Release date - 28th April 2017 Book length - 230 pages Publisher - www.thedomepress.com Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - Sleeper Amazon US - www.amazon.com BLURB Sixteen-year-old Will Starling is pulled from the sea with no memory of his past. In his blazer is a strange notebook with a bullet lodged inside: a bullet meant for him. As London prepares for the Blitz, Will soon finds himself pursued by vicious agents and a ruthless killer known as the Pastor. All of them want Will's notebook and will do anything to get it. As Will's memory starts to return, he realises he is no ordinary sixteen-year old. He has skills that make him a match for any assassin. But there is something else. At his core is a deep-rooted rage that he cannot explain. Where is his family and why has no one reported him missing? Fighting for survival with the help of Mi5 agent-in-training, Anna Wilder, Will follows leads across London in a race against time to find the Stones of Fire before the next air raid makes a direct hit and destroys London forever. MY REVIEW SLEEPER by JD Fennell begins with the main character, sixteen-year-old Will Starling, in the throes of a secret mission set in England in 1941. Working as a trained soldier for the Agents of Viper, Will is sent to steal a very special notebook that could change the world as we know it. But Will has his own plans, and they do not involve the vicious Viper team whom he despises. Obtaining the notebook, Will is then on the run from Viper and The Pastor, a truly terrifying enemy. But when he almost drowns everything changes for Will. For when he wakes up he has lost his memory and must piece together the few clues he has to find the truth. From an unusual school for teenage spies to high-speed chases and an otherworldly weapon, SLEEPER by JD Fennell ties everything together perfectly set against the backdrop of the War. With plenty of characters that are very compelling, Will is by far the most interesting. As a reader, we are there alongside Will as he desperately searches for the truth about who he is and trying to decide who he can trust, and this really makes you feel a part of the story. Thrown into the action from the start, the energetic pace is conveyed perfectly through short and catchy chapters, and excellent narrating. SLEEPER by JD Fennell is aimed at a YA crossover audience and I think it absolutely hits the mark. It is the kind of book that you know would translate perfectly onto the screen. I thoroughly enjoyed SLEEPER by JD Fennell and I highly recommend it. Author Bio: J.D. was born in Belfast at the start of the Troubles, and began writing stories at a young age to help understand the madness unfolding around him. A lover of reading, he devoured a diverse range of books – his early influences include Fleming, Tolkien, Shakespeare and the Brontës. He left Belfast at the age of nineteen and worked as a chef, bartender, waiter and later began a career in writing for the software industry. These days he divides his time between Brighton and London, where he lives with his partner and their two dogs. For more information: Website - www.sleeperbook.com Twitter - twitter.com/jd_fennell Facebook - www.facebook.com/JDFennellAuthor/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel *I want to thank Emily from The Dome Press and JD Fennell for the opportunity to review this book, take part in this blog tour, and this fabulous Guest Post that I have for your reading pleasure. Enjoy! GUEST POST FROM JD FENNELL
There is one question I keep getting asked about Sleeper time and time again. During the blog tour it has come up a few times, and at an event in Waterstones recently, someone asked it. I also spoke separately with two publishers at different book launches and they asked the same question; both times I tried not to notice their furrowed brows and puzzled expressions. What was the question? Well, a smart and innocuous one, actually. “Why did you set your book in 1941?” In my head, the publishers were thinking I had written something that would never sell. Although neither said as much, I had heard that young people were not interested in historical fantasy books. Looking at the book charts to see what is selling, one could easily draw that conclusion. However, it never occurred to me once to write for the market. I knew from the beginning what I wanted to write, and as I told the audience at Waterstones and the wonderful blogging community: in essence, I wrote the book I wanted to read. If you have not read my book and need some context, here is a summary: Sleeper is a thriller set in 1941. It follows sixteen-year-old Will Starling who is pulled from the sea with no memory of the past. In his blazer is a strange notebook with a bullet lodged inside: a bullet meant for him. The notebook is Will’s only way of uncovering who he is. He soon discovers it is more than that and other people want it. As London prepares for the Blitz, Will finds himself pursued by vicious agents and a ruthless killer known as the Pastor. Sleeper is inspired by my love of fast, paced thrillers with twists and turns. I also love the period and really wanted to set an action/adventure with fantastical elements during a familiar time in our history. The Second World War, in particular the London Blitz and a disintegrating London, was just the perfect setting for a thriller. I just had to write it. My heroes, Will and Anna, must fight for survival against evil villains, but they also have to navigate a city that is being destroyed around them. I wanted back to basics action without high-tech aides such as mobile phones, internet or laptops. Also, as a writer, weaving Sleeper into the timeline of 1941, and setting it in real places, during real events provided an authenticity, which I hoped makes the story believable. So take a measure of Jason Bourne. Add a sprinkling of Da Vinci Code and mix in some Raiders of the Lost Ark. Fold in liberal quantities of London during the Blitz and you have the makings of an explosive cake... erm... story. If this concoction whets your appetite, then you may well enjoy my novel. Sleeper was a labour of love. For me it was a year spent in 1941, dodging bullets, fighting psychotic villains and solving mysteries as London crumbled around me. What’s not to love about that? This is the closest I will get to being a Time Lord. Very soon, I will be returning to that period to continue with book two. I can’t wait. *Thank you JD Fennell for such an interesting Guest Post!
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WelcomeHi fellow bookworms. My name is Linda and I'm a reviewer & blogger, wife & mother who loves all things books! Currently ReadingUPCOMING BLOG TOURS
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