September 2, 2024 - fundinmentalfundinmental

MY REVIEW

Earth Shot by Stephen Henning is suggested for those 9 and older and I loved it. Earth Shot made me think of ET, with the 3 friends, one of them being the younger sister, but it didn’t take long for the differences to start to show when we get to know the dying alien and Magic.

Sure, THEY wanted to find the aliens, but the kids weren’t going to help them. Not only are the kids hiding from the military, but they are also hiding from the evil alien that wants to kill them all.

Magic is awesome. At times I felt sorry for him, but he’s only a machine, a tablet. I can only imagine how enamored a child would be, maybe, like me, at times forgetting it’s not alive.

I had so much fun with the kids, dodging bullets and danger, while soaring through the skies. The action was non stop, keeping me flipping pages. At times, I laughed, at times I was scared, but I never lost faith in the children.

This is the second series of Stephen Henning’s I am reading and I love his work. It keeps me entertained for hours at a time. I find the characters personalities shine throw, keeping me involved, wondering what is going to happen to them next.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Earth Shot by Stephen Henning.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A dying alien begs you for help, but it’s not your problem ‘cos you’re just a kid. Right? Three young friends witness a UFO crash in a remote Suffolk forest and are forced to make a will they help a dying alien stop Earth from being plunged into war? If so, they’ll have to trust their lives to a know-it-all computer nicknamed Magic, with its array of clever gadgets; take on a dangerous, shape-shifting enemy; break into a US Air Force base; and find a way to reach an orbiting spaceship. Ultimately, they’ll have to rely on one another’s loyalty and friendship if they are to stay alive and save the world.

EARTH SHOT is the first book in a new science fiction series, aimed at avid sci-fi readers aged 9 and upwards.

If you like stories of alien invasion and children’s action & adventure sci-fi books, then the Seconds to Midnight series is for you!

Genre: Action and Adventure, Fiction, Science Fiction
203 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 5, 2024
Series: Seconds To Midnight, Book I

ABOUT STEPHEN HENNING

I began writing the first Class Heroes book on my laptop in February 2011, but these stories have probably been continually playing in my head since I was aged five or six, when I would act them out with toys and with my friends. I then branched out into using pencils, colouring pens and paper, moving on to writing pads and then my first computer.

So, as you’ve probably gathered, I have always enjoyed making up stories and the super-hero genre has been one of my favourites.

The CV-type stuff is that I went to Sheffield Hallam University to study English. I then trained and briefly worked as a journalist in Salford. After that, I moved into publishing – which was great. An interesting and fun industry to be in and fascinating to see how books are put together and sold.

After that I started doing technical writing, which led me to start my own business with my friend and colleague Andrew Butters. My love of writing, generally, led me back to writing fiction. Our company, Elucidox Ltd, publishes the Class Heroes books.

If you want to know a bit more about me, what kind of super powers I have and the kind of super villains I have to tangle with on a daily basis, then feel free to watch Rage. This is a short film, that took a long time to make. It’s a simple day in my life :-). Actually it’s just a fun movie that I made with the very kind help of some of my best mates. We had a laugh doing it, hope you like it too. And if you do, then why not explore the super world of the Class Heroes books?

Website / Goodreads / Youtube

MY STEPHEN HENNING REVIEWS

A Class Apart (Class Heroes #1)
What Happened in Witches Wood (Class Heroes #2)
Where’s Lolly (Class Heroes #3)
London Belongs to the Alcheist (Class Heroes #4)
Hearts and Minds (Class Heroes #5)
Jesus of the North (Class Heroes #6)
How To Start Your Own Country (Class Heroes #7)

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THE MARK OF THE SALAMANDER Justin Newland

GENRE: Historical Fiction

BLURB

1575.

Nelan Michaels is a young Flemish man fleeing religious persecution in the Spanish Netherlands. Settling in Mortlake outside London, he studies under Queen Elizabeth’s court astrologer, conjuring a bright future – until he’s wrongly accused of murder.

Forced into the life of a fugitive, Nelan hides in London, before he is dramatically pressed into the crew of the Golden Hind.

Thrust into a strange new world on board Francis Drake’s vessel, Nelan sails the seas on a voyage to discover discovery itself. Encountering mutiny, ancient tribes and hordes of treasure, Nelan must explore and master his own mystical powers – including the Mark of the Salamander, the mysterious spirit of fire.

THE MARK OF THE SALAMANDER is the first in The Island of Angels series: a two-book saga that tells the epic story and secret history of England’s coming of age during the Elizabethan era.

EXCERPT

It was midway through the afternoon watch. On a Monday. It wasn’t any old Monday. It was a special Monday. Not because of an extra beer ration; nor because of the smell of fish emanating from the galley. No – it was because, on that autumn day, nearly all fifty-eight surviving crew members hung over the gunwale, their eyes dripping with expectation and glued to the horizon. On occasion, they glanced up at the topmast and the barrel man as if waiting for a message from the heavens. None came, even after they’d passed the Isles of Scilly. Nor did it come after they passed Wolf Rock. It surely wouldn’t be long in coming.

As the creaking of the sails ceased, the Golden Hind glided serenely through the waters as if drawn forward by a divine wind. Even the gulls stopped squawking. A light rain shower washed the decks. The men gazed at the white flecks on the waves.

Amidst the quiet, a cry went out, and travelled down the mizzenmast, across the poop deck and into the soul of each crew member. “Land ho!”

Nelan stood next to Fletcher, who raised his hands like an Old Testament prophet and cried out, “Oh, my God!” Then he knelt on the deck, hands clasped in a prayer of thanksgiving.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

JUSTIN NEWLAND’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres from historical adventure to supernatural thriller and magical realism.

Undeterred by the award of a Doctorate in Mathematics from Imperial College, London, he conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (ISBN 9781789014860, Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies.

His second book is a historical thriller, The Old Dragon’s Head (ISBN 9781789015829, Matador, 2018), and is set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall.

The Coronation (ISBN 9781838591885, Matador, 2019) is an historical adventure and speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution.

The Abdication (ISBN 9781800463950, Matador, 2021) is a mystery thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith.

His latest is The Mark of the Salamander (ISBN 9781915853271, Book Guild, 2023) and is the first in a two-book series, The Island of Angels. Set in the Elizabethan era, it tells the epic tale of England’s coming of age.

The second in the series, The Midnight of Eights (ISBN 9781835740 330, Book Guild, 2024), charts of the uncanny coincidences that culminated in the repulse of the Spanish Armada and is due for publication in October.

Author, speaker and broadcaster, Justin gives talks to historical associations and libraries, appears on LitFest panels, and enjoys giving radio interviews.

He lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.

Author Website: https://www.justinnewland.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justin.newland.author/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/@jnewland0711
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JustinNewland53
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjustinnewland/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jnewland
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-newland-b393aa28/
Book Bub: https://partners.bookbub.com/authors/4862998/edit
Video Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/qx39wZjXajU
Justin Newland’s Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Justin-Newland/author/B06WRQVLT8

BUY LINKS

Preferred Buy Link (no postage to pay on this one): https://wordery.com/mark-of-the-salamander-justin-newland-9781915853271
Buy link on my website (where buyer enters – and I can write – a personal dedication): https://www.justinnewland.com/the-mark-of-the-salamander~191
Universal Buy Link: https://mybook.to/MarkofSalamander
Publishers Website (UK): https://www.bookguild.co.uk/bookshop/the-mark-of-the-salamander/
Waterstones (UK): https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-mark-of-the-salamander/justin-newland/9781915853271
WH Smith (UK): https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/the-mark-of-the-salamander-the-island-of-angels/justin-newland/paperback/9781915853271.html
Amazon (UK): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mark-Salamander-Island-Angels/dp/1915853273/ref=sr_1_2
Browns Books (UK): http://www.brownsbfs.co.uk/Product/Newland-Justin/The-mark-of-the-salamander/9781915853271#
Amazon (US): https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Salamander-Justin-Newland/dp/1915853273/ref=sr_1_1
Barnes and Noble (US): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mark-of-the-salamander-justin-newland/1144122989?ean=2940186006305
Kobo (US): https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-mark-of-the-salamander
Amazon Canada:https://www.amazon.ca/Mark-Salamander-Justin-Newland/dp/1915853273/ref=sr_1_1
Agenda Bookshop (EU): https://agendabookshop.com/products/the-mark-of-the-salamander