Spotlight on...
Arvia: Wings of the Wild by D. H. Willison

Today's spotlight is book 4 of the Tales of Arvia series. It's full of magical creatures and was just released on 22nd November 2023. Find it on Goodreads.

Book Summary

It’s easy to stand up for your friends. What about for anonymous creatures nobody else cares about?

With their homes apparently safe from the magical storms, Darin and Rinloh venture to an isolated elven village and another ancient mystery: ruins of an imperial city whose entire population vanished centuries ago.

The duo befriend a host of eccentric new characters, from a chipper ogress and hipster troll to a deadpan griffin. Yet the Forest of Nightmares challenges them as never before. Merciless carnivorous trees, subterranean horrors, ethereal creatures no mortal weapon can slay… and most sinister of all, the greed and ambition lurking within the human heart.

Darin and Rinloh’s empathic connection grows stronger the deeper into the wilderness they go, but will it be enough to stop a dark conspiracy from ravaging the land?

Arvia: Wings of the Wild challenges the harpy-human duo with their grandest adventure yet. They must balance their deepening relationship as they sharpen their skills and work together as never before to unravel a deadly new plot.

Author Bio

D.H. Willison is a reader, writer, game enthusiast and developer, engineer, and history buff. He’s lived or worked in over a dozen countries, learning different cultures, viewpoints, and attitudes, which have influenced his writing, contributing to one of his major themes: alternate and creative conflict resolution. The same situations can be viewed by different cultures quite differently. Sometimes it leads to conflict, sometimes to hilarity. Both make for a great story.

He’s also never missed a chance to visit historic sites, from castle dungeons, to catacombs, to the holds of tall ships, to the tunnels of the Maginot Line. It might be considered research, except for the minor fact that his tales are all set on the whimsical and terrifying world of Arvia. Where giant mythic monsters are often more easily overcome with empathy than explosions.

Subscribe to his newsletter for art, stories, and humorous articles (some of which are actually intended to be humorous).

Mix & Match 15

The weather lately has been pretty horrendous so I've made a Dark & Stormy cocktail to drink while you look through today's selection. I've got a real mix this time, from picture book to non fiction to novels.

Fill a tall glass with ice and add 50ml dark rum and 15ml lime juice. Top with ginger beer and enjoy.

Tapper Watson and the Quest for the Nemo Machine by Claire Fayers

Tapper loves adventure stories but really has no wish to live them himself. He's much happier at home, reading about his favourite hero, Isosceles. Of course, this all changes when he's sent to help some merchants with a delivery by submarine.

I thought this book had really great characters, but I must admit Morse was my favourite. The tapping Erisian Danger Plant had me smiling throughout the book, with its cheeky messages and always wanting to help everyone. I loved all the amazing worlds and the fascinating echolings, created from people's memories. And there were so many unexpected twists, the book was action-packed.

The use of the rivers of the underworld from Greek mythology was really clever, how it varied for each of the different nations. Every world had their own version of how the rivers fit into their origin myth. 

It sounds like this will be a series and I really hope so. I'd love to read more from Tapper, Fern and hopefully also Morse!

Can You See the Stars Tonight? by Anna Terreros-Martin

Nora and her puffin find a lost baby puffling (the cutest name for a baby animal ever!) and realise that many are getting lost because the can't see the moon and the stars any more. This has really adorable illustrations and a very important story that we can all learn from.

The Disappearing Diamond by Glen Blackwell

Emmie and Jack are sent to 1851 by a mysterious stranger. The Koh-i-Noor diamond has disappeared from the present and they must find out what happened to it in the past!

I don't know how they were supposed to know what to do, they were given absolutely no information! But somehow the two manage to find themselves at the Crystal Palace and discover the the diamond being stolen. Luckily they make some friends that can help them along the way. I liked reading about Victorian London and the Great Exhibition.

This was the second book in the series but even though I hadn't read book one, it didn't really affect the reading too much. It has made me curious about the previous books involving the Titanic and the Blitz. They both sound so interesting and take place in such fascinating time periods!

Biology: The Whole Story by Lindsay Turnbull

I love science books and this one was so easy to read with lots of fascinating subjects, written in a very accessible way.

This really is the whole story, from bacteria and eukaryotes all the way up to ecology and how different species in ecosystems work together. Including the dangers of interfering and affecting the delicate natural balance. The colourful illustrations help to explain the concepts.

Shiver Point: It Came From The Woods by Gabriel Dylan

As you probably all know by now, middle grade is my favourite and I do love a good spooky book. So this was not one I would miss out on.

To me, Shiver Point sounded like a perfectly creepy town, complete with an eerie forest, but the kids who live there are all so convinced that their town is terminally boring that they can't believe what's actually happening.

I liked getting the story from all the different kids' points of Views. They are all very different but at the same time have something in common and I was really hoping for them to get together and be a monster hunting gang!

Lots of mystery and action and I will never look at slugs the same way again!

PAX and the Missing Head by David Barker

Book Summary

In a country beset by civil war, New London defends itself behind a giant wall. Inside the city, children are forced to work from an early age, except for the lucky few who train to be leaders in the re-purposed Palace of Westminster. 12-year-old orphaned Pax is brilliant at recycling old tech. He enjoys working on the verti-farms and just wants a bit of peace and quiet. But when that is taken away from him, his only hope is to pass a near-impossible exam and join the other students in Scholastic Parliament. There he’ll make new friends and new enemies. He’ll get tested like never before. And he’ll discover that not everything is quite what it seems under the mayor’s harsh leadership.

First of all I must admit I really thought it was a completely different type of head from the title and description! I won't spoil it for you and anyway, probably everyone else got it right away 😂

This is set in a very mysterious new world. It's not really clear what exactly has caused things to change so horrifically but New London is now protected from the outside by a giant steel wall keeping out the old and the rich. Pax has never been outside but loves to look beyond the wall from high up in the vertical farms where he works.

I thought New London was such a depressing place! It's quite scary how things could escalate into a life like that. Pax really just wants to keep his head down but he's obviously really smart and Alderman seems to know that he could do better and bigger things with his life. Speaking of which, the end of the book definitely leaves things open enough for Pax to takes things much further.

It was kind of sad how Pax found it so hard to make friends so I was cheering when he found his people at Parliament. Though of course, not everyone was so nice. I find reading about bullies so frustrating and I was desperate for Pax to get back at mean-boy Zach.

Author Bio

"I attended the Faber Academy in 2014 and from that had three climate-fiction thrillers published (The Gold Trilogy, Bloodhound Books). I joined SCBWI in 2018 as I shifted my focus to a younger audience. My MG debut, Pax & The Missing Head publishes with Tiny Tree in late 2023. I live in Berkshire with my wife and daughter. I have a passion for stories, sport and boardgames."

I've made my own version of a Parliament Royale, it might give you courage while taking the terrifying scholastic test! In a a shaker full of ice, add the following, 40 ml citrus gin, 20ml apple sourz, 15ml lemon juice and a few drops of angostura bitters. Pour into a flute and top with champagne.

The Official Spooky Season Book Tag

I think this was one of the hardest tags I've done but I was determined to get it posted this month, before the end of the official spooky season! Thank you to Noly (The Artsy Reader) for tagging me, you can find her original and very good answers to the questions here.

The rules are as follows:

Tag the original creator (The Artsy Reader)

Use the official banner

Answer the prompts and questions

Tag 5 people

Have fun and get spooky!!!

Question 1: You hear a strange noise in the night – the monsters got inside! Which book character would you choose to protect you from harm?

Crisanta Knight from Protagonist Bound by Geanna Culbertson. She's got magic and many abilities to help protect me, plus she goes on tons of quests so has the experience. Also comes with her kick ass friends.

Question 2: You go on vacation and your hotel is located right next to a cemetery. Which book character do you really hope is not hiding in the shadows?

The creepy one-eyed stones in Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr. This was one of my favourite books as a child and definitely the creepiest thing I can think of. They could easily hide in a cemetery!

Question 3: It’s a particularly cold night and you decide to stay inside. Which three book characters would you like to spend a trivia quiz and board game night with?

Irene from the Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman, Bethany from The Beast and the Bethany by Jack Meggitt-Phillips and Kurara from Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin. Each of them are really interesting and fun characters, though I now realise they would all probably beat me at any game we tried to play.

Question 4: Time for a big adventure! The scary book you pick transports you into its world. Where do you end up?

It would probably have to be Faerie. It would mostly be terrifying but at the same time really wondrous and amazing.

Question 5: No Halloween without Trick or Treat-ing! Which book character do you think has the sweetest tooth?

Aleja and her friends in Ship of Shadows by Maria Kuzniar. They always have cake ready and waiting and definitely would not go on any adventure without snacks.

Question 6: The fairies are angry and want a sacrifice from your bookshelf. Which scary book has to go and why?

This is really tough as I try not to keep books without a good reason. I am constantly having to give some away to make room for the new ones I love. I don't think I have any more that I am willing to give up right now.

Question 7: You decide you feel more autumnal rather than halloween-y today. Which book setting would you choose for a more cosy and less scary vibe?

Viv's cafe in Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. The whole book makes me feel cosy, despite the high possibility of adventure.

Question 8: The witch is cooking up a spell in her cauldron and you have to add one magic ingredient. Which item from a book are you adding to the mixture?

I can't think of many magical book ingredients except from Harry Potter. Most of them are animal parts and I feel bad for the animals so I'd put in Moondew as I love anything to do with the sky and space.

Question 9: You get to decide which bookish place to visit for Halloween. Which book setting is the scariest – and gets crossed off the list?

The spider tunnels in Dread Wood by Jennifer Killick, mostly because I could not deal with the Latchitts. They just never seem to quit, no matter how many times you think you've escaped them.

Question 10: The big day is finally here: it’s Halloween! Which book character do you dress up as, and what would be part of your outfit?

I've always liked the look of those long white ancient Greek style dresses so maybe I could go as a Goddess from one of the many mythology-based books I read. Quite a few of them seem pretty scary to me!

I'm tagging:

@thepennotthesw1

@shelvesofstarl1

@BooksAre42

@AmysBookishLife

@AVoraciousReadr

And anyone else who's interested. Let me know if you have a go, I'd love to read your answers!

Marvellous Middle Grade (part 2)

It's time for some more magnificent middle grade books! Today you can start with the cocktail, a gorgeous Marshmallow Martini, then decide what to read with it.

This didn't turn out to be as sweet as it sounded so I ended up adapting the recipe a bit more to my taste. Also I only had giant marshmallows so had to cut one in half an it was still huge compared to the cocktail! Shake all the ingredients with ice and strain into a martini glass. 50ml vanilla vodka, 35ml passoa, 10ml lemon juice, 10ml sugar syrup. Garnish with a roasted marshmallow and add a side shot of champagne to make it extra fancy!

Old Gods New Tricks by Thiago de Moraes

The world is suddenly plunged into darkness when all the electricity stops working. No one seems to have a clue how to fix it, but luckily Trixie knows exactly who to go to for help!

This was such a funny book and Trixie is an amazing main character. She's so brave and super-sassy, even in the face of the scary gods, and she's even smart enough to out-trick the tricksters. There was mythology from all over the world. If you're not already a fan of myths, this will definitely get you interested. I loved the snippets of mythology between the chapters and at the end there's a great appendix with more about the five tricksters.

Matilda Meets the Universe by Dom Conlon, illustrated by Heidi Cannon

Matilda wants to know EVERYTHING! On her mission to meet alien life, she finds out about the formation of stars and planets, the speed of light, the Goldilocks zone, the Drake equation, interstellar travel and so much more. She's a lively, energetic character, never stopping on her journey to find things out. At times she switches to adult mode to give some useful information but there are lots of moments of humour in between.

This is great for any little scientists in your life, and also good for getting the more reluctant ones interested in science and space. Lots of starter information and it even got me thinking about some of the things mentioned. It feels more like a really fun text book than a novel but is still very easy to read.

The Myriad Mysteries of Eartha Quicksmith by Loris Owen

Kip is back at Quicksmiths and after discovering the Ark and escaping from Gorvak in his first year, you'd think he has time for a rest. However he and his friends feel like they are no closer to discovering Eartha Quicksmith's secrets and they won't stop until they do!

This is an amazing adventure through seemingly endless worlds. The descriptions of all the different worlds sounded so exciting and interesting, though I wouldn't want to find myself in most of them. I also love reading about the wonderful inventions which are created. For example, being able to jump into someone's dream would be fascinating. 

Book 3 is starting to get a mention so I think now is a good time to catch up if you haven't yet!

What Lives in the Woods by Lindsay Currie

Creepy and suspenseful. With a ticking clock that only Ginny can hear, a chilling mannequin that moves at night despite being bolted down and ghostly shapes in the ballroom.

I loved the ending and how all the clues come together, though in a completely different way than expected.

I've already read one of her books, which I didn't realise when I first found 'Woods' but this one is even better. I've now got 'Scritch Scratch' on my list and I'm really looking forward to it, as well as her newest book 'It Found Us'.

Ophie's Ghosts by Justina Ireland

I knew I'd love this right from the beginning. Ophie was a wonderful, lovable character who I sympathised with immediately. The writing was so easy to get into and very difficult to stop reading!

I love how buildings and railways are characters themselves, with the way their thoughts and emotions are described. Every chapter reveals some new information and interesting clues along the way to solve the mystery and the ghost lore is really interesting and unique. This was a great book for a buddy read, we had loads to discuss!