Blog Tour: Wolfbane by Michelle Paver

I was thrilled to be invited to take part in the blog tour for 'Wolfbane' by Michelle Paver. I've been reading Michelle's books since 2004 when 'Wolf Brother' the opening instalment of the series was published. I've grown up with Torak and Wolf and lived all their adventures with them, so I was both sad and excited to read the epic last book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness which was published by Zephyr Books on 26th April. 

Synopsis: 
It is early spring, a turbulent, perilous time of sudden storms, frozen river fractures and drifting ice. Fleeing from a demon intent on devouring his souls, Wolf is swept out to Sea far from the Forest and his pack. The ocean too teems with danger: sea wolves, sharks and hunters of the deep, and the demon is gaining ground. Torak and Renn must race to save their pack-brother, battling the harsh, icy waves and merciless torrents. If they can't find Wolf in time, the bond between them will be severed for ever...

Run wild with Wolf Brother for the last time in a Stone Age world we all want to be part of, with three-million-copy-selling author Michelle Paver, Creator of Legends.

Review:   

'Wolfbane' is the ninth and final book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series. I can still remember reading 'Wolf Brother' for the first time so many years ago. It instantly hooked me and I've been a huge fan of Michelle Paver ever since. 

In 'Wolfbane', Torak and Renn are on a desperate journey to save Wolf from an ice demon who wants to eat his souls. Torak will do anything to save him but Naiginn is a dangerous and formidable enemy. He will not be easily stopped and Torak will have to decide how much to risk in his determination to save his beloved pack brother. 

This was a brilliant story, full of excitement and adventure. It was very fast-paced which made it extremely difficult to put down. There is one obstacle after another put in Torak's way and I lost count of the number of cliff-hangers at the end of the chapters. It was also great to see some of the characters who have featured briefly in earlier books and for them to get their own stories explored in more detail too. I particularly loved seeing Dark again and I was very happy with how his storyline was concluded. 

Paver's conception of the unbreakable bond between the boy and Wolf is something that has always felt tangible and real. Their relationship has been the common thread running throughout the whole series and it has drawn readers in time and time again. They have grown up together and formed new families of their own but they have never stopped being there for one another and that's just so lovely and touching to see. 

Michelle Paver is well known for her meticulous research and this shines through in every story she crafts. The settings are authentic, her descriptions of nature are incredible and every situation she places her characters in, is one that she has experienced herself in some way. I love the fact that she includes an author's note at the end which gives the reader a small glimpse into the research that she has carried out in the process of writing the book. 

The story made me smile and cry in equal measure. I felt it was a triumphant end that fans both old and new will enjoy. Everything that I love about the books and the characters was there to see and it was a wonderful (and very emotional!) conclusion to a dearly loved series. 

Although the series is finally ending, I like to think that in the hearts of fans around the world, Torak and Wolf will forever be together and running free through the forest. 

Thank you to Helen Richardson and Zephyr Books for inviting me to join the blog tour and for gifting me such a beautiful and treasured signed copy of Wolfbane. 

Blog tour: Viper's Daughter by Michelle Paver

I'm extremely excited to be taking part in the blog tour for Michelle Paver's new book, 'Viper's Daughter'. I was gifted a proof of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A boy. A wolf. The legend lives on.

Viper’s Daughter is the seventh book in the award-winning series that began with Wolf Brother, selling over 3 million copies in 36 territories. Like them it can be read as a standalone story.

For two summers Torak and Renn have been living in the Forest with their faithful pack-brother, Wolf. But their happiness is shattered when Renn realizes Torak is in danger and she’s the threat.

When she mysteriously disappears, Torak and Wolf brave the Far North to find her. At the mercy of the Sea Mother and haunted by ravenous ice bears, their quest leads them to the Edge of the World. There they must face an enemy more evil than any they’ve encountered.

Viper’s Daughter plunges you back into the Stone-Age world of Torak, Renn and Wolf: a world of demons, Hidden People and exhilarating adventure which has entranced millions of readers.

'Viper's Daughter' returned me to Michelle Paver's richly imagined Stone Age world. It was a treat and a privilege to see Torak, Renn and Wolf once again and to follow in their footsteps as they embark on a dangerous journey to the Edge of the World.

I grew up reading Paver's Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series and although I always wondered what might have happened to the characters next, I honestly didn't think that after such a long time, we would be gifted with another book in the series. I was overjoyed to find out that there was going to be a new addition and I was dying to get my hands on it as soon as I heard the news. 'Viper's Daughter' was most definitely everything that I was hoping for. It can be read as a continuation of the series or as a standalone story, which means that those who have yet to discover these wonderful books, can enjoy it too.

What I particularly liked about the book was the depth of detail that is incorporated about the Stone Age world and the lush, imaginative descriptions of the people and the landscape. As a reader, it really helped to draw me in and immerse me in the story. Michelle Paver has quite clearly done an enormous amount of research and it adds a layer of authenticity that makes you want to discover more about this particular way of life and how people survived while living among the elements.

Torak and Renn are brilliant characters and the story follows them as they traverse the many dangers they encounter on a long and perilous journey. Although I enjoyed their scenes together, as ever, my favourite relationship in the book is between Torak and his faithful companion Wolf. I love the parts of the story where we see things from Wolf's perspective and I love his loyalty to Torak. Even when he is faced with having to leave his pack behind, he never questions the need to be by Torak's side, no matter what they might have to face. I think Michelle has captured Wolf so perfectly that he's definitely a larger than life character in the book and symbolizes the bond between nature and man.

'Viper's Daughter' was utterly gripping and I was entranced from beginning to end. There were plenty of twists and turns to the story and I found at the end of each chapter that I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. It's a fairly quick read and should appeal not only to middle-grade readers but also though like me, who have grown up with the series. I hope that the book will introduce a whole new audience of readers to the original Chronicles of Ancient Darkness which deserves all the acclaim it gets. What an absolute treat this was! Even more excitingly, book 8, 'Skintaker' will be published next year, so there are more adventures still to come.

Viper's Daughter by Michelle Paver is out now, published by Zephyr, an imprint of Head of Zeus, priced £12.99 in hardback.

Blog tour: Invisible in a Bright Light by Sally Gardner

Today I'm taking part in the blog tour for Sally Gardner's latest book, 'Invisible in a Bright Light'. This is Sally's eagerly-anticipated return to middle grade, 14 years since the award-winning 'I, Coriander'. She is back with 'a pitch-perfect story about a crystal chandelier that splinters into a thousand pieces, a girl abandoned as a baby on the steps of an opera house and a dangerous game called the Reckoning.'

Publisher: Head of Zeus

Published: 17th October 2019

It is 1870: opening night at the Royal Opera House in a freezing city by the sea, where a huge, crystal chandelier in the shape of a galleon sparkles magically with the light of 750 candles.

Celeste, a theatre rat, wakes up in a costume basket from what she hopes is a bad dream, to find that everyone at the theatre where she works thinks she is someone else.

When the chandelier falls, she is haunted by a strange girl who claims to know Celeste's past and why she must risk playing a game called the Reckoning to try to save the people she loves.  



Review:
'Invisible in a Bright Light' by Sally Gardner is a beautifully packaged hardback, enticingly designed with colourful eye-catching images, flecked with touches of gold. It's a lovely book to hold in your hands and would make an even better present to give to someone.

I'm a big fan of Sally's writing and I was very excited about her latest middle-grade offering. The opening foreword made me think of The Phantom of the Opera with an incredible chandelier, situated in an Opera House and hints at fairy tales and enchantments. I thought the first chapter was extremely captivating and definitely made me want to delve deeper into the book. It features a young girl called Celeste who is playing a game with a strange man in an emerald suit, only she doesn't know any of the rules or how to play. Although I was puzzled about the rows of people who are being kept in a cave deep under the sea, I was also intrigued and fascinated. I wanted to know more which is always the best way to start reading a book.

Celeste wakes up to find herself in the Royal Opera House where everyone she encounters seems to think she is someone else. She has vague and hazy memories of a different life, where she is happy and free but nothing really seems to make sense to her. That is almost how it feels to the reader too. I know I was a little confused at times and felt like some things were a bit foggy but this was actually  a good thing because it made me sympathise and identify more with Celeste and her struggle to find out the truth about who she is and what has happened to her.   

As the plot unfolds, there are some wonderfully colourful characters in the book to enjoy meeting and lots of secrets to uncover. I loved the sense of magic and wonder that is woven throughout and the sense that nothing is beyond the realms of possibility. There really is so much to enjoy in 'Invisible in a Bright Light' and this is a story that I think will appeal to both middle-grade, as well as older readers.

You can never go wrong with a Sally Gardner book and this was a real treat to read from start to finish.