Today, a couple of New Zealand books, which are being released very soon (nowish).

The Nature of Ash, Mandy Hager. This is a new novel by the author of the popular Blood of the Lamb trilogy. “Set in NZ 20-odd years in the future, corporations have carved up resources for themselves, leaving the local population disconnected from the land and living with water and food shortages, depleted oil and gas supplies, climate change effects and a divided and impoverished society where only those at the top have any wealth or power. Ash (Ashley) McCarthy is an 18-year-old living in a student hostel. The novel opens with Ash and his friends embarking on a night of heavy drinking, to settle their fears over the torpedoing of an Australian ship in NZ territorial waters after a prolonged dispute. Ash receives the terrible news that his father has died in a bomb blast. Nothing is ever the same again as Ash must deal with his father’s death, look after his handicapped brother and leave town as the threat from offshore gets seriously worrying. Ash is thrown into a fast-paced series of disasters, finally learning the awful truth about his mother.” (The Children’s Bookshop, Kilbirnie)

Red Rocks, Rachael King. This one has the added bonus of being set in Wellington (yes those Red Rocks). “While holidaying at his father’s house, Jake explores Wellington’s wild south coast, with its high cliffs, biting winds, and its fierce seals. When he stumbles upon a perfectly preserved sealskin, hidden in a crevice at Red Rocks, he’s compelled to take it home and hide it under his bed, setting off a chain of events that threatens to destroy his family. Red Rocks takes the Celtic myth of the selkies, or seal people, and transplants it into the New Zealand landscape, throwing an ordinary boy into an adventure tinged with magic. With its beautiful writing and eerie atmosphere, junior readers will be thrilled and moved by this captivating story.” (The Children’s Bookshop, Kilbirnie)

In other upcoming news, Laini Taylor, author of Daughter of Smoke & Bone, has announced that the sequel will be published in November this year (we will let you know when you can reserve it). It’s called Days of Blood & Starlight, and she will be releasing sample chapters. The book cover is here on her blog.