The Quintet in YA Dark Fiction… Or is this just one book too many? Just when you thought our massive look at YA series and sequels was running out of steam, we’re back with the next entry. With duologies, trilogies and quartets done and dusted we are now looking at the five-book series, which is also known as the ‘quintet’. Make sure you check the page should you have missed the three earlier postings. Quartets: https://gingernutsofhorror.com/young-blood/when-three-becomes-fourthe-quartet-in-ya-fiction Trilogies: https://gingernutsofhorror.com/young-blood/three-is-the-magic-number-the-power-of-the-trilogy Duologies: https://gingernutsofhorror.com/young-blood/why-not-give-two-christmas-gifts-instead-of-onethe-power-of-the-ya-duology We’re already said many series, particularly in YA and children’s fiction, overstay their welcome and just go on too long. The quintet is a great example, where the passion decreases, and the series become a cash-cow of diminishing returns. Not surprisingly, the fifth book in a sequence is rarely a high point and many teen readers have long-since abandoned ship before arriving at this latter stage. Late point entries in the series can include a tired prequel or two and it if often sad to see a once great series end limply with little fanfare, relying upon former glories to carry it home. You may also think that authors who continually revisit the same characters on so many occasions might be considered one trick literary ponies, but I don’t think so, most of those featured below have authored many other great books beyond those featured. Are any of the fifth books listed below literary high points in their five-book series? Sadly, I think not, but there are still some very good reads. They are listed alphabetically and the date of first and last book is noted. Do get in touch if you think there are any glaring ‘quintet’ omissions, of which there are bound to be. As always, my lists drift into wider genre fiction, particularly fantasy and science fiction. And as always if any of these books tickles your fancy click on the titles and you will be taken to your regional Amazon store TOM BECKER: DARKSIDE (5 BOOK SERIES 2007-10) Jonathan Starling's home has been attacked, his dad is in an asylum, he's running for his life, and there's nowhere to hide having stumbled upon London's greatest secret, Darkside. It's a world of nightmares and secrets, where fear and evil rule, and Jonathan struggles to find a way to both survive and battle out. I have always been a big fan of this crossover fantasy/adventure/horror five book series which was very popular with kids a few years ago. Becker’s cool supernatural prison novel Traitors is also well worth checking out. This talented author has been quiet for several years and I would love to read something new from him. AGE 10+ HOLLY BLACK/CASSANDRA CLARE: MAGISTERIUM (5 BOOK SERIES 2012-18) At first glance Magisterium sounds very like Harry Potter as much of the story is set in a school for kids with magical ability, however, don’t let that put you off, there are many clever distinctions which drag the plot some distance from the Hogwarts blue-print. Initially, Callum Hunt does not want to be accepted into the magic school known as The Magisterium and deliberately tries to fail the entrance test, as he believes magic was responsible for the death of his mother, but things are not that simple. Although it takes its time to get going it has some outstanding twists and is set in a vividly described location where you’ll be quickly drawn into the fantastical world of the three main characters and their trials and tribulations. Both Black and Clare are outstanding authors with well-deserved top-notch profiles, so I’m surprised this series does not seem to have made a larger impact. AGE 12+ TONY DITERLIZZI AND HOLLY BLACK: THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES (5 BOOK SERIES 2003-4) If you’re after an easy to read fantasy series with elements of horror then The Spiderwick Chronicles is a great choice for younger readers, there are five books in the main series and then a further three books in the later Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles. Three kids, Mallory, Simon and Jared, move into their new house and discover a book belonging to their great-uncle "Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastic World Around You" and the three Grace kids soon realise that their new home allows them access to a magical world full of creatures who would love to force their way into our world. Creatures such as faeries and other much nastier critters are not too far away and start duking it out with the spunky kids. The books are beautifully illustrated and very short, perfect for kids who don’t like long books or are easily distracted. The 2008 film of the same name was a decent introduction to the series, selling itself as a cross between Gremlins and Jumanji. I would have adored this when I was nine or ten! AGE 8+ LIAN HEARN: TALES OF THE OTORI (5 BOOK SERIES 2002-07) Let us stray away from genre fiction for a moment with a more literary series which begins with the simply stunning Across the Nightingale Floor, which is intelligent fiction with a magical touch, taking in both supernatural and folk elements, set in the world of feudal Japan. Sixteen-year-old Otori Takeo sees his entire family murdered by a warlord’s elite warriors and swears bloody revenge and begins a long and vicious vendetta. Lord Iida Sadamu, warlord of the Tohan clan, soon realises he has picked a very dangerous fight, but he has his own unique ways of defending himself. Otori Takeo has the magical skills of his ancient tribe; preternatural hearing, invisibility, a second self (a seriously cool ‘shimmer’ which gives the appearance of bilocation) that enable him to begin his quest for revenge in a truly mesmerising series. Books one to three are majestic, the final two (which include a prequel) are just too big and become a little unwieldly. The first three rank amongst my favourite YA series ever, irrespective of genre. Masterpieces and I do not say that lightly. AGE 13+ WILL HILL DEPARTMENT 19 (5 BOOK SERIES 2011-15) Department 19 is a government secret agency which has been involved in a never-ending battle against the supernatural, specifically the spread of vampirism. The novel opens when Jamie Carpenter's mother is kidnapped by strange creatures and he finds himself dragged into the shadowy agency. Fortunately for Jamie, Department 19 can provide the tools he needs to find his mother, and to kill the vampires who appear to have a personal vendetta against him. But unfortunately for everyone, something much older is stirring, the king of vampires, Dracula himself. The ancient Transylvanian count becomes a recurring these in the five-book series and he really has it in for Jamie when he is recruited fully into the agency. Although these are chunky books, this is high-octane fun top heavy with incredible weapons, outstanding action sequences and a crazy amount of gore. Lots of other monsters from folklore are thrown into the mash-up, with even the legendary Frankenstein joining in the fun. Will Hill later made an outstanding change of direction with a novel about a girl escaping a cult in After the Fire, a book I loved. AGE 11+ LAUREN KATE: FALLEN (5 BOOK SERIES 2009-12) If you’re after a dark and romantic supernatural read, which plays its cards close to its chest, then Lauren Kate’s Paranormal Romance series Fallen is worth a look. The action takes place in the Sword and Cross Boarding School (Savannah, Georgia) where the teenage pupils have all got issues, problems or have been sent there for unexplained reasons. Main character Luce Price has a tragedy in her past, which is revealed very closely and is the reason she has ended up in the school where mobile phones are forbidden. Soon after arrival Luce feels a strong attraction for Daniel Grigori who shuns her advances, but she is continually drawn to him and is sure he is hiding a secret. Throw into the mix teenage rivalries, other kids with weird powers and a very convincing drama which plays out very slowly Fallen is one the best of the Paranormal Romance series and highly addictive fun. AGE 13+ JONATHAN MABERRY: BENNY IMURA (5 BOOK SERIES 2010-15) Rot and Ruin is an outstanding series (also known as the Benny Imura sequence) set in a zombie infested world, two brothers hunt the creatures, but not for the most obvious of reasons, as they’re a slightly different breed of zombie killer. This was Maberry’s YA debut, which remains the best zombie series in the business, through a combination of strong characterisation, clever plot and very well developed post-apocalyptic world. Maberry is simply a terrific author to gets teens reading, with his intensely fast-paced fiction, loaded with gadgets and page after page of gripping action. The author returns to this world in a second series which begins with Broken Lands, and sees Benny Imura return with a host of other characters and further zombie adventures. I’m not sure how successful that will be as the zombie craze never took off in YA like it did with adult horror, but I hope the interest is there. AGE 12+ MELISSA MARR: WICKED LOVELY (5 BOOK SERIES 2005-11) Whilst Paranormal Romance dominated the YA charts Melissa Marr took us on an eventful detour into the world of faeries with her Wicked Lovely series which has a very cool premise. Teenage Ashyln can see faeries, a gift (or curse) she inherited from her grandmother who also gave her a few basic rules to follow. When Ashlyn sees fully grown faeries walking and talking (invisible to everybody else) amongst humans it is vitally important to ignore them, so that the faeries do not know she can see and hear them. Ashlyn has spent her life studiously avoiding the faeries until a couple of them start following her around and start talking to her like she is some sort of chosen one or prophet. One of the stalkers, a faery called Keenan, has other plans for Ashlyn, which is partly romantic, but also considerably darker. Ashlyn already has a human boyfriend which complicates things somewhat and before long the novel is knee deep into ancient curses with strong characterisation, some romance and the story told from three points of view. AGE 12+ GARTH NIX: OLD KINGDOM/ABHORSEN (5 BOOK SERIES 1996-2013)
It is relatively easy to get confused with the sequencing of the Old Kingdom dark fantasy novels, sometimes known as the Absorsen series, as they are both set over a long period of time and written over 17 years, with the fourth book, Clariel, being a prequel and other novellas thrown into the mix. Sabriel is most definitely the place to start though and has two outstanding sequels written relatively close together. Eighteen-year-old Sabriel is the daughter of the ‘Abhorson’ whose job is too lay the restless dead to rest, a task in which she helps. However, things take a major turn for the worse when her father disappears and Sabriel has to step up to help save the Old Kingdom from destruction by the horrible forces of the evil undead and endures almost impossible challenges whilst discovering her own supernatural abilities and her destiny. I’m a huge fan of this book and often recommend it as a ‘next step’ dark fantasy to kids whom have read all the Harry Potter novels, it’s seriously good. AGE 12+ RANSOM RIGGS: MISS PEREGRINE’S CHILDREN (5 BOOK SERIES 2011-2020) A mystery and family tragedy lead a young man to an abandoned orphanage on a remote Welsh island which holds dark secrets and a weird connection to another period in time where the strange and dangerous child inhabitants of the orphanage remain alive. This highly original series mixes atmospheric B/W photography into the mystery whilst retaining a high level of creepiness as the complex story unfolds and the children reveal themselves. The Tim Burton film of the same name managed to recreate a certain amount of atmosphere present in the novel but does differ from the plot in some significant ways and is much lighter in tone. It also has a collection of short stories Tales of the Peculiar and a couple of graphic novels. Book five has only just been published, so who knows, book six may follow. AGE 12+ ALEXANDER GORDON SMITH: FURNACE (5 BOOK SERIES 2009-11) Sadly, these days few kids are aware of the exploits of the legendary Steve McQueen in The Great Escape and his attempts to escape from a German POW camp, however, the Escape from Furnace series has a teenager with a similar character, Alex Sawyer. The boy is forever dreaming of escaping from Furnace Penitentiary which is buried over a mile underground. Convicted of a murder he did not commit Alex vows to escape otherwise only death lies ahead. However, in Furnace there are worse things than death as other kids have found out. Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows and where terrible monsters can be heard howling from the tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a great character who lurks in the shadows of the novels. As the series develops, Alex starts to uncover the truth about Furnace's deeper, darker purpose and his actions grow ever more dangerous, risking everything to expose this nightmare that's hidden from the eyes of the world. A very cool fusion of adventure, action and horror. AGE 11+ JONATHAN STROUD: LOCKWOOD AND CO (5 BOOK SERIES 2012-17) There are few more engaging and imaginative fantasy writers effortlessly blending the supernatural with the fantastic than Jonathan Stroud. The Lockwood and Company series takes up back to a very atmospheric 1930s version of Britain where ghosts and spirits start appearing and they aren't exactly friendly. However, only young people have the psychic abilities required to see-and eradicate-these supernatural enemies. Many different Psychic Detection Agencies crop up to handle this dangerous work, but they are in fierce competition with each other for the same business. Lockwood and Company (a couple of teenagers) operate without any adult supervision as they bid for success with limited knowledge, but soon Lucy, Anthony and George find themselves hired to work in one of the most haunted houses in Britain and have to solve the mystery of The Screaming Staircase in the first book of this highly entertaining, inventive and funny series which effortlessly mixes chills with adventure. AGE 11+ We’re off to a strong start to 2020 with a dozen great books, the majority were published in the latter months of 2019. Do get in touch if there are any kids/YA books you would be interested in seeing reviewed. I liked some a lot more than others, but if the push came to the shove, I would be happy to recommend all of these. They are presented in alphabetical order. KR ALEXANDER – THE FEAR ZONE (BOOK 1 IN THE ‘SCARE ME’ SERIES) The Fear Zone looks like it might be the first book in a series published by Scholastic called ‘Scare Me’ which is most definitely going to remind older readers of the famous RL Stine Point Horror novels. Many have tried and failed to recreate the 1990s nostalgia of those legendary books, with KR Alexander being the latest. Fear Zone recalls many other books and is based around the idea that if you don’t stand up to your fears, they will destroy you, as in Joe Dante’s great film The Hole which this is similar to. In this variation five kids are invited to a cemetery after midnight thinking it is just a prank and could be a laugh. After tricked into digging up a grave an evil force is released which tests them in different ways, such as the fear of being buried alive. It really is not that scary but is still a solid introduction to horror to younger kids. We want more please. AGE 8+ JIMMY CAJOLEAS – MINOR PROPHETS Jimmy Cajoleas impressed me immensely with his debut The Good Demon and his second YA novel Minor Prophets indicates he has arrived in the big time. If you haven’t come across this seriously quirky oddball writer, you need to seriously check him out ASAP. After the mysterious death of their mother two siblings, Lee and Murphy, seek out their long-lost grandmother who lives in deepest darkest Louisiana in this highly original occult thriller. Lee is not a normal teenager and has always had strange visions which often come true and after the death of his mother they begin to escalate. The prospect of being adopted by their mother’s boyfriend is too much and the siblings go on the run as Lee’s visions get wilder. Part of the story revolves around what horrid truths lurk behind Lee's haunting visions. But there is a lot going on in this twisty, and poignant thriller in which family secrets lurk at the centre of its dark beating heart. The vision sequences were outstanding, and Lee is able supported by the brilliant character Murphy who has his back all the way. This will not be everybody’s cup of tea, but for the fan of oddball and highly original horror look no further. It can equally be enjoyed by adults. Jimmy Cajoleas are you genuinely as cool as you write? I bet you are. AGE 13+ ELSIE CHAPMAN – CASTER I was a massive fan of Elsie Chapman’s dystopian Duelled novel so was very interested to see how she would branch out into supernatural fiction. Once again I was mightily impressed with a novel grounded in an incredibly well realised magic system which will really get you thinking about the dynamics behind magic with the emphasis on the costs and consequences of each magical act which can be linked to the caster’s body. The main character is an Asian teenage girl who is a ‘full caster’ meaning she is able to cast ‘full magic’ and as the story develops the girl enters an undergrounding casting competition, where she also hopes to find answers about her sister’s mysteriously death a year earlier. Caster was addictive, fast paced and perfect for fans of magic and the supernatural. It was easy to become lost in the damaged magical society expertly developed by the author. Aza was a complex character with flaws which will make her very engaging to teenage readers and with the difficult decisions she makes. The author smoothly interweaves many themes including loss, family, revenge, love, identity and being true to yourself into the plot which could be open for a sequel. One of my recent favourites, bring on book two. AGE 12+ ERIN CRAIG – HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS The House of Salt and Sorrows is a long and slightly meandering retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses fairy tale in which Annaleigh is the oldest surviving sister, determined to break the curse that's slowly taking her sisters. The deaths have left her family distraught as they are forever dressed in black and in mourning, also on edge, forever wondering who might be next. Annaleigh’s father has also remarried and announces his wife is pregnant with a son and the complex family dynamics begin to change. Although I found this book to be slow and slightly long, it did have some creepy scenes and some decent twists in the second half and has got a lot of appeal for teenage girls who like dark fairy-tales. The wind-swept remote castle setting was one of the strongest aspects of the story and the strong romantic aspect of the story point the book towards the female audience ever more so. Annaleigh was an engaging main character with a nice voice and after deaths by plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning and a slippery plunge there is no surprise she tries to break the curse and instead is plagued by a series of ghostly visions whilst her sisters disappear at night, but to where? This was a very assured debut and although it was a chunky read, I’ll be interested to see what the author comes up with next. AGE 13+ AKWZAEKE EMEZI - PET I am a huge fan of strange books and Akwzaeke Emezi’s Pet certainly fits into that category. Ezemi, who also wrote the adult novel Freshwater, has produced a fascinated YA debut which will undoubtedly be read by as many adults as teenagers. Much of the book was very vague and I’ll be interested to see whether it picks up a teen audience or whether it goes over the heads of many. Set in the city of Lucille, the main character Jam is a black trans girl who suffers from selective mutism and talks with hand signs. The location is portrayed to be a type of utopia where evil has been eradicated, but then Jam meets a magical creature which calls itself ‘Pet’ and states that evil does still exist in the town and it plans to destroy it, indicating that the evil is very close to home and that Jam must help Pet uncover the monster and the truth. Pet takes a very refreshing look at gender and expresses how this society has accepted trans children as normal, but also asks difficult questions about secrets in society and how we deal with them. The relationship between Pet (which appears out of one of her mother’s paintings) and Jam was the highlight of the novel, but I also enjoyed the vagueness of the setting and background. All the deserved praise I have come across thus far for Pet have come from adult readers and I hope it does not become one of those YA novels which is just a bit too odd for the average teen. AGE 13+ SARA FANING – THE TENTH GIRL The Tenth Girl is one of those books which is picking up as much love as it is hate, being polarising in all sorts of ways, in particular, because of the outrageous twist ending. Some readers have undoubtedly loved it, others found it to a load of rubbish. I’m not going to comment which way I swing, as this is one of those occasions where you need to make up your own mind. Also, was this a YA novel? Yes and no. To be frank, an adult could read it and never realise it was predominately aimed at teens. This very twisty gothic thriller is mainly set in an Argentinean boarding school of the 1970s, so it is unique for points of references, making it challenging for a YA audience with the oppressive government dictatorship of that decade lurking in the background. It follows a young teacher beginning at a girl’s boarding school in Patagonia, in a house built by colonizers on land that formerly belonged to the Zapuche, an indigenous people in Argentina. The young woman is attempting to escape the Argentinian government, but it seems that she may have gotten herself into an even more dangerous, disturbing situation as very quickly strange things happen at the boarding school and she is told not, under any circumstances, to go out at night. This book will not be for everyone, but when you do get to the end, some of the more abstract sequences make a lot more sense. Whatever you think, you’ll be shaking your head and will never see the ending coming. AGE 14+ APRIL HENRY – THE LONELY DEAD April Henry has many adult and YA thrillers, several of which venture into paranormal areas, The Lonely Dead was the first I have read. This was a very easy and undemanding book to zip through in which a seventeen-year-old girl, Adele, becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her best friend Tori. Told in a first-person narrative we quickly find out that Adele has schizophrenia and has recently stopped taking her medication resulting in her being able to see dead people, or at least see dead people (or animals) in the location they were buried. When walking in the forest Adele bumps into a living and breathing Tori and initially does not realise her friend is dead (nor does Tori). Adele alerts the police to the whereabouts of the body and they begin to dig and although there are a few other suspects everything points to Adele. The story also has various flashbacks to when the girls were younger and provides some explanation on Adele’s supernatural gift, so it never genuinely drifts into unreliable narrator territory. The two main characters (alive and dead) were likable enough kids, but there just were not enough suspects and when the killer is revealed there was little in the way of surprise. If you’ve after an easy, non-threatening read, then The Lonely Dead is fun, if you want horror with bite this is not it. AGE 12+ EMILY LLOYD-JONES - THE BONE HOUSES Can anyone truly stomach yet another zombie novel? If so, The Bone Houses is well worth a look, which also integrated elements of Welsh folklore into its intriguing ‘zombie with a difference’ storyline. Interestingly, the zombies lurk in the background of this story and don’t act like they would in traditional undead novels. Seventeen-year-old gravedigger Ryn is battling to save her family’s graveyard in the remote village of Colbren which is struggling for business since the death of her parents. The village sits at the foot of a harsh and deadly mountain range that was once home to the fae (fairy folk) which legends say cursed the area decades earlier. The curse reanimates the dead, which the locals call ‘bone houses’ and Ryn is an expert at dealing with the reanimated corpses which usually remain in the local forests and don’t trouble the locals, until their activity suddenly changes and they start coming closer to home. An apprentice mapmaker, Ellis, is the second major character, who has his own mysterious past and when he arrives in town the bone houses attack with new ferocity. What is it about Ellis that draws them near? And more importantly, how can they be stopped for good? Together the two embark on a journey that will take them deep into the heart of the mountains, where they will have to face both the curse and the long-hidden truths about themselves. There was very good backward and forward between Ellis and Ryn (and you can see exactly where it is heading) but it was a clever book, with the journey in the second half taking slightly too long. Still, it was nice to see zombies being presented in a slightly different light from the usual and the female character having the Buffy the Vampire Slayer style moves, rather than the wimpier boy in a nice gender reversal. AGE 13+ KATE ALICE MARSHALL – RULES FOR VANISHING
Rules for Vanishing was a very clever, original, and sneaky novel told via transcribes, written testimonies, interviews, exhibits, and video evidence. We know from the beginning that the action kicks off in April 2017 and that the police discussions are conducted in May 2017 with Sara being the suspect under the grill. The story revolves around a local legend; once a year an isolated road is rumoured to magically appear, which leads to the entrance to a supernatural dimension and those who follow the path must follow precise rules or risk being trapped there forever. If Sara’s crazy story is to be believed she was lucky to make it out alive, what we don’t know is which of her friends survived along with her, and so we enjoy a story which is enticingly told out of synch. Why was Sara attempting to enter another dimension you might ask? Exactly a year previously her sister Becca went missing and her parents think that she ran away with her boyfriend, but her sister Sara has another solution to the disappearance and begins to investigate. Did Becca play the game and became lost in another world? Of course, the world is real before long Sara, on the hunt for Becca, and her friends are attempting to get through the seven gates to complete the challenges and be free to leave. I thought this was a great book which was both atmospheric and very cleverly written, almost with a documentary feel to it in which the reader had to solve their own puzzles and conduct their own analysis right to the end. Highly recommended. AGE 12+ HOWARD ODENTZ – BOTTLE TOSS Bottle Toss started well but seemed to lose its way in the middle and I could not help feel that many YA readers will lose interest where not much seemed to happen and where the story spends too much time setting things up for the finish. This was frustrating as Bottle Toss had an outstanding opening; after a bored teenager throws a beer bottle at a passing car, there is a horrible crash and what looks like a fatality after it overturns. The kid who throws the bottle is a nasty piece of work, but the book is seen from the point of view of Denny Ford who is bullied by Brody, with Jen being the final member of the trio. Jen and Denny are stepbrother and sister and Jen is the sometime girlfriend of Brody. Much of the novel is about the relationship between the trio which is nicely handled with Jen and Denny sharing the same foster-mother and a younger disabled stepbrother whom Denny watches out for. After the crash, the car seems to disappear without trace and over the next several days as the three experience increasingly bizarre, frightening, and seemingly unrelated events, such as a big fire at school and hallucinogenic stuff. It was interesting seeing where all this was going, but after a while it lost momentum and my focus in the mystery waned. Denny was an interesting main character and the family dynamics were nicely handled, but some of the others weren’t as developed. AGE 13+ J. ADRIAN RUTH – JOIN OR DIE (HEIR TO THE SCION BOOK 1) Join or Die was a very entertaining YA fantasy novel with elements of horror, which although it does not do anything new, was an engaging read full of believable and quirky characters. Alex is a young teen from Las Vegas who early in the novel realises he is not normal and is whisked off to a boarding school for creatures who are crossbreeds of human and other powerful creatures including vampires. Alex’s new roommate is a vampire, who becomes a friend, and shows him the ropes at school. Although he does not know it, Alex is also very powerful but does not yet know how to harness his power, which is a big part of the novel with a coming of age twang thrown into the mix with the teenager doing his best to adapt in his weird new surroundings. The story cleverly balances the fantasy aspect with the fact that Alex is still a teenager and that is convincingly portrayed in the plot and the misfits he bands himself with. Join or Die sets itself up nicely for a sequel and if you can stand spending more time in yet another magic school is well worth checking out. AGE 12+ REBECCA SCHAEFFER – ONLY ASHES REMAIN (BOOK 2 IN THE MARKET OF MONSTERS SERIES) Not Even Bones was a very clever and original debut which had me hooked from the beginning with an intoxicating blend of fantasy and horror, Only Ashes Remain is a direct sequel, so make sure you do not read book two before the original. In the opening book, Nita is a teenage girl who works as an unofficial mortician for her psychopathic mother and dissects the bodies of supernatural beings she has caught and trapped and sometimes killed. Nita’s mother auctions bits and pieces of her kills on the internet with her daughter helping as they have magical properties. I’m, generally, rereviewing book one and do not want to reveal spoilers for those unfamiliar with the series. However, in the opening stages of the novel the mother brings home a live boy and expects Nita to cut his ear off so she can make some cash from it. After that she intends to sell his eyes and Nita decides to help him escape. All the main characters from book one return and the author cleverly opens out the story and continues with the excellent world building. I hope the series develops into a trilogy. AGE 13+ Regular readers of Young Blood probably felt we were going to run out of steam after our huge features on YA duologies and trilogies. Think again, this series has plenty of legs to keep running well into the New Year and beyond! Make sure you check the page should you have missed the earlier two postings. Trilogies: https://gingernutsofhorror.com/young-blood/three-is-the-magic-number-the-power-of-the-trilogy Duologies: https://gingernutsofhorror.com/young-blood/why-not-give-two-christmas-gifts-instead-of-onethe-power-of-the-ya-duology We’re already said many series, particularly in YA and children’s fiction, overstay their welcome and just go on too long. The quartet is a tricky one; often the fourth entry comes across as a cash-cow or an appendix of short stories and novellas, of which some examples are included here. Few authors will set out to deliberately write a quartet, in which the fourth entry naturally follows the third book. In contrast, the fourth entry sometimes comes many years after the natural conclusion of the trilogy. I doubt few authors set out with the intention of deliberately writing a quartet. But we all have to pay the bills When do you stop? Four truly is a good number. Remember, your audience grows older with you. When authors expand beyond four, they have to start recruiting new readers as the ‘oldies’ grow up and move onto more mature reads but might still check-in for nostalgia’s sake. There are several excellent books featured here that do seem to have ended at four, but without a genuine 100% conclusion which truly slams the door shut. Why is that? Either a decline in readership or perhaps book five will come along at some unspecified time in the future. One wonders why hugely successful authors need to revisit their best works so many years later; is it an itch they must scratch again? Why did Ursula Le Guin return to Earthsea when the series was done and dusted as a trilogy in the 1970s? Who knows for sure apart from Le Guin. They are listed alphabetically and the date of first and last book is noted. Do get in touch if you think there are any glaring ‘quartet’ omissions, of which there are bound to be. As always, my lists drift into wider genre fiction, particularly fantasy and science fic ALEXANDRA BRACKEN: DARKEST MINDS (QUARTET 2012-18) The excellent Darkest Minds trilogy was relatively unknown in the UK until the film of the same name gave it a bump and triggered the arrival of a fourth novel after the series had looked done and dusted. There are also inter-connecting novellas which arrived between each of the first three books. The story opens with the revelation that most of America’s teenagers died during a mysterious epidemic with some of the few who survived developed weird and powerful psychic abilities, which they can’t control. This happens to main character Ruby who is subsequently sent to Thurmond a brutal government 'rehabilitation camp' where much of the action takes place until she escapes and goes on the run, joining a resistance led by romantic interest Liam. What follows is an entertaining conspiracy thriller, loaded with crazy psychic abilities, where the kids are feared by everyone, but ultimately what is the government hiding? Expect a fightback, when the kids are united, they will never be defeated. AGE 12+ ANDY BRIGGS: THE INVENTORY (QUARTET 2016-18) Andy Briggs has written many entertaining easy to read adventure and action-packed novels aimed at pre and young teens of which The Inventory series is my favourite. Hidden under a small suburban town, the ‘Inventory’ is a collection of the most incredible technology hidden from the everyday world, including; invisible camouflage, HoverBoots, indestructible metals, and the vicious war robot Iron Fist which stars in a later book. The main character Dev is a lucky kid, as his uncle is the curator of the Inventory, hidden beneath the farm they live on. However, others become aware of its existence and set on stealing the collection, which could lead to a genuine threat to world security. For kids who are fans of Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz, the Young Bond adventures, or Robert Muchamore’s CHERUB series, these are addictive, fast paced, top-heavy with gadgets and a lot of fun. If you have a 10-12-year-old reluctant reader who likes action, then this series is worth a second look. AGE 10+ KATIE COYLE: VIVIAN VERSUS THE APOCALYPSE (QUARTET 2013-17) This is an odd but funny blend of teen angst, thriller, horror, quirkily mixed with Bible prophecy. Vivian lives in a version of America which is dominated by the sinister Church of America who insist ‘The Rapture’ of the church is imminent. Before long, her parents and some friends disappear and then many more people Vivian knows. The media claim The Rapture has genuinely occurred and the true believers have ascended into heaven leaving the non-believers on Earth to face the consequences of their lack of faith. I really cannot imagine this series went down well in the USA with its rather unique spin on religion! But it really made me chuckle and Vivian really was a spunky, if reluctant, heroine as she undertakes her own voyage of discovery and highly entertaining road-trip for the truth. AGE 12+ BECCA FITZPATRICK: HUSH HUSH (QUARTET 2009-12) The entertaining Hush Hush appeared during the Paranormal Romance fad where the obsession with vampires expanded relentlessly into naughtiness with angels. There were many similarities with Twilight, swop the vampires for angels and you’ll see what I mean. To be able to take this series seriously the human characters needed to convince and that was one of the major strengths of Hush Hush; Nora Grey was decidedly unromantic and had never been attracted to any of the boys in her school until new kid Patch turns up and she is immediately drawn to him after they’re paired together on a project. It is not difficult for the reader to figure out the teenage boy is not human, and Nora finds herself right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen. When it comes to choosing sides, which is what most of the book is about, the wrong choice might cost her life or even her soul. It takes its time, concentrates on the romance and human aspect and is a fulfilling teen read for kids who might not normally read supernatural fiction. It was easy to be snobbish of the Paranormal Romance subgenre, but many were excellent teenage romances cloaked within a convincing supernatural packaging. AGE 12+ KAMI GARCIA/MARGARET STOHL: BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (QUARTET 2009-12) When the Paranormal Romance world was going mental for vampires and angels Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl led an entertaining breakout into the realms of witches and witchcraft. The ‘craft’ is never far away in YA fiction, so this series was slightly tacked onto the Paranormal Romance fad but does tick many of the same smouldering romantic boxes. Lena Duschannes is a ‘Caster’ and in the runup to her sixteenth birthday is unsure which way she will swing after an upcoming of age event, to the ‘light’ or ‘dark’ and the type of witchcraft she’ll end up practicing. When she switches schools, she meets Ethan who has been having recurring dreams about a girl he has never met. Guess who that is? Before long the novel is knee deep in superstition, curses, doppelgangers, young love, lust, dodgy family histories with the feeling of a sprawling supernatural soap opera. Like many of these books, the female characters seem more fleshed out than the guys who are the obviously the primary audience, but it’s great frothy stuff. AGE 13+ JULIA GOLDING: COMPANION’S (QUARTET 2006-07) This wonderful mythological series which is set in modern Britain is outstanding and could do with a major revival for the kids of 2020. The ‘Society for the Protection of Mythical Beasts’ is an organisation which keeps tabs on supernatural creatures which still exist by interconnecting specific humans to particular creatures which usually live in harmony and under the radar of mankind. Main character Connie is sent to live with her aunt in the town which is the centre of this weird activity and before long things start going wrong when the ‘Sirens’ (the first book is called Song of the Sirens) start luring oil-workers to their death, which is cleverly connected to pollution. Connie, however, has a special gift, the ability to communicate with all mythical creatures, which is developed throughout the series. She is going to need her ‘Universal’ gift as in book two The Gorgon’s Gaze when she meets the last surviving Gorgon. Outstanding mix of very cleverly presented mythology and fantasy in a contemporary setting. AGE 10+ SHANE HEGARTY: DARKMOUTH (QUARTET 2015-17) Blending horror, adventure and comedy is never easy, Shane Hegarty completely nails it in this highly engaging series which will have you sniggering, it is also ideal to read aloud to younger children who might want a taste of horror which is not too threatening, but still had an edginess. Monsters, known as ‘Legends’, invade the town of Darkmouth and youngster Finn discovers he is the last line of defence against the evil hoards. Can the nerdy, animal loving twelve-year-old save the world from the swarms of vicious which include the vicious Minotaur? He’s willing to give it a go, learn on his feet (and how to swing a sword) and fulfil his destiny of becoming a true Legend Hunter with the help of some of his friends. I loved this refreshing blend of genres and rebranding of old horror characters. AGE 10+ CHRISTOPHER WILLIAM HILL: TALES FROM SCHWARTZGARTEN (QUARTET 2012-15) Set in the fictional town of Schwartzgarten this wonderfully dark and comic tale which blend the grotesque, with elements of mock gothic, is in the same ballpark as legends Lemony Snickets and Roald Dahl. The stories are very loosely connected by location but the series, which begins with Osbert the Avenger, can be picked up and enjoyed at any point. Although it is aimed at kids around ten it has a very dark centre, the main character Osbert, a killer who shows no remorse (which is very rare in children’s fiction) seeks revenge after being expelled from the sinister school for genius children called ‘The Institute’ (long before Stephen King used the same name!) The second novel sees two twins sent to the ill-omened Schwartzgarten Reformatory for Maladjusted Children after losing their aunt to a poisoned marzipan cake! These might not be traditional horror novels, but they certainly do fit the bill as they have a pitch-black centre. They are also excellent for reading out to younger children who will lap them up and have the parents gulping. AGE 9+ PAUL HOFFMAN: THE LEFT HAND OF GOD (QUARTET 2010-20) Between 2010-13 The Left Hand of God was a done-and-dusted dark fantasy trilogy which I absolutely adored, however, whilst researching this article I was beyond excited to find out a fourth book comes out in 2020 so have sneakily added this series into this section in anticipation. This is a very challenging read which could equally be read by adults as well as teenagers and is very clever and mature fantasy set in the Sanctuary of the Redeemer, which is similar to a monastery for trainee monks or orphans, who are treated horribly by their masters, the Lord Redeemers, who serve in the name of the One True Faith, the religion of the land. The story focusses upon a boy called Thomas Cale who becomes strongly connected to an ancient prophecy whilst the Lord Redeemers plan to use his for their own purposes. Fantasy fiction does not get much better than this, soaked in atmosphere, intrigue and the fear that the prophecies might be real. It’s also set in an exceptionally well-developed world, which is very like ours, but not quite. AGE 13+ EDEN MAGUIRE: THE BEAUTIFUL DEAD (QUARTET 2009-10) The Beautiful Dead was an odd mix of supernatural and teen romantic drama which has each of its books named after four recently deceased teenagers. Main character seventeen-year-old Davina has recently lost her boyfriend Phoenix in a fight which ended in him being stabbed and killed. Over the same year others died also; Jonas, Arizona and Summer, who have the other books in the series named after them. Soon Davina stumbles upon the four dead friends, who are The Beautiful Dead, but alive in some way, or having returned as ghosts with unfinished business. It turns out they have been brought back to reveal the real cause of their death, and to seek justice, as Davina wants to spend time with Phoenix she helps and keeps their return secret. This was a quirky idea and a good balance between teen stuff and the darker supernatural plotline. AGE 11+ MARISSA MEYER: LUNAR CHRONICLES (QUARTET 2011-15) Cinder is the first novel in the Lunar Chronicles which is more science fiction that horror but is top heavy with darkness inspired by childhood fairy-tales. In the opening book lead character Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg and second-class citizen with a mysterious past. Reviled by her (evil) stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness she is having a very tough time. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai, she suddenly finds herself at the centre of an intergalactic struggle, and an attraction which is seriously frowned upon. No prizes from where the inspiration of this story came from! The plot expands in the sequels with the Evil Queen beginning to grow in power, whilst Cinder finds herself one of the most wanted fugitives in the galaxy. The future setting, where a terrible disease called letumosis is ravaging the world for which there is no cure is very clever, where cyborgs are seen as abominations. One of the nicest things about this series is that it attracted many girls, who might not normally read science fiction, to the genre. AGE 13+ STEPHANIE MEYER: TWILIGHT (QUARTER 2005-8) I recall reading Twilight when it was brand new and an unknown quantity even in knowledgeable librarian circles, arriving with very little fanfare. Although I always pegged it as a very good book, I would never have predicted it would go onto become the monster seller (the film helped of course) that was to kick-start the hugely successful Paranormal Romance subgenre. It’s very easy to get snobbish about it (especially if you’ve never read it) and in its defence it convincingly taps into the teenage psyche and is a clever modern play on the age-old vampire story with many well drawn characters. It is not difficult to see why the relationship between Bella Swan and the vampire boy Edward became so addictive to millions of teenage girls, captivating that generation, and the (very) occasional boy. AGE 12+ KASS MORGAN: THE 100 (QUARTET 2013-16) The 100 was turned into a long-running TV series (having a much longer lifespan than the original source material, which is rare) around seven seasons long and based upon this quartet of post-apocalyptic science fiction novels. The TV show is full of exceptionally good-looking twenty-somethings with not a hair out of place, the books are a grittier proposition and are based upon a clever premise. The last survivors of a nuclear war have been living in a space station above Earth for hundreds of years because of radiation poisoning after a long-forgotten war. However, the colony is now very low on resources and in a desperate attempt to save mankind send one hundred teenage delinquents (they’re nice really…) back to the planet to see if it can be colonised once again. Once they arrive, we quickly head into Lord of the Flies territory, factions break out, there are rivalries and powerplays, and they are most definitely not alone. A terrific page-turning series. AGE 12+ JEFF NORTON: METAWARS (QUARTET 2012-14) The Fight for the Future opens Jeff Norton’s MetaWars series and what initially attracted me to this series of books was the fact that it was set in and around the area of south London I work and live. Teenager Jonah Delacroix can't stand the real world - so he lives most of his life inside a global computer-based virtual world called the Metasphere, comparable to the Matrix or Ready Player One, where everyone is represented by an avatar. When he discovers the avatar of his dead father, and assumes his online identity, a series of events are unleashed that force Jonah across the real world to protect the freedom of everybody aided by a shady secret society. The sequels develop the story exceptionally well with the idea that the avatars of dead people can be reactivated and come to life. This may well be a dystopian series, but life within the Metasphere is exceptionally colourful and vividly drawn by the author. An outstanding and very easy to read series for kids who spent too much time online or on their phone. AGE 11+ DARREN SHAN: THE SAGA OF LARTEN CREPSLEY (QUARTER 2010-12) ‘Origin’ stories are dime a dozen these days, however, back in 2010 Darren Shan was way ahead of the curve when he returned to the world of his most memorable creations, the twelve book series Cirque Du Freak which is one of my personal favourites and will feature in the final section of these round-ups. You could easily read this quartet without reading Cirque Du Freak, but much of it has been written for those ‘in the know’ and stars Larten Crepsley one of the main supernatural characters from Cirque Du Freak who is several hundred-years-old. This origins story takes us back to when Larten was still a human boy and gets into trouble after killing a man who murdered his brother. Once on the run he meets a vampire, Seba, and his life changes forever. The four books beautifully humanise Larten who at various times falls out of love with being a vampire and immortality, taking the reader on a highly entertaining and swashbuckling series of adventures and escapades. I wish Darren Shan would start writing books for kids again, few have done more for engaging boys into reading horror than this outstanding author in the last twenty years. AGE 11+ NEAL SHUSTERMAN: UNWIND DYSTOLOGY (QUARTET 2007-14) I am a massive fan of Shusterman and adore the Unwind quartet. Imagine a world where parents can effectively ‘disown’ their children through a process called "unwinding." Unwinding ensures that the child's life doesn't 'technically' end, as all their organs are transplanted into the body of various other recipients. Now a common and accepted practice in society, troublesome or unwanted teens can be unwound, whether they want it or not. This book follows three teens who all become runaway Unwinds: Connor, a rebel whose parents have ordered his unwinding; Risa, a ward of the state who is to be unwound due to cost-cutting; and Lev, his parents' tenth child whose unwinding has been planned since birth as a religious tithing. But soon their paths cross and the battle for survival is on. AGE 12+ MAGGIE STIEFVATER: RAVEN CYCLE (QUARTET 2012-16) Stiefvater is exceptionally good at blending fantasy, romance with a strong supernatural element in her fiction with convincing and well-drawn teenage characters. Raven Boys opens this excellent series, the slang name given to the boys who attend the local private school, close to where main character Blue Sargent and her clairvoyant mother live. Early in the novel Blue gets to know a few of the boys and begins to develop feelings for one of them, however, this is a problem as an old family prophecy warns that her own true love will die. There is much crammed into this series, which is probably aimed more at girls, including mythology, dodgy prophecies, secrets, with plenty of twists and spicy turns, told from very distinct and believable multiple points of view. AGE 13+ MAGGIE STIEFVATER: WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS (QUARTET 2009-14) The Wolves of Mercy Falls quartet opens with the mega-selling Shiver which was one of the most successful of the Paranormal Romance stories focusing on werewolves. The author cleverly makes up her own rules and does not reply upon other folklore you might have come across, developing a convincing romantic thriller. Teenager Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away, reminding her of one of the wolves which used to lurk in her back-garden staring at her, which she was never quite afraid of and quietly drawn to. You can tell where the story is going, but it’s an engaging journey told via a duel narrative with distinctive voices. AGE 13+ JONATHAN STROUD: BARTIMAEUS (QUARTET 2001-10) The Bartimaeus series remains one of the genuine high points of post-2000 fantasy and dark fiction, beautifully straddling genres and creating a magical delight which looked like it had concluded as a trilogy in 2005 with Ptolemy's Gate. However, there was a surprise resurrection in 2010 with The Song of Solomon which is a prequel of sorts which focuses on the origins of the djinni Bartimaeus with an adventure going back in time to the days of King Solomon. The series opens with Nathaniel, a magician's apprentice, summoning up the djinni Bartimaeus, instructing him to steal The Amulet of Samarkand (also the name of the first book) from the powerful magician Simon Lovelace. When the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus is summoned he is amazed how powerful a magician the young boy is, who is also hell-bent on revenge against Lovelace. Set in a modern-day London controlled by magicians, these wonderful, funny and electrifying, supernatural thrillers are totally irresistible as Nathaniel works for the government and the djinni, who is a real scene-stealer, is simply wonderful. If I heard book five was in the pipeline, I would dance a jig! AGE 11+ TERI TERRY: SLATED (QUARTET 2014-19) The dystopian Slated series have been incredibly popular in my library and there was some recent excitement when Teri Terry made a surprise return to the series with a prequel five years after the conclusion of the original trilogy. A ‘Slating’ is a type of brain wiping operation which is a punishment dished out to supposed terrorists, who the government are apparently giving a second chance to. This happens to Kyra at the start of the novel, who has no recollection of the crime she has been convicted of, or her previous life. However, perhaps her slating procedure was not a 100% success? As echoes of her past, residual memories, return and nothing is what it seems in what develops into a complex conspiracy thriller. Teri Terry is quite superb at this type of oppressive dystopian story where nothing should be taken for face value, and nobody can be trusted. The series fans out into a fiendishly well plotted and compulsive thriller. AGE 12+ JAMIE THOMSON: THE DARK LORD (QUARTET 2012-17)
I found the four book Dark Lord series to be very funny, the opening book deservedly won the defunct Roald Dahl Funny Prize back in 2014. A demon from another dimension (‘The Dark Lord’) awakens in the body of a teenage boy called Dirk Lloyd and realises he has lost his magical powers and is forced to go to school, brush his teeth and is even made to go swimming. It pitches perfectly the trials of the ‘Dark Lord’ who tries and fit in at school, deal with puberty, whilst trying to destroy the world after lunch. It is very stupid, but particularly engaging and is not to be taken seriously and is perfect for kids who want an easy, undemanding, read. Before long Dirk makes friends with the son of his foster family, Christopher, and the local Goth Girl, Sooz, and together they attempt to cast a spell that will transport Dirk back to his demonic homeland. Inevitably, not everything goes to plan which is developed in book two. It is also perfect for reading aloud to younger kids for bedtime reading. AGE 9+ DANIEL WATERS: GENERATION DEAD (QUARTET 2008-16) All over the country teenagers who die, ‘The Newlydeads’ come back to life, in this clever riff on the teen horror, not-quite zombie, novel. In some ways it was a teen twist on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s adult horror novel Handling the Undead, but it’s a very convincing YA alternative and having the dead mix with the living in every day high school really is freaky and entertaining. Before long main character Phoebe finds herself falling for a zombie. The sequels really building upon the premise in the original and things get darker as they develop. The belated fourth book is a collection of short stories and novellas which was released six years after book three and is not a true sequel. AGE 12+ RICK YANCEY: THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST (QUARTET 2009-13) This atmospheric gothic series has it all: monsters, corpses, spooky catacombs, atmosphere and loads of great scares, not to mention three bloody sequels which are top heavy with crazy creatures. Will Henry is an apprentice to Dr. Pellinore Warthrop and is about to start telling his story, in diary format, the darkest secrets of the world’s most famous Monstrumologist and the dodgy experiments and dealings he gets up to in the name of science. Each of the stories are presented as different quests and if monster mashups are your thing, these are hard to beat. After the conclusion of this series Yancey turned his hand to science fiction with the excellent Fifth Wave trilogy. AGE 11+ |
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