizabeth’s new work friends at her new job start acting strangely whenever she mentions a certain collection- the Grimm Collection, which is much lesser talked about than any other. Elizabeth realises that there must be something special hidden there… and when she walks into the collection room for the first time, she discovers that the items in the Grimm collection are from the Grimm Fairy Tales, and they are magic! Soon, Elizabeth finds herself catapulted into a unique adventure, along with her new friends. Can she, Anjali, Marc and Aaron uncover the mysterious evil source that is stealing some of the magical Grimm items, in a complex conspiracy involving massive mythical creatures, thieves and strange disappearances?

I enjoyed The Grimm Legacy so much! The author has put a really genius modern twist on the most well known, most loved fairy tales, and I loved reading it. The plot was complex and layered-but not difficult to grasp at all- and kept me guessing about the ending all the way through. It was well structured, and the excitement and suspense was consistent throughout, which kept me reading. Also, the plot was very unpredictable; with some brilliant twists thrown in. For example, I really wasn’t expecting teenage love to complicate and spin the story around! That was very unexpected, and clever.

I loved the narration- it’s been a while since I’ve read such a greatly told, first-person story. The main protagonist, Elizabeth, had a strong voice which really involved me with the story. I really connected with her, and I’m sure other readers will too- she’s witty, fun, and experiences not only fantastical events but everyday, relate-able ones too. Like, when she was always ignored at home, and made fun of because of her big feet. Every other character was really satisfactory too. Every single one had well developed backgrounds and personalities, and were all very three-dimensional. I especially liked Anjali, Marc and Aaron- the supporting characters. They were funny at points, adventurous in others, and all round realistic teenagers.

In all, The Grimm Legacy is a seriously brilliant read. It has a layered, fun plot with fantastical themes- great for any fairy tale lover. With great characters, effective structure and a satisfying ending… what’s not to love?

*Also- look out for book two- out June 13th! It’s called The Wells Bequest, and based on a science-fictional (H.G. Wells based) collection in the depository with different, all new characters! (Sniff, no Elizabeth :(. Oh well.)*

Happy World Book Day!!

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Happy world book day, fellow book obsessives! This has got to be the coolest day of the year, except for Christmas (when book lovers also get books (; ). What did you do for world book day? I didn’t get to dress up, being in secondary school *sniffs*.

Anywayy, this year, we have a brilliant line up of books to get with our awesome book tokens:

I’m especially looking forward to buying four- The Diamond Brothers (Anthony Horowitz), Bitter Sweet (Cathy Cassidy), Ruby Redfort- Hang in there Bozo! (Lauren Child), and the Tom Gates Best Book Day ever! (Liz Pichon)- at the weekend. What about you?

Also, there’s a brilliant YA app to download to an Apple Device this year- the World Book Day/Movellas app. Movellas is a great young writers app and site where you can share your writing pieces, and now if you download the world book day app version you can read some exclusive YA world book day books, including one by Josephine Angelini, author of Starcrossed and Dreamless!

Tall Tales From Pitch End

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By Nigel McDowell, published by Hot Key Books.

Tall Tales From Pitch End

The town of Pitch End is ruled by the powerful Elders, and the citizens are watched over be clockwork sentries. Ten years after the end of a rebellion and the death of his father, nearly fifteen year old Bruno Atlas lives just like any other Pitch Ender- except that he has a secret. He has a forbidden book, called Tall Tales from Pitch End, and he doesn’t know that this book will change his life forever.

After he discovers a chilling, scary truth about the Elders, he runs from the town, and finds out that there are still rebels of the town, lurking in the mountains. As he teams up with them, Bruno begins an exciting journey, full of rebellion and adventure, with the Tall Tales book to guide him. Can he and his new team of rebels take down the evil Elders?

Before I review this book, can we just take a moment to stare in awe at the amazing, steampunky cover of this tale above? It is AMAZING. Possibly one of the coolest covers I have seen this year. Okay, moment over.

Tall Tales from Pitch End was brilliant. Right from the start it hooked me in- the opening was really powerful and exciting, and that excitement stayed consistent throughout the book. The plot was pretty brilliant and unpredictable, and I really enjoyed reading it. The events in the book were exciting,original, and well constructed, and kept me reading. Tall Tales from Pitch End was an imaginative, Steampunk adventure with some great twists. It was beautifully written, too!

Bruno was a really adventurous protagonist who I really enjoyed reading about. He was a well developed, and loveable character. The evil dudes, the Elders, made great and imaginative bad guys; seriously ruthless people who kept so many secrets from their town. I loved reading Bruno’s rebellion against them!

Overall, I really enjoyed this. Tall Tales was a great debut. The story was great, and I so want to read more. Highly recommended for young teens!

Stray

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By Monica Hesse, published by Hot Key Books.

Stray

Lona Sixteen-Always has spent all of her life in part of a unique virtual reality experiment called The Path, which claims that it will bring up orphans in better ways than foster homes. Lona spends twenty-three hours a day inside a ‘Pod’, re-living the childhood and teenage years of a boy called Julian, who lived fifty years ago and apparently had a perfect childhood. Lona is not allowed to be in love… but during the one-hour-a-day she getts ‘Off Path’, she falls for Fenn. A few months after he leaves for a real life adulthood, Lona is rescued from her virtual life by Fenn and his rebellious, Stray friends.Upon beginning a new, dangerous life as a Stray from The Path, Lona discovers dark truths behind The Path, finds love again, and embarks on a journey to find out what it really means to live. Can Lona and her new group of friends, the Strays, spark a rebellion against The Path?

This book has to be one of the best debuts I’ve read in a while! The plot was thrilling, with great, unexpected twists and shocks. Monica’s writing was brilliant; her story structured expertly. I especially loved how every few chapters, the scene would switch back to who was, at the beginning, a minor character (Talia), and how Lona and Talia came together at the end to try to put a stop the The Path’s ways. The idea was just genius- it’s one I really wish I’d thought of! The author has generated a dark, technologically advanced possibility of a future America that I really loved and want to read more about.

The characters were great; I really loved Lona and Fenn. Although I didn’t know anything about their pasts, or their real names (Lona Sixteen-Always and Fenn Eighteen- are Path-Generated names), I really connected with them and enjoyed reading their adventure. I liked the character of Talia, too, and how she came from being a normal Path Staff-member who I guessed would be a bad guy to playing a totally unpredictable part in the start the rising up against The Path!

Overall, I seriously enjoyed this. It’s got to be one of the best Debuts of the year, and I really really really want a sequel. Keep writing, Monica Hesse!

Hot Key Books Blog- young bloggers week!

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This week over on the blog for Hot Key Books, there’s a new thing happening called young bloggers week. Every post this week on their Key Note Blog will be written by teenage and child bloggers from the blogosphere! Today, I started, with a short thing on the good things about e-Books. You can read my piece at the link here- http://hotkeyblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/ebooks-the-good-things/- and be sure to stick around all week for the other posts; I can’t wait to read the next pieces!

Mila 2.0

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By Debra Driza, published by Harper Collins

MILA 2.0 (MILA 2.0, #1)

Mila has just moved to a new, quaint town after a house fire which killed her father. She’s lost her memory, and is still trying to recover it. However, upon falling out of a car and cutting herself, she discovers wires instead of veins in her arm… and finds out that she is not like any other people. In fact, she never had a father, or lived in a house before the one in the quiet town in Minnesota- those memories were programmed by her mother in order to keep Mila from learning the truth… that she was a part of a confidential military experiment, and that her mother saved her from further experiments and termination. Now Mila knows the truth about herself, no place is safe. The military want her back, and they will stop at nothing to retrieve her and drag her back to the laboratory she came from. Mila and her mother embark on a terrifying journey, and Mila loves, loses, and realises what it truly means to be human.

WOW. Just wow. I loved this so much! Debut novels really don’t get more exhilarating than this. From the front cover and the blurb, this looked truly amazing, and it lived up to my expectations. It was gritty, fast-paced, terrifying, and crammed with action. Mila was a brilliant main character- I really connected with her and her story was an epic one. I think Mila made a solid, great protagonist, and the story of her discovering who she really is, is a really interesting one to read. All of the characters, from the love interest to the evil military generals, were extremely brilliant! I loved every second of Mila 2.0, as it was a real thrill ride to compete with I am Number Four and similar to Unremembered. The plot was brilliant; with a brilliant, strong narration. Some parts were edge-of-your-seat action scenes, others were tear-jerkingly-sad. I couldn’t stop reading… this book is a must for any YA book lover, and now I’m (rather impatiently) waiting for the sequel!