Review: Cogheart by Peter Bunzl

Lily's life is in mortal peril. Her father is missing and now silver-eyed men stalk her through the shadows. What could they want from her?

With her friends - Robert, the clockmaker's son, and Malkin, her mechanical fox - Lily is plunged into a murky and menacing world. Too soon Lily realizes that those she holds dear may be the very ones to break her heart...

Murder, mayhem and mystery meet in this gripping Victorian adventure.

Three was the magic number for Bob Dorough, Blind Melon and De La Soul, and it's also the magic number for some of my reviews on The Book Zone. Here are three reasons why I loved Cogheart by Peter Bunzl:

1. It's steampunk

I have often questioned the lack of space-set science fiction published for kids, but here's another question for you: why are there not more steampunk books written for children? In my opinion, the genre is perfect for a middle grade audience, with the opportunities it gives for exciting, imaginative adventure stories full of derring do, set in either an almost real or wildly alternative Victorian era. Perhaps Peter Bunzl's debut, Cogheart, will be the book that changes this as it is easily one of the best I have read in the genre, for kids or adults and at times I was reminded of Joan Aiken's wonderful Wolves Chronicles books, but with the added fantastical steampunk elements.

2. The pace

This story takes a little while to get going but this gradual build up is worth it as sets the scene for a plot that is fast-paced and full of unrelenting action and adventure for the heroine and her friends. Steampunk books for younger readers, sometimes more that science fiction, require this kind of set-up at the beginning as the world is so similar to our own Victorian era, and the steampunk elements need to be introduced in a way that isn't jarring or confusing. Peter Bunzl manages this with ease.

3. The characters

Be it Lily and her new friend Robert, or Malkin the mechanical fox, or even Roach and Mould, the particularly nasty and thuggish villains of the piece, Cogheart is chock full of cracking characters. Lily is brave but sometimes this comes with a degree of recklessness, whilst Robert's bravery is not quite so outwardly obvious as he is more cautious in his nature, but the courage is there when it needs to be. Malkin is irritable and proud, but also fiercely loyal and great to have around when everything's hitting the fan. And Roach and Mould have just the right level of pantomime about them to have young readers on the edge of their seats, and also wanting to boo their every appearance in the story.

~~~

Cogheart is a very well plotted action adventure story that is one of my favourite reads of the year so far. I believe there is a sequel out next year, and I for one cannot wait to read it. Cogheart has a satisfying conclusion but does leave the reader with enough questions to have them wanting more. My thanks go to the fab people at Usborne for sending me a copy to read.

Review: Wild Boy and the Black Terror by Rob Lloyd Jones

A new sensation grips London - a poisoner who strikes without a trace, leaving victims mad with terror ... and then dead. Is there a cure for the BLACK TERROR? To find out, Wild Boy and Clarissa must catch the killer. Their hunt will lead them from the city's vilest slums to its grandest palaces, and to a darkness at the heart of its very highest society.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I was honoured to be a member of Booktrust Bookbuzz selection panel for this year. One of the books that the panel decided to put on the final Bookbuzz list was Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones. I have to admit that I barely managed to delight when this decision was made as Wild Boy was one of my favourite books of 2013. Our decision also seems to have been a good one if the Year 7 pupils at my school are anything to go by as it has been a popular Bookbuzz choice.

Needless to say, its sequel, Wild Boy and the Black Terror has been one of the books I was most looking forward to reading in 2014 and I am delighted to report that I was not to be disappointed at all. In fact, I might possibly have enjoyed it even more than the first book.

With the main characters of Wild Boy and Clarissa firmly established in the first book, this sequel is very much about developing them further, especially given the traumatic adventures they experienced in Wild Boy. Rob Llloyd Jones does this by throwing the unlikely pair of friends into a conspiracy that is even more vile and despicable than the one they faced in their first outing. It quickly becomes a mystery that will test their friendship to its limits, especially as all the odds seem stacked against them from the start: the majority of the Gentlemen, in whose headquarters the pair now reside, are barely tolerable of their presence, and despite their success in saving London in the previous book they are still strongly mistrusted by the city's populace. Add to this cauldron the ingredient that is Clarissa's hot-headedness and we have a recipe for disaster.

Like its predecessor, Wild Boy and the Black Terror is a fantastic, fast-paced mystery adventure story in a wonderfully realised Victorian London setting. Without the need to introduce new characters the action kicks off pretty quickly, and barely slackens off at all until the final page. There is one scene in particular, where Wild Boy and Clarissa are required to carry out a particularly daring heist, that will have readers' hearts beating faster than a Keith Moon drum solo. Wild Boy is given plenty of opportunity to use his considerable powers of observation and deduction, and the mystery will keep readers guessing all the way through as the plot is very slowly revealed, although naturally only via a number of devious twists. Fans of the macabre and gruesome will also not be disappointed, as the black terror of the book's title begins to afflict more and more people.

If you picked up Wild Boy last year then you will know that Walker published it in a wonderful hardcover edition, sans dustwrapper, and they have repeated these fantastic production values with this sequel. They are the the kind of books that could quite easily create the bibliophiles of the future. My thanks go to the fab people at Walker Books for sending me a copy to read/review (and, of course, add lovingly to my ever growing collection). Please, please tell me there are going to be more adventures for Wild Boy in the future!

Review: Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones

London, 1841

A boy covered in hair, raised as a monster, condemned to life in a travelling freak show.

A boy with extraordinary powers of observation and detection.

A boy accused of murder; on the run; hungry for the truth.

BEHOLD THE SAVAGE SPECTACLE OF WILD BOY!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, take your seats. The show is about to begin.

Confession time: occasionally I get very excited about books by debut authors, when all I have done is read the blurb/press release and/or seen the cover design. Sometimes a book just screams "READ ME, YOU'LL LOVE ME!" This is not always a good thing, as there have been a number of time where I have ended up being disappointed when such a book turns out to be not/less than I expected. Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones was certainly not one of those books - it had me completely hooked from beginning to end and I loved every moment of it. And yes, it became yet another 2013 release that received 5 stars from me on Goodreads.

Before I even opened to the first page of the book I was mentally ticking the boxes as I read its press release. A Victorian setting - check! A main character who is in a freak show, and has a Sherlock Holmes style talent for observation - check! A sinister underside to scientific advancement - check! Packed with atmosphere and graphic gore - double check! And even better - written for younger readers (i.e. no teen angst and huge loads of fun - I'm getting so bored of YA and middle grade adventure novels are really my thing right now). As I turned to that first page I was pretty confident that I was going to love it and I just want to shake the author's hand and thank him for not letting me down. This is one book that I will be pushing hard in the school library, although Walker and whoever design the cover have done such a great job I'm not sure I will have to work too hard to get the kids reading it.

As I have already mentioned, Wild Boy (the only name he has ever had) is part of a travelling freak show, where he is owned by a rather nasty master. Before he was 'sold' he had lived in an workhouse/orphanage where he was kept locked in a room, and bullied mercilessly by the other children. Moving to the freak show brought a different set of problems, but the daily humiliation continued and the only way Wild Boy stays sane is by observing the many people who visit the circus. Over time he has developed this truly amazing talent for observation and deduction, and now 'boasts' skills to match the great Sherlock Holmes. 

Unfortunately for Wild Boy though, a murder happens at the circus, and for Wild Boy it becomes a classic case of being in the wrong place and the wrong time. He is spotted at the scene of the crime, and as he is so different from the norm, he is immediately accused of the crime. All of a sudden he finds himself on the run from the law, accompanied (very reluctantly) by Clarissa, an acrobat who is far from being Wild Boy's biggest fan, but who finds herself sought as his accomplice in the crime. So begins a fun, and occasionally frightening, action mystery story as the unlikely pair attempt to track down the real murderer and thus clear their names. Along the way they encounter sinister scientists, deadly (and steampunk-ish) technology, and the mysterious organisation, known only as the Gentlemen. Seriously - what is there not to like about this book?

Whilst the mystery and the action aspects of this story are spot on, for me the stand out elements were the characters and the descriptions of their Victorian world. As the story progresses Wild Boy and Clarissa develop in ways neither of them could ever have imagined, and they gradually come to accept each other for who they are. As a reader I became attached to both of these characters very quickly, and went through a range of emotions, from anger at the way the two were treated, to total elation as they began to solve the mystery using their special talents. Come the final page of the proof copy I received I was left wanting more (in a good way, of course), and I was overjoyed with the final chapter that hinted that there may be more on the cards. I have since discovered that Rob is currently working on a sequel, Wild Boy and the Black Terror, and although it is only in the writing stage and so way, way off publication I still cannot wait to immerse myself in the world of Wild Boy and Clarissa again.

Wild Boy was published in a beautiful hardcover edition on 4th April and my thanks go the the lovely people at Walker Books for sending me a copy. If you have a 9+ child who loves a good mystery story then this is a must-read, and is certainly up there as one of my favourite books of the year so far. You can find out more about Rob Lloyd Jones and his Wild Boy over at http://www.roblloydjones.com/

Guest Post by Sarah Naughton, author of The Hanged Man Rises

Yesterday Sarah Naughton's debut YA novel The Hanged Man Rises was published by Simon and Schuster. I've read the book and it is one hell of a creepy Victorian read. Today we have the honour of welcoming Sarah to The Book Zone to tell us a little more about The Hanged Man Rises:

Everybody knows bad things happen in London.  Really bad things.  Things that if you saw them happen for real you’d have traumatic stress disorder for the rest of your life, but somehow reading about them in books makes them not only bearable but positively delicious. 

I’m a total coward.  It would be nice to think I’d be one of those people who steps into a fight and stands up for the kid about to be pulverized, but actually I’d be more likely to duck into Tesco Metro and become very interested in the salad counter.  If I got mugged I’d hand over my mobile, my wallet and my keys without a peep, then throw in my shoes for luck. 

But that’s why I read; because I get to be the hero for a bit.  Or at least, hang out with him.  The hero of The Hanged Man Rises would probably quite enjoy being a coward, but it’s a luxury Titus can’t afford.  If you were a pauper in Victorian London you had to fight to stay alive, literally.  At first Titus thinks that all he has to do is find a way to provide food and shelter for his little sister, Hannah.  That’s ok: it’ll be hard, but he can cope with that.  But things get much, much worse when the kind and decent police Inspector who gives him a job becomes possessed by the spirit of a hanged child murderer.  If Titus can’t stop him, the Inspector will kill more children, and probably end up on the gallows.  And then the murderer’s attention turns to Hannah…

Sounds sadistic, doesn’t it?  Don’t get me wrong, I like Titus.  He’s brave, determined and fiercely loyal.  But to reveal the potential of all those characteristics he has to go through some really tough times.  He has to deserve his happy ending (if he gets one…).  Because its only when we’re put under extreme pressure that our true characters come out.  Who knows, in a plane crash I might be the one to dive back into the inferno and haul the baby from the jaws of death.  Or I might just be the one who tramples on your head to get to the exit.  With a bit of luck I won’t ever have to find out: I can be both.  When I feel like being virtuous I just read about Sam Gamgee or Joey the war-horse.  And if I’m feeling villainous, I can revel in a Darren Shan or a Horrible Histories.  Three guesses which I prefer.

Review: The Diamond Thief by Sharon Gosling

No one performs on the circus trapeze like sixteen-year-old Remy Brunel. But Remy also leads another life, as a cat burglar and jewel thief. Forced by the evil circus owner Gustave to attempt the theft of one of the world's most valuable diamonds, Remy thinks it will be just another heist, but when she meets determined young detective Thaddeus Rec, her life changes forever.

Will Thaddeus manage to rescue the jewel? Or is it really Remy that he needs to save?

A highly skilled cat burglar stealing to order for her circus-owning boss? Cursed diamonds? A plot to take over London and the British Empire? A wonderfully atmospheric Victorian setting? I know I shouldn't pre-judge a book from its press release but this one sounded like it would be right up my street, and I was not proved wrong. It is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure story with a pair of lively and completely likeable protagonists, who you will find yuorself rooting for almost from the very first page.

Remy Brunel is a highly skilled trapeze artist, and takes top billing in the travelling circus that has recently set up in London. People flock to the circus just to watch the amazing 'little bird' fly through the air, risking life and limb for their entertainment. Little do they know, that when the show finishes for the night, she is forced by the circus owner to head off into the city to use her skills for more nefarious activities. For Remy has become one of Europe's most skilled, and therefore most wanted, cat burglars. However, her greatest task to date may also be her last as she is tasked with breaking into the Tower of London itself, the prize being the fabulous Darya-ye Noor diamond.

Naturally things go more than a little wrong, and Remy finds herself on the run from the law, in the shape pf Thaddeus Rec, a young detectove who is himself on the run from his colleagues who suspect him of being the jewel thief. The lives of both of these teenagers suddenly become intertwined, and far more complicated than either of them could have imagined, as they find themselves reluctantly working together to track down the diamond and retrieve it from the would-be master criminal who now possesses it.

Remy and Thaddeus are both fantastic characters, and Sharon Golsing uses them both as main characters, with the focus of the story switching from one to another throughout the book. Remy is the better developed of the two, and we find out more about her past and her motivations, and I would love to have seen the same for Thaddeus, whose past is only hinted out. I hope there is a sequel so we can find out more about him, and how he managed to become a police constable.

There are also a handful of secondary characters, the most notable of which is the 'Professor', a man who seems to be a mentor and father figure for Thaddeus. The professor is an inventor, and the author uses him to inject a soupçon of steampunk to her story. By this I mean that the inventions he creates for Remy to use have a steampunk feel to them (i.e. they are technologically advanced for the time, but use Victorian materials and styling), but we are not talking about an alternate steampunk Victorian world.

I flew through this book as Sharon Gosling uses her skill with prose and plot to quickly pull in the reader, and I revelled in the multiple plot twists. The villain is a little sterotypical of Victorian criminal masterminds who want to take over the world, but young readers who haven't read many books in this genre will know, or even care about this. In fact, they will probably take great delight in wondering how Remy and her small team of friends will manage to foil his evil machinations.

The Diamond Thief is published by Curious Fox, and is I believe their very first book to hit the stores. It was published yesterday and is a great way of introducing 9+ readers to Victorian-set mystery and adventure stories. My thanks go to the lovely people at Curious Fox for sending me a copy to review.

Review: The Claws of Evil (The Battles of Ben Kingdom) by Andrew Beasley

Welcome to Victorian London; the home of the Artful Dodger, Sherlock Holmes...and Ben Kingdom, cocky street urchin - and the saviour of mankind. Unknown to mere mortals, an ancient battle is being waged across the city. Below the streets lurk the Legion, an evil gang of miscreants and criminals in league with the monstrous Feathered Men - determined to unleash Hell on the streets of London. Above the city's rooftops soar the Watchers, a ragtag band of orphans, mystics and spies, dedicated to protecting the vulnerable and guarding London against evil. Only Ben can put an end to this war - the only problem is, he doesn't know which side to choose.

Just over a week ago Andrew Beasley visited The Book Zone to tell us about his new series, The Battles of Ben Kingdom, as part of my 'Coming Up In 2013' feature. Thanks to the lovely people at Usborne, I had already been very fortunate to read the book by the time Andrew sent his piece through, and although the book isn't due to be published until 1st March, Usborne said they were more than happy for reviews to start being posted early. Rather fortunate for me, as I really want to shout about how much I enjoyed this book!

Long time readers of The Book Zone will know that as far as historical fiction is concerned I have a penchant for the Tudor, Restoration and Victorian eras. You will also know that I totally love urban fantasy stories set in London. And it should go without saying that I am a sucker for well-written Middle Grade adventure stories. As I read the publisher's blurb for The Claws of Evil, I already knew that it was ticking most of my 'must read' boxes, and I was not to be disappointed in the slightest.

A lot of urban fantasy stories set in our capital city seem to revolve around ancient battles, and The Claws of Evil is no different. Below the grimy, cobbled streets of Victorian London dwell the Legion, the villains of the piece. The book opens with a member of the Legion's Council of Seven confidently proclaiming that "London will soon be ours", and it would appear that each of the Council's members has a different plan for the city, now that the final piece of their greatest weapon could soon be in their grasp.

Living above the city, constantly on the move across the rooftops, never sleeping in the same place two nights in a row, live the Watchers. They are the light that fights against the Legion's dark, and have been London's protectors for time immemorial. They are constantly vigilant as they perch on the precarious, sloping roofs, equipped with skyboots designed to give them precious grip as they race across the rooftops. The Watchers also believe in an ancient prophecy that foretells of one who will some day defeat the Legion, although that same prophecy also makes mention of the cost that this person may have to pay.

Enter our protagonist, Ben Kingdom. Like me, you will already be guessing that he is the One, the hero of the Ancient Prophecy of the Watchers. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't, only time will tell. But he is a fantastic hero for this book - think the Artful Dodger, but with a moral compass. Ben only gets into trouble with the Law because he is a mischievous scallywag, and there is certainly never anything malicious about his actions. He lives in near-poverty conditions in the attic of a boarding house with his father and brother, and for reasons that become clear as the story progresses, he feels very little love from either of them. He is adventurous but naive, cocky and confident on the outside, but feeling unloved and lacking in self-belief on the inside. He is terrified of the so-called Weeping Man, a mysterious figure who is reported to be abducting the unwanted East End street kids, but digs deep to find extreme courage when he needs to. He is a character with which many 9+ readers will be able to identify.

As well as a great main character, in The Claws of Evil Andrew Beasley has created a host of colourful and exciting secondary characters, whether they be good or evil (or somewhere in between), human or mythological. Lucy Lambert, the scarfaced and fearless Watcher; Jago Moon, the blind man who sells Ben his much cherished Penny Dreadfuls; Professor James 'Claw' Carter, a man who thinks it is his destiny to rule the city, and is willing to work behind the backs of the Council to achieve his diabolical dream; Ruby Johnson, legionnaire and street thief, but could she be starting to see through the lies and depravity of her leaders? And there there is the Weeping Man himself, and opposites, the Feathered Men. Between them they add a soupçon of horror to the proceedings, that add to the sense of risk and adventure that encompass Ben as he is drawn into the ancient battle.

One of the stand out elements of the plot for me was Ben's confusion as to which side is good and which is evil. As I mentioned before, he is naive and quick to believe what he is told, especially if the teller is female and has a pretty face. His confusion is added to by the fact that some of the lead players in this ancient battle are people he has know for some years; people he has conversed with and trusted, leaving him with the ultimate dilemma - who should he trust? As such, readers will almost find themselves shouting "No, don't trust him, trust her", or vice versa. It is a story about choices, and how making the wrong one could lead to disaster for all.

I was lucky to be sent a proof copy of The Battles of Ben Kingdom: The Claws of Evil, but I have a feeling that I may also be going out and buying a finished copy when it is published, as I feel that it will be a rather attractive volume, with Usborne promising a decorative inside cover and and a customised hand-drawn map of London. 1st March isn't a huge amount of time to wait, and in the meantime you can read the book's prologue at http://www.usborne.com/readbenkingdom

Coming Up In 2013 #5: The Battles of Ben Kingdom: The Claws of Evil by Andrew Beasley

Put a mark in your diaries for 1st March because there's something special coming your way on that date. Thanks to the lovely people at Usborne I have already read The Claws of Evil, the first book in debut author Andrew Beasley's The Battles of Ben Kingdom series. All I will say for now is that I loved it, but please watch this space for my review coming very soon. 

If you want a little taster of The Claws of Evil then head on over to www.usborne.com/readbenkingdom where you can read the book's prologue. I now have the pleasure of handing you over to Andrew who has been kind enough to tell us a little more about his new book:

Hi to all the readers of this brilliant blog! My name is Andrew Beasley and I wanted to share with you some of the inspiration behind my new novel, The Claws of Evil.

As a boy, I fell in love with the London of Sherlock Holmes with its swirling fog and the echo of footsteps in the gaslight. It was such a rich setting for adventure that I knew I had to set my story there. One of the best things about being an author is that you get to do a lot of reading for research and while I was learning about Victorian street kids the character of Ben Kingdom almost jumped straight off the page! Immediately I had a heart for this boy who always has the best intentions and yet somehow normally manages to do the wrong thing.

The other thing you discover when you are learning about Victorian children is how hard their lives could be, and although my story is a romp, I’m sure that some readers will come away thinking about the plight of street kids. Real history informs my story, but I didn’t want it to be a history lesson and so the young people that you meet in the Battles of Ben Kingdom belong to one of two gangs – who have been secretly at war for centuries. The Watchers survive on the rooftops of the city, whilst the Legion live in a secret system of tunnels, called the Under.

Ben, being Ben, isn’t sure which side he belongs to and his life is made a whole lot more complicated by the fact that both sides believe that he is destined to be their great leader. Basically, Ben is either going to be the champion of Heaven or Hell; not much pressure there then.

I have a host of other characters that I’m keen for you to meet too. There’s Jago Moon the blind bookseller, Professor ‘Claw’ Carter, and Mother Shepherd, who the Legion call ‘The Witch Queen of Spies’. Then there’s the Weeping Man and the Feathered Men, terrible creatures with… ah, but you’ll have to find out the rest for yourself.

Keep on reading – the world needs you!

Review: The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade

The mysterious Mr. Socrates rescues Modo, a child in a traveling freak show. Modo is a hunchback with an amazing ability to transform his appearance, and Mr. Socrates raises him in isolation as an agent for the Permanent Association, a spy agency behind Brittania's efforts to rule the empire. At 14, Modo is left on the streets of London to fend for himself. When he encounters Octavia Milkweed, another Association agent, the two uncover a plot by the Clockword Guild behind the murders of important men. Furthermore, a mad scientist is turning orphan children into automatons to further the goals of the Guild. Modo and Octavia journey deep into the tunnels under London and discover a terrifying plot against the British government. It's up to them to save their country. (from book cover)

If you have read all of my earlier posts you will know by now that over the last year I have become a huge fan of the steampunk genre. I teach Design Technology and I have always loved designing and making things, and the steampunk ideal of creating things with cogs, brass and other recycled items really appeals to me. Add the nostalgic romanticism of steam power and this genre is right up my street. There really is so much in steampunk for boys to love!

There are many debates going on about whether some books billed as steampunk are actually steampunk. Surely there can be no doubting this book - it is set in Victorian times and there is much clockwork and steam driven technology throughout. Hell... the villainous society that plan to topple the British government in the story are even called the Clockwork Guild!! And how's this for the very first paragraph on the very first page to grab your attention and pull you in head first:

Six hunting hounds had perished in previous experiments. Dr. Cornelius Hyde crouched in the cellar of his manor staring over his spectacles at Magnus, the last surviving hound. The iron cage was sturdy, its door locked tight, and the dog looked healthy except for his drooping head. He had survived the operation that replaced his skull, jaws and teeth with metal, but the weight of it all was too much for him to bear for long periods of time. He needed strength and ferocity. Soon, Hyde hoped, these needs would be dealt with. 

Up against the Clockwork Guild are the mysterious Permanent Society, headed up by the equally mysterious, and seemingly very cold, Mr Socrates (what a great name for such a character). At the beginning of the book Mr Socrates buys the hideously deformed Modo from a travelling sideshow; and it is Modo who really makes this book. If our hero had been another 'normal' boy or girl then the book just would not have been anywhere near as good; Modo makes it special. If you want a comparison then think Hellboy - he also is anything but conventional in his looks, but he has more than enough in his abilities to make him a hero. Modo is very similar: he is highly intelligent, he starts reading Shakespeare and learning the fighting arts from a very young age, and he has great strength and agility. And it is at this very young age that he starts his training as a future secret agent!

Mr Slade deals with Modo's deformities and his feelings about them in a way that really touches the heart of the reader; this book has an underlying moral that beauty is only skin deep, as Modo shows that his inner qualities are much more appealing traits than those shown by many of the adults we come across during the story. However, this isn't an 'in your face' moralistic story at all. The author somehow manages to make this book incredibly fast paced as well..... there is never a dull moment in this story and I very nearly read it in one sitting as I didn't want to put it down. Sometimes this fast paced action means that some settings lack the quality of descriptive writing that we have seen in recent books such as The Monstrumologist and Leviathan, but believe me, the action more than makes up for this in this opener to the series. Personally I feel that the book could have been made longer by about 100 pages, which would have allowed a greater degree of descriptive writing without detracting from the story or making it seem too long.

The author admits to being greatly influenced by Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame, as well as many other of the classics. In fact, Mr Slade has even written a letter of introduction to his readers, which I have cheekily copied from his website for you:

Dear Reader,
A few years ago I re-read Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and was consumed by the world of Quasimodo. It is a beautiful, heartbreaking novel and, like all good books should do, it got me thinking: what is it about the other that we fear? Why do we sometimes look away from those with a handicap or disfigurement? Can we truly love someone for what we find inside them despite their appearance? What are the qualities of a hero? I couldn't get the Hunchback from my mind and toyed with the idea of a modern retelling of the story, but then decided that was not the right route--Hugo had already written a novel for the ages. But how about a novel influenced by his story? And then I imagined a hunchback child, born with the ugliness of Quasimodo, but with an interesting evolutionary trait--he is able to change his shape and look beautiful, look like other people, and fit in, but after a few hours his body returns to its previous ugliness. The character quickly took shape from there. I have a resolute fondness for the Victorian era. It seemed a time of vibrant imagination and endless possibility and the authors of that age created such wonderful literature: Jules Verne, Charles Dickens, H.G. Wells. Much of our modern day science fiction and fantasy draws its roots from those works. So it seemed the perfect era in which to place my re-imagined hunchback. He would need a father figure, of course, so I pictured a British lord finding the young child and raising him to be a spy for a secret organization. And so, Modo, the hunchback came to life. He is gentle, intelligent, trained for battle, yet a bookworm; ugly and beautiful, tough and idealistic. I've become quite attached to the young fellow. I hope you enjoy your acquaintance with him.
Sincerely,
Arthur Slade

I think that sums up his thoughts and the tone of the story pretty well. Rumour has it that this is the first of a series of seven books. Brilliant! I can't wait to see how Mr Slade develops Modo, his fellow characters and their world further. I am sure his adventures against the Clockwork Guild will keep me, and many readers around the world, entertained over the next few years.