New Book Release Roundup - 5th January 2023

 New Book Release Roundup - 5th January 2023

It's the first new book release day of the year, and wow, it is a big one! I've got a round up of the seven books out today that I've already reviewed, as well as a couple I'm very much looking forward to reviewing. There are definitely more out that I haven't picked up here, so let me know some of your favourites in the comments section.

So let's see what we have!

Mort the Meek and the Perilous Prophecy by Rachel Delahaye

See my full review here. We return to Brutalia for the third book in the Mort the Meek series, and I swear, these books just get better with each new instalment. This is a brilliant, brutal, hilarious and clever book about fearing strangers and trusting soup, and also about fearing soup and trusting strangers. 

Saving Neverland by Abi Elphinstone

The full review for this one is here. Abi Elphinstone has gone and written a Peter Pan book! And she's given Neverland her own unique and magical spin, while updating some of the elements that perhaps haven't aged so well. A gorgeous book about the dangers of growing up and the importance of adventure. Saving Neverland is a clever and well-crafted update of the classic Peter Pan.

The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton

A marvellous take on the magical school trope, this one delivers a real sense of racial and cultural diversity that it handles really well, along with a rich and varied world and some real mystery. Check out my review here.

Frankenstein - a Retelling by Tanya Landman

See the review here. This is a retelling of the classic Gothic Horror novel by Mary Shelley written in that incredibly accessible style Barrington Stoke have with all of their books. 

An Agency for Scandal by Laura Wood

My review is here. This is an absolute joy of a book. Gorgeous, romantic, mysterious and thrilling, it knows all of the romance tropes and just has so much fun with them! It's a historical romance blended seamlessly with a spy mystery thriller and I love it.

Bertie and the Alien Chicken by Jenny Pearson

The full review is here. Is it a silly book about an alien chicken threatening to destroy the earth or a sweet book about understanding emotions and how we feel? Well, it's Jenny Pearson so it easily manages to be both!

This Book Kills by Ravena Guron

My review is here. This is a really gripping boarding school murder mystery full of entitlement, gossip, secret societies and threats. It has a really fun, almost comic tone to it at times that I really enjoyed.

Harley Hitch and the Fossil Mystery by Vashti Hardy

I didn't get a review copy of this one, but it's the latest in the Harley Hitch series, and the others have been really fun, shorter adventures, with a lot of invention and science emphasis, which I always love to see. This one is purple and involves fossils. Hopefully I'll get a full review soon.

The Terror of Hilltop House by Dan Smith

I did receive a review copy of this book, but with Christmas and New Year I haven't had a chance to read it yet. It's the fourth in Dan's series with Barrington Stoke, so expect creepy horror and maybe a bit of a sci-fi twist, maybe? I dunno, because I haven't read it. But it's by Dan Smith so expect it to be good, and it's published by Barrington Stoke, so expect high levels of accessibility.

Nine awesome books all out today, and I know there are more besides. Lucy Ann Unwin's The Octopus, Dada and Me is out, and Cynthia Murphy's The Midnight Game too. It looks like 2023 is getting off to a fantastic start!