Darren Shan, Allies of the night
(Collins, 2002, 186 pages, 000713780)

A troubled half vampire fights to save his friends, family and the clan he has finally grown to love. See review

Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl
(Viking, 2001, 278 pages, 0 670 89962 3)

Artemis Fowl is a stunning read involving fairies of the not-so-placid kind and a twelve-year old mastermind with devious plans to outwit the fairies, but will he succeed? See review

Marcus Sedgewick, The Dark Horse
(Orion, 2002, 187 pages, 1 84255 215 5)

This book is all about the small village of Storn, which lives by farming and fishing, and the story of some of its inhabitants - especially when they come under attack from a new enemy. See review

Robin Jarvis, Deathscent
(Collins, 2001, 503 pages, 0 00 711815 5)

Set in an alternate realm where mechanical creatures are commonplace, due to the lack of real animals. Robin Jarvis' latest novel is a bit daunting at 500 pages long, but if you persevere it really is well worth reading. See review

Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted
(Collins, 2000, 239 pages, 0 00 675548 8)

The exciting and funny adventures of a teenage girl trying to rid herself of a curse, which forces her to obey every order given to her. Her quest involves finding the hateful fairy who bestowed this curse upon her. See review

Julie Bertagna, Exodus
(Young Picador, 2002, 343 pages, 0 330 40096 7)

A completely individual book where an different world to our own is suffering terribly from rising sea levels, and young Mara must begin an emigration to the fabled cities of legend which are supposed to exist in the oceans, but do they, and if they do, can Mara and her family find them? See review

William Nicholson, Firesong
(Egmont Books Limited, 2002, 341 pages, 0 7497 4916 4)

A story where a community of people travel to their Homeland. They encounter many obstacles on their way.  A gripping read and fast-paced read. See review

Mark Robson, First Sword
(Sword Publishing, 2002, 317 pages, 0 9538 190 2 7)

This is the third book in the Darkweaver series and it is full of action. It mostly follows Bek, who must try to fight his way out of the brutal arena he has been put in. See review

Mark Robson, The Forging of the Sword
(Sword Publishing, 2000, 309 pages, 0 9538190 0)

A great book, The Forging of the Sword is all about Calvyn's adventures in Thrandor, the land where the book is set. A good read for all war story fans, as it has lots of fast-paced fighting.See review

Diana Wynne Jones, Howl's Moving Castle
(Collins, 1986, 301 pages, 0 00 675523 2)

A story in which a young girl has to deal with a spell, a conceited wizard and the task of blackening someone's name, as well as bargaining with fire demons and more. See review

Philip Reeve, Mortal Engines
(Scholastic Press, 2001, 293 pages, 0 439 98222 7)

Europe is ruled by vast cities that can only survive by moving around on traction wheels.  This gripping, if (at first) somewhat strange book follows the story of a young apprentice in London, who encounters all sorts of difficulties. See review

Marianne Curley, The Named
(Bloomsbury, 2002, 333 pages, 0 7475 5764 0)

A brilliant story of the battle to save the world's history, where Ethan, one of the Named must try to stop the tiny event that will trigger catastrophe. However trying to do this while attempting to lead a normal life at school proves a very tricky task. See review

Philip Pullman, Northern Lights
(Scholastic, 1996 (first published in 1995), 399 pages, 0 590 13961 4)

A fantastic tale of another world where Lyra must try to stop the many evil and mysterious things that are going on.See review

Marianne Curley, Old Magic
(Bloomsbury, 2000, 317 pages, 0 7475 4923 0)

This is a fast-paced book about witchcraft, spells, magic and time-travel. It involves Kate and Jarrod, who both have magical powers, but in very different amounts. See review

Geraldine McCaughrean, Perseus
(Oxford, 2003, 96 pp., 0 19 274197)

A gripping retelling of the ancient Greek myth following Perseus, the flaxen haired hero as he tries to perfrom one of the hardest tasks of all time, to slay the Gorgon Medusa, whose beady stare turns men to stone. See review

Megan Turner, The Queen of Attolia
(Harper Collins, 2002 (first published 2000), 300 pages, 0 00 712174 1)

Set a long time ago around the Mediterranean area. The Queen of Attolia is a gripping read following the adventures of Eugenides, the Queen's Thief, as his nation plunges into war. See review

Peter Dickinson, The Ropemaker
(Macmillan, 2001 (first published 2001), 423 pages, 0 333 94738 X)

The ancient magic of Tilja and Tahl's grandparents is dying and they must embark on a perilous quest to renew it. See review

Alan Gibbons, Shadow of the Minotaur
(Dolphin, 2000, 217 pages, 1 85881 721 8)

A story where a young boy is sucked into a computer game and finds himself in Ancient Greece and facing many dangers. See review

Susan Prince, A Sterkarm Handshake
(Scholastic Point, October 2003, 384 pages, 0439978963)

Twenty first century people have polluted their planet, and have opened a holiday resort which stretches back in time to the 16th century. The villain who has conceived this scheme is well on the way to success -  were it not for the warlike locals, who are not best pleased with the plans. . . See review of sequel, A Sterkarm Kiss

Sherryl Jordan, Secret Sacrament
(Simon and Schuster, 2003, 382 pages, 0 689 83709 7)

The story of Gabriel, a healer in city of fictitious city of Navora, and the life he leads trying to maintain a balance between appeasing the touchy Empress and spending time with his family and friends away from the city. See review

Geraldine McCaughrean, Theseus
(OUP, 2003, 96 pages, 0192741993)

A powerful retelling of the myth of Theseus, a young man who brought the wrath of the mighty Greek gods upon him, as well as the challenge of facing the man eating Minotaur of Crete and coming out alive. See review of another in series, Perseus

Megan Whalen Turner, The Thief
(Collins, 2001 (first published 1996), 235 pages, 0 00 712175 x)

Set a long time ago, supposedly around the Mediterranean region. The Thief is in trouble but his luck changes when the Queen needs a skilled thief to steal something of extreme value for him. See review

Mark Robson, The Trail of the Huntress
(Sword Publishing, 2001, 319 pages, 0 9538190 1 9)

Jenna, a soldier in the army of Thrandor (the world in which the book is set) must test all of her skills to the maximum, as she battles one of the most dangerous enemies that you could ever encounter. However if she is to save her friends she must destroy this demon, whatever the cost. See review

Eoin Colfer, The Wish List
(Puffin, 2003 (first published in 2000), 200 pages, 1 141 31592 X)

This book is a great read following Meg Finn, a young Irish girl. It explores Heaven, Hell  and Earth in a mission to let Meg go to Heaven and not the Underworld. See review