Fever Crumb

Assassins made of paper able to slip in the narrowest of openings. Skinners who work to eliminate the world of Patchskins. And, an army of living dead made up of Stalkers. For 14 year old Fever Crumb, these are just the beginnings of her troubles. An orphan raised by a college of engineers to value logic above all else, she stumbles upon a secret that threatens to shed light on who she really is and where she came from. Follow her as she races around a futuristic London trying to find out the truth of her past as chaos and bloodshed blossom around her.

Exciting and suspenseful, FEVER CRUMB by Philip Reeve is a believable fantasy with a satisfying ending. Not your typical coming of age story, Fever is a character who struggles between being rational and giving in to her emotions as she desperately tries to find out who she really is. Full of science and humorous references to our daily indulgences, "blog off!," it enables us to connect to a future which is not as sleek or highly cultured as we commonly imagine.

This prequel to the Mortal Engines Quartet (Hungry City Chronicles) is able to stand alone as its own story. Or, it can become the doorway that invites you to read on, following the path of society after the Sixty Minute War.

Neil Gaiman's Nine-City Video Tour

Fantasy author Neil Gaiman (giving advice to young writers above) is posting video readings to promote his new work, The Graveyard Book.

After Bod’s family is murdered, he seeks refuge in a graveyard, is adopted by its inhabitants, and taught about life through the eyes of the dead. Soon Bod finds out that sometimes the world on the outside of a graveyard can be a terrifying place, and that it takes more than just a couple of good-hearted souls to raise a child--it takes a graveyard.

Gaiman is recording one chapter at each stop on his book tour, which means you can have Uncle Neil read the entire book to you at bedtime (though maybe not in one night).

The videos can be found at MouseCircus.com.