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.

Review: Viper by Bex Hogan

Publisher: Orion Children's Books
Published: 18th April 2019

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Marianne is fated to one day become the Viper, defender of the Twelve Isles.

But the reigning Viper stands in her way. Corrupt and merciless, he prowls the seas in his warship, killing with impunity, leaving only pain and suffering in his wake.

He's the most dangerous man on the ocean . . . and he is Marianne's father.

She was born to protect the islands. But can she fight for them if it means losing her family, her home, the boy she loves - and perhaps even her life?  

Review:
I've had an obsession with all things pirate related ever since I first watched the film Cutthroat Island and saw Geena Davis as a take-no-prisoners female pirate, on a quest for buried treasure. If I hadn't become a librarian then maybe life upon the high seas would have beckoned! I tell you this because it helps to explain my absolute obsession with 'Viper' by Bex Hogan. A debut which has stolen my heart.

I loved, loved, loved, loved, loved it! A fantasy pirate adventure, it delivered everything I want in a book and more. It conjured up the salty smell of the sea, the tang of spilt blood and the taste of danger. It gripped and entranced me from start to finish and my only criticism is that it wasn't twice the number of pages, so that I could have prolonged my enjoyment. It's one of the BEST books I've read so far this year and one that I'm going to be begging everyone else to read too.

The first in the Isles of Storm and Sorrow trilogy (oh thank goodness that there will be more!), the story follows the main character of 17 year old Marianne. She is the daughter of the Viper - the deadliest Pirate Captain on the seas and the 'supposed' defender of the Twelve Isles. The Viper is as evil and ruthless as they come and although Marianne is his daughter, he has never shown her any love or understanding. He only knows how to punish and cause pain. Throughout the course of the story the father-daughter dynamic is explored in depth, as Marianne struggles to make sense of her relationship with him. One of the main elements to draw me into a book, is a strong female protagonist with a powerful narrative voice. Marianne was exactly that and I became very invested in her journey and what lay ahead of her.

There are some terrific secondary characters in the book too. One of my absolute favourites was Bronn, who was her childhood friend on-board The Maiden, until he became her father's most valuable assassin. There's also Grace, who is another female member of the crew and who veers hot and cold a lot with her emotions. Plus Prince Torin who it took me a while to warm-up too then suddenly became amazing about half-way through the book. Complicated relationships are actually quite a strong characteristic in the story, probably because everyone seems to be hiding something. Also, a word of warning. It might not be safe to get too attached to anyone because literally every character in the book is in danger at some point.

I thought that the world-building in the novel was particularly impressive. Each of the islands is unique because of it's setting and landscape, which is reflected in the people that live there. I felt like I could visualise each of them perfectly and I enjoyed the exploration of many of these as I found out more about them and their history.

Hogan interweaves lots of action and adventure into the story which is laced with traces of magic and blushes of romance. I hope we get to find out more about the magical mythology that was touched upon as I found this really intriguing. I have a feeling that there is lots more of that to come.

'Viper' delivered on every level and if there's one book that I want everyone to read this year, this is it. I'm so happy to see pirates emerging as a genre within YA novels as I will literally devour anything in this niche. Bex Hogan's debut though is certainly a novel that is hard to beat. I was beyond thrilled to find out that the second book in the series will be called 'Venom' but not so happy to discover that I've got to wait until 2020 for it to be released. Until then, I'd better dig out my pirate boots.