Fancy a
new series or trilogy for the Autumn Term? Over the
summer holiday I read several really good books from a variety of different
series in a range of genres and subjects. Hopefully you will find something to
whet your appetite in one of the books below.
Rotherweird by Andrew Caldecott.
One of my
favourite books this summer! It is set in a town in England which is completely
independent from any national government and there is really only one rule in
place....nobody is ever allowed to study the town or its history. Enter keen
new history teacher, Oblong, and a sinister ‘outsider’ Slickstone who somehow
manages to buy up the manor and starts digging for information. At the same
time, in a parallel story set in Elizabethan England, 12 gifted children are
banished by their Queen to this town of Rotherweird. What they get up to and
the implications for the modern day are far reaching. Part historical, part
science fiction, part mystery, part horror and part magic. Brilliant! First in
a trilogy.
The Girl in the Tower by
Katherine Arden.
This is a
sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale.
Set in medieval Russia with lots of Russian folk tales interwoven into it.
Vasya has fled her village with her horse Solovey and aims to explore the world
dressed as a boy but her plans are thwarted when she manages to save some
children from bandits and earns the gratitude of the Grand Prince of Moscow.
Can she keep up the deception or be unmasked and bring down the reputations of
her brother and sister. I wasn’t sure if the girl in the title was Vasya or her
sister or her niece or the resident ghost as they all had a part to play. Great
mix of historical and folktales and fantasy. Second in the trilogy.
Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel.
Very
satisfying conclusion to the Themis Files
trilogy. It covers themes ranging
from racism, refugees, genocide, and pursuing a course so single-mindedly that
when you get there you suddenly realise what you lost on the way. It is written
entirely via diary or blog entries. Are we ready for alien technology or do we
need the aliens to supervise us? Do we want world domination under the guise of
democracy?
Eve of Man by Giovanna &Tom Fletcher.
How do you
choose between love and the future of the human race? Eve is the only girl to
be born after 50 years. Is she being protected or imprisoned? How can power
corrupt the most compassionate of people? What would you do if you realised
your life has been built on an illusion? This is set in a dystopian future
where women should be seen as the most important but are actually regarded as a
commodity. First in a trilogy and I definitely want to read the next one!
Spark by Alice Broadway.
A story of
deception and truth: of two sides to every story and of friendship and
forgiveness as well as betrayal and enemies within. Leora has been sent to
Featherstone (the blanks encampment) due to her act of defiance at the end of Ink. She is supposed to be spying on
these savages but of course the truth is never that simple. There are lots of
religious echoes and symbolism. Containing lots of folk tales that at first seem very familiar but turn out to be quite different. A good second book in the Ink series.
Ace of Shades by Amanda
Foody.
Thieves,
rogues, shady characters: all are living in the infamous City of Sin. Enne is
looking for her adoptive mother who has gone missing. Levi is trying to pull
off the deal of his life and thinks she might just be his answer but neither
are what they seem. Romance, secrets, card dealing, unexpected inner strength
and the question of how far you would go to save someone’s life? First in the series.
Charmcaster by Sebastian De Castell.
I am
loving this Spellslinger series which
just gets better and better as Kellen’s character grows and matures. This
fantasy world is beginning to make more sense and lots of moral questions are
coming to the surface. A blast from the past comes to join Kellen and squirrel cat
remains for me the best character by far. Magic, card tricks and amazing
illusions in this third book in the series.
Maresi by Maria Turtschaninoff.
A story of
female resilience and men trying to subdue them, set in a magical world where
women call on the faith of Mother, a trinity of maiden, mother and crone.
Living in Red Abbey on an isolated island Maresi thinks she is safe from men.
Then Jai finds refuge there and her father will stop at nothing to get his
revenge. Are the women strong enough on their own and will their friendship
survive? This is an easy read and the first in the Red Abbey chronicles
I really
hope that one of these 8 books inspires you to try a new series this autumn.
Mrs Godden