The Rising Storm by Ceri A Lowe - Cover Reveal

Today I am proud to be part of the cover reveal team for an upcoming YA dystopian novel, The Rising Storm by Ceri A Lowe. I will also have a review around publication date as part of the blog tour, so keep your eye open for more news about that in the future. So first, about the book...

The Rising Storm

What if the end of the world was just the beginning?
15-year-old Alice Davenport was a loner and an outcast before the Storms swept away everything she knew. Saved from the ravaged remains of London by the mysterious and all-powerful Paradigm Industries, her fierce independence and unique skills soon gain her recognition from the highest levels of command. But their plans to rebuild civilisation from scratch mean destroying all remnants of the past – no matter what, or who, gets left behind.

Alice must decide if she will fight for the old world, or the new…

Decades later, 15-year-old Carter Warren is woken from the Catacombs after years of cryonic sleep. He’s determined to do whatever it takes to climb the ranks to Controller General - until he realises the Industry’s control methods have become harsher than ever. The Barricades make sure nothing from the Deadlands can get in to the Community – and no one can get out. And a shocking discovery about his own family causes Carter to question everything he’s ever known…

As Alice becomes entangled in the Industry’s plan for the future, and Carter delves into the secrets of his past, they must make sacrifices which threaten to tear them apart. And both of them are forced to confront an impossible question…

Would you dare to risk it all for the perfect world?

I am so excited to pick this book up! Now onto the cover...

How gorgeous is this cover?! Also I'm a huge fan of purple so the colour really speaks to me personally! Let me know what you think and whether you'll be picking The Rising Storm up at publication. 

About The Author

When Ceri isn’t writing, she’s a self-employed project management consultant specialising in financial services. She lives in Bristol, England and has various obsessions including all things Spanish, renovating houses, travelling and her dog, Pablo.

In the last few years she’s won the Exeter Short Story Award, Global Short Stories annual prize, the Flash 500 Award, the Story Star Publishing Prize and the Writers’ Forum Short Story competition

The Mirror Of Pharos by J.S. Landor - Blog Tour Review

Life Of A Nerdish Mum is the stop today on the blog tour for The Mirror Of Pharos by J.S. Landor and I am excited to be sharing my review of this wonderful book.

The Mirror Of Pharos

Jack Tideswell’s parents died in a tragic diving accident while exploring the underwater ruins of the ancient Pharos lighthouse in Egypt. So Jack wants nothing to do with adventure. Until that is, a seagull delivers a strange disc, addressed to him in his own handwriting.

In the blink of an eye, all kinds of magic are let loose, sending Jack on a dangerous journey. Can he learn to navigate time before it’s too late to save the one person who can help him unravel the secrets of the disc?

Whether he likes it or not, there’s no more hiding away. And no looking back. Especially when Alpha is watching. A wolf who sees all there is to see … 

For readers aged 10 plus, The Mirror of Pharos is a contemporary fantasy with a hint of sci-fi.

My Review

Though I'm way out of the age range of a middle grade books target audience, I always think if a book is good enough, it shouldn't matter how old you are when you are reading it. The Mirror Of Pharos is one of those good books and I thoroughly enjoyed myself throughout its entirety.

Jack, the main character, is a wonderful and easily likeable character. He's gone through a lot in his short life but he is dealing with it the way he think is for the best. The Mirror Of Pharos covers big topics like grief (Jack has lost both his parents) and bullying and none of it is dumbed down or babied for a younger reader, which I thought was really well done.

I absolutely loved the two most important people in Jack's life, his Nan and Charlie his best friend. Nan was beautifully written and was easily imaginable, she was what you'd want in a Nan and had a touch of magic about her, but aren't all grandparents magical. Charlie was strong and was Jack's anchor through a lot of things and she felt really important to me.

The story is fast paced and the adventure is fun and well thought out. I raced through the book as I couldn't put it down! I have immediately passed this on to my step daughter and she's already thoroughly enjoying it. I really recommend The Mirror Of Pharos to any age, as it's fun and clever and really feeds the imagination.

I gave this book 5 stars.

About The Author

I grew up in Luton, an industrial town famous for making hats. Dad was an engineer, Mum was Mum, and my little brother, Steve, was a big pest – and my best friend. Life was fairly ordinary. Until, one day, adventure called. We packed up our belongings in a crate and sailed on an ocean liner to Canada.

The crossing took a whole week, an epic voyage for a five-year-old. That amount of rolling sea is not easily forgotten! Nor the seagulls. Nor the slot machine that unexpectedly unloaded such a heap of coins I mistakenly thought I was rich. No surprise that years later the ship (or a fictional version of her) sailed right into one of my stories: The Mirror of Pharos.

As an eight-year old returning to primary school in Luton I was the odd one out. When my funny accent caused some teasing I felt sad and missed my old home in Toronto. But some great new friends soon came to the rescue. And by then I was a bookworm so half my buddies were characters in stories anyway!

After school I studied literature at university and edited a magazine called Magus (look out for that word in the story). Later I became a journalist, a farmer and eventually a publishing editor. But all the while another adventure was beckoning. Someone had whispered a secret to me on a school field trip when I was just seven. Looking back it shaped my destiny. It’s the reason I became a storyteller.

Author Links

Website - https://www.jslandor.com/ - The website is absolutely wonderful and you can meet the characters, read bits of The Mirror Of Pharos and view some gorgeous art work. 

Twitter : @js_landor 

Don't Forget To Check Out The Rest Of The Tour