The Paladin Prophecy
Mark Frost
This starts off as a chase conspiracy with our hero Will running from some black-capped bad guys. He hopes to gain some breathing space by enrolling in a elite boarding school, but danger follows. Could some of the students be connected? And is the man who no one else can see really a figmant of his imagination?
In this second book of the Agent 21 series, Zac finds himself alone and in very big trouble. Zac, masquerading as a charity worker, has been sent to Africa on his first solo missi0n to uncover Black Wolf – a terrorist group sourcing their exploits through the sale of blood diamonds. Things, however, do not go to plan and Zac finds himself face-to-face with an old enemy who is determined to “remove” him. Meanwhile, things are also going badly back in England for Zac’s cousin, Ellie, who is being stalked by a killer.
Noticed I’ve got a bit of a black, red and white theme going this month. So in keeping with this I thought I’d post about this mash-up.
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter
Seth Grahame-Smith
Historians might be appalled but fans of horror and action will no doubt be keen to check this out. Who knows, you might even learn about the Gettysburg address.
Opens August 2nd. Those expecting Twilight – don’t bother.
91 days until zero hour
That’s 91 days to run
91 days to hide
or 91 days to pray for Department 19 to save you…
This second book is even more action packed than the first (if that’s possible). Hardly a page goes by where there isn’t a clash between the defenders of humankind and the acolytes of Dracula.
It’s not worth saying more about this must-read when there’s a fabulous website that will provide you with movie clips, extra content and sample chapters.
Illustration: Matthew Lyons, New York Times.
Move over zombies and vampires, 2012 is the year of dystopian fiction; a literary genre in which chaotic worlds signal what might be our own future if we don’t think carefully about how we treat each other and our environment.
Reviewing Pure by Julianna Baggott, Clare Clark from the New York Times writes:
“Sometime in the unspecified future, a series of detonations has all but destroyed the world. A handpicked few were given refuge in the Dome, a high-tech bubble designed to withstand environmental disaster. Those left outside were not so fortunate. The intensity of the explosions not only devastated the landscape but changed forever those who survived it, fusing people with animals, with objects, with the earth.”
I was told that Pure by Julianna Baggott would rival the Hunger Games in popularity. Now that’s a pretty big prediction, and having read Pure, I’m not quite sure that the main character, Pressia, has the appeal to de-throne Katniss. Having said that, however, the book is a great read; its unusual setting and characters, and well maintained pace ensuring I kept those pages turning.
The film rights to Pure have already been sold, despite only the first book in the Pure trilogy having been published. And I can understand why. The film has some great potential for special effects. Just think what a film director could do with characters who have been disfigured in a nuclear blast; characters that are fused with the toys, household objects and family members they were in contact with when the bombs detonated. Rather a grisly thought, but it certainly kept my attention!
Check out Pure… you won’t be sorry.
The Scorch Trials
James Dashner
If you liked The Maze Runner (and there’s a lot out there who do), then you will no doubt love The Scorch Trials. Book Two in the trilogy picks up right where the action left off. Those that survived the maze think that it’s all over, but in reality the nightmare is just beginning.
Set on a planet scorched by sun and lightening storms, the remaining kids must survive in an outside world and get to the rendezvous point in time. Roaming gangs of crazy people and a killer virus are closing in. Cue the horror.
James Dashner has a knack for putting his teenage characters in terrible circumstances and while this lacks the “Oh my god what is happening?” mystery that made Maze Runner so good, the Scorch Trials is a great sequel. You may not get all the answers but you will get more pieces to the puzzle. You’ll also probably never look at liquid metal the same way again.
Super Human
Michael Carroll
‘No. I am not a god. Nor am I human.’
The beginning of this book plays out in Egypt around four and a half thousand years ago. Then it jumps to the present day, where some humans have developed special powers. They are referred to as Superhumans and are known and idolised by the rest of society. But there are some who don’t want to use their powers for good and this leads to a mystery virus being unleashed and a handful of teenagers being left to save the world. Michael Carroll (author of the Quantum Prophecy, in fact this is a prequel), has created a full on action story, the plot jumping from the different characters and the different situations they are in. It sort of plays out like a movie or a comic book.
A TV series based on the Conspiracy 360 Series by Gabrielle Lord is about to hit our screens. Basically the story centres around a teenager whose father dies leaving him caught in a kind of cover up. To survive he has one year to solve the mystery.
I haven’t seen the show so I can’t vouch for whether it’s any good or not but if you like the books and/or the idea then it could be worth checking out. It’s available on pay tv, screening Saturday January 14th at 7pm on FMC.
I’ve just been to see the Tintin movie and loved every minute. It’s certainly action packed, and the cinematography and special effects are awesome. Here’s a preview. You can even practice your French!
Make sure you check out the Tintin graphic novels in the library. And if you consider yourself a Tintin “expert”, you might like to try the Tintin Trivia Quiz.
If you’re a teacher and would like some ideas on how to use the Tintin graphic novels in the classroom, check the “tintin” tag at Graphic novels in the classroom.
You are indestructible…
These are the words that transfer an astonishing power to Jacob Fielding… ad they change everything. When Ophelia James, the beautiful and daring new girl in town, suggests they use the power to save others, Jacob readily accepts. But with every heroic act, the power grows stronger and soon feels more like a curse. After all, how do you decide who lives and who dies?
Jacob has only thirteen days to harness this terrifying power… and to answer a chilling question: What if, in order to save the girl he loves, he has to kill her? (from the publisher)
Here’s one to put on the holiday reading list! The praise for Partick Carman’s comes highly, from writers such as Michael Grant and James Patterson, and from me 
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