PRAISE FOR THE HEART OF MARS:
"Ingeniously inventive, involving and wildly witty, this thrilling finale of the Lora Trilogy is sci-fi, but not as you know it… Having suffered and survived the perils of the inhospitable Martian prairie, Lora and Peter must find the Ancient Heart of Mars. But, as Toaster, Lora’s walking, talking sunbed, remarks, “Going to meet these so-called Ancient Ones might be the most hazardous adventure we have embarked on yet.” Toaster’s certainly right on that front, and he might also hold the key to saving them. This flamboyant fusion of science fiction and classic adventure contains more sparks and surprises than a box of fireworks. It’s a rousing epic underpinned by playfulness, and a drive to do the right thing in even the most difficult of circumstances. It’s also a genuine, 100%-certified crossover that will delight a vast spectrum of readers."
- LoveReading
"Lost on Mars was my favourite book of 2015. The Martian Girl (2016) was, again, excellent. The final instalment is absolutely amazing. A sci-fi delight that everyone should read and a reading adventure like no other; something really special by one of the best authors around. Definitely a book to devour and a series to savour."
- Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books
"This book has made space exploration dreams become a reality... I would put this book towards ages of 12+ and its perfect for those who enjoy thriller, adventure and action books."
- Isaac, age 14
And praise for the whole trilogy:
'"Funny, scary, and like Ray Bradbury crossed with Laura Ingalls Wilder, it will appeal to boys and Doctor Who fans."
- Amanda Craig, 'Best Summer Reads' for The Independent
"A wonderfully written sci-fi adventure about a pioneer family on the desert plains of the red planet, a terrifying, inhospitable world of massive dust storms. Then the Disappearances begin. Grandma is taken and all that is left is her cybernetic leg. Completely irresistible."
- Patricia Duncker, 'Best Summer Reads' for The Independent
"A novel that shares many of Doctor Who’s qualities – an extraterrestrial setting, alien characters, mind-bending mysteries – while being rooted in classic children’s literature ... Lora is a beautifully realised protagonist: complex and convincing. Almost anything could be going on, and Magrs keeps us guessing with expert skill ... much to offer all readers of children’s and YA literature, as well as adult science fiction."
- SF Said, The Guardian
"The manner in which the conventions of the adventure story and those of science fiction can be made to coalesce convincingly is much in evidence in Paul Magrs’s Lost on Mars … Some of the novel’s set pieces and cameo sketches are highly diverting, helping to create a fiction which is at once epic in its ambition and entertaining in its execution – and not without its darker moments."
- Robert Dunbar, Irish Times, a children's book of the year
"You can see that Paul Magrs, the author of several Doctor Who books, is comfortable writing about a vivid extraterrestrial setting, and this gripping sci-fi thriller is set on a futuristic Mars. The story is bold and you have to love a chapter that opens with the words: "It was late in our Martian autumn when we were allowed to hold the funeral for Grandma's leg." Lora, stubborn and complex, is at the heart of this first part of a trilogy about third-generation settlers on the desolate red planet. There's also a likeable and talkative robot called Toaster. It's also a novel about alienation. But watch out for the Martian flesh-eaters."
- Martin Chilton, The Telegraph, a children's and YA book of the year
"Wondrous, strange and satisfying." 4 stars
- SFX Magazine
"This is not just a YA/kids novel but an existential exploration of being a stranger in a strange land … I enjoyed getting caught up in their troubles and I am looking forward to reading the next in the series."
- SFCrowsnest
"Not only is this a great story, it harks back to other great stories and sets itself up in the grand literary cannon of our times that is now so meta in nature." 4 stars
Strange and Random Happenstance
"Lost on Mars left me feeling very scared, but determined to find out what happens next"
The Bookwitch
"Ingeniously inventive, involving and wildly witty, this thrilling finale of the Lora Trilogy is sci-fi, but not as you know it… Having suffered and survived the perils of the inhospitable Martian prairie, Lora and Peter must find the Ancient Heart of Mars. But, as Toaster, Lora’s walking, talking sunbed, remarks, “Going to meet these so-called Ancient Ones might be the most hazardous adventure we have embarked on yet.” Toaster’s certainly right on that front, and he might also hold the key to saving them. This flamboyant fusion of science fiction and classic adventure contains more sparks and surprises than a box of fireworks. It’s a rousing epic underpinned by playfulness, and a drive to do the right thing in even the most difficult of circumstances. It’s also a genuine, 100%-certified crossover that will delight a vast spectrum of readers."
- LoveReading
"Lost on Mars was my favourite book of 2015. The Martian Girl (2016) was, again, excellent. The final instalment is absolutely amazing. A sci-fi delight that everyone should read and a reading adventure like no other; something really special by one of the best authors around. Definitely a book to devour and a series to savour."
- Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books
"This book has made space exploration dreams become a reality... I would put this book towards ages of 12+ and its perfect for those who enjoy thriller, adventure and action books."
- Isaac, age 14
And praise for the whole trilogy:
'"Funny, scary, and like Ray Bradbury crossed with Laura Ingalls Wilder, it will appeal to boys and Doctor Who fans."
- Amanda Craig, 'Best Summer Reads' for The Independent
"A wonderfully written sci-fi adventure about a pioneer family on the desert plains of the red planet, a terrifying, inhospitable world of massive dust storms. Then the Disappearances begin. Grandma is taken and all that is left is her cybernetic leg. Completely irresistible."
- Patricia Duncker, 'Best Summer Reads' for The Independent
"A novel that shares many of Doctor Who’s qualities – an extraterrestrial setting, alien characters, mind-bending mysteries – while being rooted in classic children’s literature ... Lora is a beautifully realised protagonist: complex and convincing. Almost anything could be going on, and Magrs keeps us guessing with expert skill ... much to offer all readers of children’s and YA literature, as well as adult science fiction."
- SF Said, The Guardian
"The manner in which the conventions of the adventure story and those of science fiction can be made to coalesce convincingly is much in evidence in Paul Magrs’s Lost on Mars … Some of the novel’s set pieces and cameo sketches are highly diverting, helping to create a fiction which is at once epic in its ambition and entertaining in its execution – and not without its darker moments."
- Robert Dunbar, Irish Times, a children's book of the year
"You can see that Paul Magrs, the author of several Doctor Who books, is comfortable writing about a vivid extraterrestrial setting, and this gripping sci-fi thriller is set on a futuristic Mars. The story is bold and you have to love a chapter that opens with the words: "It was late in our Martian autumn when we were allowed to hold the funeral for Grandma's leg." Lora, stubborn and complex, is at the heart of this first part of a trilogy about third-generation settlers on the desolate red planet. There's also a likeable and talkative robot called Toaster. It's also a novel about alienation. But watch out for the Martian flesh-eaters."
- Martin Chilton, The Telegraph, a children's and YA book of the year
"Wondrous, strange and satisfying." 4 stars
- SFX Magazine
"This is not just a YA/kids novel but an existential exploration of being a stranger in a strange land … I enjoyed getting caught up in their troubles and I am looking forward to reading the next in the series."
- SFCrowsnest
"Not only is this a great story, it harks back to other great stories and sets itself up in the grand literary cannon of our times that is now so meta in nature." 4 stars
Strange and Random Happenstance
"Lost on Mars left me feeling very scared, but determined to find out what happens next"
The Bookwitch