Steam Punk
A Jack Mason Adventure Book Five
Written by Darrell Pitt
Middle Grade, Adventure, Steam Punk
Published August 26th 2015
256 Pages
Thank you to Text Publishing
Add to Goodreads
★★★★
Book One Review
Book Two Review
Book Three & Four Reviews
As the dark clouds of another war loom, Jack, Scarlet and Mr Doyle travel from grimy streets of London to neon-bright metropolis of Tokyo.They’re on a mission for the British government: to locate the Kusanagi sword, an ancient relic believed to have magical powers. If they can find the sword, the Emperor of Japan promises to keep the peace between his nation and the allies.But in Tokyo, they soon discover that the Nazis are after the sword, too. And they will stop at nothing for world domination, putting the team’s lives in terrible danger.
Now fifteen years old, Jack Mason has been travelling the world with his mentor and guardian Ignatius Doyle, the famous and eccentric detective who had rescued Jack from the orphanage he was placed in after his parents both passed. Along with his fellow protégé Scarlett, the trio are off to the bustling downtown Tokyo where invention is coming along in leaps and bounds. While investigating a case of a missing ancient sword on behalf of the British government, Mister Doyle is invited to be the keynote speaker at the Darwinists symposium with an international field of experts in innovation. But finding the sword will be no easy task, with the Nazi hunters determined to find the sword and wield it against the world.
With their lives in terrible danger, the Darwinist League on the verge of collapse and an old friend who seems to have his own agenda, this is one mission that even Jack may not be able to complete.
With their lives in terrible danger, the Darwinist League on the verge of collapse and an old friend who seems to have his own agenda, this is one mission that even Jack may not be able to complete.
Kelly's Thoughts
I've adored the Jack Mason Adventure series, it's a brilliant middle grade read that blends mystery, steampunk and a touch of humour that preteen and early teens will absolutely adore. Over the course of the series, we've seen the lonely orphan Jack rescued from a children's home and taken in by the eccentric and well travelled detective Doyle. It's there in which Jack meets the illustrious Scarlett Bell, the daughter of an international businessman who the detective has also taken under his wing while her father is away. Their dynamic was lovely, detective Doyle as a father figure to the two teens, readers seeing both Jack and Scarlett grow into well developed and intelligent young adults, now both fifteen years of age. The series is set in a world powered by steam, where the trio travel from their London home around the world solving international crimes.
A modern day Nancy Drew, Scarlett is an incredible young woman, a voracious reader and advocate for women's rights. I loved her quiet determination. Detective Doyle is incredibly eccentric and charming, giving the impression of incompetence when nothing could be further from the truth. He carries an endless supply of lint covered cheese in his pocket and has a story about a former case for every situation. He's kind and treats the two young protégés as if they were his very own. His character is consistent and added comedic relief that children will really enjoy.
In The Lost Sword, we see both Jack and Scarlett grow as individuals and not unlike Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and The Olympians series, see our two young trainee detectives realise that they have feelings for one another beyond the close friendship the two now have. It was such a lovely storyline to see Jack come to terms with how he felt about Scarlett. The main storyline involving the Darwinist League introduces readers to new inventions beyond those powered by steam. Most were outrageous, like sea transportation inside of a whale which was not only bizarre, but brings to the front line a discussion about animal cruelty, even fictionally. I just couldn't imagine it.
Overall, it felt a little too busy. Too many new inventions and innovations introduced and the storyline of the missing sword was lost within the new world. I loved exploring the brilliantly bright lights of Tokyo during the steam age and the world building once again was brilliant, especially for a middle grade title.
In The Lost Sword, we see both Jack and Scarlett grow as individuals and not unlike Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and The Olympians series, see our two young trainee detectives realise that they have feelings for one another beyond the close friendship the two now have. It was such a lovely storyline to see Jack come to terms with how he felt about Scarlett. The main storyline involving the Darwinist League introduces readers to new inventions beyond those powered by steam. Most were outrageous, like sea transportation inside of a whale which was not only bizarre, but brings to the front line a discussion about animal cruelty, even fictionally. I just couldn't imagine it.
Overall, it felt a little too busy. Too many new inventions and innovations introduced and the storyline of the missing sword was lost within the new world. I loved exploring the brilliantly bright lights of Tokyo during the steam age and the world building once again was brilliant, especially for a middle grade title.
the final verdict
Although not as engaging as previous series releases, The Lost Sword was an innovative finale for the middle grade audience. The series is fantastically written and instills a sense of wonderment and adventure in readers who will adore seeing Jack's character growth. Why hasn't this series been optioned for film or television rights? It would make for the ideal children's series with it's wacky and endearing characters and outlandish adventures.
I adored it and it's only furthered my love for middle grade.
A Jack Mason Adventure Book Three
Written by Darrell Pitt
Middle Grade, Steampunk, Adventure
Published October 22nd 2014
304 Pages
Thank you to Text Publishing
Add to Goodreads
★★★★
★★★★
When The Broken Sun, an ancient artefact said to lead to the lost city of Atlantis, is stolen from the British Museum, Jack, Scarlet and Mr Doyle embark on a hunt across Europe to find it.
But just as the artefact is within reach, their beloved secretary is mysteriously poisoned.In their race against time to find the antidote, the team uncovers a deadly plan, to attack the Houses of Parliament. Though no one has banked on another shocking discovery, that Mr Doyle's long dead son may still be alive...
Fourteen year old Jack Mason continues his training, since plucked from an orphanage by the eccentric detective Ignatius Doyle, a man known for his intellect and abundance of pocket cheese. Along with the feisty Scarlet, the trio are now investigating a case that is close to home, the disappearance of Mr Doyle's son on the battlefield. Presumed dead, Phillip's watch has been mailed to his late wife and mother of the detective's only grandchild.
But when the British Museum becomes the victim thieves, Jack and Scarlet have now become witness to what will be the first of a series of crimes. A priceless artefact has been stolen, one of three pieces that is said to uncover the lost city of Atlantis.
Jack, Scarlet and Mr Doyle are hunting for the remaining pieces, in hope that the lost city is more than another fable. An informant has been poisoned, along with their beloved secretary Gloria and the only remedy is said to derive from Atlantis. But with the Darwinist League now involved, both cases will intercept and the race will be on to find the mythical city, or lose one of their own.
The Monster Within A Jack Mason Adventure Book Four
But when the British Museum becomes the victim thieves, Jack and Scarlet have now become witness to what will be the first of a series of crimes. A priceless artefact has been stolen, one of three pieces that is said to uncover the lost city of Atlantis.
Jack, Scarlet and Mr Doyle are hunting for the remaining pieces, in hope that the lost city is more than another fable. An informant has been poisoned, along with their beloved secretary Gloria and the only remedy is said to derive from Atlantis. But with the Darwinist League now involved, both cases will intercept and the race will be on to find the mythical city, or lose one of their own.
The Monster Within A Jack Mason Adventure Book Four
Written by Darrell Pitt
Middle Grade, Steampunk, Adventure
Published April 22nd 2015
240 Pages
Thank you to Text Publishing
Add to Goodreads
★★★★
★★★★
After a series of fatal bombings across London, Jack, Scarlet and Mr Doyle are drawn into another baffling case, the reported sighting of a monster loose in the city’s underground sewers. Before they can investigate, the team must travel to Spain to hunt down a group of terrorists.
But just as they close in, Jack and Scarlet are kidnapped. With their lives in perilous danger, will Mr Doyle find his young assistants in time?While back in London, will the monster’s true origins be uncovered before it too wreaks deadly destruction across the city?
Jack is back, and a little older and wiser and still working under the careful eye of Mr Doyle. He and Scarlet have their first official case, the mysterious monster that appears at night, scaring the locals and feasting on cats. Mr Doyle has a bigger case to solve, the terrorist attacks suspected of being caused by The Valkyrie Circle, a nationwide suffragette society that supports women's rights and recently taken over by a woman known as Lady Death. A cause close to Scarlet's heart, recent events have lead to authorities ban all women's rights movement, including the protest in favour for their right to vote.
The latest bombing brings the total to eight attacks, the injured now numbering in the hundreds and the loss of life cannot be measured. To find out if The Valkyrie Circle is responsible, they must find who created the device. The clues lead them to the Spanish coast... Where not only are Jack and Scarlet kidnapped, but by someone they had least suspected. Mr Doyle has been arrested and back home, the monster still roams the sewers beneath the city. But what do the two cases have in common. With tensions high and Lady Death threatening new attacks, will Jack, Scarlet and Mr Doyle make it through this investigation unscathed?
Kelly's thoughts
The Jack Mason series has incredibly entertaining, a mixture steampunk, adventure, mystery and a healthy dose of girl power. Vividly described, Mr Doyle along with his two assistants in Jack and Scarlet are a formidable team. The series started as middle grade, but akin to the Percy Jackson series, the characters mature and grow with each new installment. I love the eccentric Mr Doyle. He's a cross between a Johnny Deep character and Maxwell Smart, entertaining, lovable and with a seemingly endless supply of lint covered cheese stored in his pockets. As the series progresses, we find out more about the man behind the detective. A man who rescued an orphan in Jack, took in Scarlet while her father is away on business and spends his life solving mysteries, traveling around the world via his steamship.
Told mainly in the narrative, the reader also sees glimpses of Jack's thoughts as he begins to see what a beautiful young woman Scarlet is. She's strong willed and an advocate for women's rights. The banter between the two is adorable, as Jack feel the need to protect her and Scarlet of course will have none of that. The world building is incredible and although based in London, each book ensures the trio need to travel to solve the latest case. With each book, the series matures and I love the inclusion of political references, such as women's rights woven throughout. It look until book three for me to fall in love with this series, now I eagerly await the next installment.
Told mainly in the narrative, the reader also sees glimpses of Jack's thoughts as he begins to see what a beautiful young woman Scarlet is. She's strong willed and an advocate for women's rights. The banter between the two is adorable, as Jack feel the need to protect her and Scarlet of course will have none of that. The world building is incredible and although based in London, each book ensures the trio need to travel to solve the latest case. With each book, the series matures and I love the inclusion of political references, such as women's rights woven throughout. It look until book three for me to fall in love with this series, now I eagerly await the next installment.
the final verdict
The Jack Mason Adventure is an eccentric and wonderfully written series for the young and young at heart. Vivid world building and incredible characters, that leave the reader with a sense of wonderment. It's absolutely lovely and I can't wait to see where Darrell Pitt not only takes this series, but the budding romance that seems to be brewing between our two young trainee detectives.
A Jack Mason Adventure Book Two
Written by Darrell Pitt
Middle Grade, Steam Punk
Published June 25th 2014
256 Pages
Thank you to Text Publishing
Add to Goodreads
★★★☆
★★★☆
Jack, Scarlet and Mr Doyle return for their next action-packed adventure.
When the world's deadliest assassin, the Chameleon, escapes from prison, Jack begins his most dangerous investigation yet.
With only the scantest of clues, the team travels from London to New York, a bustling metropolis filled with airships, steam cars and exciting new ideas.
Here they uncover a terrible plot that threatens the president's life and brings the nation to the brink of civil war. Can Jack track down the Chameleon in time? And just what is the mysterious whip of fire that has the power to wreak destruction across the world?
Guest review by Jeann at Happy Indulgence Books
The Falconer (The Falconer: Book One)
Written by Elizabeth May
Steampunk, Paranormal, Fae
Published May 16th 2014
378 Pages
Heiress. Debutant. Murderer. A new generation of heroines has arrived.
Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844
Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events, right up until a faery killed her mother.
Now it’s the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.
But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana’s father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose, and just how far will Aileana go for revenge?
Written by Lucy Saxon
Published in Australia June 5th 2014
378 Pages
Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia
Add to Goodreads
Catherine Hunter is the daughter of a senior government official on the island of Anglya. She’s one of the privileged, she has luxurious clothes, plenty to eat, and is protected from the Collections which have ravaged families throughout the land. But Catherine longs to escape the confines of her life, before her dad can marry her off to a government brat and trap her forever.
So Catherine becomes Cat, pretends to be a kid escaping the Collections, and stows away on the skyship Stormdancer. As they leave Anglya behind and brave the storms that fill the skies around the islands of Tellus, Cat’s world becomes more turbulent than she could ever have imagined, and dangerous secrets unravel her old life once and for all.
A Jack Mason Adventure
Written by Darrell Pitt
Published in Australia 26th February 2014
256 Pages
Thank you to Text Publishing
Add to Goodreads
★★★☆
Jack Mason has grown up as an acrobat in a circus. Now, after the tragic death of his parents, he must live inside the gloomy walls of Sunnyside Orphanage in London, a city of fog and snow, filled with airships, steam cars and metrotowers that stretch into space. Luckily for Jack, he’s taken under the wing of the brilliant and eccentric detective Ignatius Doyle. Little does he know how dangerous life is about to become.A girl named Scarlet Bell comes seeking the great detective’s help. Her father has been kidnapped, and the future of the world itself may be at stake. Is the evil hand of Professor M pulling all the strings? Mr Doyle and Jack know there is no time to lose.
Fourteen year old Jack Mason can't remember a day when he wasn't the target at the Sunnydale Orphanage. But Jack is about to have the adventure of a lifetime, bringing hope to Jack's life, something he hasn't experienced since his patents died. Before life at the Orphanage, Jack was an acrobat, his parents forming a team of trapeze artists known as The Flying Sparrows and were tragically killed performing a stunt. But nothing could prepare Jack for the eccentric and flamboyant Ignatius Doyle, Consulting Detective.
When the police have an unsolved case, they turn to Mister Doyle. Using the powers of observation and deduction, the quirky middle aged detective has now found an assistant, the nimble and highly observant Jack. In the lustrous world powered by steam, the new duo's first case arrives in the form of miss Scarlett Bell. Scarlett's father had disappeared, and what sounds like a simple missing persons case, has become a web of intricate secret societies, lies, inventors, monster men and Nazis.
Kelly's thoughts
The Firebird Mystery was charming, witty and intelligently written. I haven't read many steampunk novels, but this middle grade addition to the genre was incredibly enchanting and entertaining. The book follows orphan Jack, plucked from a questionable children's home and thrown into the world of crime solving. Mister Doyle has faith in Jack's abilities and provides the emotional stability that Jack desperately needs.
But Mister Doyle is the clear star of The Firebird Mystery, his constant testing of Jack's observational skills is hilarious. Nailing a piece of toast above a door, putting together a spy kit with a nose disguise, to storing cheese in his pocket for random snacking. Although he's described as being well past middle aged, his character reminded me of a quirky Johnny Depp type character. Fabulously eccentric.
Scarlett isn't without her fans. In a time of modest women, she's a trailblazer for teen girls. She's feisty and can hold her own, despite Jack's need to protect her. This series no doubt will be a huge hit for early teens, the writing is intelligent and Darrell Pit has created characters that challenge and provoke readers to invest in the storyline.
Bethany Griffin continues the journey of Araby Worth in Dance of the Red Death—the sequel to her teen novel Masque of the Red Death.
In Dance of the Red Death,
Araby’s world is in shambles—betrayal, death, disease, and evil forces
surround her. She has no one to trust. But she finds herself and
discovers that she will fight for the people she loves, and for her
city.
Her revenge will take place at the menacing masked ball,
though it could destroy her and everyone she loves…or it could turn her
into a hero.
With a nod to Edgar Allan Poe, Bethany Griffin
concludes her tragic and mysterious Red Death series with a heroine that
young adult readers will never forget
Araby's father is a murderer, incidentally or not. She's on the run, fleeing the city that now sits in ruins, on board Kent's airship, the Red Death plague being unleashed. With both Prospero and Malcontent's men wanting to end Elliott's and Araby's lives, realising that the young, handsome revolutionary can bring hope and change within the city, restoring what the two men have attempted to destroy to ruins.
There is no choice, they need to return to the smoldering city. Araby is determined to find her father, she has unanswered questions. Their dying city surely isn't the work of the gentle man who loved his family more than life itself, who invented the masks that keep the citizens from contracting the deadly disease, Araby is desperately praying that the propaganda isn't true. She needs to know if he found the cure he was working on, after twin brother Finn contracted the plague. It won't help Finn, but April is slowly deteriorating, Araby can't lose the one person she's confided in, relied upon, after Finn died.
Elliot begins to rally his makeshift troops, setting up base camp within the Debauchery district. Will joins them in the mission back to the flaming ruins, for one reason only, Araby. It would be easier for Araby to let go and succumb to Elliot's charm, standing by his side as a measure of support, but it seems that Elliot wants more than the fraudulent relationship he had proposed... But her traitorous heart still cares for Will.
With Malcontent's men ordered to spread the virus intentionally, the worshiped figure is sending those infected out in droves. The city is no longer being cleansed, and plague riddled corpses line the streets. Araby needs to resort to finding Malcontent for the promised cure for April. Her illness is rapidly spreading and she has little time left, she didn't plan on being captured by Prince Prospero himself. Escorted to the castle where a thousand of the finest city citizens have been promised a night to remember, but the prince has plans to make Araby the entertainment for the evening. She may never have this chance to kill the prince and end the citizens suffering again, but when her dashing rescuer is captured, Araby will be forced to choose between the ones she holds dear to her heart.
Dance of the red death is seen through the eyes of Araby yet again, from the frightened girl who watched her brother die, to the brave young woman who has the power to forge forward with a revolution and bring the city back to a safe harbor without death and disease. With it's dramatic and opulent surroundings and costumes, Dance Of The Red Death transports you to a dystopian world, an apocalyptic event, but with the charm and demeanor of a historic era.
Beautifully written and mesmerising, it details the aspects of the new plague, and the dynamics of the characters. Entertaining, and the series seems to have come to an end, with only two books in the series sadly.
Dance Of The Red Death
(Masque of the Red Death: Book Two)
Written By Bethany Griffin
Published 11 / 06 / 2013
(Masque of the Red Death: Book Two)
Written By Bethany Griffin
Published 11 / 06 / 2013
341 Pages
Everything is in ruins.
A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.
So what does Araby Worth have to live for?
Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.
But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.
And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her .
The world is under attack from within and society is separated into those who are infected, and those who are not. Araby knows first hand what happens to those who have the contagion, she has lived the same nightmare for three years. Araby's father is a scientist under the control of the Prince, who rules the land with an iron fist. The inventor of plague resistant masks for the rich and powerful in society, while the poor are denied such luxuries.
Araby finds peace within the Debauchery club, with the Prince's niece. The only way to escape is through her next high. When a drug laced drink leaves her unconscious and alone, the handsome young host at the club ensures that Araby lives to see another day. Will has enough on his plate already, caring for two younger siblings.
Vying for Araby's affections is the Prince's nephew Elliot. Elliot is somewhat of a freedom fighter, and enlists the help of Araby, to gain access to her father. Araby finds herself drawn to Will, with his tough exterior and gentle nature, while playing the part of fiancee on Elliot's arm. Mass rioting is destroying any hope of a new world. The reverent is preaching hateful religion in order to gain control, and he isn't working alone.
A new plague is striking the population down, instant death, and it seems face masks are no match for the new bacterial warfare.
This is officially the first 'Steam Punk' genre book I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is book is based on Edgar Allen Poe's book of the same name, The Masque of the Red Death, one I have not read I may add. But the world created by Bethany Griffin is magically. Elaborate costumes, masks, extraordinary transportation, I felt as though it was reading a modern dystopian historical novel and I was enthralled.
Masque Of The Red Death
(Masque Of The Red Death: Book One)
Written By Bethany Griffin
Written By Bethany Griffin
Published 24 / 04 / 2012
336 Pages
336 Pages
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