Ancient witchcraft in a modern world. This is an action-packed and magical modern-day drama full of East End gangs and witches - think 'Spooks' meets 'The Sopranos' meets Witch Child. It is a totally original, utterly engaging page-turner from an exciting breakthrough author. This is the author's third novel.
A review by Katy Poulter The concept for Burn Mark is amazing and could have made an awesome book but the way it is written makes it slow and boring to read. There are some exciting parts that gripped me and made me want to read on but there is so long between them that I got bored and discouraged from reading it. I love the world that the author created which is just like the world we know now except from the fact that witches exist and this is thought out so well from the words people use to special organisations that are part of everyday life in the book. It is a very consistent book with everything inside it stayed the same and the world never fluctuated and I admire that in a book. I liked Lucas and his way of thinking but I never warmed to Glory and I didn't like her from the start. It took me almost three weeks to read it because it dragged on and I got so bored. I think the idea of having two stories going on at once and then kind of merging is brilliant but unfortunately, I don't think it really worked as I found myself getting confused and not sure which character was where. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book as I found it slow and boring but I can understand why some people might like it.
Katy Poulter is a member of the Lovereading4kids Reader Review Panel but she has reviewed this novel in the first instance for the Leeds Book Award as it is one of the 2013 shortlisted titles. The organisers have kindly agreed to let us also make use of Katy's review.
Glory is from a family of witches and lives beyond the law. She is desperate to develop her powers and become a witch herself. Lucas is the son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition - the witches' mortal enemy - and his privileged life is very different to the forbidden world that he lives alongside. And then on the same day, it hits them both. Glory and Lucas develop the Fae - the mark of the witch. In one fell stroke, their lives are inextricably bound together, whether they like it or not ...
Praise for The Game of Triumphs and The Masters of Misrule:
'Powell has really outdone herself ... The Master of Misrule is imaginative, intriguing and one of the best reads available today ... If you are looking to get lost in a book, make sure it's this one' - Hack Writers
'I suspected from the first book in the series we could soon have a new star of teen fantasy on our hands ... A great way to close the story, with strong fantasy helped by brilliant characters, pace and plotting' - The Bookbag
'Powell has managed to create a totally unique, original idea that stands out from the rest of the fantasy genre, combining elements of tarot with a dash of the extraordinary ... A fantastic second instalment, not to be missed' - Chicklish
Author
About Laura Powell
Laura Powell, who may or may not be a direct descendant of King Arthur, was born in London, but grew up in the shadow of Carreg Cennen Castle in Wales. Much of her childhood was either spent with her nose firmly in a book, or plotting to escape her boarding school, which she hated. Having studied Classics at university, she now spends her time working for the English National Ballet and writing. She lives in Camberwell with her husband and young son.
