Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell

Spellslinger is the first book in a brand new YA fantasy series from Hot Key books by acclaimed fantasy author Sebastien de Castell. Spellslinger is the story of Kellen who at 15 is preparing for the mage trials. These are the magical duels in which young mages get to show off their skills. Kellen's only problem is that his magic is fading instead of getting stronger and if he can't prove himself as a Jan'Tep mage he will end up as a servant; a Sha'tep with no magic. So he pretends to have magic and cheats his way through the trials, until he loses a duel and is almost killed. Rescued by a sassy, female card player who has nothing but disdain for magic Kellen soon finds himself opposing his own people and making choices he never thought he would. This is powerful, page-turning and incredibly humorous writing. Perfect for fans of Rebel of the Sands and A Darker Shade of Magic. There is real originality in the storytelling and some amazing characterisation. I particularly like the fact that there are a number of strong and interesting female characters. I am very excited to continue this series and I can highly recommend it to fantasy fans YA or otherwise. 

I asked the author Sebastien de Castell to tell me about the five books that have had the biggest impact on his writing. 

5 Books That Influenced My Writing

1. Moonheart by Charles De Lint

I'd never even heard the term "urban fantasy" until I read de Lint's Moonheart, but this story of magic and myth set in a mysterious house in Ottawa, Canada soon made it a favourite genre of my teenage years. De Lint made the ordinary magical, and it became impossible to walk by interesting old buildings without wondering whether evidence of the fae might be found inside, or pass by a pub and hear a Celtic band playing, and wonder if perhaps they were summoning more than just music. I imagine Charles de Lint, having written so many acclaimed stories over the years, would rightfully feel he long ago surpassed his early work, but to me, Moonheart was enchanting in every sense of the word.

2. The Golden Compass (a.k.a. Northern Lights) by Phillip Pullman

Everything about Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy is enthralling. His heroine, Lyra Belacqua is brilliant, daring, and deceitful; the world he creates is full of armoured polar bears and personal daemons, anbaric devices and wonderfully complex alethiometers. Yet none of these fantastical elements would be nearly as captivating were it not for the darkness that Pullman unflinchingly exposes his characters to in the books. People aren't all nice, parents aren't all loving, and religion, authority, and society itself are all exposed as constructions that need to be challenged. For a writer, His Dark Materials is an invitation to question the often self-imposed boundaries of what themes can be explored in a book for children and young adults.

By the way, the second book in the series, The Subtle Knife, has one of my very favourite passages in all of literature:

She had asked: What is he? A friend or an enemy?
The alethiometer answered: He is a murderer.
When she saw the answer, she relaxed at once. He could find food, and show her how to reach Oxford, and those were powers that were useful, but he might still have been untrustworthy or cowardly. A murderer was a worthy companion.

3. When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro

Neither a fantasy nor a mystery nor a literary nor a . . . Well, if you really think about it, When We Were Orphans – like most of Ishiguro's novels – defies genre categorization. At the same time, it's a remarkably accessible and engrossing story in which the reader is never entirely sure what's going on, but always wants to see what will happen next. When We Were Orphans was the book that taught me that not only could a narrator be at least a little unreliable in relaying the facts of the story, but that we need to recognize that all narrators are unreliable to one degree or another, and this is, in part, what allows a novel to lay bare its deeper truths for us.

4. Jhereg by Steven Brust

Jhereg was the first fantasy novel I'd ever read in which people didn't speak in a fake version of Medieval English full of thee's and thou's. It taught me that voice is just as important in telling a story as character, and that you can build a wide cast of entertaining and imaginative characters without having to spend hundreds of pages on exposition and backstory. I love the web of relationships that Brust builds around his hero, Vlad, while still making him feel isolated from everyone but his familiar, the small dragon (and eponymous Jhereg), Loiosh.

5. City of Thieves by David Benioff

You wouldn't expect the guy who brought us the screenplay for X-Men Origins: Wolverine to have written a brilliant novel of friendship, hardship, and daring set in Stalingrad during World War II, but David Benioff's City of Thieves is all that and more. It's a brilliantly told tale full of twists and turns as two men are offered a chance at survival if they can find a dozen eggs in a city where no one's seen a chicken in ages. In some ways City of Thieves is reminiscent of the picaresque novels that began in the 16th Century, with our two protagonists going through a series of adventures in a setting that is at once familiar to us and almost unimaginably strange. Oh, and in case the name sounds familiar, it's because Benioff went on to be the showrunner for Game of Thrones.

Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell is published 4th May by Hot Key Books, price £12.99 in hardback
Thanks a million to Sophie Goodfellow for a copy

The Hidden People by Alison Littlewood

Alison Littlewood's latest novel is a bit of a departure. The author is well known for her thrilling horror fiction and with her new book she continues to feature haunted houses and people, but with this novel there is the added element of historical fiction. Because of this I know this book will be a must read for anyone who like me devours tales of the Victorian gothic.
Inspired by a real life killing in the Irish countryside in the 1890s Littlewood relocates the action to her home county of Yorkshire in the 1860s. Albie is a London man, working his way up in his father's business. He first meets his young Yorkshire cousin Lizzie at The Great Exhibition in 1851, that great symbol of industry and technology. Eleven years later he is newly married and devastated to hear that not only is his cousin dead but her husband is accused of killing her; believing her to be a fairy changeling. Albie travels to the village of Halfoak to bury his cousin and discover what led to her death. In Halfoak he discovers a village that has remained almost unchanged for centuries where superstition holds sway and the villagers are reluctant to talk to an outsider. Alison Littlewood is fantastic at evoking a powerful almost claustrophobic atmosphere and a wonderful sense of clashing cultures as the old ways meet the new. This is a brilliant murder mystery full of gothic suspense and elements of magical realism. You will be entranced by the story as Albie questions what is real or not and wonders if the house is haunted, if his cousin was murdered or was she really a fairy. Perfect for fans of Wuthering Heights or The Woman in Black.
Thanks so much to Olivia Mead for sending me a copy to review.
Published by Jo Flethcher Books. 

The Strange Case of Madeleine Seguin

A striking blend of fiction and fact William Rose’s novel focuses on a patient at the famous Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris as the 19^th Century draws to a close. The author presents us with a series of reports, case notes and letters written by the various characters who each for their own reason has a particular interest in Madeleine and her development. Through the letters we are given a glimpse into the decadent world of the fin de siècle and the various groups and salons; the experimental young artists and poets, those dabbling in magic and the occult and the scientists and psychiatrists who both help and experiment on the people they treat. There is a gothic undercurrent to the narrative which makes it darkly compelling and sinister. There is a sense of hedonism and thrill seeking amongst a number of the protagonists which intensifies the decadent and gothic atmosphere of the story.

The book places the mad girl at the centre of the story but as in life it is not her voice we hear, instead we only learn about her through others. The author presents a fascinating insight into a particular place and time; The Countess fascinated by the devil, the young artist seeking an introduction into society, the young doctor and his rejection of religion in favour of science and the professor as a kind of impresario using his patients as props to impress. The author’s interest in psychoanalysis and art is apparent and makes for an intriguing combination. A recommended read for fans of Diana Bretherick.

Reviewed for HNR Issue 78

https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-strange-case-of-madeleine-seguin/

Sorcerer To the Crown by Zen Cho

Sorcerer to the Crown is the debut novel from Malaysian born and London based author Zen Cho and is a must for fans of Susanna Clarke and Jane Austen blending as it does elements of regency romance and urban fantasy. Zacharias Wythe was freed from slavery and adopted by Sir Stephen Wythe and raised as a gentleman magician. Now with Sir Stephen’s untimely death clouded with suspicion many in the society of Unnatural Philosophers are working against Zacharias to oppose his appointment as Sorcerer Royal believing that his dark skin makes him unworthy to lead them. Meanwhile Prunella Gentleman is a talented sorceress desperate to practise her gift and break out of the confines of the school for Gentlewitches where she has grown up not quite a servant not quite a lady, her dark skin and uncertain parentage ensuring she doesn’t belong anywhere. Well aware of the rules of society Prunella is determined to use them and break them to suit her own ends and when she makes a magical discovery that could make her fortune she uses the visit of the Sorcerer Royal as an opportunity to escape. Zen Cho has assembled a large cast of characters with this book, the first of a planned trilogy and the action is fun and furious. The plot may seem light-hearted but the themes Cho deals with; racism, sexism, class divisions, imperialism, slavery, are dealt with in a clever and candid way. Thoroughly enjoyable. 

Available in hardback and trade paperback now from Pan Books the paperback is published in July.

This review originally appeared on We Love This Book check it out HERE

The Shadow Keeper by Abi Elphinstone

The Shadow Keeper is the follow up to Abi Elphinstone's wonderful debut novel The Dreamsnatcher which I reviewed for WeLoveThisBook last year, see my review here The second instalment sees Moll and her Gypsy family transplanted from the forest to the sea and introduces new dangers, a new landscape and a host of new thrills with the addition of kelpies, sea caves, mer ghosts and marsh spirits. The tone is still dark and thrilling aimed at the older middle grade and younger teen audience and there is much to enjoy with a page turning narrative and a loyal group of friends each brave and strong in their own way. Magic is a major element of the story once again as Moll must continue in her quest to defeat the dark magic of the Shadowmasks and fulfill the prophecy and although I thought The Dreamsnatcher was fast paced and thrilling in this instalment Abi manages to ramp up the tension even more. The imagination and pure writing skill displayed in this book is top notch and if anything even better than the previous volume. One caveat I would add is that you will need to read The Dreamsnatcher first as the action begins almost immediately where it left off, but the reader is in for a truly wild ride and a page turning adventure. I cannot wait for the final instalment in Moll's story next year. I would recommend these books especially to fans of Michelle Paver, Emma Carroll, Katherine Rundell and ER Murray's The Book of Learning.  This book is available from Simon & Schuster in paperback and I would like to thank the author for sending me an early copy. (Apologies for the delay in getting this review out there. )

Truthwitch

Truthwitch is an astonishingly good novel. This is the kind of book that fans of YA fantasy have been waiting for. If you love Kristin Cashore and Naomi Novik then you will love Truthwitch. The story focuses on two young witches; Safiya and Iseult whose bond of friendship is unbreakable, they are forced to flee from their home and everything they have known when the tentative peace between the empires is shaken and war looms. While there is romance in this novel it very much takes second place to the most important relationship, that of the two young women. Dennard’s world building is phenomenal and I hope this is just the beginning of a very long series. With various factions at war and different magical abilities the storytelling is fast paced, full of adventure and high stakes thrills. As a Truthwitch Safi could become a powerful tool used by either side in the political and military struggle and her own family may be just as ruthless as her enemies, so she must avoid capture at all costs. Iseult is a threadwitch but she is unsure of herself and of her powers and both girls are hunted by a brutal bloodwitch with frightening powers. Making allies and enemies along the way the girls must find their way to safety. This is brilliant storytelling which will appeal to readers of YA and Fantasy fans alike. Thanks to Lauren Welch at Tor Macmillan for a review copy of this book

The Raven's Head by Karen Maitland

This review originally appeared in the Historical Novels Review Issue 71 February 2015. You can also see it online here http://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-ravens-head/

The Raven’s Head is an intoxicating blend of history, mystery and magic, and Maitland’s storytelling is deft and detailed. Told in the form of three interlocking narratives, the stories converge beautifully. The raven’s head is a beautiful carved silver object covered in alchemical symbols, and Vincent is stuck with it after his attempt to blackmail his master causes him to leave his job as an apprentice scribe in France. On the run, Vincent is a wanted man and begs passage to England hoping to sell the head and make enough money to become a wealthy man. However, the raven’s head is powerful, and it refuses to be sold. Meanwhile young Gisa, the apothecary’s niece, must put all her knowledge of herbs and plants to use in her new position as a servant for the mysterious alchemist Lord Sylvain. We also get the story of young Wilky, given to the Abbey where the strange and secretive White Cannons promise an education for young boys in their care, but when the boys begin to disappear it seems they also have a darker purpose.

Each story is spun out separately, but in the final section of the book they come together as Lord Sylvain’s experiments grow increasingly dangerous and magical. Maitland’s research is superb, and her storytelling wonderfully captures the period. The book also includes a useful glossary of medieval words and some historical notes on the supernatural beliefs of the time and the practice of alchemy. Highly recommended.

The Dream Snatcher by Abi Elphinstone

This review originally appeared on the Bookseller review website welovethisbook.com follow the link here http://www.welovethisbook.com/reviews/the-dreamsnatcher and Abi kindly got in touch to say that it was also published in the print edition which of course I was delighted to hear.

The Dream Snatcher is a wonderfully magical debut for the ten to thirteen age group which will appeal to fans of Philip Pullman and Michelle Harrison as it features a young girl, a tenacious wildcat and a beautiful woodland setting. Moll is a gypsy girl pulled into a world of dark magic. When she learns the truth about her parents and about who she is, she is revealed to be the key to an ancient prophecy. But danger lurks nearby as a witchdoctor known as Skull tries to lure her or "dreamsnatch" her away from the safety of the gypsy camp to prevent the prophecy from coming true and unleash his dark magic on the world. Moll needs all her determination and her friends to defeat him. This a beautifully written book with a wonderful cast of characters including some wonderful animals. I really enjoyed the fact that the adults are a part of the adventure, helping and protecting Moll and also acknowledging her importance to the camp.   The wonderfully atmospheric writing brings the ancient wood vividly to life. I was enchanted right from page one. It's dark, gripping and thrilling and I really hope it will be a long running series. 

You can learn more about Abi and her writing habits from this interview http://www.serendipityreviews.co.uk/2015/02/where-ideas-flow-with-abi-elphinstone.html be prepared for serious writing shed envy.

The Secrets of Ghosts by Sarah Painter

The Secret of Ghosts is the follow up to The Language of Spells which I reviewed last year check out my review by clicking this link and regular followers may remember that I loved Sarah's deft plotting and clever characterisation. She doesn't disappoint with her new novel which is a kind of sequel although it is written from the point of view of Gwen's niece Katie who is now 21 and training with her aunt to develop her own magical skills. Katie worries that she doesn't have the magical gift of the other Harper women until she discovers a unique ability that her aunt cannot understand. Gwen worries that she has adversely affected Katie by bringing death into her life. (I won't go into detail here as that would spoil the plot of the first book) and seeks the advice of a woman from another magical family. Gwen also has troubles of her own as she is desperate to start a family with Cam but after seven years together there is a no sign of a baby. I enjoyed this book as it focused on Katie's life and revealed more about the town and the history of Pendleford and it was a joy to re-visit this magical Wiltshire village (even if it is fictional). While this story could be read as a stand alone novel I would recommend reading The Language of Spells first to understand the background to Gwen and Katie's story. These books are perfect for fans of Sarah Addison Allen or Mary Stewart. This book is available for download now from Carina.