Book Release: Princelings Revolution, by Jemima Pett

 The chronicles of the Realms are concluded!

 

Princelings Revolution is out today! The day has finally come for the last in Jemima Pett's Princelings of the East series. She started writing it in the dim dark days of 2008, thanks to inspiration from some guinea pig friends. Today's post has an extract and a Giveaway, so there's a lot of reading! 

In 2008, the series was just meant to be a trilogy. But the characters wouldn't accept their fate and demanded more. And so the saga of the Realms wound its way from south to north, and even into Germany before returning to the east.

1. The Princelings of the East
2. The Princelings and the Pirates
3. The Princelings and the Lost City
4. The Traveler in Black and White
5. The Talent Seekers
6. Bravo Victor
7. Willoughby the Narrator
8. The Princelings of the North
9. Chronicles of Marsh
   and...
   
10. .......

Princelings Revolution

Jasmine's birthday party ends in disaster. George seems to have lost a phial of highly dangerous liquid. And King Fred is battling politics, relatives and self-seeking dignitaries in his aim to give the people a better way of living. But can Fred keep the promise he made to an engaging chap from another time when he was just a princeling? Or will all their hopes fail?

Jemima's favourite quotes from the book

• "Hector, in charge? Couldn't lead a file of caterpillars, that one!"
• The way Jasmine said it made Fred raise an eyebrow. It was exactly how Kira said it when she wanted to say something privately.
• "The usual suspects are people we know. I reckon these are people we don’t know. And who don’t know us."
• “Oh.” George considered all the other uses he had found for it. This was not a good one. “It’s called duct tape,” he said.

About the series

Ten books take us from 2009 through to 2021, with a prequel at Book 4, explained from Lord Mariusz's point of view. The feudal structure of the Realms, the changes wrought by new technology, largely promoted by Princeling George, Fred's brother. The demise of paranormal creatures, thanks to George's use of garlic in the fuel cells; the rise of an anti-monarchist group called the Causists, and the resilience of characters great and small, trying to keep their pleasant and friendly society together in the face of so-called freedom fighters. One simple book at a time creates a world of change that will be somewhat familiar to every reader on today's uncertain planet. Suitable for good readers 8 years and up, although some parental guidance may occasionally be needed. Generally listed as age 10 and up. The first three books in the series are also available as Audiobooks.

 

Jemima at Bloggers Bash 2018

About the author

Jemima Pett started writing stories when she was eight. By ten she was designing fantasy islands, complete with maps and railways timetables. There was no call for fantasy island designers then, so she took the science route through university and went into a business career, then retrained for environmental technology. Once in a policy research organisation she started writing again, reports, papers and briefings. She didn't believe she could write fiction until her guinea pigs came along, and inspired her to write The Princelings of the East. Now she enjoys writing short stories and science fiction novels, and has been published by Third Flatiron Press, among others. She lives in Hampshire with Roscoe, Neville and Biggles, who all appear in Princelings Revolution. Jemima is on Twitter.... Amazon.... Goodreads.... Facebook.... Website

 

 

Buy The Book

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Enter the Giveaway!

Entries close at 11.59 23rd October, New York time. Open for entries in all countries and states where this type of raffle is legal. Some additional entry options may be added: please check back if this is important to you. a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Extract

George overhears a plot

The harbour at Castle Wash included a large store full of bits and pieces for ships as well as sails and larger fittings. George was ferreting around in the aisle of wing nuts and clips when he heard some people talking together on the next aisle, just the other side of the box he was checking in. 

“So, full moon, on the spring tide, then.” 

“Exactly. Bring the goods ashore, hand them to the party waiting for you, they’ll have blue sashes on. Low tide before dawn, poof! Up goes the causeway.” 

“And all for the Cause, I like that.” 

“The causeway for the Cause, he-he.” the second one chuckled, but it was an ugly sound. George stayed still, his hand poised over the wing nut he wanted. It didn’t sound like these people wanted to be overheard. How could he see what they looked like without being seen himself? If they checked down this aisle when they exited theirs… There was a shelf behind him just above his head height, with bundles of netting on it. He grabbed hold of the sides of the shelving and dragged himself onto it, grateful that he’d had to use a top bunk from time to time, and the technique hadn’t escaped him. He scrambled over the netting and peered through a loose bit of it. 

The two conspirators reached the end of their aisle, and sure enough, checked out George’s one for anyone listening. Why didn’t they do that before? George wondered. Was it a chance meeting? Maybe they’d had to move out of another aisle, and he’d been too quiet, inspecting the contents before he rummaged in the boxes. 

He saw their faces. One was a regular seadog, unmarked coat, dark brown, but with a spotted scarf around his neck. The other seemed vaguely familiar. But was he someone he’d met in the past, or did he just resemble someone he knew? He listened to their conversation as they left, chatting about eateries in the area, and realised. The second looked just like Py, proprietor (with Archi) of the Cheeky Parrot, Castle Wash’s famous inn. But Py wouldn’t be involved in conspiracy. Would he?  

Princelings Revolution © J M Pett 2020 

Why there isn't a review:

Regular readers will know that I usually like to review books, not just announce them. I have stopped reviewing Jemima's books because as an active beta reader I don't think I'm very objective... but I will say that I thought this was a fantastic conclusion to the series! I have thoroughly enjoyed all the books, and look forward to seeing what Jemima will do next! 

Book Launch: Princelings of the North

It's here!

The Princelings of the North
Book 8 of the Princelings of the East series



by Jemima Pett

Genre: older middle grade mystery adventure – age 10 and upwards.
ebook: 47,000 words, ebook ASIN B0785RY891 / ISBN 9781370899159
paperback: 237 pages; ISBN 9781389104404

The Princelings of the North is the eighth in The Princelings of the East series.
Princelings Dylan and Dougall, who live in the far northwest of an island off the northwest coast of the Realms, rescue an exiled prince, and battle against the odds to restore him to his birthright.

Irrepressible Dylan and steady Dougall are inseparable denizens of the tiny castle of Haunn, so far away from the rest of civilisation that it’s almost off the map. And maps are one of the key elements of this intricate adventure. Dylan finds a treasure map inside a bottle washed up on the shore – and he reckons he knows where X is. Instead of treasure, he finds the exiled Prince Kevin of Castle Deeping, antagonist in the Talent Seekers, bit-player in Bravo Victor, and mystery prince in Willoughby the Narrator. Kevin has had time to realise what a fool he’s been, and now wants vengeance and his castle back, which is just the sort of adventurous challenge that Dylan craves.

Lovers of the series will devour this latest adventure, but newcomers may find it best to start with the box set of books 1-3 or book 5; book 7 links to Kevin’s disappearance. This is a mystery adventure in a world not quite like ours, suitable for age 10 and upwards. The series is set to conclude with book 10.

Excerpt

“It’s a map, look! A treasure map!”

Dougall looked at the scrap of paper his brother Dylan had smoothed out on their bed.

“How do you know it’s a map?”

Dylan sighed, and pointed out the lines. “There’s the outline of the island, and the rocky inlet where the boats go in, and the wiggly lines are where the creek goes into the marshes. And there’s an X for where the treasure is buried!” he finished, leaping off the bed. “Oh, why can’t we go now? It might rain tomorrow!”

“But where did you get it?” Dougall was not one to act without all the facts.

“It got washed into the tide pool down near the Ensay Burn. I fished it out. It was in a bottle. I saw it glinting green and bobbing about.  I thought it had a stick inside it, but it broke when I dropped it on the way back and I found the paper!”

“But why do you think it’s a treasure map?” Dougall had not yet caught his brother’s enthusiasm.

“It’s got an X on it, look!”

“It could mean anything, X.”

“Like what?”

Dougall thought for a bit. He wasn’t familiar with maps, except of the night sky, since he was one of the star-watching team at the castle.  He didn’t go out of the castle much, except onto the crags above to check the solar cells or the turbine flow. It was Dylan who went all over the island, running messages. He’d been most places.

“Have you been to this place?” he asked Dylan, wondering whether he really did know what he was talking about after all.

“Umm, not exactly.  It’s pretty much on the way to Tober Hold, but I usually go a bit further up the glen, and keep to the high ground.  This bit’s all wet.” He pointed to the network of lines he’d described as the creek.
 
“And there’s nothing there that could be marked as a cross?”

Dylan thought for a bit.  Then he looked at the map again and then at his feet. “There’s ruin on a rock. By the crossroads,” he mumbled.

Dougall looked closer at the map. “Well, nobody’s marked the roads going into and out of the cross. You might still be right. Is it the right place for the crossroads?”

It was Dylan’s turn to study the map closely. “Yes,” he concluded. He stared at it for a moment. “Why would anyone…”

“Mark a cross on a map and not the roads leading up to it?” finished Dougall, his eyes sparkling.  “How long will it take us to get there?”

© J M Pett 2018 The Princelings of the North ch 1

My Review:
Note: I may not be wholly objective, as Jemima Pett is a friend and a key member of my "writer's group" (which exists only in the ether). Nonetheless, I have tried to keep an open mind and give an accurate review.

I had the privilege of an advance reading of the manuscript of The Princelings of the North, as a beta reader/editor, and I'm delighted to report that this is a great addition to the series. I had already grown fond of Dylan and Dougall from the short stories in which they feature ("Dylan's Yuletide Journey" and "Dougall's Reindeer Adventure," appearing in the Bookelves Anthology vols. 1 and 2 respectively, as well as the story mentioned below), and they did not disappoint here.

Dylan and Dougall share billing with Kevin, and all three are perfect for a kids' story: a bit naive, but with a clear sense of justice and the courage to take big chances for it. Their adventures are exciting, but never gory; violence lurks around the corner but doesn't break out beyond the reasonable bounds of a children's book.

The story is definitely part of a series, and I recommend starting at the beginning, though the book will not be incomprehensible without doing so. Even though the northern princelings are unaware of much of what has been happening in the south, it helps if the reader knows, not to mention being more fun to feel like you know something the characters don't. And, while the adventure is completed at the end (no cliff-hangers!), it is clear that the world needs those last two books to get everything in order, and Dylan, Dougall, and Kevin may well have further roles to play. Part of me did want a tidier tie-up at the end, but I don't think the story suffers.

The writing is strong and clean, as I have come to expect from the author, and the chapter illustrations are charming:

Kevin's exile

Castle Haunn

Recommendation:
I have recommended the series before, and that hasn't changed. It's a great read for anyone from 10 up (like my own books, Jemima Pett's stories are in some ways children's books in name only, and have as great an appeal to adult lovers of fantasy and science fiction). The Princelings of the North is a worthy addition to the series.

Buying Links

iTunes ** B&N ** Kobo
Smashwords
Amazon.com ** Amazon.co.uk ** Amazon.ca ** Amazon.com.au ** Amazon.in
Paperback: Amazon.com ***  Book Depository

Raising money for the Ulva Buyout Appeal #UlvaBuyout

The little island of Ulva is just to the south of the area where Jemima has placed Castle Haunn, Dylan and Dougall’s home on the Isle of Mull.  The community of North West Mull have the opportunity to buy the island from the current landowner, and use it as a sustainable resource, securing their own futures. Jemima invites everyone to join in her part of the fundraising effort on her JustGiving page, where you can get more details.

Anyone donating on her page will get a copy of a new novella written especially for the appeal, Dylan and the Lights of Ulva, with Jemima’s thanks.
Please help to promote this massive appeal for the small number (in the tens rather than the hundreds) of islanders.

About the Author

Jemima wrote her first book when she was eight years old. She was heavily into world-building, drawing maps, building railway timetables, and dreaming of being a champion show-jumper, until schoolwork got in the way. Then she went down the science path, writing research papers, manuals and reports, as well as editing the newsletters for her sports clubs. Forty years on she started writing stories about her guinea pigs and their adventures in a fantasy world where everything ran on strawberry juice. Eventually the Princelings of the East took shape, originally intended as a trilogy, but the characters just wouldn’t lie down.  The planned ending will now be with book ten.

Meanwhile, Jemima continues to enjoy the company of new guinea pigs in her home in Norfolk, UK. You can enjoy their blog George’s Guinea Pig World.

Connect with Jemima Pett:  Blog ** Amazon ** Goodreads ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Pinterest ** Smashwords

Giveaway Rafflecopter!

Giveaway prizes include copies of the new paperback and the ebook of the Box Set internationally, with an extra prize for a UK winner. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
FTC Disclosure: I was given a pre-publication draft to proof-read, and received nothing from the writer or publisher in exchange for that work or for this review.  The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

W is for Willoughby the Narrator #AtoZChallenge

W is for Willoughby

Who? Willoughby the Narrator!

I'm diverging from my format for a review and a launch-day party, because Jemima Pett's new book is out today! But it's all about Willoughby, so we're sticking with a W character.


Title: Willoughby the Narrator (Princelings of the East, Book 7)
Author: Jemima Pett
Publication info: Princelings Press, 2017. 180 pages.
Source: I cannot say I'm wholly unbiased; I was a proof-reader on this one :) The copy I read was an advance pre-publication proof.

Blurb:
Just where did Willoughby, who first appeared in the Talent Seekers (book 5), learn his ninja skills? How did he come to be a Narrator?  And what happened after he fell from the high tower at Castle Deeping?  Discover Willoughby’s origins, his big secret, and follow his adventures as he travels around, telling stories and acting as an undercover agent for the rich and powerful, as dark deeds start causing big trouble between the rival castles.

As might be expected from a Narrator, Willoughby tells his story with style and panache, starting with his somewhat surprising arrival in the Realms.

Lovers of the series will enjoy this latest tale, but newcomers may find it easier to start with book 1 or book 5. It’s a mystery adventure in a world not quite like ours, suitable for age 11 and upwards.

My Review:
I'll start right off by seconding the publisher's recommendation that new readers not start with this book. In fact, I'll suggest right now that you run out and get books 1-6 of the Princelings series, because things will make more sense that way. Besides, you'll get the fun of being in the know on things that Willoughby is having to figure out the hard way! Not to mention getting to read six really good, fun books.

One highly enjoyable aspect of this book (besides getting the other side of stories from the other books) is Willoughby's "narrations," the stories he tells at some of the castle Narrathons (story-telling entertainments; this is a world without movies or TV). Alert readers will recognize some of the tales, but he has his own take on even the most traditional stories, well suited to the Realms and often with a little different worldview than the originals. I especially love how Willoughby rewrites "The Princess and the Pea."


This book is a bigger and broader tale than the preceding books, and spans the whole time of the series to date, bringing together a lot of threads that might not seem like they are related when you are reading the other books. At times it's a bit cryptic--Willoughby has a limited perspective, and he doesn't know everything that's going on. Sometimes the reader can enjoy knowing what he doesn't, and other times we got a little frustrated with not quite being able to see the whole picture. But that works out right in the end, as much becomes clear that wasn't, and Willoughby moves into position to be (I hope) a bigger player in the final books of the series.

Ms. Pett's writing style is, as always, highly enjoyable and suited for both children and adults. There is no sense of her "writing down" to children, but the story is accessible and there is nothing objectionable for children from about 10 or 11 up. There is some death and a plague, as well as political intrigue, so it may not be suited to younger children, but young readers will appreciate that Willoughby enters the story as a young person trying to find his way in the world.

Recommendation:
As I said above, go buy books 1-6 if you haven't already! Read those, and then dive into the backside of many of those stories. Willoughby is striving--and doing a good job of it--to look at all sides of problems, and promoting fairness and equality in the Realms. His example is worth following!

Purchase Links

iTunes ** B&N ** Kobo
Smashwords
Amazon.com ** Amazon.co.uk ** Amazon.ca ** Amazon.com.au

About the Author

Jemima wrote her first book when she was eight years old. She was heavily into world-building, drawing maps, building railway timetables, and dreaming of being a champion show-jumper, until schoolwork got in the way and she went down the science path, writing research papers, manuals and reports, as well as editing the newsletters for her sports clubs. Forty years on she started writing stories about her guinea pigs and their adventures in a fantasy world where everything ran on strawberry juice. Eventually the Princelings of the East took shape, originally intended as a trilogy, but the characters just wouldn’t lie down.  The planned ending will now be with book ten.
Meanwhile, Jemima continues to enjoy the company of new guinea pigs in her home in Norfolk, UK. Only Kevin is left of the ones in the stories to date, and he runs their blog ‘George’s Guinea Pig World‘. Check out their posts for the A to Z Challenge, too!

Contact Jemima Pett:  Blog ** Amazon ** Goodreads ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Pinterest ** Smashwords


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V is for Victor #AtoZChallenge

 

V is for Victor, of the Princelings of the East

In a Nutshell: He runs the Inn of the Seventh Happiness at a major crossroads, but Victor does manage to find some adventures in unexpected places. He's quite a business guru, with an education in business administration, thanks to Lady Nimrod.
Biggest Secret: Why his dad disappeared for the better part of a year.
Favourite line: "When you're busy working on one thing, another part of your brain works away at some other problem."

 

It’s now 2015.  Victor has grown up, but in spite of his ambitions to be a business guru, he’s still running the Inn of the Seventh Happiness in his spare time.  Fate takes a hand when he visits King Fred of Castle Marsh and is whisked off on a mission to help Sundance and his beautiful accomplice unmask a criminal, and investigate why George has not returned home after his visit to a flying festival. He narrates the particulars of his travels in the Rhinelands, and his quandary when he meets an old friend from a different timeline… Bravo Victor contains a handy chronology of key events in the series to date, as well as a cast of characters.  It’s suitable for budding inventors, politicians, business leaders, entrepreneurs, smugglers and barkeepers!  

Buy Bravo Victor

▪   at Amazon

▪   at Smashwords (all formats)

▪   at B&N for Nook

▪   on the iBookstore for your iPad

Buy the paperback at Amazon.com and BookDepository 

My review of Bravo Victor is here.

See also this excellent review by children's book writer M. G. King.

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Hang in there, A to Zedders! The end is in sight. How are you doing? Are you keeping up with posting? With commenting? I've only been late with one post so far, but can't deny that visiting and commenting have been a little slack.

Q is for Queen Kira #AtoZChallenge

Q is for Queen Kira of Castle Marsh

In a nutshell: Queen Kira of Castle Marsh (formerly Princess Kira of Chateau Dimerie); elegant, steady, determined and feisty princess who uses her logical brain as well as her emotional intelligence.  She is the rock on which Castle Marsh’s king (Fred) bases all his good work.  And she’s really nice with it!
Biggest secret: She knows Fred’s brother, Prince Engineer George, loves her too.  There’s nothing so sad as a gentle soul suffering from unrequited love.

First discovered in the Princelings and the Pirates, when Fred saves her from being held hostage by the pirate king.  She then has a heart-rending adventure in Princelings and the Lost City, when the victim of kidnap (yet again), but brings her influence to bear on her captors to get them to change.

Excerpt from The Princelings and the Lost City: 

[Princess Kira has been kidnapped by the Queen of Arbor, and now kidnapped again by some rebels causing Arbor trouble]

Princess Kira sat in the entrance to the cave, thinking.  Rosebud and Maisy were sitting a little behind her, chatting quietly together.  They seem to have got over their initial shock and were reliving the day’s events so far, starting with the concert.

Kira’s main thoughts at present were that she knew enough about Arbor’s problems to persuade someone like Lady Nimrod to help solve them.  She also recognised that she didn’t have a complete picture of the situation, and she still didn’t know what Jess’s mission was, or what would happen to her if Jess failed.

What mission would I send Jess on if I were queen of Arbor, she thought.  Why would I need to impersonate a princess in order to carry out the mission?

The main benefits of impersonating a princess, she decided, were to gain access to people that princess knew, and to be able to move around the circles of power in the way that princess did.  So no one would think it in any way peculiar if Princess Kira wanted to visit … whom for help?  Nimrod of course.  She recalled what the Queen had said about her particular attributes.  Access to Lady Nimrod was surely a major benefit of having captured her, rather than another princess, although Lady Nimrod was extraordinarily well travelled and it might be she knew most princesses.  Remembering what Lupin and Fred had said about the princesses whom Lupin had entertained in the process of selecting a bride, it sounded highly likely that Lady Nimrod knew absolutely everyone, Kira thought with a grin.

So if Jess was off to see Lady Nimrod at Buckmore, when would she get there? Well, if Fred stayed at Marsh as long as he had been planning it would be weeks yet, and in any case she would have to persuade him to take her back to Buckmore instead of going straight to Dimerie.  Or she could cut short her trip to Marsh and say she needed to get to Dimerie then go to Buckmore from there, Kira thought.  Probably a better idea.  It would also depend on the opportunities that arose, though.  But it did mean that it was probably at least a week to go till Jess got to speak to Nimrod.  Kira looked out at the young males in the clearing below and the guard dozing in the sunshine.  The girls behind her had also stopped chatting, and were dozing as well.  Well, it was siesta time in Arbor, thought Kira, and the flies did buzz rather soporifically.

Kira spent a few more seconds planning.  She knew the way they had come into the forest from Arbor.  She knew the way from Arbor to the clearing at the end of the tunnel to Seventh Happiness.  She had spotted another track leading off to the west as they had come into the Huguenots’ clearing.  Should she go back the way she had come or trust to luck and take a more direct route back towards Buckmore?  She thought about the distances involved, and decided to do something unexpected.
She slipped out of the cave, avoided the sleeping guard, skirted the clearing, and headed off on the path going west.  She was hidden from the view of the other Huguenots within seconds.

Buy The Princelings and the Lost City

▪   at Amazon.com

▪   at AmazonUK

▪   at Barnes & Noble for Nook

▪   on the Apple iBookstore

▪   at Kobo

▪   and of course in all formats at Smashwords

▪   links from Goodreads, IAN and Kindleboards

Buy the paperback at Amazon.com or BookDepository or order at your local store

Thanks, Jemima, for sending Queen Kira along to rescue my "Q" day! And here's my 2013 review of Lost City.

I'm doing a very simple A to Z with characters from my writing and the books of my author friends--and Jemima Pett gets the credit for the idea! I'm just posting a brief profile, sometimes a quote, and the book cover with links. Though you may also see some of my typical reviews (when I feature other peoples’ books) and the usual Friday Flash Fiction.