Showing posts with label Sunday Selfie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sunday Selfie. Show all posts

Sunday, 1 June 2025

WENDINGTON JONES and the LOST LEGACY

Written by  DANIEL DOCKERY

                            

The cover is in a matt dark red, with pale pinky-red & gold art deco lines around the edge. The title is in an off white for the 'Wendington Jones' part, and gold for the remainder. Centre cover is an image of Wendington sporting dyed black hair. She wears a long green gown, and she carries a green eye mask on a stick. She is attending a masked ball.  Behind is a mansion-like building with lights shining from both floors. The upper floor is an open-sided balcony. To the left and some way behind, Wendington is the silhouette of a lady is seen in a misty green air, most likely it is the Contessa who hosts the ball and is also a player in the story. The night sky is lit by fireworks. A leafy arrangement in muted greens occupies the left and right-hand edges of the inner picture. The words "How far would you chase someone the world thinks is dead" appear in a gold disc to the left, straddling the centre image and the border. The author's name appears in the bottom middle of the page in red on a gold background.

                                                    

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week an Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.


Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review. This week, we return to the 1920s and book two in the Wendington Jones series. I have included a short summary of book one below and a link to our review. 


Mrs H and I found this new adventure incredible. Better than the first, which is saying something given the high bar that was set. It is steeped in action as well as multiple plot twists and turns and u-turns, which means we can't, nor do we wish, to spoil it for you by even attempting to give our more usual detailed plot outline. Instead, we are opting for a broad approach.


So, with Mrs H and me already making plans to review book three, and there absolutely has to be one after this, especially given the ending, let's get on with the review!





AUTHOR:  Daniel Dockery


Illustrations by: Marco Guadalupi


Published by:  UCLan Publishing


Publication date Paperback: 


Paperback 13 digit ISBN:  978 - 191 674 7531


UK Cover price for Paperback:  £8.99


Amazon KINDLE price:  £4.99


Pages: 329


Age range:  10-14 but an amazing adult read too.



SPOILER ALERT


Yes, lots as to plot direction and characters in this and book one.



Thank you to... 


Our gratitude to Graeme Williams and UCLan Publishers for offering us a chance to Read & Review both books in this series. We are so glad we did. As ever, those books we review and share are those we select, find delight in, and feel you will also enjoy. 



The plot


SPOILER ALERT. Please read book one first if you don't wish to have too much given away as to the back story! See my review HERE. 


Book two starts off a matter of weeks after book one. In book one, recently orphaned 15-year-old Wendington, aka Wendi, heads off to complete her mother Penni's last adventure: the search for the fabled Tree of Life. 


After dodging various villains who seemed to include her grandma's valet, Rohan, she boards a ship to Australia, the last place the tree was seen. On board, she comes across a French family called Domino. There are other factions on board; some are friendly, and others are not. Some are there to protect Wendi, and others are determined to find the tree first irrespective of the price paid in blood. After one heck of an adventure worthy of Adèle Blanc-Sec and Enola Holmes, Wendington arrives in Australia and heads inland to the last known location of the tree.   


Rohan has turned out to be a long-term friend and ally of Wendi's mother, and also a bit of a white knight cum dark horse. He is the perfect adult foil and friend for the inexperienced Wendi. But even he is not enough to fend off Madam Domino. She is hell-bent on finding the tree to save her own life from a genetic illness that also threatens her two children. They feature in the story, in their own way, providing both passion and drama to balance Wendi's. 


In a big shoot-out with the now-present police in the outback, Madam Domino shoots and kills Rohan. Turning her attention back to Wendi, Madam Domino forces Wendi into the cave where Penni discovered it. Yes, her mother had found the tree. And it seems she promised her friends they would share in the slithers of the tree's amber sap that cures all. But there was a falling out, and we find out the Domino's were behind Penni's death and that of others along the way. 


Unable to supply what Madam Domino wants, Wendi, is shot and killed in the cave and left there. But in death, Wendington finds the true location of the tree, and she is saved. She is given three tiny pieces of amber by the tree's keeper, with the knowledge that they are medicine and not a cure. Resurrected, she saves Rohan with one of the pieces. With the Domino's having exited the scene, our heroine and Rohan head home. 


Book two starts a matter of weeks later, back in Oxfordshire. Rohan has stayed with Wendi's grandmother and acts as the family's valet, etc. One night, Wendi spots a light in the snow-covered gardens. 


It turns out to be Grigori Rasputin, returned from the dead it seems, and up to no good. Later, on researching him, Wendi's friend, Cordelia, makes an amazing discovery. In a picture of the Russian royal family, she recognises another face. One of the girls at their school, Octavia, is identical to Princess Anastasia Romanov who had been killed with her family by the nasty revolutionaries some four years before. Not unlike Rasputin himself! 


Things start barreling along very quickly from here on in. Octavia has suddenly and for no seeming reason, run away from school. Could this be because of her history, and the sudden reappearance of Rasputin who the girls feel is out for revenge? Wendi and Cordelia return to school to check for evidence of Octavia's past, to confirm if she is Anastasia, and thus try to understand why Rasputin should be skulking around. In their search, a part of the building is set alight by Rasputin and the girls are lucky to escape with their lives.


What follows is a trail of evidence that Wendi and friends follow, first to the horse race track and a horse owned by Penni, then on to Venice and finally to Paris. However, ever-present are the Domino's. They are, as the friends soon discover, bent on bloody revenge and obtaining from Wendi the pieces of life-restoring amber that she got from the keeper of the Tree of Life. Pieces of amber they feel are rightly owed to them. And they have enlisted Rasputin to aid them.


Who ends up chasing who is rather a moot point as staying alive long enough to save Octavia/Anastasia, is the main issue. And let me tell you, that is not going to be easy for the friends. Especially as new parties join the fray and hunt, parties with social power, powers and motivation and agendas of their own. Deals must be brokered, sacrifices made, and not just for the amber, but to stay alive and in the chase.



So, what did we think?


Immensely competent, intense, and a hugely enjoyable, engaging, and action-packed adventure. This redefines adventure reads as we now see them for this age group, and beyond. 


Filled with delightful world-building and characterisations that run deep and would not be out of place in the most able of adult fiction. 


We could not believe how involved we got with this story; how impassioned we felt about the rights, wrongs, and injustices thrown upon our characters, the resulting decisions they had to make, and the consequences they endured. 


Really, none of this will come as a surprise once you see the writer's pedigree. Daniel Dockery has worked on scripts for the long-running UK widely appealing hit soap, Hollyoaks (1995-date), which includes storylines on LGBT relationships, anorexia, and criminal exploitation of children. He has written theatre pieces that are staged in schools where he teaches drama when he is not writing. On top of that, he's developed scripts for Robert De Niro, Dave Bautista and Olga Kurylenko. 


Book 1 was very much about Wendington's loss of her mother. During that tale, which was hugely dramatic, heartfelt and entertaining, the reader experiences her loss and journey to final acceptance that she can't bring her mother or those that died alongside her, back. Here in book two, we find friendship, resilience, and sacrifice as key themes, for all the cast.


The plot IS immensely enjoyable, very clever, and with more twists and turns than all others we have read. It slots beautifully into the period but is not consumed by it. There is also some amazing use of dialogue to look out for along the way. It isn't just the dry wry wit of Jeeves to Bertie Wooster that Rohan shares with Wendi. It does, as the reader will find out as they head towards the end, conceal clues as to things – alternate meanings. Which we think will, and does, elevate this to a suitable adult read. 


So . . . . Crunch time. 


Buy and enjoy what has to be the 'best-in-class' adventure that so very ably bridges middle-grade and young-adult reading and makes a jolly good adult read, too. 


For those who loved the Alice Eclair Spy Extraordinaire series that we have reviewed, by the awesome Sarah Todd Taylor, this will be a must-read progression. 


For those who liked the Adventure on Train series by M.G. Leonard (soon to be a film franchise) and who now want to try a period adventure with more feel, teeth and stylish drama, this is an excellent choice.


Available through Amazon and all good bookshops.


Daniel Dockery's website, specific to Wendington Jones, contains a lot of information as to Daniel himself and the thought process for this book. Well worth a read. A link to that web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.wendingtonjones.com/

UCLan Publishing's web page can be found HERE or type this: https://uclanpublishing.com/

Marco Guadalupi's Instagram page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.instagram.com/marcoguadalupi85/


For those that just want a selfie on a Sunday, here's one of me keeping a weather eye on the black bucket. It happens to contain a new bag of one of my brands of cat biscuits. Trouble is, Mrs H often leaves the patio door open and a few strays have been known to sneak in and try, unsuccessfully, to pinch my food!

Kibble-nappers, I suppose they are. Unlike me who is a napper-after-kibble kind of gal.





We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. CLICK THIS LINK to vist their site and to get the code to add to your own blog . . . 

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I hope you enjoyed this adventure review and selfie. 

Till laters!

ERin




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Sunday, 27 April 2025

Sunday Selfie with due diligence

Hello, and welcome to a another weekend selfie. 

My, how the weeks fly by. And always they are punctuated by what we in the UK call 'bank holidays'. Easter has thankfully come and gone, but not the eggs that proliferate everywhere at this time. Strangely, our hens went on strike for a few days over the easter period. No doubt pleased that the chocolate variety had taken some of the strain from them.

Anyway, without further thoughts of tin foil coated chocolate eggs, no doubt laid by startled chocolate chickens and delivered by chocolate rabbits, Mrs H has confirmed she and I have a small stash, or rather 'clutch', of eggs in the fridge to see us through to next year. 

We here at the Manor House have been hard at work. Mrs H and I have been writing as well as editing. It is a tricky time as it is hard to settle on writing book three of my adventures whilst awaiting the imminent return of book two line edits from our editor proper. 

If any of you good folks have ever done research for a book, or for that matter, any sort of work, you will know the pleasures and pains involved. As a teaser, well, a bit of one, let us explain. Book three of our adventures sees Mrs H and I heading abroad for a much needed rest after the trials and pains of book two. 

The location is around Africa/Middle east. The time, 1923. Authenticity is key to any work, fact or fiction. So those places we visit/mention need to be correctly described, named and also located/placed for the period. 

What a ride it has been to cross reference names, places, and descriptions. You'd have thought something as simple as a bridge would have a name that ran through, if not centuries then decades, right? Of course the answer is a resounding 'WRONG'. If it wasn't for the fact that this particular bridge is interesting, then we would have given it a miss. 

So plough on we did and soon discovered the bridge had been tinkered with and rebuilt and renamed three times, as well as having many local names as a result. None of the names are wrong, but each isn't definitive. When local historians can't even decide what a place is called, no doubt because local documents can't decide either, then there is little chance of a humble writer getting it exact, either. 

Fortunately, unlike many other places in the story, it hasn't moved, at least not that much. 

Finally, for all the research that Mrs H and I have done, we know very little will be actually used in the final account of our adventure. Enough that it whets the taste buds without weighing it down. Also enough to satisfies the strictest of the very few readers that will pick the book up and say: "Ah, but it wasn't called that then." 

Due diligence is a long process. It sometimes involves making trade-offs, balancing, if not hard facts, then slightly soft facts against the need for people to be able to relate to modern times and places. At least for fictional works. 

We have even had to do due diligence on a fictional beast. Now that might sound strange, but you have to be able to say that its appearance doesn't conflict with anything else. 

For all the woes, stress and strain, it makes for a wonderful conclusion and great feeling, to see the book out there in the world.

So without further ado, and with the utmost due diligence, I give you ME!

© Erin the cat princess


We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site.

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Till Laters!

ERin


Sunday, 16 March 2025

PIRATE ACADEMY. MISSING AT SEA

Written by JUSTIN SOMPER.  

                            

                                                    Small book cover. Pirate Academy is in gold leaf at the top of the cover with the author noted above in pale blue. Missing at Sea is picked out in red on a gold banner at the bottom of the page, with 3 sharks snapping at the cast above. Bottles containing clues for the characters to solve during the adventure hang from ropes, one in each corner. Neo and Jacoby hold a rope apiece and stand either side of Jasmine who is front and centre of the cover steering the school ship's wheel. The broiling waves and sky are in varying shades of matt blue. The cast are wearing their class colours and life preservers. A small image of a bigger vessel with sails in tatters is seen just below the wheel.


An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.


Hello, and welcome to my latest book review featuring his week, a High Seas Pirate Adventure in Middle-Grade Fiction.


Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, weighing the anchor in at 2kg and looking strangely like an old iron, let's make sail for a second-in-series review . . .


Large book cover. Pirate Academy is in gold leaf at the top of the cover with the author noted above in pale blue. Missing at Sea is picked out in red on a gold banner at the bottom of the page, with 3 sharks snapping at the cast above. Bottles containing clues for the characters to solve during the adventure hang from ropes, one in each corner. Neo and Jacoby hold a rope apiece and stand either side of Jasmine who is front and centre of the cover steering the school ship's wheel. The broiling waves and sky are in varying shades of matt blue. The cast are wearing their class colours and life preservers. A small image of a bigger vessel with sails in tatters is seen just below the wheel.



 

AUTHOR:  Justin Somper

 

Illustrations by:  TEO SKAFFA

 

Published by:  UCLan Publishing

 

Publication date Paperback:  1 July 2024

 

Paperback 13 digit ISBN:  978-1916 747 036


UK Cover price for Paperback:  £7.99


Amazon KINDLE price:  N/A

 

Pages: 238

 

Age range: 8+  


Any dogs or cats? Alas, no. But steal yourself for some pretty nasty encounters. 

 

 

SPOILER ALERT


Yes, as to book one and this book's plot direction and characters.

 

 

Thank you to... 


We are exceedingly grateful to Graeme and UCLan Publishers for offering us a chance to read not one but two of these BRAND NEW adventures for our Read & Review. As our own book is a pirate adventure, we just had to say yes. We haven't been disappointed.


As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.


 

The plot


To get up to speed on book one, 'Pirate Academy New Kid on Deck', please CLICK THIS LINK. There is a short summary of book one in the front of book two.


The story opens with Neo Splice, one of our key characters, desperately trying to conceal himself from those who have moments before murdered his mother. Thankfully, this is a nightmare, but the actual event took place not so long ago, and Neo narrowly escaped with his life. 


As the day progresses, we find the fifteen year five students of Barracuda Class eagerly speculating on who will be the five captains chosen to lead the Oceans Bound (OB) weekend. It is a test unique to year five students where they are, for the first time, let loose on the sea proper for forty-eight hours alone in a school boat. During that time, they must complete several tasks, escalating in difficulty.


 In reality, of course, they are not totally alone. The school's pirate teachers and some of the senior students lay the puzzles and monitor the five teams of three as they go about the tasks. It is not just a race to the end prize, though that is part of it. No, they will be judged on how they act together as individual crews and as a set of five teams. As pirates, they are expected to uphold certain standards and camaraderie no matter what happens.


Jacoby Blunt and Jasmine Peacock, both highly adept students, are keen to be captains. Jacoby, more so, as he feels he has done enough work and is skilled enough. Jasmine is hopeful but not cocksure like Jacoby. Neo, our third lead character, is seemingly not concerned or hopeful. He is, after all, the new kid on deck.


When the five captains are announced to tumultuous applause from the whole school, it is Jasmine who gets the captaincy out of the three. Jacoby is huffy, to say the least, and won't talk to his mates.


The captains have to pick two students to be their crew. Now, this causes some issues, as Jasmine chooses Neo and Jacoby, who are, unknown to others, brothers. Neo attempts to turn down Jasmine's request as he wants to leave the academy due to a welling up of fear when afloat. Jacoby is just plain stubborn. Despite not being picked by another of the captains, his spite drives him to hold out to the point that Jasmine is about to offer the chance to another. 


But, showing her true friendship, she gets Neo help with his ails. In so doing, he signs up for the OB challenge. Jacoby eventually comes around when he realises he's been an ass. 


But just when things seem set, Jasmine is called to the Commodore's office. Here she receives terrible news: her uncle, a senior member of the League of True Pirates (LOT P), has escaped from a high-security prison and may be after her. As a result, she has to consider pulling out from OB. 


She decides not to, but there will be risks. Hopefully, the extra security laid on will be enough . . . 


As the tasks get underway, we find Jasmine, Neo and Jacoby working well; the first task is complete, and the crews are buoyant. But things, like the ocean and the weather, take a turn for the worse. And my, how quickly they change. 


When LOT P agents attack and tie up the senior students that set the tasks and leave each team individually tailored clues, they take over the OB adventure. 

Our three protagonists now enter into far deadlier challenges, facing almost certain death on land and at sea. 


The outcome, well, that would be telling where the buried treasure is now, wouldn't it. . . .



So, what did we think, with spoilers.


So much was crammed into the pages, and the pace hardly slowed. Even the book cover is epic; vibrant action-filled, and a bit scary, with tasty hints as to what's inside. 


It was lovely to see a swing in emphasis so Jasmine becomes the centre of this adventure, ably abetted and hindered in equal measure by Neo and Jacoby.

Friendship runs deep in this tale, family more so. The relevance of that, the reader discovers nearer the end. 


Given the school setting, it was hard not to think of aspects of Harry Potter with this story, spiders and challenges, but it definitely isn't. Is this a kid's version of Top Gun? Nah, that's not working for me; there is far more substance and grit and sand to this. 


What did come to mind, well, Mrs H's convoluted mind, was that this was like an episode of Star Trek. Lots of action and interaction between lead characters, diversity, and an adventure each week that's sure to excite. LOT P would absolutely be the Klingons and Romulans of old. 


'Sea Pirates, the Next Generation' would work well. Eoin Colfer summed this up brilliantly when he described this series as "Pirates done right".


We were most definitely pleased and caught napping with the ending, which sees some characters split off on another course, whilst others have to deal with the shocking revelations of this adventure. 


So . . . .

Crunch time. 


An admirable (rather than admiral) action-packed sequel with a huge presence and literary magic on every page. Compulsive reading with delightful twists, epic escapes and everything worthy of a Dreamworks or Pixar adventure. We can't recommend this enough. 


Want to buy a copy?


To get a copy of tnis not-so-buried treasure, please set course to your local bookshop. There are plenty out there (book shops and not pirates), and each shop is just waiting to serve you whatever kind of mystery, fun and adventure you desire.


Justin Somper's Vampirates web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.vampirates.co.uk/captain-somper/justin-somper/


UCLan Publishing's web page can be found HERE or type this: https://uclanpublishing.com/


Teo Skaffa's author page web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/authors/Teo-Skaffa/179183401 


Small book cover. Pirate Academy is in gold leaf at the top of the cover with the author noted above in pale blue. Missing at Sea is picked out in red on a gold banner at the bottom of the page, with 3 sharks snapping at the cast above. Bottles containing clues for the characters to solve during the adventure hang from ropes, one in each corner. Neo and Jacoby hold a rope apiece and stand either side of Jasmine who is front and centre of the cover steering the school ship's wheel. The broiling waves and sky are in varying shades of matt blue. The cast are wearing their class colours and life preservers. A small image of a bigger vessel with sails in tatters is seen just below the wheel.

I hope you enjoyed that adventure. Head to the nearest tavern, and treat yourselves to a hearty flagon of rum! 



And for those wishing a selfie, here it is. But this week it's not of me. 


This is Caramel, a lovely stray 7yr old guy, who has been a regular guest visitor to our parish, and inside my and our neighbours homes. He is friendly, and quite content to just lounge around and watch the household activity whilst getting some petting. He has always been very polite to female cats, never sprays indoors, and is an able food and duvet tester. 


To ensure continuity of care in the coming years, Mrs H and our neighbours directed him to the Redgate Farm Animal Sanctuary. There, he has had the snip and his teeth sorted as well as loads of fuss and attention. After a false start, he now awaits a forever home. Mrs H and our neighbours visit him regularly and spend time giving extra fuss and attention. He has one of the deepest, rumbling purrs we have heard. 


And, we want to give a HUGE shout out to The PA from the Bionic Basil Blog, who, on learning about Caramel, put together an awesome goody bag for not only him, but his room mate, Thomas. There were ball toys, soft toys, a gorgeous flower wand toy, cat nip cushions, as well as a very special blanket. 


Anyone who knows The PA at the blog will know she doesn't stint on her her goody bags. Thomas and Caramel got stuck right in to the nip and Mrs H spent ages retrieving the bags when they batted them off their respective resting places. 


We'll share a picture of Thomas next time.


Caramel the cat, keen to enjoy some quiet family lap time, and some nip.

Whatever you are doing, please have a wonderful cat filled week.


We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site.


Small image. The Cat on My Head Sunday Selfies Blog Hop badge. Features a yellow-haired lady with a tuxedo cat on her head.

 



Till laters!

ERin