When longtime audiobook narrator and first-time author Travis Baldree published his debut novel Legends & Lattes in 2022, he probably had no idea that he was about to popularise the relatively niche genre of cosy fantasy. At its core, cosy fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that focuses on low stakes adventures and the daily life of its magical characters as they build friendships and relationships. There is little to no violence, the good guys always win and the reader should, ideally, experience a feeling of warm satisfaction every time they open the book.
Legends & Lattes, a novel about an orc who lays down her sword and opens a coffee shop, did so well that Baldree almost immediately began writing another book, the prequel story Bookshops & Bonedust. Rather than the mature and battle-weary Viv of the first novel, this Viv is twenty years younger and eager for bloodshed and adventure. Unfortunately for her, a silly mistake in battle has left her with a serious leg injury. She is left behind by her crew in the small and seemingly boring town of Murk to rest and recover, much to her chagrin. With nothing else to occupy her time, Viv visits the town bookshop and discovers a love for reading that grows along with her friendship with the bookshop’s owner, Fern. What follows is a charming story of food, friends, romance and enough adventure to keep things interesting.
Baldree has grown as an author in the time between the publication of the two novels and in Bookshops & Bonedust the characters are more rounded, the world is more fleshed out and the story is more engaging. Fans of the series can only hope that Baldree has plans to add to it soon.
A very eager Chico is waiting on the cover for kids to open the book and find out about him. His tail is almost wagging as the book is opened and readers are introduced to Chico and his characteristics. When his family leaves for school and work he greets all of the other dogs in the neighbourhood with welcoming barks, but one day his gate is left open and out he walks. He plays chase with Susie the Sausage Dog, Gary the Greyhound is at the beach and the two run very fast along the shore, Banjo the Border Collie asks Chico for help rounding up the sheep with some unexpected outcomes, Penelope the poodle dresses him up to be ready for the next show where she had already won a prize, but he doesn’t quite fit the image, then Ginger the Golden Retriever asks him to swim across the lake, but Chico finds a board to use. At the end of the day Chico has had the best play date ever, playing with all his friends, and trying out the things they are good at, finding that they are not all as easy for him to master. His body is not as sleek or as fast, or attuned to water or dressing up, but going home, his family greets him with hugs and cuddles, and they all know what Chico is good at.
Charming illustrations depict the dogs talked of in the text , and will draw responses form the readers as they too recognise the animals and the traits they possess. Most readers will have a story to share about their dog and what it does best, fitting into the theme of the story, that we are all good at something. We may all be different but we can do different things with our bodies, making us just as amazing as the next person or dog. And written by Australian of the Year, Taryn Blumfitt, the book parallels the work she is doing with the Body Image Movement.
Themes Difference, Diversity, Body image, Humour.
Fran Knight
The good dog by Simon Rowell
Text Publishing, 2024. ISBN: 9781922790699. (Age:15+ - Adult) Recommended.
Following The long game and Wild card comes another mystery featuring Detective Sergeant Zoe Mayer and her fabulous service dog Harry. When they are called to Mount Macedon to investigate the murder of Piers Johnson, an alleged fraudster, they find another body, that of Antony Peterson, his lawyer. At first glance it looks like a murder/suicide but the evidence does not stack up and Zoe and her new side-kick Ben need to investigate all the suspects who have lost large amounts of money investing in Peterson’s activities.
This is an gripping police procedural mystery, with Zoe and Ben systematically following up on the murder suspects with interviews and phone tapping. The relationship between Zoe and Ben is initially strained and it is interesting to see it develop as the case reaches its stunning and for me, unexpected climax. As the title The good dog suggests, Harry is the star of the novel, with his scenting skills leading him to a body and a kidnapping victim and dog lovers will love this aspect of the novel. He also provides solace to others in distress as well as warning Zoe of impending drones and helicopters, helping her to control her post traumatic stress. The setting of Mount Macedon and its surrounds as well as Melbourne’s suburbs and nods to private schools will be familiar to many readers and will have others looking up place names and countryside.
With multiple suspects, red herrings and twists and turns, The good dog is a page turner that many readers will want to read in one or two sittings as I did. It is an easy to read, engrossing story and I hope that I see more novels featuring Zoe and Harry.
Themes Mystery, Detectives, Service dogs, Murder.
Pat Pledger
Stacey Casey: The lost city by Michael C. Madden
Big Sky, 2023. ISBN: 9781922896667. (Age:7-12) Recommended.
The lost city is not recommended to read as a first choice when sampling this unoriginal timetravel series. Stacey, Gabriel (Dad) and Amelia are preparing to return post haste to colonial Australia, to rescue Oliver from the clutches of Stacey’s time-travelling nemesis, Isla.
Repairing one of Dad’s inventions takes time, but they are not prepared for the reality of how much time has elapsed for Oliver, when an old man knocks on the door. Old Oliver has waited for Stacey and her dad all these years. He needed to choose the precise moment in time to guide them and save them and in doing so ensure that he can return to his original family as a boy again.
In following Oliver’s instruction, they begin to right their mistakes. However the path is circulatory. Picking up Oliver, dropping Cooper the dinosaur back in time to his home, and doing a deal with Plato in Ancient Greece all resulting in retaining the second artifact - the ability to translate and communicate with anybody anywhere.
A few more near misses take them to destinations, which are the stuff of legends – those places and times in the mythological canon for which there is no written historical evidence. Thankfully no cliff-hanger again, but Stacey learns what she did to ‘tick off’ Isla, her nasty 'Sister in Time'. We also know that Stacey hasn’t seen the last of her.
With ten chapters and an Epilogue, this simple chapter book would not be too challenging for an 8yr old reader, who may not question why Plato is classically sketched and not a caricature like the other characters. Michael C Madden certainly layers the simple story with both facts about historical figures and interesting new action objects, like the growing collection of artifacts which assist the time-travelling house and its occupants to survive new adventures. Begin with The House that Time Remembers, followed by Stacey Casey and the Cheeky Outlaw in order to get the most from the third volume, The Lost City.
The Rosewood Hunt is many things – an intriguing mystery, a devastating story of betrayal and a captivating romance; making it hard to put down and not devour in one sitting. Lily Rosewood lives with her Gram, Iris Rosewood, who dies suddenly, launching Lily into solving a puzzle she never bargained for, with people she never thought she would cross paths with. At the reading of her will, Lily discovers Gram’s billion-dollar fortune from the family luxury coat business is missing, when she and three others get letters sending them on a treasure hunt around Rosetown. Together, they hope solving the riddles written with invisible ink by her grandmother will lead them to the Rosewood inheritance, but they soon discover they are not the only ones hunting for Gram’s treasure - and the hunt becomes more dangerous than they ever could have imagined.
The four teens must work together - Lily, her childhood friend and first love, Leo, whom she's not speaking to after he chose her cousin Daisy over her; Quinn, the zealous one who dislikes her cousin Daisy; and Caleb, the brains of the group. Whilst the four are wildly different, all of them are connected in some way with Iris, and they all share that great motivator - they all need money. There are some excellent twists and turns as the quartet utilise their unique skills to solve the mystery behind the lost inheritance. It’s not long however before they find themselves in danger when Daisy turns the inheritance game into a TikTok sensation. There are very dangerous people out there who want to steal the money from them, and Lily realises she can’t trust anybody, even the people close to her, as they might endanger her life.
If you love puzzle solving and a mystery, with a host of well written characters you’ll love this read. Like me, you’ll be desperate to discover what happens and who in the end gets an inheritance.
The full range of how books fit into a baby’s life from waking in the morning to going to bed at night is presented in this charming book with rhyming lines form Katrina Germein and wonderfully soft illustrations by Cheryl Orsini. The result is a family oriented story with the baby at its heart modelling the ways books fit into the everyday. On waking the baby needs a book to start the day, then it reads books in the car, visiting its grandparents where books again are shared. Then mum and the baby play and tumble about. Funny stories are shared, and books are read in the pusher and on the tram. At the end of a very busy day the baby has a cuddle and a book, a yawn then snuggles down to sleep.
A range of books is read; pop up books, large books filled with colour, board books and baby soft material books.
German shows soundly that books have a place in all aspects of a child’s life, with humour and verse to get her message across. I love the first three words of each pair of rhyming lines, as she uses the phrase ‘baby book’ with another word describing something about the baby. Repetition and alliteration are used with great effect, and complimented by Orsini’s soft illustrations adding a level of humour to the book.
This is a lovely book to read and share, and will be enjoyed by all ages.
Alan and Heather Winterbottom are country GP’s who have worked together for 40 years and are preparing for their retirement. They both, however, have very different ideas of what an idyllic retirement looks like. Alan is looking forward to developing his green thumb, while Heather dreams of exploring the Greek Islands. Heather makes the bold decision to set out on her own, seeking her own adventures, away from home, away from her marriage.
We all dream of retirement, but is it something we are truly prepared for?‘Later’ isn’t a guarantee, and Heather knows this only too well with the death of her friend Esme.
Full of stunning descriptions of Greece, the beautiful islands, swimming in the ocean, sumptuous food and wine, the laid-back lifestyle and historical sightseeing, this is a beautifully written story about Heather fulfilling a promise she made to her dear friend Esme, finding herself along the way, albeit with some hilarious mishaps. Heather is such a highly relatable character, she has a sense of adventure and humor that endears the reader, as she discovers more about herself and her relationship to Alan that she could ever have had during their long medical career and marriage.One of the warmest and funniest stories I have read in a long time.
Themes Retirement, Change, Aged, Greece.
Ruth Tipping
The daredevil princess and the golden unicorn by Belinda Murrell
‘Bold and brave, clever and curious, daring and determined’ are what Princess Mathilda, better known as Tillie, hopes to be. She lives a very happy life with her mother Queen Cordelia, her inventive father, King Edwin and her younger brother Prince Oskar. Also constant in her life are her beloved dachshunds, Mitzi and Fritzi, Miss Prim the royal nanny and Mr Grimm, the royal steward, who is forever catching Tillie doing the unexpected.
There has been a mysterious theft of royal roses which were for the upcoming Summer Harvest Festival and the castle is on high alert. Tillie is determined to solve the mystery and bravely leaves the castle at night to search for the thief. What she discovers is truly magical and once it is all sorted out the Summer Festival does go ahead better than ever, and Honey Blossom becomes a member of the royal household.
The Daredevil Princess and the Golden Unicorn is the first story of a series by well-known author Belinda Murrell. This engaging tale is a wonderful introduction to chapter books for younger readers or would be an excellent story to be read aloud by an adult. There are delightful illustrations by Rebecca Crane strategically placed throughout, as well as the use of onomatopoeia to emphasise parts of the story. The second book The Daredevil Princess and the Goblin King is to be released simultaneously with the first and the third book, The Daredevil Princess and the Fire Dragon is on its way.
Once again bold and brave Princess Mathilda, preferably known as Tillie, is on an exciting adventure. The farms surrounding the castle are under attack from goblins from the Wild Forest. Queen Cordelia is trying her hardest to find a solution but it may take some clever thinking on the part of Tillie and her companions to help solve the problem.
As a Princess, Tillie must learn deportment and to control her temper. However, both these actions do not come easily to her. She would much rather be helping her father King Edwin with his latest invention. This time he has elevated Mr Grimm who is not happy. The potion used for the elevation does not quite work as expected, so Tilly is given it for her own use.
With Mitzi and Fritzi, and Honey Blossom who is now a permanent member of the Royal family, Tillie discovers a secret doorway in the castle. As a way to escape Mr Grimm, they choose to enter the doorway, follow the passage and end up at Apple Tree Creek farm. There they meet Lukas who accuses them of great mischief. It turns out though, it is some rather rambunctious goblins who are trashing everything and need to be stopped. Fortunately some clever thinking by Tillie, and the magic potion created by King Edwin, save the farmhouse and the farm from destruction.
The Daredevil Princess and the Goblin King is an exciting fast-paced adventure that will be enjoyed by younger readers. The third book in this new series The Daredevil Princess and the Fire Dragon is due to be released soon.
Gavin Friday, a singer/songwriter, is friends with Bono from the band U2, and together they have collaborated on a modern retelling of Peter and the Wolf, written by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. Told in graphic novel format, this version is sure to be a hit with children with its punk rock hero Peter who has a mohawk hairdo and is dressed in a black singlet and tight black jeans. Peter is mourning the death of his mother and his grandfather tells him not to go into the woods as there is a wolf roaming around. But Peter is a determined young boy and armed with a sling shot, a make-believe wolf and a lasso goes into the woods to capture the creature.
The black and white illustrations are compelling. Readers will need to take notice of details to work out some of what is happening. For example, they will learn what happened to Peter’s mother by examining the page which has photographs of her and will be able to work out why Peter is so unhappy and why he is living with his grandfather.
Gavin introduces the book as Gavin Flyday, a winged Master of Ceremonies and tells readers that he will pop in and out of the book and they need to keep an eye out for him. He is on the page where he introduces the characters in the book and pops up at other crucial moments and I found myself revisiting the book to try and find him. In the final pages, the reader learns that the collaboration was in aid of Irish Hospice Foundation and that Gavin hopes ‘that this version of Peter and the Wolf becomes a balm for any child dealing with loss.’
Readers may wish to see the animated film, official movie trailer here and there are many versions of the music and words of the original to be found on YouTube.
Brighton, 1950. Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens is investigating the murder of a young woman, who was cut in three. It is reminiscent of a magic trick called the Zig Zag Girl invented by Max Mephisto. Both Edgar and Max had worked together during the war as part of a unit called the Magic Men and when Max finds out that he knows the girl, he decides to help investigate the murder. Then there is another murder, based on another trick and it looks as if their time in the Magic Men unit may play a part.
Although a fan of Elly Griffiths books, especially the Ruth Galloway Investigation series, I was initially reluctant to read a book about magic tricks, but once started, Griffiths’ plotting, descriptions and great characters, had me hooked. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader fully engaged and the denouement was a surprise to me. I was fascinated by the way she brought in magic tricks and murder and the setting of Brighton was interesting, with her author’s note about her connection to her grandfather’s role in vaudeville enhancing the story. The story of the Magic Men unit and their effects to trick the enemy with illusions also added to the uniqueness of Griffiths’ story background.
While this edition was first published in 2015, it is still in print because any mystery by Elly Griffiths is worth reading!
A gloriously full colour graphic novel, Pablo and Splash visually strike us as Laurel & Hardy archetypes. Taller and slim, Pablo is clearly not the risk-taker. His pragmatism is offset by the rotund Splash, slowly freezing in their penguin colony in Antartica, and set on a tropical holiday from Pablo’s 'paradise of plenty'.
Dreaming of mocktails rather than their usual diet of krill, the text furnishes puns and playful word inventions involving their staple - krill. Holiday planning is stymied by the inevitable barriers of distance and transport. After deciding that the scientist population of Antartica hold the key, they amble in that general direction and are not disappointed. Like Alice’s slide down a rabbit hole, they come face-to-face with Dr Brain and her time/space machine, Timebender.
When Dr Brain’s back is turned, a glitch sends the penguins hurtling dangerously close to the sun before landing back in the Cretaceous period. Hungry and constantly in danger, the ‘Holiday’ is starting to lose its appeal – even for Splash.
Beautifully illustrated, the mixture of frame layouts from full page to five frames a page, depicts the friends inventing ways to fix Timebender at the very last second. Dr Brain is not cross and has more inventions to show them. The graphic design of words like ‘Holiday’ very cleverly supplies the tone of voice Splash uses, without needing to understand 'Penguish'. The duo return to see the penguin huddle unchanged and realize that you can only rely on yourself in the end. The stressful holiday soon necessitates a real holiday for Pablo, and we understand this is a formula for a series.
Engaging end pages reward with activities and fun facts about evolution, geography and animal behaviour. The dinosaur glossary informs us about the Quetzalcoatlus and other dinosaurs encountered at the Cretaceous holiday destination. Sheena Dempsey has debuted as an author/illustrator with a deceptively silly romp about time-travelling penguins. Not to be mistaken for a first chapter book, readers of all ages will be drawn in by Splash's optimism and Dempsey’s comic timing and warm, bright graphics.
Themes Graphic Novels, Adventure, Holidays, Penguins, Time travel, Antarctica.
Deborah Robins
Isaac Turner investigates: The clockwork conspiracy by Sam Sedgman
Diggory and his son Isaac Turner, climb the clock tower to make daylight saving adjustments and carry out maintenance. Thoughts of a looming parliamentary debate regarding the decimization of time into law, preoccupy the world’s leading horologist as he and Issaac work to adjust Big Ben. Neither are aware they are being watched by the forces of both good and evil.
Diggory instructs Isaac to wind the clockwork and ascends to make final adjustments – only to disappear. But from the roof of the Palace of Parliament where Solomon Bassala, the speaker of the House resides, his daughter Hattie is also watching. She saw Diggory kidnapped. Hattie is a burgeoning rooftopper and urban explorer and introduces Isaac to her extreme hobby of urbexing.
Isaac and Hattie team up to solve the mystery using codes and clues left by Diggory, starting with the broken face of his disgarded watch – 8 mins, 34 seconds, Feb 20. Learning that Diggory is a member of an international society of TimeKeepers, the stakes are much higher for mankind than the disappearance of one man. The pair decode each clue and on Feb 20, we meet the remaining international members of Diggory’s secret society - Penny, Amire, Luc, Naoko and Gloria.
Readers will be privy to Uncle Sol’s political world but also a sub-plot involving the Timekeepers, whose mission involves worldwide stability. Keeping step with Isaac and Hattie’s investigation is the relentless and increasingly frustrated Pascal, under pressure from a criminal 'mastermind' and a sinister conspiracy at the centre of government. Pascal has snatched many of the Timekeepers, including Diggory, but what he seeks is in Isaac’s possession and the duo’s quest becomes ever more dangerous. Can the children save lives and even time itself?
Whilst not as explicit as Lemony Snicket’s, Series of Unfortunate Events, the expository digressions, where characters instruct readers in horology, atomic clocks or the workings of parliament; are firmly factual and add another layer to what is an unapologetic rollicking adventure.
Sam Sedgman is the successful co-author of the multiple award-winning Adventures on Trains series but the new Isaac Turner Investigates series ignites with his first solo novel, The Clockwork Conspiracy.
Themes Adventure, Speculative, Mystery.
Deborah Robins
As bright as a rainbow: A book about gender and being yourself by Romy Ash and Blue Jaryn
Working Title Press, 2024. ISBN: 9781922033062. (Age:4+)
Just as the sea is not only one form of blue, or even just blue, so people are not just male or frame. The sea can be azure or pink, or can be yellow to green and not only blue. The three characters who walk, skip, and run across the pages, are non gender specific, and so raise the questions in younger readers about gender diversity. In a non threatening way the analogy to the sea is charming, allowing children to make a connection between the sea having a range of colours and the three characters in the book having a range of genders.
Subtitled A book about gender and being diverse, the book aims to introduce younger children to gender diversity. It does so without being overbearing, as some books trying hard to be educative and entertaining at the same time, so this book may be a book that kids will read together.
They will see the analogy between the gender diverse and the different hues in the sea, able to differentiate between those who see themselves simply as boys or girls, and those that do not call themselves one or the other and in so doing see that it matters not a jot who they are as long as they are themselves.
Bright illustration adorn the pages as the three children are shown sharing and being involved in a range of activities, all of which can be done by every child.
Themes Gender diversity, Equality, Inclusivity.
Fran Knight
System collapse by Martha Wells
Tor Books, 2023. ISBN: 9781250339362. (Age:Adult - Senior secondary) Recommended.
Another full-length novel in the Murderbot Diaries series and following directly on from the events in Network Effect, will thrill fans who have enjoyed the witty SecUnit who loves to watch entertainment channels and who solves murders. The Barish-Estranza Corporation has sent rescue ships to a planet in peril, but it looks as if the corporation means to enslave the colonists as a work force, regardless of their feelings. The humans from Preservation and ART’s crew want to protect the colony, but something is wrong with Murderbot who must figure it out before the Corporation takes over.
System Collapse continues this award-winning series in style, (Fugitive Telemetry won the 2020 Nebula Award), with Murderbot suffering from trauma from the events in Network effect. Wells describes mental health issues through the eyes of the SecUnit, who is experiencing flashbacks and emotions that often appear with the text reading ‘[redacted].’ There are lighter moments with Murderbot’s signature snarky comments, and the underhand operations of a major corporation are explored, raising ethical questions for the reader.
System Collapse is not a stand-alone read. Readers familiar with the series may want to reacquaint themselves with Network effect before reading this novel and those new to the series would be best to start with the first in the series, All systems red. A fabulous science fiction series!
