Children of the Black Sun Book 1: Winter be my Shield by Jo Spurrier

Winter be my Shield by Jo Spurrier. Pub. HarperVoyager 2012.

This new Adventure/Fantasy novel is just brilliant. It took me four days to read, not because it was hard to read, but because i wanted to savour every word. I rarely do this with a novel. Why?

It is set in the land of Ricalan, a land that has been invaded from the south by seafaring Mesentreians who have settled in the flat lands. To the West it is facing invasion from the Akharian Empire, but the power from within is held by an aging Blood-Mage called Kell and his ruthless assistant Rasten.

Kell rules with a sadistic appetite through the power of the Mage. He uses pain to control people and the attitude is “it is better to give pain than to receive it. Disturbing?  yes and there is much brutality and torture in this novel.

Into the novel come two half brothers, Cam who is the rightful heir of Ricalan and Isidro a man who has withstood much abuse and nurtures an arm that has been shattered into a hundred parts and gives him constant pain. The brothers are fleeing Kell’s henchmen and save a young Mage named Sierra who escaped Rasten chief henchman to Kells.

Sierra is an anomoly, she derives her power from the pain of others yet you like her and wish her no harm. You have expectations that she will come good.

The strife and action that these characters create makes compelling reading in the midst of a harsh and bitter winter.

Amongst the pain there is goodness. You know that it is in there somewhere but it is going to take a long time to emerge and win. A couple more books at least.

For able fantasy readers of high school years and above this is a refreshing new story.

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy Illus. Ian Schoenherr

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy. Illus. Ian Schoenherr. Pub.Text Publishing melbourne, 2011.

This is an original new book about magic aimed at Intermediate junior secondary students with reading ages 12 -15 years.

Set in the era of the early Cold War in the year 1952 when McCarthyism was starting to take root in America and nuclear testing was starting with first the Americans then the Soviets and later the British. Spying was rife.

Into the story comes an American girl Janie whose parents are script writers for a new Britich series on Robin Hood. She goes to a private English school and comes in contact with Ben, the son of an apothecary or pharmacist in modern lingo. The father has a powerful book called the Pharmacopoeia which contains magic potions that can transfor humans into birds, make people tell the truth and even vanish.

Soviet spies want the Pharmacopoeia and Janie and Ben are caught in a spy action story that ends up at the Soviet testing site of Nova Zemblya. To tell you any more would ruin it, but just imagine if it was possible to negate the effects of radiation with a potion made from plants.

I loved this novel as it was so original. I would describe it as an historical Science fiction adventure fantasy. Is that possible? Read it and find out.

The Travelling Restaurant by Barbara Else

The Travelling Restaurant Jasper’s Voyage in three parts by Barbara Else. Pub. Gecko Press, 2011.

Lady Gall is the Provisional queen of the Kingdom of Fontania and a nasty piece of work she is as well. She has no claims to the throne and does not have the power of magic that is possessed by the royal family, so she bans it. Big mistake!

The true king died shortly after a catastrophic event that became known as The Big Accident and the crown and heirs to the throne disappeared. Lady Gall takes over and sets about, in a tyrannical way, to keep the throne for herself and destroy all those who are the rightful heirs.

Jasper’s father works for Lady Gall in the  Workroom of Knowledge but he is only there because he has invented a beauty product called beauteen which Lady Gall thinks makes her look beautiful. Two fingers down the throat here.

Jasper sees Lady Gall try to poison his baby sister Sibilla and this precipitates a late night escape by the whole family by ship, a ship that is later sunk in a storm scattering the survivors to different parts of the Kingdom of Fontania.

Jasper doesn’t get on the ship his family does as his Uncle Trump ensures that he stays on the dockside, but Jasper is resilient and takes a small colourful ship called The Travelling Restaurant that is owned by Polly and Dr Rocket. They sail from the  City of Spires chased by Lady Gall and her henchmen.

However all is not as it seems and everybody is someone other than who they say.

A brilliant fantasy/adventure story told with a gusto and enthusiasm that typified Margaret Mahy at her best. When the book awards are being divvied up next year watch this book.

Essentially for primary/Intermediate children and a good read-a-loud as well. I also think there is a need for a sequel.

The Books of the Beginning. Book one: The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens. Pub. Random House, 2011.

A long time ago great magical minds created The Books of the Beginning and because they were powerful and could be utilised by the unscrupulous, they were hidden. One of the books, The Emerald Atlas, was hidden in a vault under the City of Calmartia, the city of the dwarves that was destroyed by an earthquake.

Kate is 14 years old and when she was 4 years old her mother came to her in the night, kissed her goodbye and asked her to look after her siblings, Michael now aged 12 and Emma now aged 11, while her father stood calling by the door. They were then whisked away pursued by vicious creatures and into a childhood where they went from orphanage to orphanage.

Then one day they are taken to a place called Cambridge Falls a town that once was magical but the magic is now hidden. They come in contact with a magician called Dr.Pym and in his room locate a book that can transport them into a magical world ruled by a wicked witch and equally scurrilous Countess who uses evil beings called screechers to do her dirty work.

The children find themselves as key players in a search for the Emerald Atlas a book that can transport them through time and reshape the world they live in.

The action is fast and furious, the children brave and adventurous and the story involves dwarves and a host of horrible things. The ending which is complicated is breathtaking and sets up the next two books.

Fabulous fantasy for those that like The Chronicles of Nania, Harry Potter,  His Dark Materials and The Lord of the Rings. John Stephens knows his fantasy. At last a worthwhile fantasy that doesn’t involve vampires and werewolves. Old fashioned but brilliant.

This is just the start of a series that is quality writing and sure to be popular. To be published in April, 2011.

Bartimaeus. The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud

Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud. Pub.  Random House, 2010.

Fans of the Bartimaeus Trilogy that included The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem’s Eye and Ptolemy’s Gate will be delighted to have another Bartimaeus book although it is in a different setting to London and Prague. That Trilogy was brilliant and this new book seems to be the first of a number of Bartimaeus books.

For the uninitiated, Bartimaeus is a fourth level Djinni with a bizaare sense of humour, street cred. and a vast arsenal of spells that can be used by any master who summons him and binds him as a slave. In this instance his master is a cruel and ruthless Magician, Khaba, who is in the service of King Solomom of Israel. Khaba has aspirations of his own and Bartimaeus is in the way, and not for the first time finds himself in a bottle for seemingly a long time. Things change.

Solomon  is resident in Jerusalem in the year 950BC and he holds power through the Ring of Solomom which he wears on the little finger of his right hand. This ring has stunning powers, a mere turn of it can destroy cities, and Solomon rules in the certainty that he has it.

When Solomon demands that South Arabian kingdom Sheba pay homage to him, or does he? the Queen of Sheba sends a clever and powerful assassin, Asmira, to kill Solomon and take the Ring. Asmira is  a beautiful young woman who rescues the bottled Bartimaeus and binds him  as her slave to assist in her plan. Will she succeed? You will have to read it to find out and you will not be disappointed.

The fantasy, the action and the historical detail will give much to ponder  and you will keep turning the pages long after you feel you should put it down for the night. Brilliant fantasy writing. The last 110 pages are astonishing, the ending unbelievable.

If you read the Trilogy then this is a must read. If you have never read a magical fantasy then this is as good as it gets.

Intermediate through to Senior Secondary. Try it you will love it.

Ghost Hunter by Michelle Paver

Ghost Hunter by Michelle Paver. Pub. Orion, 2009.

The sixth and final book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series and a brilliant finish to the series it is.

I read this book while trekking through Morocco and it was a fabulous contrast to the world that was happening around me as I haggled with Berbers and came to terms with a Marrakech that was way different from the town I adored in the 1970,s as a hippie.

Eostra the Eagle Owl Mage is the last of the Soul Eaters. She is the evil force that wants to dominate the world in which Torak, Wolf, Renn, Fin-Kedinn and the many tribes and creatures that live in this world in harmony with their natural environment.

Eostra possesses the last piece of the Fire Opal that enhances her considerable powers over the elements and the creatures around her.  Eostra contrives to drive Torak apart from his pack-brother Wolf and his female companion Renn as she wants Torak,s power as a Spirit Walker. In this final conflict she lures him to the Mountain of Ghosts.

Will she succeed? What will happen to Wolf his partner Darkfur and their cubs? Is there something more to the relationship between Torak and Renn who are now 15 summers old? Will they all survive the ordeal that they are about to endure? How will the different tribes react to it all? Are there other characters and creatures  in this magical world who may influence the final result?

Michelle Paver has brilliantly and intelligently finished this outstanding series about Stone Age man living in the forests, rivers, coastlines and mountains of the world after the Ice Age. Her attention to detail of man living close to nature in this primeavel world is outstanding. This series will surely become a classic.

Aimed at a wide audience from Intermediate through to Secondary and Young Adult. If you miss this series you will kick yourself.

The Magician’s Elephant

The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo, illus Yoko Tanaka. Pub. Candlewick Press 2009.

This is a brilliant story for everyone but probaly for school years 5-8 or children 10 -13.

Peter Augustus Duchene lives with an ex soldier who tells him his father died bravely in battle and his mother died in childbirth as did hs baby sister.

Peter however has doubts about this, particularly over the fate of his sister Adele. When a fortunetellers tent appears in the market square of the City of Baltese, Peter spends his masters money asking the fortuneteller “is my sister still alive and if so how can I find her?”

The answer, involving an elephant, will activate the dullest of imaginations and inspire the most reluctant of readers.

This story is brilliantly written in short chapters, short paragraphs and short sentences with the language  a treat to read. Some sentences will leave you gasping at their brilliance.

Kate DiCamillo introduces a range of weird and wonderfull characters whose fate all comes together at the wonderful end.

If you miss this story you will kick yourself just as you would have if you had missed Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by the same author.