Mountain Arrow – Book Two of The Burning Days

Mountain Arrow – Book Two of The Burning Days by Rachel Hennessy (Midnight Sun) YA Science Fiction RRP $19.99 ISBN: 9781925227741

Reviewed by Jeffery E Doherty

Mountain Arrow is the second instalment of the post-apocalyptic Burning Days series by Rachel Hennessy, following on from River Stone. Pandora is reluctantly settling back into life in her village, still torn between her chosen partner Matthew, and Bayat, the young hunter from the Mountain People. She also harbours guilt over her friend Fatima who went missing during their mission in the first book. Pandora is determined to leave the village to find her missing friend. Her plans are complicated when Bayat and his people arrive in her village.  

This volume of the series delves deeper into village life, which, although interesting, tended to slow the action of the story. Pandora’s indecision about following her heart or her parent’s expectations was angsty and at times grated like fingernails on a chalkboard.

The interludes in the first book, shown through the letters to Pandora from her mother are mirrored in Mountain Arrow through tape recordings by Fatima. These sections were a highlight for me, coming closer to the action of the first book. It is apparent that Mountain Arrow is the setup for the conclusion of the series in the next book. I have higher hopes for the next book.

Hennessy has created an interesting cast of characters in an exciting post-apocalyptic world. There are questions still to be answered about the city and the creation of the strange once human feral creatures inhabiting it.

Although Mountain Arrow is a lot slower than River Stone, I would recommend it to readers 12 years+ and fans of character-driven dystopian fiction.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Disasters

The Disasters by M.K English (Harper Collins) YA Science Fiction

PB RRP $19.99     ISBN: 9780062909817

Reviewed by Jeffery E Doherty

The Disasters follows the adventures of Nax Hall, an aspiring young space pilot, straight from the farm, attending the elite Ellis Station Academy. Unfortunately, he is kicked out on the first day and is about to be sent home with three other young washouts when the station is attacked. The four cadets are thrown together and manage to escape in a stolen shuttle but that is where their real troubles begin.

The four cadets are branded as terrorists and hunted, not only by the ones responsible for the attack but by the authorities on all the colony worlds as well. They need to work together, utilising their individual skills sets to discover who the real terrorists are, what they want and to clear their names. In the process they might just become heroes.

During its early stages, this book seemed in danger of shaping up to be an angsty teenage romance in space. Fortunately, this aspect of the characters relationships did not overpower the flow of the story. The characters are interesting, and their diversity should appeal to fans of LGBTQI fiction.

The Disasters has lots of action but weaves in quiet moments where we learn about the each of the main characters. The book is well written and the story would resonate with teens and lovers of YA speculative fiction. Hard science fiction fans might rankle a little at the story’s mechanics of long-distance space travel but on the whole, I would recommend giving this is a story a read.

  

Cameron Macintosh and his Max Book Future Sleuth Series

Today I’m talking with Cameron Macintosh, author of the recently-released Max Booth Future Sleuth series.

Let’s start with the most obvious question – what’s your new series about?

So far we’ve got two books out in the series: Tape Escape and Selfie Search. They’re both set in the year 2424, and are about a street kid, Max, and his hazardous missions to identify artifacts from the distant past – which just happens to be our present day, or hereabouts. Max makes a very humble living from identifying these objects, but there’s always a greedy adult or two wanting to take advantage of his hard work.

Is there a particular reason you tend to gravitate towards science fiction when you write for children?

Sci-fi isn’t the first genre I lean towards as a reader, but I find speculation about the future to be a really useful inspiration for fun story ideas. It also offers the chance for all kinds of meaningful discussions between kids and parents or teachers – whether it’s about ways technology will evolve, or about how our present-day lifestyles are impacting on the planet’s future.

The Max Booth books are your first leap from educational writing into the world of mainstream trade fiction. How has the experience varied for you?

In terms of writing, there’s a lot more freedom. Educational writing usually involves quite a strict brief, but that’s not necessarily a problem – those parameters are very helpful in guiding a manuscript towards completion. When it’s you who’s setting the parameters, the process can be a lot slower!

The other main difference is at the promotional end of the process. With my educational books, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked to be part of the promotion. If they’re part of a successful series or reading program, it’s generally the reputation of the series that sells them, as much as I’d like to take all the credit! Now, with Max, I’m doing interviews, interacting with blogs and doing a bit of hustle to support the sales. It’s a new world to me, but I’m really enjoying the ride.

What do you think is the biggest trap that people should beware of when writing for children?

Relying too much on inspiration from books you read as a child can be a problem. I constantly have to mentally detach myself from certain key books. It’s really important to keep up with what’s being published and what’s being enjoyed out there in 2017. For me, though, the big one is to avoid writing down to anyone. Kids are incredibly savvy and they know when they’re being patronised.

How do you avoid that?

On a first draft of anything, I just imagine myself in the main character’s place and try to experience his or her main emotions in that situation as honestly as possible. Hopefully by the end of the first draft, the text has an emotional and conceptual integrity that will survive the redrafting process. On the second and third drafts I think more consciously about the age of the reader, and how they’ll interact with the words. It’s then that I make any changes to sentence construction or concepts to bring the text into line.

So how does that work when you write the Max Booth stories?

Fortunately, I find it gets easier the older the central character happens to be. Max is 11, an age I have very vivid memories of being – it’s the cusp of great change and the dawning of a lot more world-awareness, so it doesn’t tend to take too much conscious effort.

What are some of your favourite kids’ books on the market at the moment?

I really love the Tom Gates books by Liz Pichon, and anything by Shaun Tan. Another favourite at the moment is Ickypedia by the Listies (Matt Kelly and Richard Higgins) – a dictionary of disgusting new words. It really is laugh-out-loud funny.

Are they similar to the kinds of books you enjoyed as a child?

There are definitely some parallels in terms of their off-centre humour and slightly odd settings, but I tended to gravitate towards longer books by authors like Roald Dahl, Judy Blume and Paul Jennings. My most beloved book for years was Under Plum Lake by Lionel Davidson, about a child who visits a wondrous civilisation beneath the bottom of the sea. I know a lot of people find it too dark, but I still reread it every few years to try to relive the magic of it.

Is humour important in your own writing?

I always try to get some humour in, especially when dealing with more serious subject matter. Humour is a great door-opener for exploring darker topics – in the case of Max Booth, I tend to use it when Max is dealing with the extreme class snobbery in his future world. I also think that when you’re trying to excite reluctant readers, action is important, but giggles will do even more to keep the pages turning.

Is it hard to judge what a child reader will find funny?

I’m blessed with a very childish sense of humour, which definitely helps! It’s always slightly dangerous trying to judge what anyone else – of any age – will find funny, but as long as I’m getting a giggle from a line or a situation, I’m fairly confident that most of the readers will enjoy it too. It’s really important to keep up with the kinds of humorous books today’s kids are reading, and to seek feedback from the kids in your own family or social circle.

Writing can be a precarious way to make a living: what keeps you going?

It comes down to a very strong belief in the power of stories – the ability of this craft to remind people how intertwined, and how similar, we all really are. Stories have the unique ability to remind us of this without specifically reminding us of it – and to let us walk in other people’s shoes temporarily too. It’s a real privilege to be part of an industry that values these possibilities.

On that note, thanks for the chat, and all the best for the next Max Booth adventure.

Thanks very much. Book 3 is roaring into shape as we speak – only slowed down by overly frequent coffee breaks!

The Max Booth stories are available at bigskypublishing.com.au or through your local bookshop.

Cameron can be found online at www.cameronemacintosh.com.au, on Facebook as ‘Cameron Macintosh, author’, and on Twitter @CamMaci99.

Crystal Force

Crystal Force by Joe Ducie (Hot Key Books 2015)
PB RRP $16.95
ISBN: 9781471404559

Reviewed by Jade Harmer

Buckle up science fiction fans. British-born Perth author Joe Ducie, joint-winner of the Guardian and Hot Key Books Young Writer’s Prize for his debut novel, The Rig, is back with Crystal Force, an action-packed sequel. And you’re in for a roller coaster ride.

Crystal Force is predominately set on the East Coast of North America in the not too distant future, just two weeks after the events in The Rig.

With all the makings of a dark, apocalyptic tale, Crystal Force is balanced by Ducie’s charming teen protagonist, William Drake, and the development of his relationships with his sidekicks from The Rig through which Ducie introduces themes of self-esteem, identity, belonging and love. Will, Irene and Tristan may have escaped the world’s most secure juvenile detention facility, but Will’s exposure to the potentially deadly Crystal X and his resultant super powers see him on the run, struggling to distinguish friend from foe and battling to maintain his sanity.

Despite the Crystal X running through Will’s veins, his radical physical transformation, and the sheer unpredictability of his raw power, the fifteen and a half year old still remains the type of guy you want by your side.

Fiercely loyal, protective and instinctive, and with a healthy sense of humour and a voracious mutant teenage appetite, Will is driven by the desire to cure his mother of the cancer she suffers at the hands of the Alliance – global controller of all things from communication to medication.

Ducie’s background in security and intelligence adds credibility to his depiction of the global net of control cast by the powerful and ruthless Alliance.

Will and his friends share a volatile journey during which they meet potential allies, encounter an all too familiar nemesis and stand alongside enemies for the sake of human civilisation as we know it.

In an ever-changing battle field, Ducie draws contrasts between young and old, light and dark, sanity and madness, good and evil, love and hate, and, ultimately, life and death.

And when Will follows his instincts into uncharted territory, Ducie leaves friends, allies, enemies and readers alike to deliberate the consequences, and contemplate the future.

Recommended reading for thrill seekers and sci-fi fans aged 12 years and upwards.

The Only Game in the Galaxy

The Maximus Black Files – The Only Game in the Galaxy by Paul Collins (Ford Street Publishing)

PB RRP $19.95

ISBN 9781925000061

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

  

There are many great things about Paul Collins’ trilogy, The Maximus Black Files, but there is one certified characteristic of the trilogy – a characteristic that effortlessly binds all three books – and that is the thrilling and interminable action-packed disposition that keeps the reader hanging on the edge of their seats.

The latest and last book in the trilogy, The Only Game in the Galaxy, wastes no time in hauling readers into the fast-paced story line. By the end of the first page, readers are back in the sci-fi galaxies that create the perfect scene for the trilogy, right by the sides of our protagonists – megalomaniac Maximus Black and the hard-edged saviour Anneke Longshadow.

Anneke has thwarted another attempt on her life by Maximus but ends up with amnesia. When Maximus, in his renovated guise as Nathaniel Brown, sees Anneke return to RIM headquarters, unharmed but without memory, he uses this to his advantage, making Anneke an ally. But soon Anneke’s memory starts to come back to her and she takes her rightful place in a cast of intriguing characters that help her save the galaxy from the evil plans Maximus has to have his own dictatorial empire.

An all out war ensues between Maximus’ army and Anneke’s forces; one filled with beastly Omegans, age-old dreadnought ships and a protected fortress. But what neither Anneke nor Maximus know, is that Maximus is not the anticipated chosen one of Kadros as the Envoy had led him to believe, marking a different fate for the galaxy, for Maximus, for Anneke and the actual chosen one.

While this book is a thrill seeking sci-fi adventure – ripe with time travel, the significance of history and highly developed characters – it is also much, much more. With many subplots woven meticulously together, The Only Game in the Galaxy is a cleverly written story with threaded themes of friendship, honour, love, identity and choices. As it brings this fantastic trilogy to a close, this book answers many questions readers may have been asking as they read to this point. We uncover more of Maximus’ and Anneke’s back stories, we find out the significance of Deema (Anneke’s foster child) and the history of the characters that make this book so rich.

Paul Collins has created a trilogy that will no doubt live a deservingly long shelf life in the collection of many teens. 

The View from Ararat

The View from Ararat by Brian Caswell (University of Queensland Press)
PB RRP $22.95
ISBN 978 0 7122 3067 7
Reviewed by Beverley Boorer

Anyone who read the first in the series of these three YA sci-fi novels from this award winning author will not need any introduction to Deucalion, the planet that is 34 light years away from Earth and populated with gentle creatures that are totally telepathic with each other.

The View from Ararat continues the story, but is set some hundreds of years later when the planet is firmly settled. The C-ships from Earth keep on coming, but one day a mysterious warning of a disease called the Black Crystal Death (CRIOS) arrives. Only a few people take it seriously and insist that the newest refugees remain isolated until they are sure that the disease has not arrived with them. Of course, the worst case scenario comes true and the disease wipes out about a third of the human population before it can be identified. The planet descends into chaos with little real leadership and few people left who have the ability to find out the cause of the disease and look for a cure.

The story shows just how easy it is for civilization to collapse, no matter how well established it is. The book is not written with normal chapters but reads more like a series of log entries by different characters that include the place and date of writing. These are headed for instance, Erin’s Story and told from her viewpoint. However, other entries may simply be headed “Erin” and these tell us something about the character and the story, but not from her viewpoint. Each entry advances the story and gives the reader information about that character and others. This gives the author the ability to jump from one part of the story to another without it seeming piecemeal.

The story is well-researched and gives a lot of detail, with cryogenics being the mode of travel. Frozen sleep enables the same set of characters to arrive at a distant planet without having aged. The mystery of CRIOS is slowly unfolded and keeps the reader on tenterhooks, or at least curious as to what it is and what the effects will be. The ease with which it escapes from the refugee camp and infects so many other people makes for gruesome reading, but it is so realistic that it makes the reader shudder. It could so easily happen like that in real life. Interwoven throughout are the lives, thoughts and feelings of the many people involved and the start of telepathy for the human race.

The third in the series will be eagerly reached for.

Beverley Boorer is a published children’s author. Details of her sci-fi books for children, the Jeddon Series are available from her website.   

The Dreams of the Chosen

The Dreams of the Chosen by Brian Caswell (University of Queensland Press)
PB RRP $22.95
ISBN: 978 0 7022 3605 1
Reviewed by Beverley Boorer

Brian Caswell has done it again with this third and last book in the Deucalion series for young adults. This far-flung planet has had time to recover from the Black Crystal Death (CRIOS) that decimated the human population in the second book of the series and life is now sanitized and a bit stagnant to many of the population. Telepathy has become accepted and greatly enhances their way of life.

New – but untried - technology means spaceships should now be able to reach Earth in one year, but the CShips from Earth stopped coming hundreds of years ago and no one knows why. Did the mother planet suffer so terribly from CRIOS? Has there been an Apocalypse or some kind of meltdown? It is time to use that new technology to find out. A team is chosen and sent, still using cryogenics for the year’s travel.

But things go terribly wrong for the team that finally lands on Earth. Their lander is wrecked and they only have minimal contact with the Mother Ship. They know that something is terribly wrong on Earth, but they don’t know what, how it happened or who they can trust out of the various people groups that are left.

This story shows that new technology is not so very useful when the rest of the planet has been plunged back into the new Dark Age. However the skill of telepathy is very useful, even though anyone who has it is regarded with the utmost suspicion. Without it, the team would be lost.

Most technology has disappeared from Earth due to the meltdown that occurred centuries ago and no one knows anything about what is left. Knowledge – and anyone who has it - is viewed with distrust and suspicion. Most books from the past have been burned but there were some who worked to keep the knowledge safe and hidden for future generations, even though they did not understand it themselves. The team from Deucalion gradually finds out what has happened, but now they must devise a plan to save themselves and their friends from the few Families who control the world in this new and dangerous era. They must also ensure that enough knowledge remains to guide the enlightened few into a new Renaissance period when the time is right.

There are many heroes and heroines in the story, some of whom give their lives for what they believe. The Dreams of the Chosen makes a satisfying ending to this brilliant series.

Beverley Boorer is a published children’s author. Details of her sci-fi books for children, the Jeddon Series, are available from her website. 

The Princess and the Pirate

The Princess and the Pirate: Book One of The Chronicles of The Knights of Katesch by Royce Bond (Morris Publishing Australia)
PB RRP $20.00
ISBN 9780987543400
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Here is the first of a fantasy series filled with action, adventure and space wars, whose battles are so descriptive it is like watching an adventure of Zena in full battle mode.

Beloved Queen Hibana is one of the famed Knights of Katesch. She sees herself equal to her people. Her husband was killed ten years ago in an ambush along with all his men. The wizard Maligor is her greatest enemy and power battles have been raging for countless years in the attempt by Maligor to control all the dimensions in space.

Hibana is murdered in battle by a Kladath assassin and her daughter Hepzebah, inherits the powers owned by her mother, adding to the ones she already owns. Maligor wants her dead too. But he underestimates who he’s dealing with. Hepzebah and her supporters are helped secretly by Maligor’s wife, Legonin, who longs to see her husband’s treachery come to an end.

Captain Sergio Andronovich is a smuggler, space pirate and blockade runner. He is more than he seems and his eyes are filled with Hepzebah. He is a crafty, resourceful person who is ready to stand by his love and even die for her as she battles to destroy the evil one.

This is a complex pirate adventure with murder, intrigue, betrayal and tension throughout. There are many sub-stories and plots weaving in and out which add additional suspense to the galloping pace of the story. With excellent main characters and even some terrific minor characters that will surely reappear in the future titles, this book offers escapism into a fantasy world of space wars and other dimensions where anything is possible.

Blog Tour: The Princess and the Pirate

Today Buzz Words Books is thrilled to be participating in Royce Bond's blog tour to launch The Princess and The Pirate – Book one of The Knights of Katesch (Morris Publishing Australia). (And comment on this post and go in the draw for a free signed copy.)

Royce Bond’s new sci fi/fantasy novel The Princess and the Pirate is a swashbuckling adventure of a Pirate, a Princess and their followers as they fight to save the universe from evil forces. It is the first book in a series called The Knights of Katesch. The books are the chronicles of  The Knights of Katesch who, for time out of memory, have fought the wizard Maligor across all the dimensions of the known universe.

After the death of her mother Hibana, one of the famed Knights of Katesch, at the hands of a Kladath assassin, Princess Hepzebah faces the fight of her life. As the new queen, she has inherited her mother's powers. The space pirate Captain Sergio runs the blockade to bring an unearthly army to fight the last battle against Maligor's hordes. He has plans for this young queen, but his plans are hijacked and they are thrust into an inter-dimensional battle for the future of the known universe.

Welcome Royce and thanks for popping by Buzz Words Books.

My pleasure and thanks for asking me to visit. I hope I can inspire others to pursue their dream of becoming an author.

Did you submit your manuscript to many publishers before you had an offer to publish?

I had submitted The Chronicles of the Knights of Katesch to nine publishers and each said no. Then I gave up submitting and kept writing and editing to improve the story. I write not to be published, but just for the pure enjoyment of writing. I absolutely love slipping into my world when I write. Publishing is the icing on the cake, because now others can enjoy my world as well.

How did you become a writer?

I used to watch a television series called The A Team. In 1985 I decided I’d like to write a series of television scripts called The Beetlejuice Pirates. They would be a bumbling space version of The A Team. I actually finished my first episode, but then lost it when we moved from Brisbane to Rockhampton.

I still wanted to write but changed from a television script to a short story. I called it The Time Warriors. I finished it and then went on to writing weird stories about the time I spend working on market gardens in the bush.

Did you have to do much research for this book?

I am a medieval re-enactor and often train with swords, axes, and bows. I have researched this craft and the era when it was practised. I consider my whole life to be the research. I have day dreamed most of my life, as well as immersing myself in fantasy/sci fi movies and television series.

Can you tell me about the main character and what you like/dislike about her?

My main character is Hepzebah. I find her a complex character, as well as an exciting one. She is quite an emotional person, because of the experiences she went through as a young child and teenager, but has chosen to lock this emotion away behind a wall in her mind.

I like her strength of character. And how she allows the most unlikely of characters (Sergio) to come into her life and affect her in such a way that she commits her life to him – even though at times she threatens to kill him. Of course, she would never do this. Although she does often have outbursts of emotion directed at him, for example when she single handedly destroys his castle. She is ferociously loyal to those she loves and is very independent.

Is there something that sets this book apart from others?

Yes. This book can be read on a number of different levels, depending on the age and experience of the reader. I know of ten year olds who have loved it and the oldest reader I know of is 85 years old.

Other adults have commented on how complex the characters and plot are, while younger readers revel in the fast paced action. The reader gets out of the story what they are looking for. It caters for a huge variety of interests. It’s a huge amount of fun to read and you can quickly get into this world and not want to come out of it. Even though I have written this book, I still love reading it whenever I get a chance.

Do you have any tips for writers about the writing process or the path to publishing?

a) Create a world you want to live in.
b) Create characters you want to be.
c) Create adventures/action you would like to be involved in.
d) Let your writing goal be enjoyment, not publishing, because when you enjoy the experience of writing, then your readers will enjoy what you have written.
e) Edit, edit, edit.
f) Writing is an apprenticeship. Very few people are so gifted as to pick up a pen and become instant stars.
g) Surround yourself with books, movies, and television series in the genre you wish to write in.
h) There is nothing new under the sun, so take ideas from what others have written, and change it to make it your own.
i) When you get rejected, don’t give up. Keep writing.
j) Enjoy your writing.

The Princess and the Pirate is available from your local bookstore.
Signed copies are available from the MPA website.

Follow the blog tour get some great writing tips, read reviews, and learn more fascinating information about Royce Bond. Comment on this post and go in the draw for a free signed copy.

BLOG SCHEDULE:

Monday August 12 Morris Publishing Australia Interview
Tuesday August 13   http://diannedibates.blogspot.com.au/ Interview
Wednesday August 14 http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com Interview
Thursday August 15  http://www.elaineoustonauthor.com Interview
Friday August 16  http://www.melissawray.blogspot.com.au Interview
Saturday August 17  http://www.losangzopa.wordpress.com Review
Sunday August 18   http://www.kids-bookreview.com Interview

Deucalion

Deucalion by Brian Caswell (University of Queensland Press)
PB RRP $22.95
ISBN 978 0 7022 2865 0
Reviewed by Jo Antareau


One for the science fiction fans! Set beneath the twin moons of the planet Deucalion, this is a story about colonization, exploitation, and revolution. The frontier-like existence on the planet means that large Earth-based companies have done very well exploiting the mineral wealth on the planet. But this has had terrible consequences for the indigenous Elokoi, a peaceful race of telepathic beings.

Brilliant young scientist Jane arrives on Deucalion to start work on a genetic project. But she has no memory of her former life on Earth and, by digging for clues about her previous work, she discovers highly secret and questionable research practices.

Darryl and 8 year-old Elena are the only survivors of a transporter crash that appears to have been engineered to kill the only viable political rival the planet’s first president has. And the president appears to have a cosy relationship with the large companies.

As the narrative unfolds, the details of a vast cover up emerges involving Elokoi and the mysterious Children of Icarus. This story weaves elements of medical ethics, of indigenous rights, and of the uneasy relationship between a colony and the ‘mother’ planet.

This is the first of a trilogy set on Deucalion. First published in 1995, it was rereleased to coincide with the release of the third in the series, Dreams of the Chosen. The story is told in multiple viewpoints and this makes it difficult for the reader to relate to any one individual, for ultimately it is a tale of the anatomy of a revolution.

For older readers.

Gamers’ Rebellion

Gamers’ Rebellion by George Ivanoff (Ford Street Publishing)

PB RRP $16.95

ISBN 978-1921665974

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

Gamers’ Rebellion is the last book in ‘the Gamers’ trilogy. The trilogy, written perfectly for the young teenager market, is a speedy nosedive into the gamers’ world – full of adventure, bold characters, striking sci-fi worlds and a racy plot that leaves readers hanging on every word. Gamers’ Rebellion is all of these things and more.

The previous book, Gamers’ Challenge, saw Zyra and Tark – our feisty protagonists – share a kiss inside the game that changed their whole lives. The kiss pushed them into the realm of asking questions, seeking their identities and trying to find a way out of the game. Gamers’ Rebellion starts at the juncture where Tark and Zyra’s desire to exit has become a reality, but out of the game they have found that not everything is as they expected.

Their first taste of reality is in the hands of the designers. Both Zyra and Tark wake up in the cold, futuristic research facility of the Designers, but not long after they both wake up in separate rooms, Tark is kidnapped by a group of young rebels who take him to their hidden, low-fi laboratory. Their plan to take Zyra, too, is thwarted by a security alert that forces them to leave Zyra behind. The heart racing adventures kicks off immediately. At the Designers’ Research Facility, Zyra meets Designer Prime, Robert, her creator. Robert tells Zyra many things she has been dying to know – about her consciousness, her creation and about how the game is really played but there is also so much more that he doesn’t tell her. At the young rebel’s laboratory, Tark finds out that the Designers have been stealing children for the games and have hidden agendas and malicious plans for the game – seeking power and fortune. What Tark and Zyra don’t realise is that the reality they sought outside of the game, will be the very one that drives them back into it as they join the young rebels to fight against the Designers – both inside and outside of the game.

Gamers’ Rebellion, is just as fast-paced and as meaning driven as its predecessors. Filled with strong insights into the human mind and touching on the essence of humanity and the values of trust, friendship, truth and identity that drove through the trilogy, this book is a gripping and touching futuristic look at what it means to be human. And it is not shy of Ivanoff’s brilliant writing either – dynamic dialogue, interesting vocabulary, constructed ‘gamer’ speak and the painting of vivacious characters and worlds are just a few of the techniques Ivanoff uses to make this the perfect ending to the Gamers’ Trilogy. 

Be Home For Armageddon

 Be Home for Armageddon by Luke Edwards (Omnibus)
PB RRP $16.99
ISBN 978-1-86291-941-9
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Be Home for Armageddon starts with a bang when something falls from the sky creating a huge crater in a suburban street. Making it even more mysterious is the terrifying suction which draws objects into the crater at random intervals.

No-one in the neighbourhood seems quite sure about what to do and it falls to Victor and Soo, science nuts, lovers of sci-fi movies and addicts of old arcade games, to investigate what they hope is an alien invasion. After discovering what has moved in to the crater in Grundell Street, they enlist the reluctant help of their science teacher Mr Blake.

Although Victor, Soo and Blake are comfortable with the new residents, the Holingtons, the rest of the streets residents’ are not. Victor’s mother decides it would be best to move, far away. Then a gift from the Holingtons, with which they hoped to win favour with their neighbours, creates even more problems and the three realise that the Holingtons may not be quite so harmless after all.

This is a great science fiction story for young teenagers. It has an original premise, with twists and turns that surprised me many times. Although I didn’t always understand the scientific content (black holes, sentient beings, planet systems and computer technology) many science fiction readers will, and it didn’t detract from the storyline for me anyway. And the ever present vague sense of approaching doom kept me hooked until the end.

This adventure will appeal to both male and female readers. There are strong characters of both genders and it is a straight forward sci-fi adventure without added issues, coming of age problems or romance distractions. It is a light read and the often amusing banter between Victor and Soo keeps this adventure bouncing along.  

Girl Parts

Girl Parts by John M. Cusick (Walker Books)

PB RRP $16.95

ISBN 9781406334340

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

The idea for this book is distinctly out of the ordinary but with a very current theme. It focuses on the effects of technology on today’s society and its invasion of people’s personal lives. It written in a humorous style and exhibits a flair unusual for a first novel. The author is a literary agent of books for children and teens.

The setting is Westtown where all the prime land around the man-made lake belongs to David Sun’s father, a computer magnate. All, that is, except the small piece that Charlie and his dad, refuse to give up. They are thought of as weird because their idea of perfection is a natural existence.

The story opens with Nora committing suicide on a video blog with 750 people watching. Someone could have, but no one tried to stop her, for in Westtown frightening statistics had emerged. ‘Cases of moral apathy, suicide, and anhedonia’ were on the increase. This proved the suspicion that many ‘interpersonal relationships’ were ‘increasingly crowded out by electronic distraction’ and that the young people at St Sebastian’s had become disconnected from reality.

A behavioural specialist/counsellor is brought in to help the boys relearn how to reconnect with the moral side of life.  Mr Roger ‘a pioneering researcher of Teen Dissociative Disorder’ is associated with Sakora Solutions - a company that makes female robotic Companions (in several models) David’s parents coerce him to accept a solution to his indifference to drinking and driving, and immoral habits in the form of Rose. She is the original model-type and perfect in every way. (The only thing that can decommission her is total submersion in water)

Rose is connected via satellite to a data bank at Sakora Headquarters. Her Intimacy Clock has a security system and she learns things by listening to and repeating others, and through data transferred to her wiring.

David believes he has found the perfect partner. Her demure manner and moral stance moves the vain David. Although he is initially envied by all his friends, David quickly becomes frustrated when he finds Rose has a set of ethical standards that he simply can’t overcome, and robotic companions are not made of the stuff that humans are. David returns to his old ways and breaks off with Rose. Everything literally goes hay-wire.

The weird yet wonderful Charlie steps in and saves Rose’s life when she too, tries to commit suicide. But Rose is not the same. A series of entertaining yet sad and frightening events are set in motion and we discover that the world we are reading about is similar to the one we are living.

This is a terrific Science Fiction future read and many frightening truths are hidden within. It is witty and light-hearted, yet it addresses a great issue. 

Guardian of the Sky Realms

Guardian of the Sky Realms by Gerry Huntman (IFWG Publishing Group)

PB RRP US$14.99 (published in US; available online)

ISBN 9780984329885

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

The story begins in Sydney. The focus is on the unpopular teenager Maree who lives with her mother, her father having left them long ago. She likes Jason who is multi-talented, musical and gorgeous. For some time now, Maree has been mesmerised by angels and angel images, particularly one that hangs in a gallery near The Rocks. Her plan is to steal it, and own it to admire.

But a young man is there, also admiring Wings In Despair. He tells her the story of the painting; about Alanar, Guardian of the Northern Sky Realm, and his share-heart Mirriam. They were the Divine, Protectors and fighters of the daemons of the Fire Lands. But Mirriam was killed in conflict. Alanar has awaited her Rebirth to take up the battle again. Before Maree realizes it, she falls into the painting and flies away with the stranger, who is himself, the Alanar of the painting’s story who has come to bring his Mirriam home.

The timid Maree embarks on a fantastic journey in another World; one where the flow of time is different to her own. It is a journey of disbelief, discovery, knowledge and Rebirth. She becomes Mirriam, an exciting and courageous girl, continually evolving, strengthening in every sense, and nothing like the person she was before.

The story goes back and forth, from then and now, the then being Mirriam/Maree’s Human World in Sydney, and the now, her new life in the Sky Realm. In alternating chapters, we see the happenings in her Human World. Her mother believing she is dead is battling with grief and fear.

We see what is happening to Jason. Back in the Human World, his parents are attacked and the shroud of mystery surrounding his identity begins to fall away. There are choices both young people must make. Maree must find a way back to Sydney to assure her mother of her existence without revealing her new life.

Their travels take them through Paris on Christmas night, where the gargoyle Darius becomes their ally in unexpected collisions with daemons, then through the Himalayas and the US, through portals, caverns, Shadowlands, and dangerous entrances and exits; amidst the warring of good and evil up to the last explosive revelation.

The book is a US production using American English (IFWG are thinking of producing an Australian edition in the next year or so). However, Barnes and Noble (online) are asking US$13.50 at the moment - plus postage and handling.

Recon Team Angel: Assault

Recon Team Angel: Assault by Brian Falkner (Walker Books)

PB RRP $19.95
ISBN 9781921720543
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

After Falkner’s previous award-winning works, this breath-stopping sci-fi adventure series will blow the top off every previous fast-paced read.

The setting is 2030, Australia, now known as the New Bzadia. The Aliens have control of Africa, Europe, and most of Asia and are headed for America. Humans are at war with Alien forces that have been slowly strengthening in mass and ability for many years in preparation to take-over the world.

Recon Team Angel in made up of a group of six highly trained teenagers selected from around the world; four boys and two girls. Their leader is Lieutenant Chisnall, the eldest of them all. They have been preparing since puberty for their roles in an elite team to war against the Alien Bzadian army. The Angels’ mission is to infiltrate a top secret Alien Facility behind enemy lines which is in the centre of Uluru, and discover what is being hidden there.

For the infiltration to be successful, the six had been made to look like Bzadians. Their bone structure has been restructured to Alien shape and form, and their skin dyed. They’ve learnt the language and habits, and lived as Bzadians so that they could convince any Alien that they were one of them.

Chisnall is the perfect leader who keeps secrets for the safety of his team. It is only when they lose a member do that they discover that there is a traitor in their midst.

Arriving at Uluru are five Angels and two SAS troopers disguised as RAF officers that the team picked up on the way. At Uluru Military Base, it is not the warhead that they plan to detonate to destroy the alien stronghold that scares the life from them. Nor is it the fact that one of them is a sleeper. It is what they discover in the glass cubicles that gives the gut-wrenching twist to the mission. Chisnall is faced with the hardest decision. How many lives can be classed as collateral damage?

All the adult action is superbly covered but simultaneously balanced by exposing the youthful side of the characters. Their thoughts, dreams and interactions are revealed in a witty, comical way. These comic insertions give the story light-hearted relief from the severity of the chaos that surrounds the teenagers.

Gamers' Challenge

Gamers’ Challenge by George Ivanoff (Ford Street Publishing)

PB RRP $16.95

ISBN 978-1921665516

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

Gamers’ Challenge is the sequel to the award-winning Gamers’ Quest. Framed in the genres of science fiction and fantasy, and suitably aimed at eleven-year-old (plus) readers, Gamers’ Challenge is a well written, evocative and heart racing chapter book. 

Zyra and Tark, the two main protagonists, have spent their life playing a game. They never grow old, have an endless supply of energy and can survive on very little sleep. They never ask any questions either; at least they didn’t up until the point where they broke the rules of the all-powerful Designers by sharing a kiss. Their lives suddenly become complicated as they find themselves out of the game and being pursued by menacing, static VI balls. As they battle to survive, and start asking questions, they happen upon a group of ‘Others’ – people who have also chosen not to play the game any longer. The ‘Others’ lead them on a quest to find the ‘Ultimate Gamer’ who is the only one who can help them defeat the deadly computer virus and exit the game, once and for all.  Along the way, and in their bid for freedom, they discover the answers to their questions and the essence of their identities.

Gamers' Challenge starts right in the middle of the action and instantly launches the reader into the lives of Zyra and Tark and the thematic concerns of the book, as well as immediately raising story questions that drive the narrative right through to the end. Zyra and Tark are strong and unique female and male characters that this age group will identify with – both on an emotional and physical level. The plot is well developed with many plausible twists and turns, and interesting characters, that keep readers engaged and the wild pace and endless action will keep the pages being turned with eagerness. The game world that the characters inhabit is vivid, believable and painterly, too. However, the real strength of the book lies in the subtle handling of themes such as identity, trust and loyalty.

George Ivanoff has given us an excellent and engrossing read with Gamers' Challenge and one can only hope that an equally engrossing third instalment will follow! 

Changing Yesterday

Changing Yesterday by Sean McMullen (Ford Street Publishing)

PB RRP $19.95

ISBN 978 1 921665 37 0

Reviewed by Jenny Mounfield

In Ford Street’s ’07 debut, Before the Storm, we were introduced to BC (Liore) and Fox, two young soldiers from an alternate 21^st century who travelled back in time to prevent the bombing of the first Australian parliament and the century of war that would follow. They succeeded, with a little help from Emily, Daniel and con-artist and thief extraordinaire, Barry the Bag. But no sooner had they achieved their objective than an alternate beginning to the Century War came into being. In Changing Yesterday the fight to save the future continues.

The story opens in spectacular style: Our guardians of tomorrow must foil a plot to blow up the heir to the British throne during his Australian tour. Once this task is accomplished, yet another future presents itself. Meanwhile, Barry the Bag is entertaining visions of grandeur: If he can pinch Liore’s plasma lance rifle, the King will surely reward him handsomely. The ever-resourceful Barry does just that and soon finds himself aboard a ship to England. Daniel, too, is aboard the same ship, destined for a posh boarding school. And hot on their tails is battle-ready Liore. Believing she has been betrayed by everyone she trusted (including Fox who is AWOL), Liore is fixing a man-sized helping of revenge.

This is a story rich with action, emotion and humour. McMullen’s characters are superb, particularly Barry the Bag. Despite his thieving ways, I couldn’t help but cheer him on. So, too, Liore is a stroke of genius, with her snipped battle-speak and macho idiosyncrasies. These characters are so incredibly flawed, they are perfect. While the character core of Before the Storm remains intact (with the exceptions of Fox and Muriel who are out of the picture loving it up in France), McMullen has introduced new character Madeline, who fills the role previously held by Daniel’s snooty sister, Emily. A Miss Marple in the making, Madeline adds a fresh perspective to the character dynamic.

Crossing many genres—historical, SF, fantasy, adventure—Changing Yesterday will appeal to more than just die-hard SF fans. The technical aspects aren’t overdone and are easily understood—as are the early 20^th century setting and customs. The contrasts drawn throughout this story provide unlimited fodder for classroom discussion.

A leader in Australian Fantasy and SF, McMullen is a multiple award-winning author with fifteen novels and sixty short stories to his name. Find out more at:

http://seanmcmullen.net.au/