The Dawn of Adonis
Toff never knew his mother. The only family he has is his uncle – Goliath Deeds. Goliath is feared and revered on London streets, and Toff feels the same. At only 12, Toff has seen and heard things no child should ever see, and has learnt never to cross his uncle.
One night Goliath and Toff meet a man in a bleak part of town. He has a deal for Goliath, who seems excited for the opportunity to make a lot of money. What Toff sees breaks his heart – a silverback gorilla, malnourished, sick and in terrible condition.
Goliath is delighted, but Toff is horrified. He knows he must get help for the creature and for the first time goes against his uncle’s orders and fetches help.
What follows is a battle between good and evil, animal love and cruelty, money and dignity. Toff meets Nettie, an avid animal lover and daughter of a vet. She not only stands up to Goliath, but inexplicably stands in his way of exploiting any animal.
Toff is mortified and impressed in equal measure, and the next 24 hours are the most fearful hours he’s ever experienced in his life. Goliath has eyes and spies everywhere on the streets of London, and a death defying chase results through the alleys and tunnels across the city.
The Dawn of Adonis is a prequel to the best selling When The Sky Falls. This episode shows readers Adonis’s beginnings in London and how his very life was saved by a brave young girl and a street urchin.
Phil Earle is a master storyteller, and The Dawn of Adonis captured me from the first page and had me turning pages faster and faster until the nail biting ending. Just as in his other books, the setting is richly portrayed and the 1911 London docks easy to immerse yourself in.
Poverty is rife in the story, but so is positivity and kindness, with strong friendships built along the way.
This is a novel for animal lovers, historical genre readers, and anyone who loves a thrilling story.
Author – Phil Earle
Age – 10+
(2025, Andersen Press, Animals, Action, Historical, Grief, Friendship, Poverty, Secret, Family, Courage, Gorilla, Baby, London, Thugs, Violence, Escape, Gangsters, Duology, Series, Prequel, Gripping)
The post The Dawn of Adonis appeared first on whatbooknext.com.