I am delighted to be part of the Four Fiends blog tour. In February last year, Sally Harris pulled twelve other authors together for a promotion – Love MG Actually – which has made a huge difference to my promotion activities. I made contact with other authors and promoters of children’s and YA books. I got involved in reviews and blog tours. I found myself. One of the other authors involved was Nikki Bennett. We haven’t done much together, but we have reviewed and recommended other people’s books to each other through Goodreads. I’m delighted to host a stop on her tour and finally get round to reading her book! Don’t forget to scroll down to the end of the tour list for the $50 giveaway!
About the Four Fiends
Title: Four Fiends (The Countdown), 2nd Edition
Author: Nikki Bennett
Publication Date: February 16, 2014 (2nd Edition)
Publisher: Independent: Firedrake Books LLC
Pages: 215
Recommended Ages: 8+
Summary: The Four Guardians of the world have gone missing. They’ve been kidnapped by some of the most diabolical fiends that ever existed. Now, four misfit kids from different parts of the world must band together to save the Guardians. Along the way, they learn to work together, as they confront and conquer their deepest fears.
Purchase
Amazon | Barnes and Noble
My Review
Four young people are drawn together from four corners of the world to discover the Yellow Dragon and the case of the missing Guardians. Each has a task ahead that will challenge their self-perceptions and their very existence. Who will be first? How will they cope? What will the danger be? How can they prepare? With the aid of some very ordinary-looking objects and some memories that have been blanked up till now, they find the way to overcome their foes – the fiendish Fiends – and return order to the world.
I loved the way each of the four were very different, yet very normal, with concerns about their purpose in life, their relations with others, and their families. They were totally recognisable, and their cultural diversity made that even more interesting. There is a wonderful mix of fables and mythology mixed in here, to make a satisfying whole, at least as far as I was concerned. The writing is exciting and imaginative, places recognisable yet foreign, and the tasks and their achievement beautifully thought out. Some of the more cryptic clues had a spin on them that was both clever and sound, since a magical being’s words should always be oblique and capable of different interpretations, but still be precise.
This is a delightful read, with an international twist that adds to the pleasure. Well done, Nikki Bennett – more please!
The Buzz
“This was one of the most entertaining reads for the whole family we have found in a long time. The characters are very believable, and I am always a sucker for heroes that have to find their way. The reading is very fluid and easily understood by the little kids when read aloud (sounds silly but anyone trying to do this will tell you it’s not as easy a thing to achieve as it sounds) and the kids all seem to enjoy the story. The history is easily accessible even without a lot of research or background knowledge. The kids are very motivated to research and learn more on their own because this story has captured their interest. I already have many home learning lessons in mind using this book and have begun developing them with my kids. I think this is a book that will be found in classrooms very soon! Great job! I’m looking forward to more soon!!!” ~ 5 Star Review, Mariah W., Amazon
“Excellent read in and of itself, and provides excellent, character-building source material for reading to youngsters. The characters are well written and realistic, and the storyline is cleverly written and intelligent.” ~ 5 Star Review, Alia K., Amazon
“Fantastic read. I loved the characters in this book so much that I re-read to my 9 year old after finishing it. I highly recommend this book for anyone that likes stories about adventure and believing in yourself.” ~ 5 Star Review, Keith, Amazon
About the Author: Nikki Bennett
Nikki Bennett is an author and world traveler currently living in Japan. She loves traveling, and incorporates all the culture and folklore she can from the countries she visits into her stories.
Nikki has two books out right now. Her first book, FOUR FIENDS is a MG fantasy adventure and her newest book, MUKADE ISLAND is a YA adventure/fantasy (think Lord of the Flies meets LOST, it it was set on a different world!)
Find out all about Nikki’s books at www.worldofnikki.com
Website | Author Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
There are some lovely interviews with Nikki on the tour – see for example The Ninja Librarian’s.
Four Fiends Blog Tour Schedule (2014)
May 1
Mother Daughter Book Reviews (Launch & Review)
Victoria Simcox’s Blog (Author Interview)
May 2
When I Grow Up I Wanna Write a Kids Book (Review)
Cherry Mischievous (Spotlight)
May 3
Heart of a Philanthropist (Review)
May 4
Musings by Jay Faulkner (Review)
May 5
Christy’s Cozy Corners (Review)
Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys (Review)
May 6
The World of ContestPatti (Review)
Palace of Twelve Pillars (Review)
May 7
WS Momma Readers Nook (Review)
The Ninja Librarian (Guest Post)
May 8
Sunshine, Bubbles & Books (Review)
Book Reviews & Giveaways (Review)
May 9
Purple Monster Coupons (Review)
May 10
Musing With Crayola Kim (Review)
May 11
May 12
Kay LaLone, I Love Books (Review)
May 13
We Are The DinoFamily (Review)
May 14
Stanley & Katrina (Author Interview)
* Blog Tour Giveaway *
Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)
Contest ends: May 31, 11:59 pm, 2014
Open: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Nikki Bennett and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
So nice to hear about your successes and spreading your wings! I enjoy reading about these book reviews, because I am constantly looking for books that the three daughters of friends of mine haven’t read – they are girls after my own heart because we can talk about books! It’s hard to find a book they don’t know!
There are so many books out there these days! And so many are so good. But then again, we didnt know how to find good books in our day… these days they can get them so easily. Finding the best is still a challenge though!
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Great review Jemima! There is a lot of depth in the development of each of the characters, even in this relatively short book. Nikki has such a great book on her hands and my daughter and I are really looking forward to book 2! Thanks for taking part in the Four Fiends Blog Tour and I’m glad you’ve finally had a chance to read the book. 🙂
Thanks, Renee – and a lot of this networking success is down to you and your amazing work in blogging kidlit. Thanks so much!
Awww.. thanks Jemima! My pleasure – I’ve just loved connecting with my tribe. 🙂
I hadn’t thought about it, but that promotion was huge for me, too! I met Jemima, and several other authors I’ve kept up with, and started learning how to promote my books on line. And I read and reviewed Nikki’s book. Glad you got to participate in this tour too!
😀
I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about this book lately!
Thanks for sharing your review on the Kid Lit Blog Hop!
I’m excited to read this beause I also love mythology and I’m half Japanese! Thanks so much for sharing at the Kid Lit Blog Hop!!
Boy I hear you, Jemina. Networking is the key. Wanted to join this tour, but I’ve been so swamped I just couldn’t. Sounds like a great read!
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