Release Date: 02/01/18
Publisher: Hot Key Books
SYNOPSIS:
Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.
And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.
One terrible morning, Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered in front of them. The terrifying assassin abducts all three girls to the world of Faerie, where Jude is installed in the royal court but mocked and tormented by the Faerie royalty for being mortal. As Jude grows older, she realises that she will need to take part in the dangerous deceptions of the fey to ever truly belong.
But the stairway to power is fraught with shadows and betrayal. And looming over all is the infuriating, arrogant and charismatic Prince Cardan . . .
Dramatic and thrilling fantasy blends seamlessly with enthralling storytelling to create a fully realised and seductive world, brimful of magic and romance.
REVIEW:
As a long time reader of Holly's books, when I discover that there's a new one on the horizon, the calander is marked, the days are crossed off and the long wait is on its countdown.
Why is this the case? Well for me, Holly is an author who always delivers on the top notch fiction not only for the young adult audience but also produces a book for all ages. Her characters are flawed, have goals and also have to learn to adjust to changes as they happen alongside living with the consequences of those choices.
It gives them a reality, a roundedness that appeals and of course allows you to form a relationship with them and whilst some of them are from the "otherworld" its these foibles that really help bring the world to life. Here within this book we're treated to a tale of action, of political double dealing and of course danger around every turn from both friends and foes. I loved it.
Back this up with Holly's wonderful storytelling style, top notch prose alongside an overall arc that promises a hell of a lot as well as delivers in this first part all round makes this a tale that was sadly finished too quickly due to my voracious reading. I can't wait to see what happens next.
Release Date: 05/02/15
Publisher: Indigo
SYNOPSIS:
Near the little town of Fairfold, in the darkest part of the forest, lies a glass casket. Inside the casket lies a sleeping faerie prince that none can rouse. He's the most fascinating thing Hazel and her brother Ben have ever seen. They dream of waking him - but what happens when dreams come true? In the darkest part of the forest, you must be careful what you wish for...NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Holly Black spins a dark, dangerous and utterly beautiful faerie tale, guaranteed to steal your heart. Holly Black is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author, co-creator of The Spiderwick Chronicles and author of YA novels including the widely acclaimed THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN.
REVIEW:
Ah the delicious dark temptation of Holly Black and whilst for quite a few readers she’s more of a YA author, I do love to delve into her worlds as she is not only imaginative but also gives the reader cracking descriptions that work wonderfully within the mind but just trip off the page.
As you’d expect the tale is well written, the prose are sharp and when added to an overall arc that moves along wonderfully well all round gives you that magical experience. Back this up with a great set of characters and for me, if you only get one stocking filler for your YA reader make sure its this one. Cracking.
Release Date: 11/09/14
Publisher: Doubleday
SYNOPSIS:
From the imaginations of bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare comes a heart-stopping plunge into the magical unknown. Think you know magic? Think again. The Magisterium awaits...Most people would do anything to get into the Magisterium and pass the Iron Trial. Not Callum Hunt. Call has been told his whole life that he should never trust a magician. And so he tries his best to do his worst - but fails at failing. Now he must enter the Magisterium. It's a place that's both sensational and sinister. And Call realizes it has dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future. The Iron Trial is just the beginning. Call's biggest test is still to come...
REVIEW:
There are times as a reader you want something comforting, something a little simpler and of course something magical and for me, Holly Black is an author that manages to do everything that I like in a Young Adult book. OK, so I’m a lot older than the target audience, however the way that she brings the characters across, alongside a kickass plot, cracking action carefully balanced with emotional context all round makes it something that makes you not only smile but genuinely care about the characters involved. The fact that she’s double teamed with another top quality author really adds the icing to the cake
Here in the first book of the Magisterium series is a tale that gives the readers a whole host of surprises alongside solid prose and of course wonderment as to the extraordinary differences in an Urban Fantasy world. It’s a real gem .
Release Date: 03/09/13
Publisher: Indigo
SYNOPSIS:
Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. It's an eternal party, shown on TV 24 hours a day - gorgeous, glamorous, deadly! Because, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave...A wholly original story of rage and revenge, love and loathing from bestselling author, Holly Black. Fans of True Blood will love this dark and sexy tale.
REVIEW:
I’m a huge fan of Holly Black and when I read she was to write her own homage to the vampire novel, I couldn’t wait to see what she’d present. After all she gave the fans a different type of fae novel, delivered a new Urban Fantasy series with mages so it was going to not only be a journey of discovery but also a book that I was 99% sure would deliver something unique.
What Holly has done exceptionally well in this novel is bring the vamps back to the dark malevolent side rather than sticking with the namby pamby glitterati angst ridden emo wimps that they’ve become in a lot of the more modern YA fiction. Its like a breath of fresh air with added gore, blood splatters and of course corpses all tied up with cracking characters and stunning dialogue. All round a great read and one that I was more than happy I spent the time with.
Release Date: 16/06/11
SYNOPSIS:
Cassel has discovered the dark secret of his past, the secret that set him apart from his family. Now he must take his new knowledge and his new powers out into the world. A dark and twisting contemporary fantasy set in a beautifully rendered, subtly different world this is a wonderfully nuanced and involving fantasy, at once melancholy, ironic and terrifying. It is perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman.
REVIEW:
Having enjoyed Holly’s writing for years, it is with great delight when I read the first of the Curse Workers series last year, so when I had the chance to get ahead with the second book I really couldn’t wait, after all the world was inventive, there were great powers for the magic users and whilst there were huge benefits for utilising your power, many came with great costs.
Add to this a lead character who the readers can get behind, who whilst he’s unsure of himself to a certain degree as he knows that his powers were abused by family members, Cassel disguises his gift with humour as well as cunning. As usual with Holly’s writing, the pace is decent, the dialogue is addictive and when backed with mysterious overall arc it’s a series that will soon become ingrained in the readers psyche. Great stuff.
BOOK BLURB:
Cassel is cursed. Cursed by the memory of the fourteen year old girl he murdered. Life at school is a constant trial. Life at home even worse. No-one at home is ever going to forget that Cassel is a killer. No-one at home is ever going to forget that he isn't a magic worker. Cassel's family are one of the big five crime families in America. Ever since magic was prohibited in 1929 magic workers have been driven underground and into crime. And while people still need their touch, their curses, their magical killings, their transformations, times have been hard. His granddad has been driven to drink, his mother is in prison and his brothers detest him as the only one of their family who can't do magic. But there is a secret at the centre of Cassel's family and he's about to inherit it. It's terrfying and that's the truth. The White Cat is a stunning novel of a world changed by magic. In this world only 1% of the population can work magic but they have the power of nightmares.
REVIEW:
It’s been a while since I had the pleasure of a brand new Holly Black in my hands. So when this offering from Gollancz landed I really had to jump at the chance. That said, knowing how much pleasure I get from a Holly Black, I really wanted to make it last and so forced myself to read a few titles prior to starting this, almost using it as a reward for all the hard work.
With Holly, what you get is some cracking Urban Fantasy, and whilst she’s more well known for Spiderwick and her Fae titles, this first adult offering, is a book that will be enjoyed just as much by fans of her previous offerings (I’d say to allow this title as a bridging gap from about 12+) as well as the adult market to which this one is aimed.
Beautifully written with some interesting turns, her new world of exploration is definitely one that will endear her to a whole new set of readers with her spartanesque descriptiveness, her realistic dialogue (given the situation that the characters find themselves in) and her touch of whimsy. A great read and one that I’m pleased I eked out for my own pleasure.
BOOK BLURB:
When the Grace children moved into the old, abandoned Spiderwick Mansion, little did they realise that their lives would never be the same again. Having uncovered a fantastical world of sprites, faeries and goblins there's no turning back.
The Ultimate Spiderwick Chronicles features all five of the original books plus great new bonus content! Discover the three 'lost' chapters that were included in the Nestle Cereal Partners cereal boxes, and the special 'development' section showing sketches and early drafts. Readers both old and new, young and old will be completely immersed in the world of Spiderwick with this Ultimate collection.
REVIEW:
OK, you’ve come to Spiderwick late, you’ve heard that your son/daughter/niece/nephew, really wants this set of books as they’ve recently enjoyed the DVD, so what are you going to do. Well panic not, here is your opportunity to get the original series beautifully wrapped up and presented in this Omnibus edition recently released by Simon and Schuster. Whilst the film is touched upon in the series, you get greater depth as well as exploration of the Spiderwick world within. A great thing to do for new readers and a time/space savour for the adult involved along with being true value for money.
BOOK BLURB:
Nick and Laurie thought their giant problems were solved after they lured all the giants into the sea. But now, the Grace kids are back to tell them they may have caused more trouble! It turns out the giants control the population of Hydra, a dragon like creature that creates sinkholes all over Florida. But with the mermaids refusing to return the giants to the shore, Taloa still demanding their help in looking for her lost sisters and the threat of Florida's destruction drawing closer, the kids have to take matters in their own hands. Will Nick and Laurie be able to stop the chaos they unwittingly caused? Is the giant hunter Noseeum Jack really as helpful as they thought? Can Arthur Spiderwick's infamous Field Guide help them out of this mess? Find out in the final instalment of the bestselling series, Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles!
REVIEW:
Spiderwick is something of an institution in my home. I have the DVD, I have the full set of books and I’m getting ready to do something special for my nephew to introduce him to the wonderful world created by Black and illustrated by DiTerlizzi.
One thing I will say before we go much further is that this is not a book to jump into having just seen the film, you have to immerse yourself into the world and to do that fully, you have to have read each novel to get the maximum effect and pleasure from the book. Each tale expands on the world as we explore themes and meet new creatures with each jump of the tale and to be honest its definitely something that will enchant old and young alike. A great book and a cracking addition to the next layer of Black’s and DiTerlizzi’s. Well written, beautifully illustrated and above all a story arc to get pure pleasure from. Great work.
