There was a time when you would have believed that pigs would fly before Artemis Fowl thought of anyone but himself but those days are long gone and now Artemis wants to save the world instead of exploit it. The young genius has finally found an immediate solution to global warming and plans to recruit his faerie allies to help put his ideas into motion. When Holly and Foaly arrive however, they find him much changed from their last encounter, distracted and strange. The truth is that Artemis is suffering from Atlantis Complex brought on by too much contact with magic and is starting to develop an obsession with the number five and a multiple personality disorder. Normally this wouldn’t be too bad as the sickness is treatable but when a huge faerie spaceship crashes from the sky and starts to dig through the ice caps towards the underwater city of Atlantis, it would seem there couldn’t be a worse moment. 

A faerie criminal mastermind is bent on escaping prison and securing the most powerful source on the earth for himself. His plans include killing Holly, Artemis and their friends which seems more and more likely with the genius completely out of action and without Butler to keep him safe. It’s a race against time to prevent him form kidnapping the little demon warlock and possibly destroying all of Atlantis in the meantime. 

Artemis Fowl seems to be suffering less from Atlantis Complex and more from an author who seems to running out of ideas in book seven of the series. You won’t get many bigger fans of the young genius than myself, which is possibly why this addition to his adventures was such a disappointment. The imagination, humour and the brilliant characters that made this series such a huge success have all faded away in this book, leaving it a slightly bland and at times lifeless creation. The problem is that Artemis is not himself and seeing as it was his personality that was driving the books forward it means a vital spark is instantly missing. 

There is also a distinct lack of the comedy so predominant in earlier books and you can go entire chapters without a single joke and even the inevitable Mulch Diggums flatulence is more of a fizz than a Bang!   

This doesn’t mean that book seven is completely useless, far from it. Artemis Fowl fans will still very much enjoy this escapade but they will do so while remembering better days.

Our thanks to Puffin for sending us a copy.

Cecily is unwanted in her village. The illegitimate child of a single woman, she is barely tolerated by the people who live in Montacute.  Only William, a crippled boy who is not quite accepted himself, has befriended her.  Cecily bears her harsh life with strength of character that shines despite the hardships of spiteful cousins, poverty and her job as one of the lowliest servants at Montacute House.  Her life continues its humdrum path until the body of a boy is found and William disappears. Convinced the two events are linked, Cecily is determined to find her only friend. 


In the backdrop of Cecily’s drama, another story line unfolds. Montacute House, the great house that overlooks her village, is in its final stages of construction. Determined to demonstrate his wealth and power, the Lord of Montacute has invited a host of the country’s finest, including Queen Elizabeth I, to celebrate. Also in attendence is the Lord’s only surviving son, Drax. Drax exudes an aura of evil and anger and it is clear nothing good will come from being near him. To echo this, Cecily’s friend Edith reveals herself as a witch, a witch who has heard prophecy that ties Cecily to a great evil that is coming to Montacute. 


Cecily and her new found (and at times reluctant) friend Jasper uncover a dangerous plot that has already claimed the lives of a number of boys and has the potential to create many more victims.  Destiny will bring together Cecily and Drax into a showdown and only Cecily’s character and newly awakened powers can save her.


Cecily is a very well written character; likeable but downtrodden, her flashes of strength make her very appealing to read. She is the hook by which the rest of the story is lifted. Jasper, the boy Cecily finds to help her, also adds some great comic moments.  Montacute House is a place that actually exists (and is currently a National Trust property in Somerset) which opens up great possibilities for this book as an educational springboard. The author’s knowledge of the house and surroundings shines through the book, but there could be more colour to the lives of the characters at the time. That aside, this book is an entertaining mystery with a strong supernatural streak that is greatly helped by its well written main character and definitely worth a read. 


Our thanks for Bloomsbury.


Reviewed by Jo@KidsCompass

Ever since Rory can remember he and his mother have had to put up with his waste of space father. His mum works hard as a nurse often pulling double shifts just to pay the bills just because her husband can’t hold down a job. Rory’s dad however embarrasses him by turning up at his school wearing eyeliner and is a failed musician determined to have his fifteen minutes of fame and obsessed with his hero, the famous singer Bob Blade. In an effort to be as different as possible from his loser father Rory works hard at school and is a bit of a geek but he still has his friends, in particular Smiler and Barry although the pair of them sometimes seem to be more interested in his father than in him.

When Rory’s dad finally stumbles across a song that will finally make his music famous it’s this trio that create the video to post online. Before long Rory is unwillingly dragged into it when his face is all over the web and people believe that he is the artist behind the hit.

 
The problem with this book is that although it’s not bad it’s not great either. The books blurb declares that it’s "The music novel for today’s iPod generation" but unless you’re in to music production as well I’m not sure why it should really appeal to music fans in particular.

The characters also tend to be somewhat two dimensional with only Rory really being subject to any character development. His friends, the school girls and the love interest are all rather stereotypical and will seem familiar to anyone who has read middle off the road teen books before. Also, while the music side of things gives the book a different aspect, at its heart this is just a standard dysfunctional family story.

It seems unfair to dwell so long on the books bad sides because the plot is fast paced and the story is well written and therefore makes this quite an enjoyable read. It’s also easy to read which could make this an attractive book for parents whose teenagers are reluctant readers but have an interest in music.

But again the problem is that if you are going to read this sort of book then there is so much teen fiction that is a lot better and this means that Fifteen minute Bob is easily forgotten in comparison to some of the competition.

Our thanks to Egmont for sending us  a copy.

After what feels like decades of waiting, the last book of Patrick Ness’ Chaos Walking trilogy has finally been released. The Ask and the Answer ended on the brink of war and so Monsters of Men plunges the reader into the conflict from the very beginning.

The Spackle are finally fighting back after years of oppression and their huge army threatens to overrun both the Mayor’s army and the rebellion of the Answer. The fighting is vicious and bloody but rapidly develops into a stalemate. It’s the perfect opportunity for Todd and Viola to try and achieve a peaceful solution, both between the two human factions but also with the Spackle.  What they don’t account for is the appearance of the Return, the Spackle otherwise known as 1017 who thirsts for revenge on the humans who massacred his kind.  Our two heroes must somehow overcome warring factions, political struggles, distrust and hate if they are to ensure their survival and it must be done in a matter of weeks before the new settlers arrive. Not easy for two teenagers caught between the evil of the Mayor, the terrorist Mistress Lawson and the Spackle's need for revenge and freedom.

Of all the books we have reviewed on this site this was undoubtedly one of the most eagerly anticipated. The first in the series, The Knife of Never Letting Go, was the book we chose as our first ever review here at Kid's Compass, so it goes without saying that we think the series was amazing. Saying that, we were nervous that the third may not live up to the hype.  Thankfully we needn't have worried as Monsters of Men doesn’t let the reader down. Action packed, emotional and with twists and turns to the plot that make the ending impossible to foresee, there is never a dull moment. The author manages to pack the story with surprises, new characters and some serious personality changes that means the tale still feels fresh and new three books in.  Viola and Todd still maintain a strong presence despite all the new appearances and their relationship is a focal point for the entire plot and many readers will be desperately hoping things will go well for them.

Monsters of Men provides a brilliant end to a brilliant trilogy that is one of the best series of books available for children and adults. Patrick Ness is now well and truly announced in the world of children’s fiction and I for one cannot wait to see what he does next.

Review by James@KidsCompass.

At the tender age of four, Ethan witnessed the murder of his sister by a monster of a man. To save his sanity, he was taken in by the Guard, an ancient society of men and women with special abilities. The Guard exists to protect the world against the forces of Chaos, the Order, led by the Goddess of Chaos herself, in line with ancient prophecy.  The Order travel back through time, changing events as they go, in an attempt to gain power in the present. The Guard must also travel back through time to ensure that history unravels as it should, disguised to keep their identities in the present world secret from the Order.

Ethan is now a young man and, under the tuition of Arcarian, a 600 year old man in the body of an 18 year old, he is working his way up the ranks of  the Guard. His next assignment is new to him though; he is to be given his own apprentice. Isabel is the sister of an old friend who turns out to be pretty good at most of the combat skills without Ethan’s instruction.  It is on a mission involving King Richard II of England that Ethan and Isabel come face to face with Marduke, a monster of a man with a badly scarred face that has haunted Ethan’s dreams since he was four.  Marduke is fighting for the forces of Chaos and the Guard may not be enough to stop him. They need the unlikeliest of people to help them and only Ethan can secure that help. 


This book wasn’t quite what I was expecting. To begin with, I think the audience that would enjoy this most is a little younger than its cover implies. Having said that, I still enjoyed the story. The premise was unexpected; with its new black cover (maybe hopping onto the fashionable bandwagon there) I expected a supernatural, vampire type story.  The time travelling element combined with the greek style mythology was a great twist that I really enjoyed.  In terms of style, the book was quite simple, but to great effect. The story is split between Ethan and Isabel, telling the story from both points. Each character has their own distinctive voice that brings a lot of life to the story.  The subplot involving the relationship that grows between  Isabel and Ethan was an obvious ingredient for a book of this type, but was written well, both characters reacting in a way that has the ring of truth to it. 

The Guardians of Time trilogy, of which this is the first, was first published in 2002 and has been re-released with new art work on the cover.  We really enjoyed this story, found it captured our interest and was full of witty and believable characters. It would be a good choice for supernatural fiction fans who want something other than the vampire and angelic fiction that is currently quite popular.

Our thanks to Bloomsbury for sending us a copy.

Review by Jo@KidsCompass.

Drawing with Light is the first novel by Julia Green that I have come across, but clearly I've been missing out on something special. Emily lives with her family, which is made up of her father, stepmother Cassy and elder sister Katharine in a caravan while her father's dream home is renovated.  Her mother abandoned the family when Emily was two years old, for reasons unexplained. She is a taboo topic and although Emily thinks she has no feelings towards her mother at all she begins to realise that she misses her memories and has a hole where her mother ought to be. 

Katharine leaves for university and Emily is left at home to cope with the distance she feels between herself and her parents, a distance that is made worse when Cassy falls pregnant.  She finds solace in her work, studying photography. She has a natural talent for it, apparently inherited from her mother, who is an artist. She also finds comfort in Seb, a boy she meets while he is working on the house. He should be studying but doesn't want to be forced into the academic life he feels isn't right for him. Both Emily and Seb are unsure of their path until they find each other and through their friendship and later, relationship, they both find what they are looking for; Seb, a career that he has chosen for himself and Emily, her mother and a way to fill in her missing memories. 

Julia Green has written a gem of a story that is a sheer pleasure to read. Emily is a wonderful character with an interesting personality. She seems overshadowed by her sister in many ways and yet has a confidence to her that is intriguing. She can be bratty, as any teenager can and I am very glad that was included in her character for otherwise she would not have been believable. Her emotions can move quickly, but Green writes Emily's stress and confusion so very well that any reader will be able to relate immediately.  The story is intriguing and yet understated, giving the story a gentle intensity to it that I liked very much. A wonderful book.

Our thanks to Bloomsbury for sending us a copy.

Review by Jo@KidsCompass.

Set in  a hot and dusty city from an undisclosed country very reminiscent of India, Two Good Thieves is the story of … well, two good thieves. Demi and Baz are both orphans raised in the rough district of Barrio by an even rougher young woman called Fay who taught them to steal and pick pockets. The pair are without doubt the best at what they do, Demi and his quick fingers do the actual thieving while Baz uses her wits and speed to keep him out of trouble. Life isn’t ideal but they are happy enough and feel safe in the bosom of their little family.

The world turns on its head when the two steal a precious ring from the wife of the Chief of Police and act as the spark that sets the whole of the Barrio alight. War is about to break out as a new criminal mastermind plans to take over and before long Demi and Baz find themselves swept up into the eye of the storm and hunted on all sides. It will take all their courage and skill to keep them out of the clutches of Eduardo and his gang of shady thugs and when even Fay turns on them it looks like their time is up.
 
If you’ve seen the film Slumdog Millionaire then Two Good Thieves will seem somewhat familiar as two young children, involved in a life of hardship and crime, struggle to survive in the slums but apart from that things differ hugely.

First of all this is a story for children and therefore the author has scaled back on some of the more grisly aspects of life in the slums. This doesn’t prevent a high body count though as the dangers of the streets are always present. Secondly, the plot is very different with a huge emphasise on the criminal aspect in order to drive the story forward and to supply the tale with all the bad guys you could possibly want. Despite these differences Two Good Thieves is just as exciting, gripping and brilliant.

With two magnificent main characters who keep you interested throughout and a diverse selection of supporting characters, the author manages to give the reader a colourful view of this all too often unpleasant world full of hard, desperate people. The plot is fast paced and often unpredictable enough to keep you guessing and there is a limitless of supply of action in the form of gun battles, chasses and fights.

A great book full of hardship and excitement and an interesting view into what is sadly a very real world.

Our thanks to Macmillan for sending us a copy.

Review By James@KidsCompass.

Zara is not coping well with the death of her stepfather.  She recites phobias over and over again to conquer her fears (and also because she finds them interesting) but it isn’t enough to help her.  Finally, her mother has decided to send her to Maine, cold and chilly Maine, to live with her step grandmother, Betty.  Things in Maine don’t go too badly.  Betty, with her kind manner and straight talking is exactly what Zara needs and there certainly is a handsome boy in town. Nick has something about him, something strange that Zara can’t put her finger on.  Now she thinks about it, many of the local school kids are a little unusual.  On top of that, Zara is seeing a man everywhere from the airport to the school cafeteria.  She can’t catch him but wherever he goes he leaves a trail of gold dust.  It seems something strange is happening in Maine.


Spoilers will be contained from here on in! 


The something strange that is haunting Zara just happens to be pixies. I must admit, I was surprised to find them myself, but you shouldn’t be put off by the idea of fairy folk in young adult fiction. For Zara, pixies run in the family.  Her biological father is the Pixie King, and his power is waning and he spends more and more time away from Zara’s mother.  His power is tied to her, and without her his needs overcome his control.  He is forced to take drastic measures to control his court, including kidnapping and draining young men of their blood. He doesn’t do this unchallenged.  Stalking Maine are humans with an edge, the power to turn into animals; shape shifters. These humans are attempting to turn the tide of pixie evil but as their needs and desires grow ever more powerful, can anything at all stop them?


This book started out with a Twilight-esque atmosphere that didn’t really work for me as a reader (although I really don’t want to compare them; they are separate stories and certainly grow in different ways!) The beginning is shaky ground but the book comes into its own very quickly.  The mystery surrounding Nick and his super human ability is hinted at heavily so its revelation comes as no surprise at all but the main plot twist did take me unawares. The inclusion of pixies in a story would normally designate it as fairy tales for younger children but Carrie Jones has woven her tale very well indeed, meaning that the setting and characters easily temper the inclusion of fairy folk, creating just the right atmosphere.


Zara is a very likeable character and her ability to overcome her fear in many situations is quite endearing. You can see that it’s sometimes a struggle for her but she faces situations head on nonetheless, which I loved. Her relationship with Nick provides a lot of the tension (of which there is plenty!) and the supporting cast of characters are so well written that the story balances perfectly on the knife edge of high tension and the mundane but light hearted high school life. 


Need is a promising beginning to this series. It is well written and despite an out of key opening, the story settles into a natural rhythm which allows the originality to shine through. If the sequel is anything like as satisfying we could have a hidden jewel in Carrie Jones. 


Our thanks to Bloomsbury for sending us a copy.


Review by Joanna@KidsCompass

Life is hard in 10th century Norway as rival Viking factions struggle for power. In the midst of such chaos the troubles of a few unimportant people are easily overlooked. Thora is a beautiful sixteen year old with strange powers of foresight. She has attracted the attentions of an evil chieftain who wishes to take her with him when he flees from the king to Iceland. Kidnapped and alone, she rapidly forms an alliance with a slave, Bjorn, and together they kill their master, steal his ships and possessions and take on his identity as they head towards the empty land of Iceland and the promise of a new start. Things are not fated to go well for Thora as the budding romance between her and Bjorn is shattered when she is captured and he is forced to take a vile woman as his wife in exchange for Thora's freedom. Here starts a long and destructive rivalry between the two women as Bjorn's wife strives to assert her dominance over the entire crew.

Even after their arrival to the promised land their troubles seem only to worsen as they suffer first from hunger, then sickness and finally a stranger who recognizes their lies and escapes before he can be stopped. With the death tally rising and her impossible love for Bjorn causing strife between her and the murderous Ragna, it would seem that Thora has more than enough to deal with.

At the start of the book the author begins the plot at a thundering pace and within the space of a chapter the heroines’ world is turned upside down. This style continues until the characters finally arrive in Iceland but there the brakes kick in.  All of a sudden the reader is immersed into a different kind of story which deals with the mostly verbal relationship between the two women, with the occasional death thrown in. Starvation and illness appear and vanish within the space of a few pages and this entire section really gets a bit tedious. Instead of the conquering of this new land we are subjected to endless paragraphs of Ragna being petty and vicious.

As for Thora herself, she turns into a decent heroine with a calm but active personality, healing others and always ready to lend a helping hand. Her love for Bjorn tugs at the heartstrings and despite her life being full of pain and grief, she is never crushed by it. Her magic was an interesting idea and fits perfectly with Norse legends but isn’t exploited to its full potential.

The author has obviously done her research and brilliantly describes the realities of Viking life from the warriors through to the farmers. Marie-Louise Jensen has a real talent for description and this shines through nicely to paint the surroundings for the reader. Her plot has weaknesses however, with the outcome so painfully obvious at times you wonder how the characters don’t seem to be able to spot their fate coming.

For fans of historical romance this would perfectly fit the bill, however it would have been a more rounded effort had there been a build up of suspense. Despite that it is still well described and would be useful to accompany an interest in Viking history and culture. 

Our thanks to OUP for sending us a copy.

Review by James@KidsCompass.

Sometime in the future a clever invention called the World-Ear will be created. A mixture of the mobile phone and the internet it will be an implant behind your ear that will allow you to access information from everyone the world over. There will be no need to talk because anything you want to say will be transmitted from your mind directly to theirs. Any invention or creation will instantly update all over specialists in that area. Stressed out? Don’t worry, as soon as your heart begins to speed up you’ll receive automatic updates. This is the world into which Paul Munro was born and now he is leaving it. An eight year trip through space will take him to the Earth’s furthest space station on a moon circling a far away planet and the people who man it as they search for life. Large portions of information being sent back home is being corrupted somehow and it’s Paul’s job to find out why. Two men and two women stuck out in space for the rest of their lives and among the few people left without the use of the World-Ear. Trying to cope with the removal of his link to the world and hearing the arguments of those who consider themselves the last true humans left alive, Paul must decide between individuality or the safety of the collective as humankind coalesces and forms a new entity on Earth, the WE. All the while something lurks in the darkness of space, something frightened of this new birth in the Solar System. And when you corner a beast, the chances are it will lash out.

 

As always and in the best traditions of the science fiction genre, this is a book to make you think. With a story definitely aimed at older readers the author takes a close look at the dangers of instant communication and the effects it could have upon the human race. With the possibility of transferring knowledge and thoughts both immediately and effortlessly through the World-Ear, which is I imagine a much more highly developed Facebook, Humankind has surrendered it’s individuality in favour of the collective. This has lead to the WE and the author colourfully describes it as a feral child newly born and alone. Through much of the book the authors beliefs seem clear but towards the end the dangers of being alone become clear as well and the reader is left, with no conclusion drawn, to make their own decision.

The writing style is rather intense and gives you a real sense of claustrophobia and a hint of the madness that the four people in the station must be feeling. Death feels forever just round the corner and has a noticeable effect on the characters who fall into infighting and better resentment as they are left to determine their own future for the first time in their lives. Consequently the characters are far from likable, especially Paul.

 
The result of all this is a book to exercise your mind, designed to make you think and by no means a light read for simple enjoyment. If you’re after some fun and adventure then read a Terry Pratchett but if you want a novel along the lines of the great science-fiction writers of the past then pick this up, make yourself some time and immerse yourself into a dark and freighting future.

 
Our thanks to Random House for sending us a copy.

Review by James@KidsCompass.