Review: The Lost Book of Magic

The Lost Book of Magic is set in the Depression era of 1895, Melbourne, Victoria,

Poverty and drought has swamped the State to the point where, even the butcher’s meager bone remains taste like a banquet.

Amidst this lack, business at the Coles Book Arcade in Bourke Street, is slowing significantly.

Mr and Mrs Coles with their two eldest children sail off to Sydney.

Due to the slump, they are considering closing the store and opening one in a more viable location to secure the children’s livelihood.

Pearl and Valentine remain to keep shop under the watchful eye of the Manager, Mr Pike. 

Pearl decides to use her limited magic to spruce up neglected areas. Removing this financial pressure, she hopes her parents will reconsider the move.

Review: The Strange and Unlikely Tale of Montgomery the Mysterious Bird of Mystery

Boy (that’s how Gramps casually addresses his grandson) goes to see Gramps at the retirement home, every Wednesday after school.   

This is the highlight of the week for both of them. For Gramps claims to have lived many roles in his lifetime. 

These he recalls in minute detail, in an animated, flowing and lighthearted narrative, full of excitement and non-stop action.

But no story compares to the one about the time that he was known as the famous magician, The Astonishing Alfredo. With his white dove, Montgomery, the Mysterious Bird of Mystery, who sang a song at the end of each show, the two brought the house down.

The stories the old man shares with his grandson are so incredible, so imaginative and unlikely, the boy finds it hard to accept them as truth. 

Review: Fern's School for Wayward Fae: Bk 1 - The Graveyard Gift

Rosemary has been home schooled, so her world is smaller than it could’ve otherwise been.

Her mother sent her away. She was too different. Too much. Too difficult.

She is picked up by Fern and taken to the fairy realm.

Rosemary ends up at Fern’s School for Wayward Fae.

Half human and half fae, Rosemary has the power to see how people are going to die. It seems that all the students own a magical gift.

Partnered with Trym, a banshee who is deaf, can lip read and speak, and whose scream can kill, Rosemary begins a new life, a different one where she can be herself; be wanted and loved.

Review: Stepping Sideways: Worlds Of Steampunk And Dystopia

Stepping Sideways is an exhilarating and wonderful read. This collection of short stories by established and emerging authors takes us into the worlds of Steampunk and Dystopia, to experience danger and wonder by turns - and in rapid succession!

Edited by Emily Larkin and Lynne Stringer who each have stories included, the anthology also contains a fantastic offering from KBR’s own Shaye Wardrop among other excellent narratives.

Reading this book is a little mind-blowing, and kind of like riding a roller-coaster (in the best ways of having the breath sucked out of your lungs for fun). 

Most of the stories combine fantasy with mechanics, allowing readers to explore the wonders and horrors of science, technology and magic.

Review: Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria

 

Bravepaw and the Heartsone of Alluria is the first book in a bold adventure series with a strong resourceful heroine.

The characters are animals but not all are the conventional type.

Titch the smallest mouseling in her family, wants to be a warrior.

She practices with her staff of sturdy oak, and pretends she is Bravepaw, the warrior mentioned in every story she has heard.

With her best friend, Huckleberry, she imagines all that could be waiting in the world beyond for them to discover and experience, for no one has ever left the Plateau.

As they stand wondering, a hare on a glider appears. 

A sword, and a staff with a crystal on top, are strapped to his back.

The hare warns them about an approaching danger and orders the inhabitants to take up arms.

Review: Sabina and the Cats of Rome

Sabina and the Cats of Rome is an action-packed adventure perfect for to younger readers.

A feisty young heroine up to any challenge, leads an imaginative cast of characters.

Sabina lives in Rome in a house with magical surroundings. 

She doesn’t realize how magical until the day she meets the talking cat.

The cat is the only daughter of the King of Cats of Rome. 

They can communicate because all royal cats learn to speak human.

Review: How to Draw a Dragon

How to Draw a Dragon is Kate Talbot’s celebration of creativity and imagination. Dragons are not real after all. 

With a two-way conversation between two mostly unseen characters, as you read you’ll learn what it is that makes a dragon. 

From wings so they can fly, to breathing fire, even if they are friendly. 

Baby dragons, underwater dragons, and firefighting dragons. They're pretend dragons, but they all must breathe fire. 

Real dragons do exist, though.

Junior Review: The End Crowns All

Love caused this war. At least, that’s what the stories will say…

Bea Fitzgerald’s new novel The End Crowns All is filled to the brim with characters that truly leap off the page in a unique and captivating world, delivered in an innovative perspective of Greek Mythology. 

This touching story features Cassandra, a princess of Troy gifted with the power of prophecy, and Helen, a Spartan princess-warrior who fled her country in the pursuit of love.

When the god Apollo offers Cassandra the gift of prophecy, she seizes the opportunity, along with the power it holds. However, unable to uphold her end of the deal, she is cursed by the god and realises just how far she can fall when no one believes her prophecies. 

Meanwhile, Helen fled Sparta searching for love and a life where she could be valued for more than being a prized possession, although she soon realizes she is exactly that, a prize from Aphrodite to Paris; a prince of Troy. 

Review: The Little Street Library

One of the best things to come out of perpetual lockdowns the world over, is the emergence of random, unique and welcoming street libraries.

The Little Street Library is an absolutely gorgeous book about one child’s vision to bring her street together with one of these libraries. 

Review: Allen The Alien

A unique, funny and joyful offering from Stephanie Ward and Aleck Morton, Allen The Alien is a book that celebrates difference. 

It’s a multi-layered adventure story to remind us that this world (and others!) can accommodate diversity of all persuasions. Especially when we are understanding and accepting.

In this story we see Allen and his pet, Byte, crash-land from another planet into the aisle of a supermarket on earth, where adults are horrified and children are delighted. From here, the chaotic adventure ensues!

Review: The Very Polite Knight

Finn is a polite knight. He’s not like Walter the sneaky knight nor Boris the fierce knight nor Ethel the tough knight. 

He’s very different from the other knights. He’s…. more polite. He’s kind and caring and that’s how he approaches everything he does.

The other knights don’t see the benefit of being polite. They’d rather fight and steal and be scary. Be tough and fierce and sneaky. But when the king falls ill and needs a rare flower to cure him, the knights’ approaches are all put to the test.

Review: Wolf Girl #11: Hide and Seek

Wolf Girl -11: Hide and Seek, finds Gwen and her pack of dogs – her family, leave Moon City, chased by the Braxans, who are determined to catch her. 

The group find refuge in an underground tunnel before they come upon a shopping centre reclaimed by nature.

At the Mall, a new adventure begins. The dogs sniff out a Pet Shop. Dog’s delight!

But this is not the sanctuary they imagine. 

Others are using the space for housing and security. The group again encounter threats, danger and choices.

But who are the family living there, also hiding from their pursuers.

Nothing comes easy for either group. 

When the soldiers catch up with them, its them against the dogs.

Review: Never a Hero

Everything is different. Joan changed the timeline so Nick would never become the hero, never hunt monsters, never murder her family. 

Now, he doesn’t even know who she is. Aaron and Ruth don’t remember any of the things they did to help Joan stop Nick. Only Joan remembers everything that happened.

Things will never be the same.

But as Joan tries to adjust to this new world (and the differences she keeps discovering in it), fate has other ideas. 

Joan and Nick are thrown back together as monsters come after her – including Aaron.

Review: Ivy Newt and the Storm Witch

Ivy Newt is the princess of the Sand Witches. It’s the start of school holidays, it’s her birthday and a big storm is descending upon all of Miracula. So big that her friends can’t even get to her party.

To cheer up Ivy, her dad performs a magic show. But something goes very very wrong, and both of Ivy’s parents disappear, leaving Ivy and her wolf familiar, Tom, all alone in their giant castle.

Determined to find her parents, Ivy and Tom set off on an adventure that leads them across Miracula.

They meet allies and enemies, but the more they search, the more it seems something is amiss. Was that storm just an ordinary storm or something else? Is there someone plotting to hurt the kings and queens of Miracula?

Review: Billy and the Epic Escape

Billy and the Epic Escape is the sequel to Jamie Oliver's fantastic debut novel, Billy and the Giant Adventure. And what another epic adventure it is!

Autumn, who finds reading difficult, convinces her dad to continue the story of Billy and his friends Andy, Anna and Jimmy, after leaving the story of Waterfall Woods unfinished. 

He agrees and picks up where he left off.

Each of the friends owns a special ability which they call upon when necessary,  and a code name which they use over their walkie-talkies. 

They love to explore, discover, and help anyone in need.

It is Jimmy’s birthday. He wants an animal themed party.

Review: Shower Land: Break the Curse

You wake up on Monday morning and need to take a shower. Pretty normal right? You’re a bit stinky. This is what you do in the morning. No big deal.

Except, on this particular Monday morning something strange happens. Something unexpected. Something completely bonkers.

When Felix jumps in the shower on Monday morning, he gets transported through space and time to a strange world. And if landing in the middle of two charging armies isn’t bad enough, try being completely naked when it happens!

Seeking shelter (and some clothes), Felix meets brother and sister Noah and Elsie. Elsie’s bold, talkative and quite the musician. Noah is the brooding, silent type (who can’t speak due to a curse).

Review: This Camp is Doomed

Big story world, big characters, big mystery. Let me explain.

When you first start this novel, you’ll be forgiven for believing it’s a story about a group of kids heading off to school camp. But don’t be fooled. There’s something different about the kids from Dennith Grange, and indeed the entire world this story is set in.

See, in this story world, everyone has a power. Powers manifest in the teen years and they could be anything from being able to navigate really well to being able to control fire.

The detail with which Zobel builds this world is incredible. Of course, kids with powers has been done before, but not like this. Powers in this world are not something that make you stand out or unique.

Review: Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit

In Shelwich, the tide has gifted tide-blessings to practically everyone in varying forms.

Ista Flit’s gift is the ability to take on the appearance of any person she has seen, amongst other things.

Her Pa had left Aunt Abigail’s house and come to Shelwich to work and buy a flat for them to live together.

When his clarinet is delivered to Ista at her aunt’s place with a letter, she learns that he has disappeared.

Ista leaves secretly and arrives in Shelwich to try and find him.

The sinister Alexo Rokis, fox-faced and wolf-eyed, on her arrival, steals the clarinet, the only thing left of her father, and holds it to ransom, forcing Ista to steal for him. The deal is twenty errands for the return of the clarinet and freedom from his power over her.

Winner: Seven Wherewithal Way Series Prize Pack

Our lucky winner is ...

Joseph Spagnolo, NSW

Congratulations!

You have a set of the epic portal-series, Seven Wherewithal Way including the recently released, third book, Over The Mountains and Through the Desert by Samantha Ellen Bound. Enjoy!

Thank you to ALL who entered. 

Giveaway: Seven Wherewithal Way Series Prize Pack

The epic portal fantasy series for middle-grade readers returns! In celebration of the third instalment in Samantha-Ellen Bound's epic portal fantasy series, Seven Wherewithal Way: Over the Mountains and Through the Desert, our epic friends at Affirm Press are giving away books 1, 2 AND 3!

Enjoy the first 3 books in this epic 4-book portal fantasy series full of heart-in-your-mouth action, unconventional families, and fascinating magic.

For the chance to win this awesome three book set simply tell us in 25 words or less what mythological/fantastical creature you'd like to meet?