Review: The Holders - Julianna Scott

The Holders by Julianna Scott, published by Strange Chemistry on 5th March 2013

Goodreads synopsis:
17-year-old Becca spent her whole life protecting her brother from, well, everything. The abandonment of their father, the so called 'experts' who insist that voices in his head are unnatural and must be dealt with, and the constant threat of being taken away to some hospital and studied like an animal. When two representatives appear claiming to have the answers to Ryland's perceived problem, Becca doesn't buy it for one second. That is until they seem to know things about Ryland and about Becca and Ryland's family, that forces Becca to concede that there may be more to these people than meets the eye. Though still highly skeptical, Becca agrees to do what's best for Ryland.

What they find at St. Brigid's is a world beyond their imagination. Little by little they piece together the information of their family's heritage, their estranged Father, and the legend of the Holder race that decrees Ryland is the one they've been waiting for. However, they are all--especially Becca--in for a surprise that will change what they thought they knew about themselves and their kind.

 

Review:
I was looking forward to reading this book as the premise sounded very intriguing.  However, I'll admit that I was a little worried that it was going to veer too much into fantasy for my tastes, so I started it with some trepidation.  Turns out that I needn't have worried at all because 'The Holders' was right up my street!  It had a gripping plot, plenty of exciting twists and turns and some pretty fantastic characters which all combined to keep me glued to the pages.

The main protagonist Becca, accompanies her younger brother Ryland to his new school, St. Brigids in Ireland.  Her brother has always been a bit different and she has always been used to looking after him but once at the school, she discovers the truth about Ryland's ability to hear voices, as well as some unexpected revelations about herself.  I thought that the idea of people having special abilities was executed brilliantly and I couldn't wait to find out what each person's gift was.  Their history was also fascinating and kept me interested even when there was on occasion quite a lot of information to absorb.    

One of my favourite things about this book was the connections between many of the characters.  I loved the protective streak that Becca has towards the people she cares about and the way she is fiercely loyal and defensive about them, especially where her brother is concerned.   However, what truly made 'The Holders' for me was the bond which develops between Becca and Alex.  I could immediately believe in the feelings which they have for each other and I couldn't wait for all of their scenes together.  There are so many great moments, including lots of romantic sparks that I was rooting for them the whole way through. 

The story was fast-paced and the pages simply flew by.  The setting of the book was fantastic and I almost wish that I could have attended a school like St Brigids.  It seemed wonderful and had a very homey and welcoming atmosphere about it.  There was lots to keep the reader absorbed and I didn't want it to end.  It completely exceeded any expectations I had at the start and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to other readers.  I desperately want a sequel to the book now!  

Cover reveal: Zenn Scarlett - Christian Schoon

One of the books I'm looking forward to this year is 'Zenn Scarlett' by Christian Schoon which sounds extremely quirky and original .  It's being published by Strange Chemistry in May 2013. Here's the eye-catching UK cover -

 

Zenn Scarlett is a bright and occasionally a-little-too-smart-for-her-own-good 17-year-old girl training hard to become an exoveterinarian. She specializes in the treatment of exotic alien life forms, mostly large and generally dangerous. Her novice year of training at the Ciscan Cloister Exovet Clinic on Mars was going well - until there are a series of inexplicable animal escapes from the school that Zenn finds herself blamed for. As if this isn't enough to be dealing with, her father vanishes under strange circumstances, and Zenn is worried that she has started hearing the thoughts of the creatures around her...

With the help of Liam, a towner boy, and Hamish, an alien bug also training at the clinic, Zenn must try to find her father, rescue the animals and unravel the mystery of who is behind the attacks on the school. And all without failing her first year.

Let me know what you think. Will you be adding this one to your wishlist?

News: Blackwood - Gwenda Bond

I'm a little late posting this but I have some exciting news from Strange Chemistry.  'Blackwood' by Gwenda Bond is going into development with MTV!  I was thrilled to hear about this because I enjoyed reading Gwenda's novel so much and I think it would be amazing translated to the small screen. 

You can read my review of the book here

 

MTV has put in development Blackwood, a drama from Lionsgate Television and Kelsey Grammer’s Grammnet Prods. It is based on the young adult book of the same name by Gwenda Bond, which was published this past September on the Strange Chemistry YA imprint of UK-based science fiction publisher Angry Robot Books. DC Comic book and television writer Peter Calloway (Brothers & Sisters) will write the adaptation.

Blackwood centers on 19-year-old Miranda Blackwood who, when 114 people, including her father, suddenly vanish off Roanoke Island, begins to investigate the mass disappearance, teaming with her high school sweetheart. But she makes a chilling discovery when she uncovers that she’s at the center of not only this mystery, but one that traces back to the first American mystery: the disappearance of 114 people at what would be called The Lost Colony.

Follow Gwenda on Twitter @Gwenda or check out her website

News: New signing from Strange Chemistry

Strange Chemistry have just announced a brand new signing!  Eliza Crewe has signed a two book deal with the publisher.  Her first title 'Cracked' is set for a November 2013 release and sounds awesome.  Here's a description of her new book -

Meet Meda. She eats people.

Well, technically, she eats their soul. But she totally promises to only go for people who deserve it. She’s special. It’s not her fault she enjoys it. She can’t help being a bad guy. Besides, what else can she do? Her mother was killed and it’s not like there are any other “soul-eaters” around to show her how to be different. That is, until the three men in suits show up.

They can do what she can do. They’re like her. Meda might finally have a chance to figure out what she is. The problem? They kind of want to kill her. Before they get the chance Meda is rescued by crusaders, members of an elite group dedicated to wiping out Meda’s kind. This is her chance! Play along with the “good guys” and she’ll finally figure out what, exactly, her “kind” is.

Be careful what you wish for. Playing capture the flag with her mortal enemies, babysitting a teenage boy with a hero complex, and avoiding a bad-ass cripple that doesn’t trust her are bad enough. But the Hunger is gaining on her.

The more she learns, the worse it gets. And when Meda uncovers a shocking secret about her mother, her past, and her destiny… she may finally give into it.

Eliza’s website: http://www.elizacrewe.com/index.html
Eliza’s Twitter: @ElizaCrewe

Review: The Assassin's Curse - Cassandra Rose Clarke

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke, published by Strange Chemistry on 2nd October 2012
Goodreads synopsis:
Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her.

And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.

Review:

This is the first book I’ve read from Strange Chemistry and wow, it’s a amazing one! I’d heard a lot about it prior to picking it up myself and all the reviews were incredibly good so I was extremely excited to get the opportunity to read it prior to its publication date.

Cassandra Rose Clarke has written a book which takes fantasy to a whole new level. Combining magic, adventure and romance, the story blew me away and left me wanting more. Plus it has pirates! I mean who doesn’t love books which feature all the excitement of a journey on the high seas where literally anything can and does happen.

Ananna of the Tanarau is set to be married off by her parents to Tarrin of the Hariri, part of another pirate clan. What she really dreams of however is having her own ship which she can sail on the high seas, free to go wherever she pleases. Deciding to run away rather than submit to a marriage not of her choosing, she finds herself unwittingly bound to the assassin sent after her, leading to the beginning of an epic fantasy adventure.

The relationship between Ananna and the assassin Naji develops over the course of the novel. All the while a romantic undercurrent bubbles away in the background and sparks definitely fly when these two are together. I love the way that Clarke isn’t afraid to keep the romance on hold while the two of them are getting to know each other. It makes the whole thing much more realistic and also means that when it does (hopefully!) eventually happen, then it will have been worth waiting for. I don’t want to give too much away about the plot but I thought the whole reason they were linked together was brilliant and sets things up nicely for the rest of the series.

There is incredible world building in this book with a fantasy realm where magic really does happen and where dangerous obstacles lie in wait for Ananna around every corner. She however is the perfect heroine to deal with them as she’s feisty, brave, courageous and tough. She is the kind of person that will never give up until she gets a satisfactory outcome.

This was a book which grew on me more and more. I’m not always a huge fan of the fantasy genre but this is among the best I’ve ever read. I’m eager to read the sequel now which will be called ‘The Pirate’s Wish’ and is out in 2013.

Review: Blackwood - Gwenda Bond

Blackwood by Gwenda Bond, published by Strange Chemistry on 4th September 2012

Goodreads synopsis:
On Roanoke Island, the legend of the 114 people who mysteriously vanished from the Lost Colony hundreds of years ago is just an outdoor drama for the tourists, a story people tell. But when the island faces the sudden disappearance of 114 people now, an unlikely pair of 17-year-olds may be the only hope of bringing them back.

Miranda, a misfit girl from the island’s most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony. The one thing they can’t dodge is each other.

Review:
This was a magical and mystical debut by author Gwenda Bond. It reminded me of Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ and not just because of the fact that the central protagonist is called Miranda and the action takes place on an island where mysterious events occur.

Featuring a Battlestar Galactica loving heroine and a teen who hears the voices of the dead, ‘Blackwood’ had me intrigued from the word go. Extremely unique and original, the story drew me in until I was just as immersed in the mystery of the island as all the characters.

The plot is inspired by Roanake Island’s history and a legend involving the disappearance of 114 people from the Lost Colony. I thought the meshing of elements of history with a modern day setting was really clever and the story was fresh and exciting. I had no idea what was going to happen but I had fun finding out!  The unpredictable nature of events in the book meant that I thoroughly enjoyed the element of surprise and read it expecting almost anything to happen.

Even when I put the briefly put the book down, I couldn't stop thinking about it.  As the story only takes place over a few days, there was a frantic feel about it with things quickly spiralling out of control and this lended itself nicely to the gripping and intense mood of the writing.

‘Blackwood’ is a terrific addition to the young-adult genre. Absolutely captivating, I loved not only the growing romance between misfits Miranda and Phillips but also the danger and intrigue of the events which unravelled on the island. The book was different to anything else I’ve read in recent months and Gwenda Bond is certainly an author I’ll be keeping my eye on.

Review: Shift - Kim Curran

Shift by Kim Curran, published by Strange Chemistry on 4th September 2012

Goodreads synopsis:
When your average, 16-year old loser, Scott Tyler, meets the beautiful and mysterious Aubrey Jones, he learns he's not so average after all. He's a 'Shifter'. And that means he has the power to undo any decision he's ever made. At first, he thinks the power to shift is pretty cool. But as his world starts to unravel around him he realises that each time he uses his power, it has consequences; terrible unforeseen consequences. Shifting is going to get him killed. In a world where everything can change with a thought, Scott has to decide where he stands.

Review:
Published by new young-adult imprint, Strange Chemistry, 'Shift' was an enjoyable and original debut by British author Kim Curran.

I loved the idea behind 'Shift' which is that certain teenagers have the ability to shift from one reality to another, where decisions can be changed, leading to different future paths.  Like the main character Scott, I thought that would be such a cool ability to have.  I mean imagine being able to right all those wrong choices with a single thought.

Very few young-adult books have male narrators so it was refreshing to see events unfold from the viewpoint of Scott Tyler, who unexpectedly discovers at the start of the story that he is a shifter.  His whole world is literally turned upside down by this revelation and nothing in his life will ever be the same again.  He meets lots of new people from here on in and one of the best is Aubrey who is smart and clever and explains to him the new life which now lies ahead of him.  In places I thought that the dialogue seemed a little stilted which sometimes made it difficult to connect with all the characters but many of them had grown on me by the end of the book.  

I actually thought that the story initially started a bit slowly and I wasn't sure whether it was going to pick up.  Luckily it did and as the plot progressed, it got a lot more exciting with some unexpected (and on occasion quite grotesque!) surprises thrown in along the way.

I don't know if this is a stand-alone novel or not, but I'm guessing from the way it concluded that there will be a sequel.  It will be interesting to see where Kim Curran takes the story next as at this point she could take it in several different directions.

News: New YA imprint - Strange Chemistry

For all of us YA fans here's some exciting news about a new YA imprint called Strange Chemistry which will be launched in September 2012. 

Angry Robot, the award-winning publisher of SF, F and WTF are pleased to announce their newest venture – a sister imprint, Strange Chemistry, which will publish Young Adult genre fiction.

The imprint will launch in September 2012, with five titles appearing before the end of that year, before settling down to one book each month. Subject matter will include fantasy, science fiction, supernatural and horror, and as with Angry Robot the lines between those genres are likely to be very blurry at times.

Running the imprint will be Amanda Rutter, until recently best known as the tireless blogger behind genre review site, Floor-to-Ceiling Books.  Angry Robot’s managing director Marc Gascoigne said: “The key to any truly successful genre imprint is the personality of its editors. In Amanda we’ve found the perfect mix of
editing skills and wild, wild enthusiasm for the subject. Her first signings are already making us jump up and down in excitement. We’re beyond delighted to welcome her to the team.”

Amanda Rutter commented, “Angry Robot have quickly become one of the most exciting and challenging genre publishers around, and I have so much admiration for the types of novels that the guys are bringing to the world of speculative fiction. I’m absolutely thrilled that I have the opportunity to join the team, and create a list full of Young Adult novels that share the same sharpness and passion as those in the AR list.”

More information can be found at strangechemistrybooks.com and angryrobotbooks.com. You can meet Amanda at floor-to-ceilingbooks.blogspot.com.