Rebecca ross’ duology that started with Divine Rivals comes to a stunning conclusion in Ruthless vows. It continues directly on from the cliff-hanger in Divine Rivals, with Iris Winnow back in the city of Oath and desperately wanting to know what has happened to Roman, who she last saw in the battle with the god Dacre. With the help of her friend Attie, she manages to steal another magic typewriter from the Museum and begins to write letters to Roman, hoping that they will appear under a wardrobe door, if he is alive. When she and Attie can go to the front to report on Dacre’s activities, she grabs the chance to find out what is happening and to write the truth.
Told in alternating chapters by Iris and Roman, I was swept along by the traumatic events that the pair were facing, with Roman trying to send information about Dacre’s ley lines and troop movements, and Iris evading followers and facing the front line. The suspense especially in the last half of the book kept me reading avidly to discover what was going to happen. Would Roman regain his memory and stay safe? Would the pair ever be reunited? Could Dacre be overcome and Enva triumph?
This duology was original, with the use of magic typewriters and set in a fantasy world like Europe in World War 1. The romance is sweet and sexual relationships are hinted at, but only after the pair marry. This is a beautifully crafted duology for readers who love letters, romance and danger.
T. Kingfisher has brought readers a novella that retells a version of Sleeping beauty, and what an unexpected retelling this is! Readers are introduced to Toadling, who had been stolen from her cradle when she was born and substituted with a changeling by the fae. Brought up by the greenteeth in a swampy area, she is happy and loved and can change from human form to that of a toad. When the hare goddess comes for her and tells her that she must offer a blessing of protection to a child, she travels back to the castle where she was born. Unfortunately, she does not utter the right words over the cradle and the child grows without the protection she needs. Centuries later, when the tower is hidden by a thick thorn hedge, a knight appears wanting to break the curse on the sleeping princess. When he meets Toadling he gradually learns what has happened.
In 119 well-crafted pages, Kingfisher turns the classic fairy tale on its head. Sleeping Beauty, the wicked fairy godmother and the brave knight are certainly not what one expects. I loved the character of Toadling, one moment a woman and another moment in toad form and who is desperate to keep the curse surrounding the princess. Halim, the knight, loves his mother and is gentle and compassionate. There are all the delightful, whimsical and thoughtful ideas and wonderful setting that Kingfisher is renowned for in her retellings. Readers may like to follow this with another, The seventh bride or stories by Shannon Hale and Juliet Marilllier.
Themes Fairy tale retelling, Princesses, Folklore, Toads.
When longtime audiobook narrator and first-time author Travis Baldree published his debut novel Legends & Lattes in 2022, he probably had no idea that he was about to popularise the relatively niche genre of cosy fantasy. At its core, cosy fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that focuses on low stakes adventures and the daily life of its magical characters as they build friendships and relationships. There is little to no violence, the good guys always win and the reader should, ideally, experience a feeling of warm satisfaction every time they open the book.
Legends & Lattes, a novel about an orc who lays down her sword and opens a coffee shop, did so well that Baldree almost immediately began writing another book, the prequel story Bookshops & Bonedust. Rather than the mature and battle-weary Viv of the first novel, this Viv is twenty years younger and eager for bloodshed and adventure. Unfortunately for her, a silly mistake in battle has left her with a serious leg injury. She is left behind by her crew in the small and seemingly boring town of Murk to rest and recover, much to her chagrin. With nothing else to occupy her time, Viv visits the town bookshop and discovers a love for reading that grows along with her friendship with the bookshop’s owner, Fern. What follows is a charming story of food, friends, romance and enough adventure to keep things interesting.
Baldree has grown as an author in the time between the publication of the two novels and in Bookshops & Bonedust the characters are more rounded, the world is more fleshed out and the story is more engaging. Fans of the series can only hope that Baldree has plans to add to it soon.
A very eager Chico is waiting on the cover for kids to open the book and find out about him. His tail is almost wagging as the book is opened and readers are introduced to Chico and his characteristics. When his family leaves for school and work he greets all of the other dogs in the neighbourhood with welcoming barks, but one day his gate is left open and out he walks. He plays chase with Susie the Sausage Dog, Gary the Greyhound is at the beach and the two run very fast along the shore, Banjo the Border Collie asks Chico for help rounding up the sheep with some unexpected outcomes, Penelope the poodle dresses him up to be ready for the next show where she had already won a prize, but he doesn’t quite fit the image, then Ginger the Golden Retriever asks him to swim across the lake, but Chico finds a board to use. At the end of the day Chico has had the best play date ever, playing with all his friends, and trying out the things they are good at, finding that they are not all as easy for him to master. His body is not as sleek or as fast, or attuned to water or dressing up, but going home, his family greets him with hugs and cuddles, and they all know what Chico is good at.
Charming illustrations depict the dogs talked of in the text , and will draw responses form the readers as they too recognise the animals and the traits they possess. Most readers will have a story to share about their dog and what it does best, fitting into the theme of the story, that we are all good at something. We may all be different but we can do different things with our bodies, making us just as amazing as the next person or dog. And written by Australian of the Year, Taryn Blumfitt, the book parallels the work she is doing with the Body Image Movement.
Themes Difference, Diversity, Body image, Humour.
Fran Knight
The good dog by Simon Rowell
Text Publishing, 2024. ISBN: 9781922790699. (Age:15+ - Adult) Recommended.
Following The long game and Wild card comes another mystery featuring Detective Sergeant Zoe Mayer and her fabulous service dog Harry. When they are called to Mount Macedon to investigate the murder of Piers Johnson, an alleged fraudster, they find another body, that of Antony Peterson, his lawyer. At first glance it looks like a murder/suicide but the evidence does not stack up and Zoe and her new side-kick Ben need to investigate all the suspects who have lost large amounts of money investing in Peterson’s activities.
This is an gripping police procedural mystery, with Zoe and Ben systematically following up on the murder suspects with interviews and phone tapping. The relationship between Zoe and Ben is initially strained and it is interesting to see it develop as the case reaches its stunning and for me, unexpected climax. As the title The good dog suggests, Harry is the star of the novel, with his scenting skills leading him to a body and a kidnapping victim and dog lovers will love this aspect of the novel. He also provides solace to others in distress as well as warning Zoe of impending drones and helicopters, helping her to control her post traumatic stress. The setting of Mount Macedon and its surrounds as well as Melbourne’s suburbs and nods to private schools will be familiar to many readers and will have others looking up place names and countryside.
With multiple suspects, red herrings and twists and turns, The good dog is a page turner that many readers will want to read in one or two sittings as I did. It is an easy to read, engrossing story and I hope that I see more novels featuring Zoe and Harry.
Themes Mystery, Detectives, Service dogs, Murder.
Pat Pledger
An amazing Australian camping trip by Jackie Hosking and Lesley Vamos
Bright, bold illustrations cover each page, ensuring the reader will take in all the detail before them as they embark on a camping trip with the family.
They are travelling east from Melbourne to find a fantastic beast for Aunty to paint. But she cannot remember its name. Mum thinks that finding a beast with fur like a dog and venom like a snake, a duck’s bill and a paddle for a tail and is very hard to spot will be impossible. Many children may know what the animal is but all will be engrossed as the author reveals a little about its characteristics in the rhyming stanzas. As the journey proceeds, many things happen which are explained as the book is read. The word game played to keep the kids amused, ‘I spy with my little eye’ is explained on the same page in a different font. This happens throughout the book, giving information to the readers as they go, and making it feel a little like a non fiction book. Lots of fun is had as the family sees many animals and ask whether that is the animal that Aunty wants. It may or may not be the one she is looking for. So adventure abounds, modelling camping trips to the young reader, outlining the things families do when camping together, the things they will see and adventures they will have. Of course there are a few mis-steps, which are shown as things to avoid as they move in the bush. Even if they know the answer of what animal Aunty is looking for, they will have absorbed lots of information about this animal and its part in the Australian bush.
Lesley Vamos’ illustrations are most engaging, reflecting a family together discussing where they are going and being together as they go on their adventure. The images of the animal too are lovely as they reject animals seen along the way. And the endpapers are wonderful. The first endpaper shows a variety of things needed when going on a camping holiday, and readers will love finding these details on the pages following. And the last endpaper shows the animal with all of its features labeled. It is absorbing and readers will pore over the detail shown, recognising the traits that Aunty told them about.
Big Sky, 2023. ISBN: 9781922896667. (Age:7-12) Recommended.
The lost city is not recommended to read as a first choice when sampling this unoriginal timetravel series. Stacey, Gabriel (Dad) and Amelia are preparing to return post haste to colonial Australia, to rescue Oliver from the clutches of Stacey’s time-travelling nemesis, Isla.
Repairing one of Dad’s inventions takes time, but they are not prepared for the reality of how much time has elapsed for Oliver, when an old man knocks on the door. Old Oliver has waited for Stacey and her dad all these years. He needed to choose the precise moment in time to guide them and save them and in doing so ensure that he can return to his original family as a boy again.
In following Oliver’s instruction, they begin to right their mistakes. However the path is circulatory. Picking up Oliver, dropping Cooper the dinosaur back in time to his home, and doing a deal with Plato in Ancient Greece all resulting in retaining the second artifact - the ability to translate and communicate with anybody anywhere.
A few more near misses take them to destinations, which are the stuff of legends – those places and times in the mythological canon for which there is no written historical evidence. Thankfully no cliff-hanger again, but Stacey learns what she did to ‘tick off’ Isla, her nasty 'Sister in Time'. We also know that Stacey hasn’t seen the last of her.
With ten chapters and an Epilogue, this simple chapter book would not be too challenging for an 8yr old reader, who may not question why Plato is classically sketched and not a caricature like the other characters. Michael C Madden certainly layers the simple story with both facts about historical figures and interesting new action objects, like the growing collection of artifacts which assist the time-travelling house and its occupants to survive new adventures. Begin with The House that Time Remembers, followed by Stacey Casey and the Cheeky Outlaw in order to get the most from the third volume, The Lost City.
Themes Time travel, Adventure, History, Family.
Deborah Robins
Inside story: Creative writing for students by Sue Lawson & Jodi Toering
This novel-sized guide to creative writing is the perfect book to support writing in the home or classroom. Wonderfully accessible with well-spaced information, it will be a practical reference for either those children who often struggle with where and how to begin or those children who just love to write and want to improve their writing skills.
The book has a handy contents page and lets the reader know that it does not need to be read at the beginning but where the writer’s interest or needs lie. The first chapter begins simply with ‘Making a Start’ and goes on to look at the tools needed including valuable information about writers' notebooks where writers often store ideas, quotes, experiences, descriptions and more to perhaps use at a later date. In this chapter are also warm up prompts and writing from memories.
Chapter Two delves into writing your story - the ideas, planning, drafting, beginnings, characters, dialogue and setting. The third chapter considers the revision and editing of your story, looking at tense, descriptions, adjectives and adverbs, and word pictures such as similes and onomatopoeia. Throughout the book are stand out handy hints and comments placed in a white oval shape. There is also a glossary at the end and a spare lined page for notes.
Inside Story is an extremely handy reference and resource tool to help children understand the components of the writing process and to further enhance their skills.
Themes Creative Writing, English, English Language, Story Writing Hints.
The Rosewood Hunt is many things – an intriguing mystery, a devastating story of betrayal and a captivating romance; making it hard to put down and not devour in one sitting. Lily Rosewood lives with her Gram, Iris Rosewood, who dies suddenly, launching Lily into solving a puzzle she never bargained for, with people she never thought she would cross paths with. At the reading of her will, Lily discovers Gram’s billion-dollar fortune from the family luxury coat business is missing, when she and three others get letters sending them on a treasure hunt around Rosetown. Together, they hope solving the riddles written with invisible ink by her grandmother will lead them to the Rosewood inheritance, but they soon discover they are not the only ones hunting for Gram’s treasure - and the hunt becomes more dangerous than they ever could have imagined.
The four teens must work together - Lily, her childhood friend and first love, Leo, whom she's not speaking to after he chose her cousin Daisy over her; Quinn, the zealous one who dislikes her cousin Daisy; and Caleb, the brains of the group. Whilst the four are wildly different, all of them are connected in some way with Iris, and they all share that great motivator - they all need money. There are some excellent twists and turns as the quartet utilise their unique skills to solve the mystery behind the lost inheritance. It’s not long however before they find themselves in danger when Daisy turns the inheritance game into a TikTok sensation. There are very dangerous people out there who want to steal the money from them, and Lily realises she can’t trust anybody, even the people close to her, as they might endanger her life.
If you love puzzle solving and a mystery, with a host of well written characters you’ll love this read. Like me, you’ll be desperate to discover what happens and who in the end gets an inheritance.
This delightful and engaging story about the life of Dr Maddy McAllister, currently Senior Curator of maritime archaeology at Queensland Museum, will provide readers with a snapshot of the passion for diving and shipwrecks that Maddy showed from an early age.
Maddy had always loved the ocean and spent her early years swimming, fishing and holidaying around water. Her beloved grandfather was instrumental in fostering this love and his storytelling about events related to both the sea and land encouraged Maddy to explore deeply in her areas of interest: ancient history, archaeology and the ocean.
As a child, Maddy and her sister Ally moved around with their parents due to work commitments. Maddy learnt to accept the changes that occurred, make friends, develop a love of horses and horse riding, but the pull of the ocean was always there. It was the place Maddy felt calm and at peace. After finally settling down in Busselton Western Australia near to her grandparents, Maddy attains her SCUBA diver’s certificate, learns about two teenagers in 1876 who saved many survivors of a shipwreck and decides that archaeology is to be her tertiary focus. After studying hard Maddy is accepted into a Bachelor of Archaeology at Flinders University SA. She defers for a year and works as a tour guide around Geographe Bay where she learns about the marine environment. Maddy’s fascination with shipwrecks continues to grow and her expertise and study in the area is now well recognised all over the world.
Maddy McAllister’s story sends a strong message to young readers that to achieve success and enjoyment in your chosen field is to persevere and continually strive to learn more. Her love for her work, the marine environment, and the all-important shipwrecks, resonates throughout this absorbing story.
The full range of how books fit into a baby’s life from waking in the morning to going to bed at night is presented in this charming book with rhyming lines form Katrina Germein and wonderfully soft illustrations by Cheryl Orsini. The result is a family oriented story with the baby at its heart modelling the ways books fit into the everyday. On waking the baby needs a book to start the day, then it reads books in the car, visiting its grandparents where books again are shared. Then mum and the baby play and tumble about. Funny stories are shared, and books are read in the pusher and on the tram. At the end of a very busy day the baby has a cuddle and a book, a yawn then snuggles down to sleep.
A range of books is read; pop up books, large books filled with colour, board books and baby soft material books.
German shows soundly that books have a place in all aspects of a child’s life, with humour and verse to get her message across. I love the first three words of each pair of rhyming lines, as she uses the phrase ‘baby book’ with another word describing something about the baby. Repetition and alliteration are used with great effect, and complimented by Orsini’s soft illustrations adding a level of humour to the book.
This is a lovely book to read and share, and will be enjoyed by all ages.
Alan and Heather Winterbottom are country GP’s who have worked together for 40 years and are preparing for their retirement. They both, however, have very different ideas of what an idyllic retirement looks like. Alan is looking forward to developing his green thumb, while Heather dreams of exploring the Greek Islands. Heather makes the bold decision to set out on her own, seeking her own adventures, away from home, away from her marriage.
We all dream of retirement, but is it something we are truly prepared for?‘Later’ isn’t a guarantee, and Heather knows this only too well with the death of her friend Esme.
Full of stunning descriptions of Greece, the beautiful islands, swimming in the ocean, sumptuous food and wine, the laid-back lifestyle and historical sightseeing, this is a beautifully written story about Heather fulfilling a promise she made to her dear friend Esme, finding herself along the way, albeit with some hilarious mishaps. Heather is such a highly relatable character, she has a sense of adventure and humor that endears the reader, as she discovers more about herself and her relationship to Alan that she could ever have had during their long medical career and marriage.One of the warmest and funniest stories I have read in a long time.
Themes Retirement, Change, Aged, Greece.
Ruth Tipping
The daredevil princess and the golden unicorn by Belinda Murrell
‘Bold and brave, clever and curious, daring and determined’ are what Princess Mathilda, better known as Tillie, hopes to be. She lives a very happy life with her mother Queen Cordelia, her inventive father, King Edwin and her younger brother Prince Oskar. Also constant in her life are her beloved dachshunds, Mitzi and Fritzi, Miss Prim the royal nanny and Mr Grimm, the royal steward, who is forever catching Tillie doing the unexpected.
There has been a mysterious theft of royal roses which were for the upcoming Summer Harvest Festival and the castle is on high alert. Tillie is determined to solve the mystery and bravely leaves the castle at night to search for the thief. What she discovers is truly magical and once it is all sorted out the Summer Festival does go ahead better than ever, and Honey Blossom becomes a member of the royal household.
The Daredevil Princess and the Golden Unicorn is the first story of a series by well-known author Belinda Murrell. This engaging tale is a wonderful introduction to chapter books for younger readers or would be an excellent story to be read aloud by an adult. There are delightful illustrations by Rebecca Crane strategically placed throughout, as well as the use of onomatopoeia to emphasise parts of the story. The second book The Daredevil Princess and the Goblin King is to be released simultaneously with the first and the third book, The Daredevil Princess and the Fire Dragon is on its way.
Once again bold and brave Princess Mathilda, preferably known as Tillie, is on an exciting adventure. The farms surrounding the castle are under attack from goblins from the Wild Forest. Queen Cordelia is trying her hardest to find a solution but it may take some clever thinking on the part of Tillie and her companions to help solve the problem.
As a Princess, Tillie must learn deportment and to control her temper. However, both these actions do not come easily to her. She would much rather be helping her father King Edwin with his latest invention. This time he has elevated Mr Grimm who is not happy. The potion used for the elevation does not quite work as expected, so Tilly is given it for her own use.
With Mitzi and Fritzi, and Honey Blossom who is now a permanent member of the Royal family, Tillie discovers a secret doorway in the castle. As a way to escape Mr Grimm, they choose to enter the doorway, follow the passage and end up at Apple Tree Creek farm. There they meet Lukas who accuses them of great mischief. It turns out though, it is some rather rambunctious goblins who are trashing everything and need to be stopped. Fortunately some clever thinking by Tillie, and the magic potion created by King Edwin, save the farmhouse and the farm from destruction.
The Daredevil Princess and the Goblin King is an exciting fast-paced adventure that will be enjoyed by younger readers. The third book in this new series The Daredevil Princess and the Fire Dragon is due to be released soon.
Gavin Friday, a singer/songwriter, is friends with Bono from the band U2, and together they have collaborated on a modern retelling of Peter and the Wolf, written by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. Told in graphic novel format, this version is sure to be a hit with children with its punk rock hero Peter who has a mohawk hairdo and is dressed in a black singlet and tight black jeans. Peter is mourning the death of his mother and his grandfather tells him not to go into the woods as there is a wolf roaming around. But Peter is a determined young boy and armed with a sling shot, a make-believe wolf and a lasso goes into the woods to capture the creature.
The black and white illustrations are compelling. Readers will need to take notice of details to work out some of what is happening. For example, they will learn what happened to Peter’s mother by examining the page which has photographs of her and will be able to work out why Peter is so unhappy and why he is living with his grandfather.
Gavin introduces the book as Gavin Flyday, a winged Master of Ceremonies and tells readers that he will pop in and out of the book and they need to keep an eye out for him. He is on the page where he introduces the characters in the book and pops up at other crucial moments and I found myself revisiting the book to try and find him. In the final pages, the reader learns that the collaboration was in aid of Irish Hospice Foundation and that Gavin hopes ‘that this version of Peter and the Wolf becomes a balm for any child dealing with loss.’
Readers may wish to see the animated film, official movie trailer here and there are many versions of the music and words of the original to be found on YouTube.
