Books

FIGHT GAME
K. Wild
Chicken House  £5.99

This thrilling tale comes across a bit like a teen version of The Fight Club. Young gypsy boy Freedom Smith has an ugly mug, mitts like oven gloves and is always in and out of trouble. But he is adored by his sister and her young kids.

One night Freedom’s luck runs out. Forced into a scrap with a bigoted skinhead, he accidentally pushes him in the path of an oncoming bus. The police are alerted and Smith is in big trouble. Fortunately, there is a reprieve of sorts. A big dude in a dark car offers Smith the chance to infiltrate an ongoing brutal fight game involving young boys and the rich businessmen who bet on the sport.

A terrifying notion, but illegal fighting does go on and this isn’t as far fetched as it might at first seem. The story is nicely set up with believable and eccentric characters and will keep you hooked until the very end.
****

THE LAST OF THE HIGH KINGS
Kate Thompson
The Bodley Head  £12.99

Ireland is full of weird and wonderful myths and legends. Fairies, witches and leprechauns. Just don’t mess with the Pucas!

This is a sort of sequel to The New Policeman, which was a smash hit a couple of years ago. The hero of that novel has now grown up and has a family of his own. One of his kids, it seems, has trouble staying at home. Jenny likes to skip school and go up to the top of a large hill where not only does she claim there’s a ghost but she’s also caught talking to a goat!

Meanwhile, Hazel, the eldest is being asked to pretend she’s had a baby, Donal is looking at helicopter rides for an old man and Aiden, the two year old, is bashing everything in sight. What is going on?

An odd story of an odd family, it takes a while for all the elements to come together and make sense. But once it does, what seems like gentle magic and folklore becomes something much more sinister.
***

ANCIENT APPETITES
Oisin  McGann
Doubleday  £10.99

We’re in the realm of very imaginative science fiction with this one. Vaguely reminiscent of Larklight by Phillip Reeve, which also uses the Victorian era as it’s backdrop. This is slightly more grounded in reality. A reality that includes half machine-half beasts, re-animated cadavers and a wealthy family that can be healed with gold coins, that is!

Nathaniel, the youngest brother of the Wildenstern clan arrives home for his older brother’s funeral. Nate doesn’t want to give up his old, carefree life but his dad, a huge imposing figure, now wants him to take over some of the family business in America. There is also the strange feeling that everyone suspects he may have killed his brother to get one step up the ladder to becoming the heir to the family fortune. But everybody’s out to get everybody else!

This is a hard book to sum up as there’s so much going on. But the author takes his time and really develops the plot. If you like science fiction, the supernatural and historical novels this might be just up your street. Highly recommended – particularly for older readers.
*****

DOOMSDAY MEN – The Real Dr. Strangelove and The Dream Of The Superweapon
P.D. Smith
Allen Lane, £20

In the sixties, during the cold war, a film was produced called Dr.Strangelove or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb. The story is that the US accidentally launches a nuclear warhead towards Russia. This leaves the leaders in a bit of a pickle and the film ends with the ravings of the mad scientist Dr. Strangelove and a bomb whizzing it’s way earthwards to cataclysmic effect. The film is both scary and insanely funny.

This book follows the story of real-life scientist Leo Szilard who first made the announcement to America that the cobalt bomb, which could quite possibly wipe out all humanity, was on the verge of being developed. This inspired filmmakers, artists and poets to create their own response to events. In fact the whole monster movie craze of the fifties was a direct result of the nuclear threat.

Taking popular culture and real science as its theme, this thick book explores the links and provides an illuminating, exciting and memorable read. Oh, and maybe you should check out H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine for a glimpse of what the traveller sees when he reaches the end of time. And that was written 50 years before the first atomic test!
****

BLOOD RED  SNOW WHITE
Marcus Sedgwick
Orion  £9.99

Don’t worry, despite the title this has nothing to do with magic mirrors and seven small blokes in funny hats. It’s about children’s author Arthur Ransome who created  the classic Swallows and Amazons series. He was also involved in one of the most important events of the twentieth century, The Russian Revolution. Working as a journalist at the time he was very close to both the revolutionaries and the British government. He was also trying to grab a smooch from Trotsky’s secretary. This made everyone believe he was a spy or even a double agent. But for whom?

Using Russian folklore, historical fact and creative fiction, the writer has a keen trick of drawing us into the story at the beginning by keeping a slight distance from the main character.This isn’t pure biography but a compelling and beautifully written story of a man caught up in extraordinary times. Very effective and worth reading.
****

D.K. EYEWITNESS BOOKS : ANCIENT IRAQ; MODERN CHINA; GREAT SCIENTISTS; OIL
D.K  £7.99

The Eyewitness books have been around now for an amazing 20 years and to celebrate their ongoing success there are 12 updated editions of exsisting titles and four completely  new ones.

If you haven’t already discovered these books, they are full of interesting facts, great pictures and now they include a fabulous clipart CD, wallchart and links to a mini site www.ew.dk.com.

Check out the virtual Ancient Roman community where you can build your own centurion and watch him rise through the ranks. More of this on our web reviews page. About as much fun learning as you can have!
****

THE LOST ART
Simon Morden
David Fickling Books £10.99

This book grips right from the start - with mass murder, monasteries and visitors from space - you can’t even begin to guess how the author is going to bring these strands together.

It is our world, well into the future, a thousand years after some sort of Armageddon that spun the world upsidedown (literally). The Users, who were behind the wars that caused the catastrophe, have been destroyed. There is no more technology and humanity has returned to a simple, non-scientific existence. But there are six books which contain the secrets of the Users – but they have been stolen.

Benzamir has come from the stars to the land of his ancestors to try and find those who are responsible and stop history repeating itself.
 
This is science fiction, a whodunnit, an adventure and even a bit of a love story all rolled into one. Oh, and by the way, the author is a genuine rocket scientist, so he knows his stuff. Brilliant!
*****