Empire of Ruins (The Hunchback Assignments, #3)

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Empire of Ruins (The Hunchback Assignments #3)

by Arthur Slade (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 184 ratings · 37 reviews

Secret agent Modo's next assignment? Find ancient Egyptian ruins hidden deep in the Australian jungle and the mysterious God Face, rumoured to be a powerful weapon—anyone who looks upon it will be driven mad. And he must find the God Face before the evil Clockwork Guild does!

Hardcover, 297 pages

Published September 13th 2011 by Wendy Lamb Books (first published February 18th 2011)

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May 01, 2012 Steven R. McEvoy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-best-of, read-2011

Arthur Slade has another smash hit on his hands. In this amazing novel we are reunited with Modo, Octavia, and Mr. Socrates, and Tharpa joins the expedition this time around. And of course, it features our favorite mechanical hand villain, Miss Hakkandottir. This time the steampunk adventure takes us to the colonies once again as we immerse ourselves in the Victorian World with a technological twist.

Now the adventure heads to the Australian Outback and a rumored Egyptian pyramid in the middle of...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: steampunk, young-adults

The third book in the Hunchback Assignments takes Modo and friends to Australia. The book opens with a sadistic adventurer who has become obsessed with finding the God Face--an old Egyptian artifact abandoned in Queensland, Australia, rumoured to cause anyone who looks upon it to go insane. He realizes his goal, but then goes insane, so it's not much use to him. When the Clockwork Guild and the Permanent Association get word of the God Face's location, agents from both sides clamor to claim the...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Amy Lignor rated it 4 of 5 stars

This wonderful adventure series that began with The Hunchback Assignments and The Dark Deeps surfaces yet again with another fantastic Indiana Jones-‘esque’ story that provides the reader with a seriously good time.

Modo is back. This is a young man who began his training as an agent for Britain’s Permanent Association when he was just fourteen years old. Modo’s boss, Mr. Socrates, has been his advisor, protector, and mentor for a good, long time. Tharpa, Modo’s weapons master, is still right by...more This wonderful adventure series that began with The Hunchback Assignments and The Dark Deeps surfaces yet again with another fantastic Indiana Jones-‘esque’ story that provides the reader with a seriously good time.

Modo is back. This is a young man who began his training as an agent for Britain’s Permanent Association when he was just fourteen years old. Modo’s boss, Mr. Socrates, has been his advisor, protector, and mentor for a good, long time. Tharpa, Modo’s weapons master, is still right by the side of Mr. Socrates and always helping Modo with his training; while Octavia, Modo’s fellow agent, is still as saucy, complex, and hysterical as she’s always been.

In this new adventure, a slimy treasure seeker by the name of Alexander King has worked his way through ‘bodies’ to find a map that leads to a ruin in the middle of Queensland, Australia. In this far away location, buried deep in a rainforest that is protected by a native tribe, lies what is called ‘The God Face.’ But this is no easy treasure to escape with. After all, it is rumored that ‘The God Face’ actually makes people go insane the minute they gaze upon it.

Modo has been sitting around the home he stays in when he isn’t working for far too long. He’s getting bored, and he rarely ever goes outside because, of course, Modo has a frightening face. His features are harsh and he scares people on sight. Thankfully, the gift he has of being able to transform his facial muscles into any face he wants to create, is what helps him when he’s on the outside.

One day a letter arrives that sends Modo into an asylum to speak with prisoner 376. That man basically tells a riddle to Modo - a riddle that makes Mr. Socrates pack up and head straight to Australia. Octavia is on her own mission, a mission that involves retrieving a treasure map. Unfortunately for her mission to be a success, Octavia must escape a man named Visser and his iron falcons; creatures with beaks and claws dipped in poison that dive-bomb her at every turn. Visser was hired to get the map away from Octavia and into the hands of the Clockwork Guild - the evil organization that has been against Mr. Socrates and trying to capture Modo for what seems like forever.

Who will get to ‘The God Face’ first? And once there, who will be able to retrieve a treasure that could permanently steal your mind from your body?

Yet again, Mr. Slade has done a spectacular job of writing a story that moves quickly, offers a ton of action, and really gets into the heart of its main character. The emotional scenes that have Octavia finally being able to set her eyes upon the real Modo, are truly lovely to read. And finding out whether a wonderful caring young man with a ‘frightening’ face can be her Prince Charming, is even more powerful to discover. Book lovers everywhere will simply race through this and demand book number 4!

This is definitely a younger version of the great Clive Cussler adventures!

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Jul 02, 2011 Nicola rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reason for Reading: Next in the series; plus I read every new book by the author.

Modo and 'Tavia are back with a bang in a brand new adventure that is fresh and exciting. The Clockwork Guild are back as is the villain with Miss Hakkandottir at the command but she has some new tricks up her metal hand's sleeve, namely a falconer and some vicious clockwork falcons added to the poisonous menagerie who are out to get Modo. On an exploration trip to Australia to find perhaps a valuable weapon called...more

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Mar 27, 2011 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read, historical, young-adult

I actually haven’t seen many reviews of this series by bloggers but I for one really like this series. It has action, adventure, mystery and little bit of romance to satisfy readers. Empire of Ruins is the third book in the series and follows Modo, Octavia along with Mr. Socrates and Tharpa as they travel to Australia in search of a mysterious relic called the God Face. Nobody knows what the God Face really is but rumours are that it is a powerful weapon and that is why Modo must get to it befor...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, young-adult

I was excited to get my hands on this 3rd book of The Hunchback Assignments series! I liked that there was more character development of the main character, Modo and that he just yearns to be loved like anyone else, and that he and Mr. Socrates not all business.

In this volume, Modo must assume a new identity with the help of Mrs Finchley to try to get information from a crazy man named King who might be able to help them locate the mysterious God Face. Soon he and Octavia are traveling with the...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Spark740 rated it 5 of 5 stars

I picked up this book because the cover looked like one of those good ol' adventure stories. However, also because of the cover, I was on the lookout for corniness (is that a word?). I was pleasantly suprised, though, by the complete absence of corniness. The action was steady, the plot was coherent, and the characters were 3D. Especially the main character - normally I detest main characters, but Modo was an excellent fluctuation from the teen book norm. The novel was also completely clean. The...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Cornelia rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a fun Steampunk read. A total adventure, great hooks, you'll read it fast. It's the third in the series but the first I've read. It does work as a stand alone but I probably will try to read the first two as well. There two secret societies - one of good guys one of bad guys. They are all looking for something called the God's Face which is a legend about an ancient Egyptian temple in the Australian rainforest. I feel it's suitable for ages 10 on up. Adults will like it also. The bad guy...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Jack Baillot rated it 5 of 5 stars

I knew I would love this book. I liked the Dark Deeps, but that one took place on the sea and if I could enjoy that one with my lack of sea loving adventures, this one was sure to be great. (It had everything I like in an adventure book. Jungles, nasty tempered bugs, and airships - every book should have an airship in it.)
However, this surpassed my expectations. It was far more exciting then I had hoped for, and Modo is no longer the little boy I've come to love in the first two books. He is g...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Anne Toronto1 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Empire of Ruins (Hunchback Assignments 3) is an Egyptian temple buried in the Australian jungle. Explorers who venture inside go mad. Metal-hand villainess returns to foil our Britannia secret agent team of chameleon Modo (can hold another image for 5 hours now), pretty always-curious Tavia, their old acting teacher Mrs. Finchley, fighting instructor from India, Tharpa ("Keep the mind steady. Be in the present.") and mentor Mr. Socrates, eager to be back in the field.
"Think about what needs to...more Empire of Ruins (Hunchback Assignments 3) is an Egyptian temple buried in the Australian jungle. Explorers who venture inside go mad. Metal-hand villainess returns to foil our Britannia secret agent team of chameleon Modo (can hold another image for 5 hours now), pretty always-curious Tavia, their old acting teacher Mrs. Finchley, fighting instructor from India, Tharpa ("Keep the mind steady. Be in the present.") and mentor Mr. Socrates, eager to be back in the field.
"Think about what needs to be done, not what you cannot change."
"Boredom won't kill you, Modo, but you can always kill boredom with a good book."
More eccentrics, good and bad, ride along, by sea and air. Although Modo crashlands after losing thumb at the start, Slade flips to months before, and viewpoints shift and die, short chapters snap quickly with headline titles. We feel instantly in place, eager to catch up. I usually dislike skipping around. Author Asprin effectively changes voices of MYTH investigators; Slade stays smoothly in third person.
Our teen hero's distorted visage influences the plot directly this time, affecting a native tribe and reactions to the secret weapon. I don't like when he slips into self-pity or jealousy, but such weak moments remind me that he is still less than 16, of no set birthday. He is no perfect superman to idolize, rather a striving ethical thoughtful courageous youngster to emulate. The attraction between the teens continues to hum softly. "He'd seen her shine like a jewel in her finest dress, but he'd choose to remember her this way ..."
The Rag & Famish Hotel in ch 22, in fact est. 1860 N. Sydney, is misnamed Famine on p 144 AND p145, although the meaning is similar, severe hunger. Firebox is mistyped fiebox on p151.
The song quoted, Dream-Pedlary, is a real poem by Thomas Lovell Beddoes (1803–49).
http://www.bartleby.com/101/667.html
I was surprised the "closer" stars on p163 are not noted for their unique constellations. The Southern Cross astonished me, and the bright blue day sky only comparable to Van Gogh's Southern France, perhaps from proximity to the equator? I would think the drastic difference from smoggy coal smoked London would be accentuated.
I just finished Intrigues, where Lackey insists on trying to approximate an unpolished low accent. I prefer here, toothless beggar informant's straightforward "I have no teeth ... I want teeth" from "indeed a black hole".
Cockney Tavia glories in her expanding vocabulary, all the better to banter.
"Who can sleep? I'm soaking wet. Every insect on this forsaken countryside has taken a chunk of my flesh. And later tonight we will likely die trying to steal an imaginary treasure from under the nose of a woman who probably sleeps lying on the skulls of babies."
"You never could give a short answer," he said, grinning.
"Yes, well, not everyone can be as overly short in words as they are in height."
The ending, heading away from London on a steamship, has me onboard. All Hunchback books deserve to be 5* on my fan shelf. If I eventually downgrade them to 4*, I'm only making room for more.
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Sep 22, 2012 Krys rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, steampunk-clockpunk, own, read-in-2011, spy-assassin, victorian-period, third-person-narrative, series-i-love, historical-fiction-period, english-setting, series

There is an International giveaway for this book and two other in the series. Ends October 5th, 2012.

http://www.bibliopunkk.net/2012/09/ar...

Come Enter!

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I have to admit one thing about Arthur Slade's Hunchback Assignments series - They're consistent... In that I consistently love every book. Hunchback Assignments was my favourite book in 2009. The Dark Deeps was a rollicking good ride, and I adored it... and the third book, Empire of Ruins, is just as good as the previous two.

Peopl...more There is an International giveaway for this book and two other in the series. Ends October 5th, 2012.

http://www.bibliopunkk.net/2012/09/ar...

Come Enter!

--------------

I have to admit one thing about Arthur Slade's Hunchback Assignments series - They're consistent... In that I consistently love every book. Hunchback Assignments was my favourite book in 2009. The Dark Deeps was a rollicking good ride, and I adored it... and the third book, Empire of Ruins, is just as good as the previous two.

People are turning up mad in Britain. When Mr. Socrates and the Permanent Association investigate they turn up something rather odd - an ancient Egyptian temple rumoured to be found in the heart of the Australian Outback. Determined to see this fabled "God Face" Socrates, Modo, and Octavia set sail for adventure. Modo encounters Aborigines, dirigibles, and the infamous Clockwork Guild during this trip... but it is in the face of his greatest fear that his will is truly tested - showing his disfigured face to the beautiful woman he has grown to love.

I love this series. Completely, fanatically. I love the characters and the ethos. I love how Slade has crafted this to mirror and mimic Classic Victorian Novels and yet written something original and new. Hunchback Assignments takes a page from all of the monster books (Frankenstein, The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Phantom of the Opera) while The Dark Deeps is clearly an homage to Jules Verne. With Empire of Ruins Slade doffs his cap to the adventure novels of the period; to King Solomon's Mines and She.... and yes, I realize Frankenstein is technically pre-Victorian but it's close enough for government work. What Slade has done with this series is nothing short of spectacular and astounding, and I can't wait to see how he astounds me with the fourth and final book in the series.

Mr. Slade, you have high expectations from this enthusiast for the next book. Don't disappoint me.

5 out of 5 stars.

- review courtesy of www.bibliopunkk.net

* Empire of Ruins releases September 13th, 2011.(less)

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Jan 26, 2012 Kvothem rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

I haven't read a lot of steampunk but I've got to say I've loved pretty much everything I've read. This series is kind of a mix between steampunk and the Alex Rider series or the Cherub series of spy/action adventure. In this story Modo is again the main character working for Mr. Socartes and with fellow agent Octavia, this time they travel to Australia in search of an ancient artifact left there by the Egyptians.

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Oct 03, 2012 S rated it 4 of 5 stars

Modo and company take to the air in Australia this time out. He develops some confidence about his natural face which was nicely done. Mr. Socrates gets emotional in Australia, mostly when Modo stands up to him. Yup, teen Modo is growing up. Gripping story throughout.

Also, the Chris McGrath cover is wonderful.

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Aug 14, 2012 Jacqui rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another great book in The Hunchback Series full of fun and adventure.

However, although I enjoyed "Empire of Ruins" my 'low-ish' rating is primarily due to Slade's heavy reliance on over-used adventure tropes... but more importantly, all the historical and anthopological misinformation that is littered throughout. Unlike the first two books, the 'altnernate histories' and cultures encountered in "Empire of Ruins" don't feel authentic or original to me. Because of that I couldn't enjoy this book...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Jeff rated it 1 of 5 stars

Nothing really seemed to happen, which was just like the prior book, except worse. Why was the pyramid in Australia? Why was the Clockwork Guild there? Neither this book nor the prior one really advanced the story of Modo and his friends much at all.

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Jun 09, 2011 Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, steampunk, young-adult

Arthur Slade delivers yet another fabulous adventure. I love everything about this series. Each book involves clever plots that play homage to well loved classics. The characters are well developed and charasmatic. And they are simply a rollickingly good time!

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Mar 03, 2012 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was quite a cool story. I liked the mystery of it. I'm not sure if I liked it more than the second. What's sad is the next and FINAL (how sad) book comes out in NOVEMBER! Darn it!

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Jan 15, 2012 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is, no question, the best book in this series. I really like how the conclusion of this mission had something to do with Modo's natural face, and the new setting was really refreshing.

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Mar 31, 2011 Theresa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kid-stuff

More fun with Modo and Octavia. I thoroughly enjoyed the latest adventure - it was another fun easy read.

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Jan 17, 2012 Boyd Dart rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this - a good continuation of the series. Led to a lot of suspicions about where the next book or series might be headed.

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Mar 13, 2013 Qt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, fantasy, science-fiction, steampunk-alternate-history

This is my favorite of the series so far. I liked the characters' development, and the mysteries and adventures were exciting. I was left wanting to know more about a couple of things, but maybe they will be explained in the next book--which I'm looking forward to reading!

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Jun 09, 2011 Pam added it

Shelves: top10intfictionssept2011

third in series hunchback assign all schools

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Jun 30, 2011 Lady Knight rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: australia, england-uk, regional-library, steampunk, teen

Excellent! I thoroughly enjoyed yet another escapde into the lives of Mr. Socrates, Tharpa, Octavia, and Modo (as a side point, don't you just love the very Victorian (I hope you said that with a posh accent... I'll wait while you go back and do so...) 'ness' of their names?). I really enjoyed seeing Modo come into his own, standing up to Mr. Socrates, and becoming more and more of a man. Overall, this series has been a great reading experience so far and I'm eagerly looking forward to any futur...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Rose Be rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: alternate-history, ya, fantasy, kids

I could not get past the severed finger mentioned in the prologue. When I got to the moment where I knew it was coming, I put the book down for a week or three. It is worth it to read through to the end, though-- don't pause as long as I did!

I really enjoyed this book. I think we get to see Modo coming into his own more-- challenging Mr. Socrates, for example, and while he continues to like Olivia, he realizes that she is an imperfect human being a bit more, and he develops more confidence in th...more

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Nov 15, 2012 PWRL marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-new

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May 17, 2012 Luca rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the best books I've read

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Feb 21, 2012 Britt, Book Habitue rated it 4 of 5 stars

Interesting twists in character development. Enjoyed it.

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Apr 06, 2013 X rated it 4 of 5 stars

My favorite of the series, so far, though perhaps only because my favorite characters played a larger role than in the previous books. I was occasionally confused by a few things, but I nevertheless enjoyed the steam punk world in which the story is set.

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Jul 14, 2012 Lyndsay rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not as good as the first two, but still a good read.

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Mar 05, 2013 stitchnsnitch rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an enjoyable read, but the plot felt forced in parts, as if Arthur Slade had an outline for the story, and the characters needed to hurry up and meet those plot points.

I did like how Modo and Octavia's relationship had developed, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

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About Arthur Slade

Arthur Slade was raised in the Cypress Hills of southwest Saskatchewan and began writing at an early age. He received an English Honours degree from the University of Saskatchewan, spent several years writing advertising and now writes fiction full time. He is the author of the "Canadian Chills" series of books, "Dust" (which won the Governor General's award), "Tribes," and "Jolted." He currently...more

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Books by Arthur Slade

The Hunchback Assignments (The Hunchback Assignments, #1)

The Dark Deeps (The Hunchback Assignments, #2)

Jolted: Newton Starker's rules for survival

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Empire of Ruins (The Hunchback Assignments #3)

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