The Boss for 04/09/10

Right. The stack of books to read and review has gotten out of control these past few weeks. And here I thought I was finally making a dent in it! No such luck. Thus, there are going to be two rounds of The BoSS this week, and next week, and indeed for however many weeks it takes me to get through all the proofs and review copies that have wiled their way to me of late.

Let's kick things off with a Young Adult-themed edition.

For the moment, click through to Meet the BoSS for an introduction and an explanation as to why you should care about the Bag o' Speculative Swag, or read on for a sneak peek at some of the books - past, present and future - you can expect to see coverage of here on The Speculative Scotsman in the coming weeks and months.

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Mockingjay

by Suzanne Collins

Release Details:

Published in the UK on
25/08/10 by Scholastic

Review Priority:

5 (Immediate)

Plot Synopsis: "Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge... The thrilling final installment of this ground-breaking trilogy promises to be one of the most talked-about books of the year."

Commentary: Well, of course Mockingjay would take precedence. I'll readily admit I hadn't even heard of The Hunger Games until a couple of weeks ago, but from the moment I gathered what a sensation Suzanne Collins' all-ages trilogy had become, I hitched my literary trailer to the bandwagon - it wouldn't do to be behind the times, now would it? - and by the dead, am I glad I did! Somehow, I've managed to squeeze both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire in since, so I'm good and ready to dig into Mockingjay. Expect a whole week of coverage imminently, including reviews of all three novels and some other fun stuff, thanks to the kind souls at Scholastic.

Blood Ties

by Sophie McKenzie

Release Details:

Published in the UK on
07/07/08 by Simon & Schuster

Review Priority:

3 (Moderate)

Plot Synopsis: "When Theo discovers the father he thought died when he was a baby is still alive, he's determined to find him. The clues lead him to the lonely Rachel, who has problems of her own, including parents who compare her unfavourably to her long-dead sister. But when Rachel and Theo are attacked by men from RAGE - the Righteous Army against Genetic Engineering - at Rachel's school disco, they are rescued by strangers and taken to meet a mysterious figure. There, they both make some startling discoveries about their identities, which will affect their past, present, and future in dramatic and life-altering ways..."

Commentary: Is this speculative fiction? Does anyone know? Simon and Schuster sent this to prep me for the release of Blood Ransom in October - indeed, along with a copy of said sequel - but I'm not sure if either book is quite right for review of TSS. At a stretch, I suppose the premise puts me in mind of Cory Doctorow... whose last novel I still have to read.

*sigh*

God, am I behind, or am I behind?

Blood Ransom

by Sophie McKenzie

 

Release Details:

Published in the UK on
01/10/10 by Simon & Schuster

Review Priority:

3 (Moderate)

Plot Synopsis: "Clones Rachel and Theo now live thousands of miles apart. They keep in touch, but things just aren't the same. When Rachel discovers that evil scientist Elijah is still working in secret for a section of the government and about to murder Daniel, she sets out to rescue the little boy, but her plans backfire with disastrous consequences. Across the Atlantic, Theo becomes suspicious when Rachel misses their weekly internet chat. He discovers a report online saying she's killed herself and travels to Scotland to find her, certain that she has been kidnapped. A clue leads him to Elijah's mysterious clinic, where the sinister Aphrodite Experiment is underway. But what is Elijah really planning? Why does he need to track Rachel down so badly? And will Rachel and Theo be able to pay the ultimate ransom that he demands?"

Commentary: Clones, eh? A "sinister" experiment in a "mysterious" clinic? Well, forget I asked; I guess that answers my question. Oooh, and Scotland! Perhaps I'll give the Blood books a shot after all. My time with The Hunger Games has certainly reignited my passion for all-ages literature, and as winner of the Richard and Judy Children's Author of the Year award, Sophie McKenzie certainly seems to have the stuff. We shall see...

Raggy Maggie

by Barry Hutchinson

Release Details:

Published in the UK on 05/08/10
by HarperCollins Children's Books

Review Priority:

2 (Fair)

Plot Synopsis: "Afraid of a cute little dolly, are you? Well, you should be...

"Billy is the hardest kid in school and a horrible bully. So Kyle could almost find it funny that Billy's childhood invisible friend was a little dolly named Raggy Maggie.

"Almost, but not quite.

"Because now Raggy Maggie is back, and she wants Kyle to play a game. The game is very simple. Find where she's hidden Billy – or Billy dies..."

Commentary: Second in the Invisible Fiends series, after Mr Mumbles. "Barry Hutchison hails from the Highlands of Scotland," goes the minibio, "where he spends time writing... scary children's books. He is tall – but not like the BFG or that – and likes seafood, comics and Elvis, though not necessarily in that order." Probably a little too YA for me, is Raggy Maggie, but you never know.

The Abhorsen Chronicles

by Garth Nix

Release Details:

Published in the UK on

01/01/09 by Harper Teen

Review Priority:

4 (Very High)

Plot Synopsis: "Who will guard the living when the dead arise? Sabriel is sent as a child across the Wall to the safety of a school in Ancelstierre. Away from magic; away from the Dead. After receiving a cryptic message from her father, 18-year-old Sabriel leaves her ordinary school and returns across the Wall into the Old Kingdom. Fraught with peril and deadly trickery, her journey takes her to a world filled with parasitical spirits, Mordicants, and Shadow Hands -- for her father is none other than The Abhorson. His task is to lay the disturbed dead back to rest. This obliges him -- and now Sabriel, who has taken on her father's title and duties -- to slip over the border into the icy river of Death, sometimes battling the evil forces that lurk there, waiting for an opportunity to escape into the realm of the living. Desperate to find her father, and grimly determined to help save the Old Kingdom from destruction by the horrible forces of the evil undead, Sabriel endures almost impossible challenges whilst discovering her own supernatural abilities -- and her destiny."

Commentary: Now this... this is more like it! Beginning with Sabriel, continuing in Lirael, and concluding with Abhorsen, we're looking at what I understand to be the definitive Garth Nix series in full, and I can't wait to get started on it. Would that I could dig in right this second; I've been hearing about The Abhorsen Chronicles for years, now - in fact, I already own a second-hand copy of Sabriel, if anyone wants it, though I've been hesitant (till now) to start on another series.

The Violet Keystone

by Garth Nix

Release Details:

Published in the UK on 05/08/10
by HarperCollins Children's Books

Review Priority:

2 (Fair)

Plot Synopsis: "Tal and Milla are only one step away from death, while the evil that has controlled their world for so long is about to triumph. If the Veil is lifted, nothing can save the Dark World.


Their one glimmer of hope is to confront the monster Sharrakor and regain the Violet keystone. But first they must climb up to the highest levels and find their way into the Seventh Tower..."

Commentary: On the other hand, The Violet Keystone - "the sixth and final adventure in the thrilling fantasy series from award-winning author Garth Nix" - is probably not for me (not just now, at any rate). If I'm honest, I'm not going to start reading The Seventh Tower at the end, but to all those who've been following the series from the get-go, I'm sure this is an exciting release.

Isn't it weird, though, that the sixth book of The Seventh Tower is the last? Given the title, I'd have thought seven volumes would have been an irresistible number...

The Dead

by Charlie Higson

Release Details:

Published in the UK
on 16/09/10 by Puffin

Review Priority:

4 (Very High)

Plot Synopsis: "A terrible disease is striking everyone over the age of fourteen. Death walks the streets. Nowhere is safe. Maxie, Blue and the rest of the Holloway crew aren't the only kids trying to escape the ferocious adults who prey on them. Jack and Ed are best friends, but their battle to stay alive tests their friendship to the limit as they go on the run with a mismatched group of other kids – nerds, fighters, misfits. And one adult. Greg, a butcher, who claims he's immune to the disease. They must work together if they want to make it in this terrifying new world. But as a fresh disaster threatens to overwhelm London, they realise they won't all survive."

Commentary: I discussed the first book in this particular series, The Enemy, from Young Bond author Charlie Higson, a month or so ago - here's the link for anyone who missed it - and I've since (this might be a shock to you all) both read and reviewed it... though I mean to sit on the article in question while I can power through The Dead, too. And what a lavish edition The Dead is: a hardcover with gorgeous, black-gilted pages. I'm expecting more in the same vein as Higson opened in The Enemy, which is to say 28 Days Later with widdle kiddies. Those of you who have this on their radar already might also enjoy The Unit, which I'll be reviewing in the near future.

With that, till tomorrow!