One is never enough!

Are you up to date with some of the latest sequels?

It seems like every novel you read these days is one of at least three in a series. Sometimes it feels like no one writes a single novel anymore! There are two reasons for this. Firstly, teenagers who like to read also tend to get a little obsessed with stories (remember Harry? What about Edward? Jace anyone?) and never want them to end – thus the popularity of the series. Secondly, publishers love this obsession because is means more book sales for them, and they often encourage their authors to write lots of books revolving around the one story or set of characters. If it sounds like your reading practices are being exploited, well, they kind of are – but the good news is that it means more and more books for the reader!

One of the sequels I read over the hols was Marianne de Pierres’ ‘Angel Arias’, the sequel to ‘Burn Bright’.  These fantasy novels are an acquired taste; they’re a little bit left of centre.  For some reason, I reckon these novels have an Obernewtyn Chronicles feel (which I LOVE, btw) – they feel more sci-fi than fantasy, but not in a robot-ey kind of way.  ‘Angel Arias’ picks up where ‘Burn Bright’ left off, with the aftermath of Naif’s escape from Ixion. Some the dark and sinister connections between Ixion and the councillors are revealed, and the battle between the Ripers and rebels continues with some fairly catastrophic consequences. I really like the way Naif is developing as a character, and I really enjoyed the introduction of Jarrold – a classic. Also, these books get my vote for the coolest cover art going around.

‘Tantony’, by Ananda Braxton-Smith, is not a sequel in the traditional sense.  She utilises the same imagined world and the same mythology as she did in ‘Merrow’ but tells a story about a completely different set of characters. You can definitely read ‘Tantony’ without having read  ‘Merrow’! Braxton-Smith is a very interesting writer – her language is very lush and descriptive. Some people love that kind of thing and some people don’t. I’m not a huge fan of overly long description, but what I like about Braxton-Smith’s stories is that they’re so sad and so real.  She doesn’t necessarily give you the ending you want; on one hand it’s refreshing to be surprised but sometimes we’re disappointed when we don’t get what we want in a story! It’s your call – recommended if you want to ready something really different.

Author Visit – Marianne de Pierres

On Thursday 5th May, the Year Nine girls had a visit from Marianne de Pierres, author of ‘Burn Bright’ (our current book of the week) and many other titles.  She spoke about writing, and her background as a writer, as well as giving the students an insight into the construction of her latest novel.  We even listened as Marianne read the first chapter of ‘Burn Bright’ aloud.  It’s always kind of cool to hear a writer read their own work because they know it so intimately.

Marianne is an engaging speaker, who also shed some light on the life of a writer; including a discussion of what a typical day is like for a writer, the way book covers are designed, and some of the weird and wonderful people she’s met over the years.  Marianne has had some interesting ‘add on’ experiences as a result of her writing, like having one of her books made into a role play, and having a song written and released that connects to ‘Burn Bright’.

I’ve read ‘Burn Bright’ – it’s a dark and intriguing novel, set in a world that is highly original.  I’m afraid I’m hooked, and I’m looking forward to the release of the next in the series, ‘Angel Arias’. The Nicholas Library has four copies of ‘Burn Bright’, so come on in and borrow one!

Below is a link to Marianne’s website and a book trailer for ‘Burn Bright’ which was made and released by Random House.

http://www.mariannedepierres.com/