Howl's Moving Castle by Dianne Wynne Jones

In the land of Ingary, where seven league boots and cloaks of invisibility do exist, Sophie Hatter catches the unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste and is put under a spell. Deciding she has nothing more to lose, she makes her way to the moving castle that hovers on the hills above Market Chipping. But the castle belongs to the dreaded Wizard Howl whose appetite, they say, is satisfied only by the souls of young girls… There she meets Michael, Howl’s apprentice, and Calcifer the Fire Demon, with whom she agrees a pact. But Sophie isn’t the only one under a curse – her entanglements with Calcifer, Howl, and Michael, and her quest to break her curse is both gripping – and howlingly funny!

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Publication Date: April 14th, 1986
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Country: USA
ISBN: 0007299265
Original Language: English
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure/Fairytale
Source: My bookshelf!
Buy the Book: Amazon
Lootability: The book that set off a thousand raiders!

Author Interview: Heather Burch

Two weeks ago I reviewed the debut novel Halflings by Heather Burch, which is due for publication at the end of the month. Now, I have the honour of chatting with Heather about her writing and her experiences with Halflings.

Halflings is Burch's first book to be published, but before this success she had written five other books for adults. It wasn't until she got the idea for Halflings that she realised she was better equipped to write for teenagers than adults. As a woman who worked with teenagers, as an ordained minister and motivational speaker, it makes sense that her target audience should be teens.

"At the time I wrote Halflings, I hadn't read any YA books (a big publishing no-no!) I didn't know the trends, the attitudes, the storylines ... but I know teenagers. I've spent years working with teens and I wanted to give the teen I knew the type of story they would enjoy. They were my inspiration. Before Halflings I was writing novels for adults. Which was stupid, really because I'd rather hang out with teens. :)"

Touch of Power by Maria V Snyder

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life... 

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Publication Date: 20th December, 2012
Publisher: Mira Ink Books
ISBN: 0778313077
Original Language: English
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Adventure
Source: Library
Buy the Book: Amazon 
Lootability: Grab it and go.