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Find out moreAdventures on the ground and undersea to set the (cog)heart racing
January 2020 Book of the Month
This is the fourth and indeed final book in Peter Bunzl’s hugely enjoyable Cogheart adventure series. Lily, the girl with the clockwork heart, and her friends Robert and Malkin the ‘mechanimal’ fox, are off to New York with her father to meet up with Robert’s mother and sister. The adventures start the minute they step off their ocean liner (the series is set in a steampunky late 19th century) and involve kidnap, stolen jewels and a heartbroken boy willing to do anything to put his family back together. There are wonderful scenes of adventure with escapades taking place on trains, hotel balconies and most thrillingly in an underwater diving vessel. Non-stop as the action is, there’s always time for Lily to realise what really matters and that love and friendship keep the world’s heart ticking. An excellent series and while each book stands alone, I’d recommend treating young readers to the set.
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Swept into the bright hustle and bustle of New York, Lily, Robert and Malkin discover shadowy secrets lie beneath its surface. For there are chilling goings-on in their hotel... A strange boy held captive, haunted by an undersea mystery; and a revengeful villain with a treacherous plan. Searching for clues, Robert and Lily are plunged into deep water... But can they reveal the deadly truth before the secrets submerge them?
Join Lily, Robert and Malkin on a fantastic voyage of terror and triumph, in the fourth and final Cogheart Adventure...
In addition to our Lovereading4Kids expert opinion some of our Reader Review Panel were also lucky enough to read and review this title. You can click here to read the full reviews.
Shadowsea is a fast-paced adventure story set in New York where Lily, Robert and Malkin are literally thrown into a scary adventure in search for answers and to help the poor mute boy being held captive by his aunt. Or is he? A must-read for Spring! Full review
Shadowsea is a brilliant adventure story that is wonderfully illustrated. I read the story to my daughter and she loved the tale which was a real page-turner. Full review
This incredible novel grips your mind and the constant tension provides an entertaining storyline that captures the reader's attention. Full review
You will cry and laugh over this book. Lily and her friends are on a treacherous mission of trust and friendship. Sometimes you just need to remember your past Full review
Praise for the series;
“A gem of a book” – Katherine Woodfine
"A glittering clockwork treasure” – Piers Torday
“Vivid and gripping” – Kiran Millwood Hargrave
“A steampunky tale of ambition, pursuit and revenge” - The Guardian
“A gripping story” – The Irish Times
"A really wonderful steampunk story that reminded me of Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines series. It's pacy and exciting and I love the world that Peter has built" Robin Stevens
ISBN: | 9781474964388 |
Publication date: | 9th January 2020 |
Author: | Peter Bunzl |
Publisher: | Usborne Publishing Ltd |
Format: | Paperback |
Pagination: | 384 pages |
Suitable for: | 11+ readers, 9+ readers |
Genres: | Adventure Stories |
Recommendations: | Books of the Month, Reluctant Readers, Reviewed by Children |
Collections: | The Cogheart Adventures by Peter Bunzl, |
Peter Bunzl grew up in South London in a rambling Victorian house with three cats, two dogs, one sister, an antique-dealer dad and an artist mum. He is a BAFTA-winning animator, as well as a writer and film-maker. Like Lily and Robert, he loves adventures and reading penny dreadfuls, but wishes dearly that he had a mechanical fox called Malkin.
More About Peter Bunzl