The Night Watchman Express (The Crown Phoenix, #1)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Night Watchman Express (The Crown Phoenix #1)

by Alison DeLuca (Goodreads Author)

4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 · rating details · 95 ratings · 43 reviews

An underground factory, a terrifying laboratory, and the eerie whistle of the Night Watchman Express…

Miriam has only her guardians' son for company, and she and Simon dislike each other from the start. But they must find a way to trust each other, or they will end up on the sinister Night Watchman Express.

Full of danger, suspense, betrayal, and a hint of romance, this stea...more

ebook, 279 pages

Published October 4th 2012 by Myrddin Publishing (first published February 28th 2011)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

YA Debuts 2011

25th out of 336 books — 1,217 voters

Best YA Steampunk Books

10th out of 64 books — 144 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,354)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 24, 2011 Enrico Antiporda rated it 5 of 5 stars

The fast pacing of this book is immediately apparent in the opening chapters. Miriam, a young girl from a wealthy family, is orphaned when her industrialist father dies. Enter the Marchpanes, her assigned guardian and business partner of Miriam's father. The Marchpanes, under the firm control of the vicious and witchy Mrs. Marchpane, move into the mansion and immediately set out to gain control of the family money and company. They get rid of Miriam by putting her in the Night Watchman Express,...more

like 3 likes · see review

Apr 02, 2013 Sigal rated it 4 of 5 stars

I got this book through the giveaway in this website. The author signed it and sent a matching bookmark along with the book, which was very nice!

I absolutely loved the story. It is unique in every way, which is incredibly hard to find nowadays. There is an ongoing suspense throughout the book that keeps you interested, and the world and concepts built are very well done.

I was not crazy about the characters. A lot of the main characters act childish to the point of being annoying, so you end up n...more

like · see review

Nov 15, 2012 Catherine Stine rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: tweens, teens, fans of Victorian adventure, steampunk

Miriam's comfortable world is thrown into chaos when her father dies and his so-called business partners, Virgil and Theodosia Marchpane move in and start to take over the mansion. They've brought along their spoiled son, Simon, and his friend of more modest means, Neil. Upon the horrid realization that Theodosia is intent on moving Miriam up to the attic and installing Simon in her room, is not going down without a fight. She throws things, she curses, and is relegated to her room for days with...more Miriam's comfortable world is thrown into chaos when her father dies and his so-called business partners, Virgil and Theodosia Marchpane move in and start to take over the mansion. They've brought along their spoiled son, Simon, and his friend of more modest means, Neil. Upon the horrid realization that Theodosia is intent on moving Miriam up to the attic and installing Simon in her room, is not going down without a fight. She throws things, she curses, and is relegated to her room for days with only bread and water.

Mysterious, steampunky elements appear: twelve silver circles set in the stones near the shore, a seemingly magical night train that inspires strange dreams, and Miriam's own secret possession: her old-fashioned Crown Phoenix manual typewriter, which takes on a larger aura.

Miriam overhears Virgil and Theodosia's whispered business dealings. She reads their private papers and learns of shocking details. The Marchpanes hate her snoopy ways and hire a governess to keep Miriam in line.

Enter Manalapata Postulate, a character every bit as trippy as her name suggests. As Miriam's new governess, she has a hypnotic hold on everyone--for instance, the very racist Theodosia cannot recall saying yes to hiring Miss Postulate, who is the color of dark chocolate, yet Theodosia's signature's on the contract!

At first Miriam rails against her new governess, but soon Miss Postulate, or Mana, not only turns Miriam into a proper lady, she has also, to Theodosia's horror, charmed young Simon and Neil. When Miriam asks Mana why she's being so nice, we wonder too! Most everyone has a nefarious motivation that is big fun trying to figure out. Miriam is much more than she seems as well.
Danger lurks, and finally, the kids learn that Mana has been taken. Upon trying to rescue her, Simon and Miriam are whisked away on none other than the Night Train that inspires fearful dreams.

Part two brings us to the island of Lampala where Miss Postulate grew up. She's been kidnapped and Neil is determined to search her out and save her. It is here that DeLuca crafts her most original setting and language, a testament to her vivid imagination and prowess as a storyteller. Neil is charged with watching a native girl, even more impossible than Miriam ever was, and the earlier plot is echoed in his own creative ways of bringing Riki around. The more serious task is to rescue Mana, who they find hanging in a cage off the edge of a cliff!

I admire DeLuca's quirky sense of adventure, and expertise at weaving together all of the mystifying threads without dropping any. Her prose is gorgeous. Tweens and middle-graders will love this series, as well as teens and even adults. I look forward to reading book #2.
(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Oct 16, 2012 Daniel Cann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for review from First Rule Publicity from the author as part of a virtual book tour. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

This novel is full of menace and atmosphere. The opening chapters take place in a...more

like · see review

May 14, 2012 D.M. Dutcher rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s, steampunk

I would have loved to give this book a higher review. It does so much right, yet so much wrong.

Miriam's father and mother have passed away. Unfortunately, she now has to deal with two guardians, who have designs on control of her father's Company. Thankfully their son Simon and his friend Neil are decent people, and soon an exotic and mysterious governess named Mana has come. There is a deep mystery going on, and can the four of them fight what seems to be a conspiracy surrounding Mana's home an...more I would have loved to give this book a higher review. It does so much right, yet so much wrong.

Miriam's father and mother have passed away. Unfortunately, she now has to deal with two guardians, who have designs on control of her father's Company. Thankfully their son Simon and his friend Neil are decent people, and soon an exotic and mysterious governess named Mana has come. There is a deep mystery going on, and can the four of them fight what seems to be a conspiracy surrounding Mana's home and the Night Watchman Express?

The problems first. I purchased the Kindle version, and this is actually two novels! The Night Watchman Express, and Big Star Island. The first part covers all four of the characters, the second only two. There is an epilogue midway through the Kindle book, and Big Star Island starts off with a recap, so it's not just a "telling the tale in two parts."

The problem with this is that the first part has absolutely horrible pacing. It ends without revealing much, and drags horribly at times because it doesn't have a lot of action. It's a very slow burn and you could almost feel like giving up, and then get angry when you see the book bisect into the second novel.

Don't.

Big Star Island is wonderful. The author has a talent for portraying kids as kids even in the first part, especially with Miriam and Mana's interactions. But the second part is a pure joy to read. It's much better in terms of pacing, it reveals a lot about the story and the aims of the bad guys, and the relationship between Neil and Riku is so much fun it brought a smile to my face. I really enjoyed it, and would be raving about this book if not for the problems with the first part.

I'd also really not call it steampunk yet. There are hints of it, but this isn't an iron and canvas Victorian world where people are using dirigibles to do their laundry. It's more historical fantasy, and is pretty good at that but not perfect. Again, really the only problem with the book in my opinion is a slow first part, that ends just as the stage is set up. That one problem is a big problem though, because they needed more information about the crisis in the book instead of a lot of repetitive scenes where Miriam, Mana, and the evil aunt collide. As well as the servants, though I wager they play a part in a later book?

So keep that warning in mind. But I really liked the book, and it's a steal at its current price. There's a lot to like about it, even as there is things to put you off. Highly recommended, even with what I said. Ipa!(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Apr 12, 2011 Ceri Clark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-island-publishing

The Night Watchman Express kept me interested throughout the book. This is the book that doubters of Indie publishing should read, it shows that there are Indie books which can be and are of a high quality. In fact better than some main stream books I've read!

What is it about? Well it's a historical fantasy but not the sword and sorcery variety. It is what I would call more of a realistic fantasy.

The main character is an heiress whose life is turned upside down when her guardians come to stay....more

like 2 likes · see review

Apr 18, 2011 Gary Hoover rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-steampunk, young-adult, childrens-steampunk

The Night Watchman Express is a very ambitious story with numerous settings and a large cast, but the author so skillfully guides the reader that it isn't until the end that we look back and say: "Wow! We really went through a lot!"

The rich pallet of main characters are, for the most part, strangers to one another at the onset, so we don't step into a story already in progress, but rather learn the characters and situations as the characters themselves discover what is unfolding. The characters...more

like 1 like · see review

Jan 26, 2013 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads, flights-of-fantasy, ya

Firstly, what the heck with that cover? The ghostly, deathly look of the cover is a bit misleading as to what the story is actually about.

This e-book has a part one and a part two. The first part chronicles Miriam, experiencing the death of her Father (they weren't that close) and his business partner, along with his wife, their son, and son's friend moving into the mansion.

The couple are caricature's of evil, shallow and selfish. Though things change a bit, when they find Miriam too much of a...more Firstly, what the heck with that cover? The ghostly, deathly look of the cover is a bit misleading as to what the story is actually about.

This e-book has a part one and a part two. The first part chronicles Miriam, experiencing the death of her Father (they weren't that close) and his business partner, along with his wife, their son, and son's friend moving into the mansion.

The couple are caricature's of evil, shallow and selfish. Though things change a bit, when they find Miriam too much of a challenge and hire a dark skinned (gasp!) and mystical woman from the nearby islands as a governess.

The kids start to get along and soon become wise to the fact that the adults around them seem up to something, along with the encourage from the Governess to exercise their sleuthing skills (that's pretty much how she tricks Miriam into behaving, act nice on the outside, so you can use it to your advantage later).

Miriam and Simon the son of the couple, get separated from his friend Neil, and bam! The book ends quite unexpectedly.

And we're on to Neil's story, without so much as a by-your-leave. Neil's story is good, it's just a little off-putting because you didn't expect it to be there.

He ends up on the island that the governess was originally from, and is taken in by a family with a very unruly little girl, worse perhaps then Miram herself. He uses Mana, the Governesses tactics to make the little girl behave, and the family is joyously grateful for this change in family tensions and locks him in his room ate night, so that he can NEVER leave them alone with their child again.

Neil and the girl, Riki, have a sweet relationship. I don't know what the age difference is, but she's definitely smitten with him, and he tends to bounce around from teacher, big brother, accomplice and friend.

They become wrapped up in a plot to save the Queen of the island, which provides a useful and strong wood that can be obtained nowhere else, and is exported to the mainlands through the company owned by Miriam's late Father and the the partners the Marchpanes.

Things are a big hinky with the Marchpanes, and you learn some of the mystery, but not fully, before the close of this book.

It was a nice read as a kids-preteen book. The only things I didn't like, were that some of the adults were a little over-acted, especially Riki's family. I enjoyed it as an adult though, and I know for certain I would have liked it as a preteen.

And I noticed there seemed to be quite a few spelling errors and wrong words, though....I might say I like finding that sort of thing, makes me feel like I have a superior intellect. Or like I'm a pretend editor for the day!(less)

like 1 like · see review

Jan 19, 2012 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: free-kindle-books, young-adult, steampunk, goal-list-2012-part-1, 2012-reads

The book follows Marian after her father has died and new guardians take over her home and her fathers business. They are some shady characters and Marian is out to figure out what is going on. Two other main characters are introduced fairly early, Simon the son of the guardians and Neil his poor friend. All great characters and I liked the story, but I was a bit disappointed with the second half of the book because while it had been following the young girl during the transition of new guardian...more

like 2 likes · see review

Nov 10, 2011 Indie e-books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-at-indieebooks

An example of how good indie work can be (and for me that means a great story plus beautifully edited). This book was reviewed through the Blog tour – Tour de Troops.

*MINOR SPOILERS*

Recently orphaned, left a substantial fortune by her father, but in the care of his unfeeling business partner Mr Marchpane and his wife. Only a few hours hours after they arrive it’s decided that she should be moved out of her room and into the attic to make space for the Marchpane’s son Simon. At first glance this...more

like 1 like · see review

Nov 10, 2012 Teressa Morris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Although I found Night Watchman Express to be an enjoyable and fairly easy read, I did have a couple of issues with it.

First, there is just too much story and information here for one book. The book is broken into two distinct parts, which I personally feel would have been better as two separate books. The storyline in the mansion could have been expanded on greatly and I also would have liked to see the island life described in greater detail.

Second, although labelled as a steampunk novel, to m...more

like · see review

Oct 23, 2012 Kayla Eklund rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews-completed

The Night Watchman Express was a decently good young adult novel. The cover of the book said that it was a steampunk novel, but I am not sure how. It just seemed like a fantasy novel to me. The book didn’t fully capture my interest at the beginning. However, once the Marchpanes arrived, the book got more interesting. It stayed interesting up until the incident with Mana. The second half of the book was a struggle for me to finish. It normally would have taken me three days to finish it. However,...more

like 1 like · see review

Dec 06, 2012 Donna (BLHmistress) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I accepted this request because I found the blurb to Night Watchman Express very interesting . Now I am glad I did. I enjoyed every part of this book. The characters were a pure joy to read. I felt myself cheering for Miriam and wanting to smack her new guardians for their treatment of her.

Miriam, who's father died finds out she had new guardians. I honestly don't blame her for her behavior with these two. Mainly Theo, the 'aunt'. If I had to deal with someone like her I would behave badly as we...more

like 3 likes · see review

Nov 10, 2011 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-reviews, ibc-review

The Night Watchman Express by Alison DeLuca tells the story of Miriam. She is a young girl whose father recently passes away leaving her an orphan under the care of her late father's business partners, the Marchpanes. Unfortunately it seems that the Marchpanes have some kind of sinister plan involving the business her father worked so hard to build. Miriam completely rebels against the newcomers to her home until Mana, the new governess is hired to take care of her. Mana earns Miriams respect an...more

like 2 likes · see review

Oct 17, 2012 Redheaded Bookworm rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book really surprised me. I wasn't sure I was going to like it, as steampunk isn't one of my usual genres. But, boy am I glad I had the chance to read it. This book just oozes mystery. The characters were great. The main characters were easy to connect with and the bad ones were easy to hate. And I absolutely fell in love with Neil. First he is shy, and feels unworthy around Simon's parents as they are rich and he is the son of a fisherman. He really comes into his own, when his friends are...more

like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 Laura Noakes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-star, steampunk, young-adult, really-enjoyed, read-in-2012

First reviewed at http://bookswritingtea.wordpress.com/

I really enjoyed The Night Watchman Express. I loved the characters, that idealized feeling of warmth for the past when girls had governesses and big houses had cooks and maids. It was all very Downton Abbey!
I have to say though, I adored the characters! Each of them reminded me of other favorite characters, yet seemed totally original at the same time. Miriam, the uncivilized wild child with a talent for writing and a hatred for her guardia...more First reviewed at http://bookswritingtea.wordpress.com/

I really enjoyed The Night Watchman Express. I loved the characters, that idealized feeling of warmth for the past when girls had governesses and big houses had cooks and maids. It was all very Downton Abbey!
I have to say though, I adored the characters! Each of them reminded me of other favorite characters, yet seemed totally original at the same time. Miriam, the uncivilized wild child with a talent for writing and a hatred for her guardians reminded me slightly of Lyra from Phillip Pullmans epic His Dark Materials. Mana, the mysterious governess and lady with the patience of a saint reminded me of Mary Poppins. Neil the spectacle wearing slightly geeky boy and Simon, the posh boy with a heart were also great characters and I think the trio of Miriam, Simon and Neil worked really well together. I also loved the idea of Simon’s parents being the villains and the mysterious Marchpane’s and the Cantwell Siblings gave me the chills for some reason and yet I yearned for more, I will be reading the second book soon as to find some answers!
I think that the one word I could use to describe this book would be mysterious! It’s really a tale of two halls. The first half deals with the arrival of Simon, Neil and Simon’s parents and Mana and how this effects Miriam, a girl who’s just lost her father and doesn't seem that bothered about it. This is where the mystery of “the company” begins and all three kids are drawn into it. Mana seems to know more then she’s letting on too and so the mystery begins! The second part of the novel is completely different from the first. At first I was a little put off by this, but Neil’s and his new friend’s adventures are equally enthralling and mysterious. The book doesn't have a conclusion of such, but neatly leads on to book two.
The only very slight issue I had with the book was the time period and setting, I didn't know whether it was set in England, America or someone else and I didn't know the exact time period it was set in (and for a history geek this is important!). However this may be because I was too idiotic to notice as I had to spread out my reading because of my law degree.
However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to fans of mystery and quirky characters. I cannot wait to read the second book in the series and find out more.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for review from First Rule Publicity from the author as part of a virtual book tour. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”(less)

like · see review

Mar 10, 2012 Carlie Cullen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I’d never read a Steampunk novel until The Night Watchman Express crossed my path and I wasn’t sure if it would be ‘my thing’, but I’d read a few of the 5-star reviews on Amazon and decided to give it a try.

By the end of the first chapter I was hooked! The characters are larger than life: Miriam, Simon and Neil are loveable and you find yourself really caring about them and the twists and turns in their young lives. Mana is enigmatic yet extremely likeable and the Marchpanes are foul creatures t...more

like 2 likes · see review

Jan 17, 2013 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks-own, own, review-copy

A delightful story. I must say I was wondering how I would enjoy this book. Being friends with Alison I thought I had better like this book or else I don't know what I'll do. What a pleasure to find that I not only enjoyed it but loved it.

This story while it has a very unique mystery is character driven. The focus being Miriam in the first half and Neil a minor character initially becomes the focus in part two. The children are the central focus of the book while it's quite obvious the adults ar...more

like 1 like · see review

Jul 21, 2012 Eoghann Irving rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fantasy, young-adult

I want to like this book more than I actually did. There are a lot of things I love about it, but the structure is frustrating.

The initial setting, a quasi-Victorian manor in an unspecified location with an orphan girl, mysterious nanny and horrible guardians is wonderful. The setting is vividly realized and the characters immediately captured my interest. Admittedly not a lot actually happens, it's almost all set up, but it kept my interest the entire time.

The second half is rather abrupt chang...more

like · see review

Oct 30, 2012 Elisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the beginning of a YA trilogy containing some steampunk elements. Reviewed as part of a First Rule Publicity tour. I received the book free, but the opinions are mine!

The heroes of this book are three children, the recently orphaned Miriam, Simon and Neil. Miriam's father was the head of a company that had created a wonderful device that his partner, who is now Miriam's guardian, is desperately searching for. He and his wife, the witchy Mrs. Marchpane have taken over her house and treat...more This is the beginning of a YA trilogy containing some steampunk elements. Reviewed as part of a First Rule Publicity tour. I received the book free, but the opinions are mine!

The heroes of this book are three children, the recently orphaned Miriam, Simon and Neil. Miriam's father was the head of a company that had created a wonderful device that his partner, who is now Miriam's guardian, is desperately searching for. He and his wife, the witchy Mrs. Marchpane have taken over her house and treat Miriam very poorly. Luckily, Miriam's governess Manapalata Postulate has some sort of power over the Marchpane's and takes the wild Miriam in hand Her amazingly wonderful character helps Miriam calm herself enough to figure out what is going on. Mana ia a little bit Mary Poppins in a no nonsense, non-singing type way. Simon is the Marchpane's son, and Simon's friend Neil is staying with them for the summer. Eventually the kids befriend each other against the Marchpane's wishes.

It is creepy and the characters and mystery are developed and deepen while we read about Miriam and her situation. The Marchpane adults are vile looking and acting people who then bring in a new partner, a brother and sister team who are lovely to look at, but not so beautiful on the inside. They reminded me a little bit of Mrs. Coulter from The Golden Compass, gorgeous but dangerous! But, we don't find out much about them. We are being led down the rabbit hole with little breadcrumbs (first of a trilogy!).

The second half of the book Miriam and Simon are trapped on the Night Watchman Express train and Neil is on Lampala island trying to save Miriam's governess, Mana who has been captured. The mystery deepens while we follow Neil and his new friend Riki try to find Mana. But it feels like you are straying further from the mystery, because the narrative follows Neil nearly exclusively in a happy island setting, or is it as happy as it looks? The setting and tone are almost completely different from the first half.

But you get hints. You see certain characters and know who they are, even if the kids are unsure "where they heard that voice before" you know the bad guys are somehow involved. But you don't know what it is they are doing...you have to follow the clues to see where they lead. And even though the story derails a little (or so you think) it is so readable and enjoyable I felt like I read 2 books in one.

Lampala has intrigue and a mystery to solve along with some bad guys, all under the beautiful veneer of a gorgeous tropical island. You get hints of the bad deeds and terrible things happening here and elsewhere and you hope Neil and Riki can unravel part of the mystery and begin shedding light to the diabolical doings of the Marchpane's and their new partners. The action is slow, then not, then slow again, but I found it enjoyable, just don't expect fire bombs and many answers. Not many come your way this book.

Underneath the seemingly innocent adventures of these children there are some creepy goings on. I am excited to continue this adventure and hope we get to see Miriam and Simon's story aboard the Night Watchman in the next installment, The Devil's Kitchen. So far, the steampunk elements are only hinted at. Honestly, so far this is more of a victorian setting without fantastical devices. So I am looking forward to seeing what Miriam's father invented, what it can do and how they expose the diabolical Marchpane's! 3.5 stars.
(less)

like · see review

Jul 07, 2012 Mad_Maudie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk, ya-and-or-kids

I love Mana, Miriam, and Riki, but I guess I'm just a sucker for strong female characters. I love it when the ladies don't back down!

like 3 likes · see review

Dec 04, 2012 Robin Blankenship rated it 4 of 5 stars

Steampunk is a fairly new to me genre and this series is an awesome plunge in to the genre. There are three book currently in this series. I was able to read the first two books and look forward to the third. I was so glad I already had book two in hand when I finished the first book. DeLuca is a wonderful storyteller and these books are the type that suck you in and you almost feel like you are in the story. Her characters are so believable and they are so well written you begin to care about w...more

like 1 like · see review

Aug 14, 2011 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Interested in learning more about steampunk, Alison Deluca's debut is a tantalizing source of information and storytelling!

like · see review

Jul 25, 2011 Kathleen Barker rated it 5 of 5 stars

Many times I've picked up a book and lost interest after the first few pages, but this book is NOT one of them. "The Night Watchman Express" is a richly woven story filled with unique characters. Alison DeLuca has managed to interplay the personalities that populate this story so that you are drawn in immediately. There are very few times that I've been sucked into a story so much that I didn't want to put it down. The story line is original and the fictional people and places are drawn so maste...more

like · see review

Dec 16, 2012 Cassandra (The Book & Movie Dimension blogger) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sciencefiction, steampunk, fantasy

Ever since my first taste of Steampunk which have to give a nod of approval at Kady Kross’s Steampunk Chronicles (The Girl in the Steel Corset, The Girl in the Clockwork Collar) and since then have an interest in any novels bearing Steampunk elements. The Nightwatchman Express when signed up for this Online Book Tour promised to have a stamp of Steampunk as well.

Later once began reading The Night Watchman Express knew with certainty had made a magnificent decision. Alison DeLuca twirls to vibran...more

like 1 like · see review

Nov 26, 2012 Karielle Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog

The Night Watchman Express (The Crown Phoenix #1) by Alison DeLuca

Page Count: 291
Release Date: 3 October 2012
Publisher: Myrddin Publishing Group
Source: Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review as part of the The Crown Phoenix Virtual Book Tour

Review: This is the first steampunk novel I've tried that's targeted for younger readers, and after reading, I can confidently say I love the flourishing, industrializing backdrop set to Edwardian England in The Ni...more

like 1 like · see review

Nov 27, 2012 Sarah (Workaday Reads) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

This story had a very gothic Victorian feel. There was plenty of mystery and was quite entertaining. There was a surprising amount of humour, told in a formal and subtle way that fit the gothic feel. Both Miriam and Riki are mischievious troublemakers, and the adventures they got into helped provided a youthful and fun vibe.

The story was told in two parts, almost like episodes within the series. The first part was an introduction, and focused on Miriam. The second part was Neil’s story on Lampal...more

like · see review

Jun 19, 2011 Cypher Lx rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Night Watchman Express is a wild train ride that spans so far it's almost hard to describe. With the luxurious descriptions of typical Victorian era scenery and exotic tropical islands, DeLuca manages to suspend disbelief when introducing the fantasy elements into this story. Despite the bright cheeriness surrounding most of the characters, there is usually an undertone of darkness that creates a more realistic world. And when the surroundings are gloomy and depressing, sparks of humor are i...more

like 2 likes · see review

Jan 20, 2013 Margaret Hibbard rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a very good book. One of my new favorites. Set in England in the time of the industrial revolution it is a story that focuses on growing up and magic, two of my favorite themes. I love how the characters grow and change as they develop the story. I have to admit, I read all three of the books one right after the other, and so dividing them up is not going to be easy. I look forward to being able to read the next in the series when it comes out.

like 1 like · see review

Jul 04, 2011 Al Boudreau rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Night Watchman Express was my very first YA read, and I have to give Ms. DeLuca high marks for a number of reasons. My schedule seldom allows the luxury of reading for hours on end, so I generally engage in fits and starts. Night Watchman was written so well, it enabled me to pick up where I left off very easily, sometimes after a week or more. This is an important quality for a YA novel to posess, as the attention span of young adults can be limited at times. I found the story line to be wo...more

like 1 like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 45 46 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (6)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy

11 users

Young Adult

10 users

Science Fiction > Steampunk

5 users

Mystery

4 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Blood in the Skies
by G.D. Falksen
Scourge: A Grim Doyle Adventure
by David H. Burton
The 19 Dragons
by S.M. Reine
Gears of Wonderland
by Jason G. Anderson
Redheart
by Jackie Gamber

About Alison DeLuca

Alison DeLuca is the author of several steampunk and urban fantasy books. She was born in Arizona and has also lived in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Mexico, Ireland, and Spain.

Currently she wrestles words and laundry in New Jersey.

More about Alison DeLuca...

Books by Alison DeLuca

Lamplighter's Special (The Crown Phoenix, #3)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Crown Phoenix: Ni...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: The Night Watchman Express
avg rating	preview: The Night Watchman Express Goodreads rating: 4.25 (95 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10755107-the-night-watchman-express?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349474814l/10755107.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10755107-the-night-watchman-express?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Night Watchman Express by Alison DeLuca[/url]

The Night Watchman Express (The Crown Phoenix #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website