TYGER - more reviews!

I've been absolutely blown away to see the responses to TYGER!  Nine years is a very long time to spend writing a book, but all the hard work feels more than worthwhile when I see responses like this...

TYGER was picked as The Times Children's Book Of The Week by Alex O'Connell.  The review is behind a paywall, but she described it as "spectacular" and "another roaring success".

TYGER was also children's book of the week in The Sun, whose reviewer Zak Hope apparently couldn't put it down!

There are so many great books being released this autumn. I absolutely loved Sometimes People Die by @TheSimonBot and my Zak (I've got him working for his keep) couldn't put Tyger by @WhatSFSaid down. Thanks to @williamjtodd and @JDWhitelaw13 for your reviews too! pic.twitter.com/pkRFDB1vMQ

— natashahardingwrites (@natashahwrites) October 14, 2022

Meanwhile, Louisa Farrow's wonderful review on Reading Zone described TYGER as "absorbing, uplifting and joyous - my book of the year so far. Buy it, read it, share it!"  

It was a children's book of the month on LoveReading4Kids, where Tricia Adams described it as "much anticipated and destined to be a classic that will be taught everywhere."

One of my favourite reviews was this long one on the children's literature blog Achuka, which gives lots of detail and context, and concludes: "it is important to recognise when some books, and some authors, reach extraordinary heights of excellence. SF Said has done so with this novel."

Another review that meant a lot to me came on the Library Lady blog, where Anne Thompson wrote: "Tyger is a wonderful example of why children’s books matter and will, I think, be a book that today’s generation of young readers will remember and refer back to as adults."

I loved Laura Ovendon's review for Just Imagine, which said: "For me, this novel deserves to become a children’s classic. It belongs in every school library and will inspire many, many children, teachers and librarians."

The literacy charity BookTrust described TYGER as "a thought-provoking, profound, political and spiritual book... a book to cherish and read again", while Alison Leach picked TYGER as a book of the month for BooksForTopics, and said: "SF Said's fanbase will be thrilled to read this new adventure - laced with danger, edged with fantasy and packed to the core with thinking and discussion points that link to very real issues in society."

And here's one last TYGER review for now, from the Inkdrinker blog, who totally made my day by concluding: "Said says he thinks this is his best book yet. It’s actually one of the best you will ever read: a true classic has been born."

A huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to all these writers and publications for covering TYGER and writing such amazing things about it - it means more than I can say!

TYGER early reviews!

There have been some amazing early reviews for my new book TYGER!

It was Editor's Choice for October children's books in The Bookseller magazine, where Charlotte Eyre gave it this wonderful review:

TYGER has also had amazing reviews on various blogs!  Here's the verdict from Through The Bookshelf:

It was everything I had hoped for - and more. The word ‘masterpiece’ is often bandied around, but in this case, I feel it is truly justified. I loved 'Tyger' and, for me, it is easily SF Said’s best book so far.

Here's Kate Heap's review on Scope For Imagination:

Where do I even begin with this incredible book? An adventure woven with mythology, magic and the power of the human spirit, Tyger by SF Said is a story to be internalised and drawn upon again and again. This book is destined to last – it already has a classic feel.

And here's Dawn Finch on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure: 

Varjak Paw is an absolute classic and with books like Phoenix adding to the Said shelf it is clear that there was a lot of weight and expectation on Tyger. Breathe easy, it delivers. In spades. There is no doubt that this book earns one of those rare spots on the shelf marked "Future Classics".

A huge thank you to all these writers for their amazing reviews – after the nine years it took me write Tyger, these words mean more than I can say! 

End Of The Year Round-Up

So after seven long years of writing, this was the year that my new book Phoenix was finally published!  It's been amazing to see it get some fantastic reviews, and even appear on some Book Of The Year lists...

The Guardian picked Phoenix in their Best Children's Literature Of 2013 selection, where Michelle Pauli described it as an "epic space quest", and said: "Not only is the story of boy hero Lucky's journey through galaxies completely absorbing, launching the reader into an alien world with its own mythology, but the book is beautiful – lavishly illustrated by Dave McKean, with words and pictures working seamlessly together." (Click the links to read the full reviews)

Metro picked it in their Top 20 Books Of 2013, where Imogen Russell-Williams described it as "fierily poetic on a galactic scale... totally transporting – as are McKean’s space-spanning illustrations."

Phoenix featured in the Independent On Sunday's Christmas Books, where Daniel Hahn described it as: "A powerful story of great scope and ambition, from an expert storyteller. And with these gorgeously deep black-and-white illustrations, the great McKean is on absolutely top form here."

I've been delighted to see Phoenix appear on some excellent book blogs recently. Georgia Walters of Books and Writers JNR featured it on her End Of The Year Books Survey, alongside books by writers like Patrick Ness and John Green. She gave Phoenix a fabulous five-star review, and said: "I feel in love with this story... HIGHLY recommended for any sci-fi fans, fantasy fans, etc., out there- and also anybody who wants a new favourite book (:"

Phoenix was also featured in Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books Favourites Of 2013; and Mr Ripley was kind enough to offer me a guest spot on his blog. So I wrote a piece about the inspirations behind Phoenix, where I talked a lot about collaborating with the great Dave McKean.  Definitely worth reading if you want to know some behind-the-scenes stuff about how the book was made!

The Book Addicted Girl also kindly offered me a guest spot on her blog, for her 'Book Addicted Boys' feature.  So this time, I wrote a piece about space stories, and why I love them! 

Sister Spooky gave Phoenix a lovely review, where she said: "I zoomed through Phoenix... [It] will tickle fans of Doctor Who and Star Wars that love a bit of adventure with a dash of morality."  I also did Sister Spooky's fab Twenty Random Questions interview, so if you'd like to know my answers to questions like "What superpowers would you have?", click the link to find out!

Finally, I was knocked out to see Phoenix reviewed in Interzone, a great science fiction magazine I used to read in the 1990s! Barbara Melville gave it a fantastic review, in which she said: "Not only does it break new territory – epic space adventures are, after all, not in abundance on the children’s shelf – but it is layered with depth and meaning right from the get go... These multilayered themes and ideas, reinforced by strong characterisation, make this book shine. It could have worked without them, making for a fun but depthless guilty pleasure. I’m glad Said picked the path he did. The result is a touching, meaningful story for children and adults alike." 

Unfortunately Interzone is not available online, but if you'd like a print copy, you can get one here.

I'd like to say a huge & heartfelt thanks to all these writers for taking the time to read Phoenix, engage with it, and write such lovely things about it!  You have no idea how much it means to see someone take your work seriously; it really makes those seven years feel worthwhile! 

Video Review, plus Questions & Answers!

Here's a fantastic video review of Phoenix, by the brilliant book blogger Leena Norms – justkissmyfrog on YouTube.  I love the way she talks about children's books, with real passion and intelligence, and I love what she says about Phoenix, comparing it to Patrick Ness's A Monster Calls, among other things!  She's great on Dave McKean's artwork too; it's really worth watching, check it out:

Leena also interviewed me, and asked some very interesting questions, about both Phoenix and Varjak Paw – covering subjects like world-building, martial arts, character creation and collaboration with Dave McKean. Read the full interview here!

Photo © Leena Norms

Meanwhile, I received a lovely message on this site from a reader in France.  He writes:

Dear SF Said,
Hello, my name is Victor, i live in France... and I have some questions to ask you if you don’t mind. I know that you may not have time to reply my message, but it’ll be the best if you reply, I will be soooooo excited!

Hi Victor! Many thanks for your message, and your questions. I don't think I can answer all of them, as there were lots & lots, but I'll answer a few!

When is Varjak Paw 3 coming out? What will it be about? Will there be a Varjak Paw collection (Varjak Paw 1,2,3,4,5,6,7.......)?

There will definitely be a third Varjak Paw book, but I don't think there'll be more. You see, in the first book, he's a kitten.  In the second, he's an adult cat. In the third book, I think he'll be an old cat, like the Elder Paw or Jalal. But to write a book about an old character, I need to be old myself, to know what it feels like. I'm getting there, but I'm not quite ready yet! In the meantime, if you enjoyed Varjak Paw, I hope you'll read Phoenix – I think it's the best book I've written so far!

How do you write a book? How long does it take to write a book like varjak paw?

I work every day – I go to the library, and I sit there and write until I've done my work. I do that every day (except weekends & holidays!) I write in drafts, and with each draft, I try to make the story better, with the aim of getting to the point where I can't find any way to make it any better. That takes a long time. Varjak Paw took five years; The Outlaw Varjak Paw took three; and Phoenix took seven! I wish I was quicker, but that's how long it took me to make those stories as good as I could. 

What methods do you use for writing such so interesting books?- I even think your books are better than Roald Dahl, Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Morpurgo’s books!! The books you wrote are the best books I’ve ever read!!

Thank you, that's an amazing compliment, though I can't agree about the other authors, because they're among my own all-time favourites! I think the best thing a writer can do is to read a lot. Every writer is really just a reader who's decided to write the books they want to read, the ones that don't exist yet. I have many favourite authors; some others are Ursula Le Guin, Peter Dickinson, Philip Pullman... I could go on... So my advice to anyone who wants to write would be to read as much as you can; be prepared to do lots of work; and never give up!

Phoenix news, reviews & interviews...

There's been more coverage of my new book Phoenix, so it's time for another update of reviews & interviews... Click the links to read the full pieces!

Louise Ellis-Barrett of Armadillo children's book magazine interviewed Dave McKean and myself at the London ComicCon back in July. The full interview appears in the autumn 2013 issue, where she writes:

"Phoenix is a delicately balanced book, a work of love, a delicate, complex and yet balanced world, a blend of story and illustration... It was worth the 7 years of work!"

Meanwhile Phoenix received five stars in the children's book magazine Books For Keeps, and a wonderful review from Ferelith Hordon, which means a lot to me, as she is one of Britain's most distinguished children's librarians. She writes:

"It is exciting to see the partnership between S. F. Said and Dave McKean back and the combination is as dynamic as before. The plot is full of action... Sentences are short, description is kept to the minimum and is delivered with confidence while there is plenty of dialogue, ensuring the story moves along briskly. All of this will make it attractive to young readers who will find it easy to identify with the characters... Throughout, the text is intertwined - invaded even - by McKean's trademark black and white illustrations. Except here these are more than illustrations, picking up as they do elements of the narrative, driving it on, creating visual excitement and tension through images that have form and at the same time the formless energy of the universe." 

There was an excellent post by Jake Hayes of the beautiful book blog tygertale - particularly exciting for me as the working title of my next book is TYGER! He writes:

"This is a sprawling, big hearted space opera written with the ambition of Star Wars, imbued with the emotion of E.T., shot through with the grit of Alien and the downbeat mood of Moon... It's a thing of beauty, a masterclass of how text and image can work together for a slightly older audience."

There've also been three reviews in recent days from young readers, which I have to say, I value more than anything. Two of these appeared on the Guardian Children's Books site. First BookTrain125 wrote:

"Phoenix is an amazing book. It really grabbed my attention. If adventure is what you want, this is the book for you! It's gripping and I could not put it down. It was absolutely irresistible."

Then Wizard wrote:

"I thought that Phoenix was an absolutely fabulous book... Normally I am not too keen on science-fiction books but this book was an exception. When I started reading, I just couldn't stop! Phoenix is one of the best books I have ever read!!!!!!"

And finally, 11 year old book blogger Louis of Home For Bookworms gave Phoenix a 10/10 review:

"I really liked this book because Lucky is a great super hero for kids, someone who puts others first. People who like SCI FI and adventure novels and are Varjak Paw fans will enjoy this too."

 Please share these links if you like them – it would really help to spread the word about Phoenix!

Call For Help!

Something amazing has just happened – my new book Phoenix got a brilliant review in the Guardian, where Linda Buckley-Archer describes it as an "ambitious, multi-layered, action-packed adventure that will appeal to both boys and girls... stunning and uplifting"!  Please please please, if you have a moment, could you click the link and then share the review?  There are buttons there for facebook, twitter, blogs, etc... It would really help to spread the word, and would mean a huge amount to me!

There've been quite a few other wonderful reviews coming in over the last month...  Here are some of them; click the links to see full reviews, and again, please share if you can – it really helps!

Hannah Love in Inis, the Irish children's book magazine: "SF Said's new novel is beautiful, exciting and bittersweet all at once... A special read."

M of We Sat Down: "Phoenix is a soaring space quest story packed full of starry action, adventure, science, myth, colourful characters and wowsome illustrated pages.  It’s a compelling and beautiful pageturner... For me, Phoenix is this year’s A Boy and a Bear in a Boat."

(M was also kind enough to interview me, and asked some really interesting questions – you can read the interview here!)

Raimy of Readaraptor: "I can't recommend Phoenix enough... If sci-fi is your thing then Phoenix is a must-read, if sci-fi isn’t your thing then Phoenix is a should-read, trust me!"

Bella of Cheezyfeet Books: "I'm definitely recommending to all YA fans out there... With fabulous world building, great characters and an exciting plot, there's a little something for everyone and it's definitely not one to be missed!"

Amazing Reactions...

I'm feeling a little emotional tonight, because there've been some seriously amazing reactions to Phoenix coming in...

For a start, one of my very favourite writers, Jacqueline Wilson, sent me a postcard telling me she thought was Phoenix was brilliant (and yes, she actually underlined the word 'brilliant'), structurally perfect, and a total page-turner!  And then she wrote a piece on her website about her summer reading, which says she 'especially loved Phoenix'!  When one of your heroes says something like that, it really means the world, especially when their own work is so brilliant in every way...  I can't wait to read her next one, Diamond, which is out in September!

Then I got a text from Paul Stewart, the awesome author of The Edge Chronicles, Wyrmeweald and Barnaby Grimes, saying that he'd started reading Phoenix on Wednesday, couldn't stop, and had just finished it on Friday morning!  He apologised for reading it in two days when it had taken me seven years to write – but he knows what a compliment that is, something every writer dreams of hearing...  I couldn't thank him enough, particularly as I find his own work unputdownable...

And then there've been some fantastic reviews in the past few days.  I particularly love this one by Shelagh Rowan-Legg on Dorkshelf, who also interviewed me for the same site.  She says Phoenix is:

"one of my best reading experiences this year.  A science fiction story with amazing and real characters, dramatic action, a fascinating mythology and incredible artwork by Dave McKean, I can’t recommend this enough...  At nearly 500 pages, the book may seem daunting, but it’s the kind you can’t put down... A remarkable adventure story for any age."

Click here to read the full piece!

Lovely Review!

I just wanted to say a big thanks to Vincent Ripley for his lovely review of my new book Phoenix on his site, Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books.

"Just like the brightest light from the furthest star, this book is a creation to behold...  It is a breathtaking epic space adventure that will have you gripped in so many ways... If you particularly enjoy a good sci-fi space fantasy then this book is for you - it has certainly rocketed to the top of my favourite reads this year.  Even if you wouldn't normally enjoy this genre, I would still recommend that you try this book, as it really is that good."

Click here to read the full review!

Phoenix Countdown & Competition: 4

An amazing review of my new book Phoenix appeared today in the Daily Mail, where Sally Morris described it as "a thrilling space/sci fi adventure...  fabulous, high octane stuff, with an uplifting ending, stunningly illustrated by the brilliant McKean"!

It's now just a week till publication, and Phoenix is officially available to order.  Have a look at my publishers' page, where the 'buy now' button links to lots of places you can order it, including Amazon, Foyles, Waterstones, Blackwells, WH Smith, independent booksellers via Hive, etc...

To celebrate, I'll be posting one of Dave McKean's amazing images here every day.  Please please share these as widely as you can, and help spread the word...  And if you leave a comment on one of these images, I will pick a comment at random and send that reader a signed copy of Phoenix!

First Reviews of Phoenix...

The first reviews of my new book Phoenix are beginning to come in.  It's a strange moment for me; having spent seven years writing the book, I have no idea at all how it will seem to someone reading it for the first time...

Vanessa Lewis in picks it as a highlight in The Bookseller's August preview, and says:

"I became totally immersed in the ethereal world created by SF Said in Phoenix... This is an evocative read that highlights the ravages of war while making us consider our place in the universe.  Dave McKean's illuminating illustrations add atmosphere."

And Jill Murphy gives it a fantastic review in The Bookbag - click the link to read the full piece:

"I loved this space quest of a story. It has great worldbuilding, sparkling characters and a thrilling plot. It's beautifully illustrated by the great Dave McKean, who gives the galaxy its rightful majesty.  

You won't find any spoilers here at Bookbag. We hate them. But I will say that Phoenix has a wonderful ending. It's sad but uplifting, grief-stricken but beautiful, and is and utterly, utterly appropriate culmination of the clever plot. I cried!

There aren't many space epics written for middle readers and after enjoying Phoenix so thoroughly, I can't imagine why. Kids love all the TV shows and films - Star Trek, Star Wars etc - and the genre allows for sparkling, nutty characters, so I'm at a loss to explain why this fertile ground isn't cultivated more. It should be. So hats off to SF Said for this fabulous tale. And to Dave McKean, for giving the magnificence and the glory of the galaxy such awe-inspiring artwork.

Phoenix comes highly recommended for all younger fans of sci-fi, a rip-roaring plot and who love a reluctant hero who never stops trying."

What a wonderful review, I really couldn't ask for more!  And I totally agree with her about space epics; I've never understood why there are so few for young readers...

Book Review: Hostage Three

Here's another book review - I've been doing quite a few recently, as I have a bit more time on my hands now Phoenix is finished.  (Though I'm already beginning to plan my next book, and will hopefully start a draft of that one soon...)

Anyway - this time, the Guardian asked me to review Hostage Three by Nick Lake.  It was published in the Saturday 19th January Review, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be up on their website yet, so here's the text of my review:

Hostage Three

by Nick Lake

370pp, Bloomsbury, £12.99

Hostage Three starts by plunging us into the middle of an adrenaline-drenched dramatic situation.  The narrator, a teenage girl called Amy, is being held hostage by Somali pirates on her family's luxury yacht.  Her father is Hostage One; her stepmother Hostage Two; Amy is Hostage Three.  There's a gun to her head, and she is about to be executed.

It's hard to imagine a more arresting opening.  This is very much what creative writing textbooks mean when they talk about starting a story in medias res.  It's impossible not to be hooked.  But there's a risk.  Frontloading a narrative means that nothing else is likely to match the beginning for sheer intensity.  And so it proves with Hostage Three – yet as it rewinds to show us the events leading up to that opening, Nick Lake's story develops not into the white-knuckle thriller ride you might predict, but into something more complex, with unexpected political intelligence and emotional power.

He lays out the backstory quickly and neatly.  Amy's mother has recently died; her wealthy banker father has remarried, and she's lost in a teenage rebellion that distances her from everything around her, numbing her pain.  Her father's response is to buy a yacht and take his dysfunctional family on a round-the-world cruise – only to get hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia.

Rather than the rising tension one might expect at this point, a dreamy, dislocated tone takes over, as Amy falls for one of the pirates: their translator Farouz, who is young and considerate and shares her love of music.  When it becomes clear that he has feelings for her too, a Romeo and Juliet situation develops.  The electricity between them is heightened by the impossibility of the situation, and nicely counter-pointed by self-aware humour.  Musing on the wisdom of loving a pirate, Amy tells herself that "this is taking the whole bad boy thing to another level," and that "some people would probably say it was Stockhausen syndrome, or whatever it's called."

Farouz also serves as Amy's introduction to the lives that lie behind the headline-making tales of piracy upon which this novel is based.  While she comes into the story with little knowledge of Somali history, politics, economics and culture, she ends it, as we do, having learned a great deal very lightly.  "It hadn't even occurred to me that these men had a story of their own, that they were anything but thieves, pure and simple," she tells us.  Lake blows that idea out of the water, showing a well-researched and nuanced grasp of the situation, carefully drawing distinctions between Somalis and Somalis, Muslims and Muslims, even pirates and pirates.  He doesn't glamorise them, but takes us deep into their perspective, fleshing out their reality to such an extent that by the end, we can see the Western characters through their eyes, and do not necessarily like what we see.

All of which leaves him with a formidable problem: how do you end a story like this?  It would be a hard-hearted reader who wouldn't want a happy ending for Amy and Farouz, but perhaps only a naïve one would believe it possible.  Lake's solution – a succession of different endings – doesn't quite work for me.  But the appeal of this book lies not with its narrative mechanics.  It's with the characters and their voices, each possessing their own unique perspective and subjectivity.  By extending this imaginative generosity even to people who would usually be villains, Hostage Three goes beyond the tropes of genre fiction, and does something rather more humane and interesting.

Book Review: The Great Unexpected

As well as writing my own books, I also write about other people's books occasionally.

Here's a review I wrote of The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech, which is published in today's edition of The Guardian.