YOUNG ADULT REVIEW: Mapmakers Monsters 2: Vampanther Attack - Rob Stevens

BOOK BLURB:

In their next hilarious adventure, Hugo and Savage travel to the unchartered mountains of deepest Transylvania, where nothing is as it seems. With a fortune telling cat, an anxious wolf-man and some seriously angry rabbits to deal with, can Hugo rescue Uncle Walter from the clutches of the evil vampanther lord before it's too late?


REVIEW:

After the original offering from Rob, this one takes a darker turn as they seek to find the sword to end the existence of the Vampanther, ruler of the vampires. Wonderfully creative and just as exciting as the original the only blemish on this tale is that it feels like it follows the same plot arc as the original. It is good, it does have plenty of twists and above all it’s a tale of honour and friendship above all else as the message is passed onto the next generation through this magical offering. A great series for readers and definitely one to get on board with now before the hype really hits.

NEWS - YOUNG ADULT WEEK

Hail Mighty Readers,
Every so often we're going to be doing something special, this time its going to be a Young Adult week where we get to feature some of the talent out there. Next time it'll be Halloween Week where you get the Halloween themed titles but for now here's what we have coming up this week:

Well we wanted to do something special next week so we've devoted it entirely to Young Adult authors. Here's who's coming up:

05/10/09 - Interview: Rick Yancey
05/10/09 - The Monstrumologist: The Terror Beneath
05/10/09 - Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld

06/10/09 - Interview: Steve Augarde
06/10/09 - X-Isle - Steve Augarde
06/10/09 - Dogshead - Jill Marshall

07/10/09 - Interview: Joseph Delaney
07/10/09 - The Spook Stories: Witches
07/10/09 - Mapmakers Monsters 2: Vampanther Attack - Rob Stevens

08/10/09 - Interview: Rick Riordan
08/10/09 - Percy Jackson Day

09/10/09 - Interview: Nancy Farmer
09/10/09 - The Sea of Trolls, The Land of Silver Apples - Nancy Farmer

YOUNG ADULT REVIEW: The Map Makers Monsters: Beware the Buffalogre - Rob Stevens

BOOK BLURB:

When Christopher Columbus-wannabe Rupert Lilywhite decides to set sail and discover a new land - it's all the rage in the fifteenth century - Walter Bailey and his twelve-year-old nephew Hugo are employed as the ship's mapmakers. And when the sailors do eventually spot a mystery island, it is Walter and Hugo who are dispatched to investigate (nobody else can be bothered). Arriving on a beach of purple sand, the intrepid pair believe that they have found paradise ...until Walter is picked off by a giant flying rat. But with the help of some weird and wonderful talking creatures, including Pigasus the flutterhog, Delphina the water-breathing merphin and Savage, the tiny but fearless mouse, Hugo is given a chance to save his uncle and put his mapmaking training to the test.


REVIEW:

To be honest I had a bit of a hard time getting into this story however when I got past the initial beginning it really picked up and allowed the reader to have a lot of fun in the authors own indomitable and quirky style. Its light hearted, it pokes a lot of fun at the world of adventure and above all it’s a story that really has opened a world in a young adult Terry Pratchett sort of way. A nice bit of escapism for readers and an author I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on in the future.