What do you think?
Rate this book
Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times
Ten-year-old Jack Foster has stepped through a doorway and into quite a different London.
Londinium is a smoky, dark, and dangerous place, home to mischievous metal fairies and fearsome clockwork dragons that breathe scalding steam. The people wear goggles to protect their eyes, brass grill insets in their nostrils to filter air, or mechanical limbs to replace missing ones.
Over it all rules the Lady, and the Lady has demanded a new son—a perfect flesh-and-blood child. She has chosen Jack.
Jack’s wonder at the magic and steam-powered marvels in Londinium lasts until he learns he is the pawn in a very dangerous game. The consequences are deadly, and his only hope of escape, of returning home, lies with a legendary clockwork bird.
The Gearwing grants wishes—or it did, before it was broken—before it was killed. But some things don’t stay dead forever.
Londinium is a smoky, dark, and dangerous place, home to mischievous metal fairies and fearsome clockwork dragons that breathe scalding steam. The people wear goggles to protect their eyes, brass grill insets in their nostrils to filter air, or mechanical limbs to replace missing ones.
Over it all rules the Lady, and the Lady has demanded a new son—a perfect flesh-and-blood child. She has chosen Jack.
Jack’s wonder at the magic and steam-powered marvels in Londinium lasts until he learns he is the pawn in a very dangerous game. The consequences are deadly, and his only hope of escape, of returning home, lies with a legendary clockwork bird.
The Gearwing grants wishes—or it did, before it was broken—before it was killed. But some things don’t stay dead forever.
314 pages, Hardcover
First published May 13, 2014
36 people are currently reading
4806 people want to read
About the author
Emma Trevayne
12 books212 followersScience fiction and fantasy author of novels for kids and teens.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews
August 12, 2015
This book is full of rich descriptions and an interesting plot, but it didn't hold my attention. It was easy to get distracted while reading this one. Overall still a great story and very original!
August 19, 2013
Disclaimer: I am the author's agent. I am also, however, a true diehard fan of this book--it is THE kind of story I'd hoped to someday work with when I first decided to get into publishing. It is classic and original all at once, the kind of book you'd read by the fire on a cold winter day, or at night in bed...unable to put it down until you'd read "just one more" chapter.
I cannot wait for the rest of the world to read this book.
I cannot wait for the rest of the world to read this book.
Want to read
August 19, 2013We hosted the official cover reveal for this gorgeous Victorian middle grade fantasy today:
Add Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times to your TBR list if you're interested, and win an ARC on the blog, too!
Add Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times to your TBR list if you're interested, and win an ARC on the blog, too!
February 10, 2014
I read this when it was still a draft, and Emma is a dear friend, and I blurbed it for the publisher, but none of those things had much to do with why I loved it so much.
It has all the best things in it. Behold:
- An alternate mirror-London that is slightly sinister.
- Portals
- Dragons
- Steampunk
- Steampunk dragons
- Characters named Dr. Snailwater and Lorcan Havelock, etc.
- Cake
- Airships
- A wind-up girl named Beth Number Thirteen, who is one of my favorite characters everrr.
- A duplicitous villainess
- Mechanical faeries
- Dreadful hangings, clockwork masks, gorgeous writing.
The list goes on, but YOU UNDERSTAND. Everyone should read this. People who like Victorian-tinged fantasy, atmosphere, and colorful worlds, should read this especially soon. It's fantastic. :)
It has all the best things in it. Behold:
- An alternate mirror-London that is slightly sinister.
- Portals
- Dragons
- Steampunk
- Steampunk dragons
- Characters named Dr. Snailwater and Lorcan Havelock, etc.
- Cake
- Airships
- A wind-up girl named Beth Number Thirteen, who is one of my favorite characters everrr.
- A duplicitous villainess
- Mechanical faeries
- Dreadful hangings, clockwork masks, gorgeous writing.
The list goes on, but YOU UNDERSTAND. Everyone should read this. People who like Victorian-tinged fantasy, atmosphere, and colorful worlds, should read this especially soon. It's fantastic. :)
February 26, 2017
Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
Emma Trevayne’s Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times is a story of one’s childhood escape from reality. We’ve all been in that phase and this book will remind you of all the love we craved, and the nightmares we had as children.
Ten-year-old Jack Foster had always felt neglected by his parents, like almost every other child. One day, an odd man arrived at their home to provide her mother and her friends some magical and spiritual amusements.
Sir Lorcan Havelock was on a mission to find his most-beloved Lady a new and perfect son. He’d do anything to make her happy and thought that Jack Foster would be the finest candidate. However, Lorcan is envious and furious. Loving the Lady greatly, he wanted all her affections for himself alone and this could put Jack and the others in a great risk that would sweep the whole empire on its wings.
The story was quite appealing especially as the world, Londinium, was unraveled gradually. I’m sure that it’s not that unique, but it’s likable. The book is steampunk-themed, focusing on another London which could be accessed through magical doorways. Londinium, the Empire of Clouds, is a place of imperfection. Its people have a few of their defective body parts replaced with metal. Some, like Beth, needed winding up because they were entirely made of machines.
Though Jack’s character was well-developed, I didn’t adore who he became in the end of the book. Yes, he indeed became stronger, but all the edge somewhat destroyed part of his goodness. He’d been through much, and he chose to be driven by his anger towards Lorcan. I don’t think he would be a good influence to young readers.
The other characters were very interactive as well and contributed a great deal to Jack’s and his adventure’s molding. Beth was the ideal character that kids could look up to. She’s kind and caring, even towards people who’ve wronged her. Of course, there are the adults who helped Jack get through this world of death and smoke: Xeno and Dr. Snailwater. These two were fairy-godparent-like for giving all Jack he needed to make it out alive in exchange for nothing. Although these three were fantastic characters, they were all flat and were the same from beginning to end.
The main reason why I’m giving this book a 2.5-star rating was because of the Lady and Lorcan. Honestly, I’m more interested in them than Jack and his friends. They were dark and wrecked inside and they made me want to unearth their past. I wanted to know why the Lady was miserable and looking for a son. Did she give birth to one before and lost it? What was Lorcan like before he became the Lady’s son? I want their entire truths! The tale ended with me not discovering where these two came from and it was irksome.
The next reason which resulted to my rating was the Gearwing. I think it was such an instant solution. It was too easy of an answer although Jack had to find it piece by piece. Maybe I just don’t adore wish-granting scenarios resolving issues anymore. It made the ending too hopeful for such a sinister plot and world buildup.
This was an adorable read although I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected.
Emma Trevayne’s Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times is a story of one’s childhood escape from reality. We’ve all been in that phase and this book will remind you of all the love we craved, and the nightmares we had as children.
Ten-year-old Jack Foster had always felt neglected by his parents, like almost every other child. One day, an odd man arrived at their home to provide her mother and her friends some magical and spiritual amusements.
Sir Lorcan Havelock was on a mission to find his most-beloved Lady a new and perfect son. He’d do anything to make her happy and thought that Jack Foster would be the finest candidate. However, Lorcan is envious and furious. Loving the Lady greatly, he wanted all her affections for himself alone and this could put Jack and the others in a great risk that would sweep the whole empire on its wings.
The story was quite appealing especially as the world, Londinium, was unraveled gradually. I’m sure that it’s not that unique, but it’s likable. The book is steampunk-themed, focusing on another London which could be accessed through magical doorways. Londinium, the Empire of Clouds, is a place of imperfection. Its people have a few of their defective body parts replaced with metal. Some, like Beth, needed winding up because they were entirely made of machines.
Though Jack’s character was well-developed, I didn’t adore who he became in the end of the book. Yes, he indeed became stronger, but all the edge somewhat destroyed part of his goodness. He’d been through much, and he chose to be driven by his anger towards Lorcan. I don’t think he would be a good influence to young readers.
The other characters were very interactive as well and contributed a great deal to Jack’s and his adventure’s molding. Beth was the ideal character that kids could look up to. She’s kind and caring, even towards people who’ve wronged her. Of course, there are the adults who helped Jack get through this world of death and smoke: Xeno and Dr. Snailwater. These two were fairy-godparent-like for giving all Jack he needed to make it out alive in exchange for nothing. Although these three were fantastic characters, they were all flat and were the same from beginning to end.
The main reason why I’m giving this book a 2.5-star rating was because of the Lady and Lorcan. Honestly, I’m more interested in them than Jack and his friends. They were dark and wrecked inside and they made me want to unearth their past. I wanted to know why the Lady was miserable and looking for a son. Did she give birth to one before and lost it? What was Lorcan like before he became the Lady’s son? I want their entire truths! The tale ended with me not discovering where these two came from and it was irksome.
The next reason which resulted to my rating was the Gearwing. I think it was such an instant solution. It was too easy of an answer although Jack had to find it piece by piece. Maybe I just don’t adore wish-granting scenarios resolving issues anymore. It made the ending too hopeful for such a sinister plot and world buildup.
This was an adorable read although I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected.
October 22, 2014
3.5
Jack was a bit of a jackass for too long before his turnabout and I just don't have the patience for it anymore. Maybe when I was younger maybe, but when I keep saying in my head "Say something-these people are your friends and they care about you" and the character does stupid shit... I love the character of Beth and lots of bits but overall not as much as I'd hoped.
Jack was a bit of a jackass for too long before his turnabout and I just don't have the patience for it anymore. Maybe when I was younger maybe, but when I keep saying in my head "Say something-these people are your friends and they care about you" and the character does stupid shit... I love the character of Beth and lots of bits but overall not as much as I'd hoped.
November 1, 2015
THERE BE NO SPOILERS HERE
Actual rating 3.5 stars
This book was great.
I love the plot!
I love the characters!
I love the PICTURES!
I love the beautiful writing!
I love the world!
BUT:
The way some of the writing was presented didn't exactly keep me on my toes.
Flights and chimes and mysterious Times? More like flights and chimes and CONFUSING times.
Sorry.
I feel like the whole thing could have been a really amazing mystery if some of the paragraphs and/or sentences were switched up a bit. It left me kind of confused and really discouraged to read it.
But without all that doohickey, this was really a very interesting book.
Would recommend for steampunk lovers!
Until the next book- Leah the Bluebird
Actual rating 3.5 stars
This book was great.
I love the plot!
I love the characters!
I love the PICTURES!
I love the beautiful writing!
I love the world!
BUT:
The way some of the writing was presented didn't exactly keep me on my toes.
Flights and chimes and mysterious Times? More like flights and chimes and CONFUSING times.
Sorry.
I feel like the whole thing could have been a really amazing mystery if some of the paragraphs and/or sentences were switched up a bit. It left me kind of confused and really discouraged to read it.
But without all that doohickey, this was really a very interesting book.
Would recommend for steampunk lovers!
Until the next book- Leah the Bluebird
Want to read
June 11, 2015Why do middle-grade books have more artistic better covers than most young-adult or new adult or adult books? Coz I'm so tired of seeing half-nekkid men on covers. Or girls in swirling voluminous gowns. Or half-nekkid girls in corsets. Or words with swirly bits. Or an object of no particular importance like an apple or a shoe. Come on! Level up publishers!
February 26, 2016
This could have been so good, the cover is goooorgeous and it seemed like a cute, light and steampunk-ish read! But by god, was it bad! Incredibly badly written, badly constructed and badly told! Depthless characters, glacial pace, boring world... I skimmed through the last 50 pages or so because I just couldn't take it anymore.
August 16, 2013
I read an early version of this and it became an instant favorite. I can't wait to see what Emma has done with it. LOVE.
P.S. CLOCKWORK DRAGONS.
P.S. CLOCKWORK DRAGONS.
October 1, 2015
This book was fun, but it had the potential to be even better. I found the story to be a bit unoriginal, so I didn't find it outstanding, but I did have a good time reading it.
May 14, 2015
Jack Foster is your typical ‘dissatisfied with life’ ten-year-old boy who is constantly left to fend for himself, in terms of entertainment, by his mostly absent parents. When he follows a man by the name of Lorcan Havelock through a magical doorway set in a clock tower in London, he finds himself in a strange and mysterious ‘other’ version of London. This land is known as Londinium.
‘A land of brass and steel and clockwork, of steam and airships, cogs that turned and wheels that spin. He half wondered if he was dreaming, so perfect was this place, and would wake in his bed to the sound of Mrs. Pond clattering the breakfast things in the kitchen below.’
Jack is mesmerized by this new world he’s found himself in and has no desire to try to find his way back to where he came from, figuring that his parents won’t likely miss him anyways. The air quality is poor and causes his lungs to ache but all the wonderful things made out of metal far outweigh any bad aspects in his mind. After stumbling upon a cage containing a clockwork girl named Beth, she takes him to Dr. Snailwater who tells him the truth behind the man named Lorcan.
’Portraits lined the walls [...] All were of boys who could pass for Jack’s brothers, had he any, the oils faded and cracked, some more than others. Dozens of them.’
Lorcan Havelock was sent to London by the ruler of Londinium, a woman only known by the name of ‘Lady’, to procure for her a perfect human boy that she can play with and love. Lorcan was her previous (and not only) son but he has grown old, while the Lady has not, and she requires a new child. Lorcan was a surprisingly terrible and unforgivable type of villain that did truly awful things. I felt the acts of violence were extreme for a Middle Grade book (including daily hangings that go on for far too long) but Lorcan was still a small child at heart that only wished to be loved again by the Lady. Nonetheless, his actions were shocking.
’Most of all, the open door beside the stairs, the maddeningly incomplete glimpses of the engine in the room beyond. He ran to it, through it, engulfed by the sound. It was like nothing Jack had ever seen. The enormity of it, the clouds of steam thick enough to blanket the whole sky, sucked from the room by a shaft that led upward. Every metal part, tiny and huge, playing its well-oiled part. Spinning, hissing, churning.’
The single most lovely thing about this book was the imaginative descriptions of this parallel world. Her descriptions of clockwork dragons and magic made it easy to understand what made Jack so spellbound. The descriptions alone will keep the reader invested but upon closer examination one would have questions abound regarding what exactly makes this world tick. It lacks a clarity and feels akin to a hazy dream, but then again this is a magical world so maybe that’s to be expected. The characters were also written in a hazy, imprecise manner and added detail into who they were (most especially the Lady) would have been well-received. While I loved the world Travayne created, I didn’t feel it fulfilled it’s potential especially with the lackluster ending.
Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times will appeal to fans of steampunk (or readers looking to try out the genre) and middle-grade readers will likely be mesmerized just as Jack was.
‘A land of brass and steel and clockwork, of steam and airships, cogs that turned and wheels that spin. He half wondered if he was dreaming, so perfect was this place, and would wake in his bed to the sound of Mrs. Pond clattering the breakfast things in the kitchen below.’
Jack is mesmerized by this new world he’s found himself in and has no desire to try to find his way back to where he came from, figuring that his parents won’t likely miss him anyways. The air quality is poor and causes his lungs to ache but all the wonderful things made out of metal far outweigh any bad aspects in his mind. After stumbling upon a cage containing a clockwork girl named Beth, she takes him to Dr. Snailwater who tells him the truth behind the man named Lorcan.
’Portraits lined the walls [...] All were of boys who could pass for Jack’s brothers, had he any, the oils faded and cracked, some more than others. Dozens of them.’
Lorcan Havelock was sent to London by the ruler of Londinium, a woman only known by the name of ‘Lady’, to procure for her a perfect human boy that she can play with and love. Lorcan was her previous (and not only) son but he has grown old, while the Lady has not, and she requires a new child. Lorcan was a surprisingly terrible and unforgivable type of villain that did truly awful things. I felt the acts of violence were extreme for a Middle Grade book (including daily hangings that go on for far too long) but Lorcan was still a small child at heart that only wished to be loved again by the Lady. Nonetheless, his actions were shocking.
’Most of all, the open door beside the stairs, the maddeningly incomplete glimpses of the engine in the room beyond. He ran to it, through it, engulfed by the sound. It was like nothing Jack had ever seen. The enormity of it, the clouds of steam thick enough to blanket the whole sky, sucked from the room by a shaft that led upward. Every metal part, tiny and huge, playing its well-oiled part. Spinning, hissing, churning.’
The single most lovely thing about this book was the imaginative descriptions of this parallel world. Her descriptions of clockwork dragons and magic made it easy to understand what made Jack so spellbound. The descriptions alone will keep the reader invested but upon closer examination one would have questions abound regarding what exactly makes this world tick. It lacks a clarity and feels akin to a hazy dream, but then again this is a magical world so maybe that’s to be expected. The characters were also written in a hazy, imprecise manner and added detail into who they were (most especially the Lady) would have been well-received. While I loved the world Travayne created, I didn’t feel it fulfilled it’s potential especially with the lackluster ending.
Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times will appeal to fans of steampunk (or readers looking to try out the genre) and middle-grade readers will likely be mesmerized just as Jack was.
February 17, 2014
3.5
So I read this book b/c it had a high Goodreads rating but I think the reviews were stacked. This book should get around a 3.90.
This is a high fantasy/steampunk middle grade novel about Jack Foster, a 10 year old boy, who is ignored by his parents. One day, a mysterious man, Lorcan, visits his mother and her friends but he actually wants to take Jack away to live with The Lady in bizzaro London to be her son. Jack enters bizzaro London but soon learns that this was a mistake and he wants to g home.
This book was a cross between Alice in Wonderland and Coraline with a dash of Wizard of Oz.
The Good
* The world building was written well. Trevayne did a great job describing her steampunk London and the characters in the story.
* The premise was good. An evil Lady wants a human son.
* I thought the steampunk aspect was written well. If you've never read steampunk, it is hard to picture it in your head. This will probably be an introduction to steampunk for MG and the way it was written will make it easy for kids to picture this world.
* It's a good discussion book. I think middle graders will learn lessons about "the grass is always greener," having a soul, etc
The Bad
* The Characters. Jack was kind of stupid. He was angry with his mom for ignoring him and shipping him off to boarding school and he wanted to go the The Lady and Lorcan even though everyone told him it was a bad idea. The other characters were flat. I thought Beth was going to be a good snarky character but no. I thought the Dr. was going to be a humorous character but I only chuckled a couple of times. The Lady was weird and not in a good way. Lorcan was the only good character-but that was it.
* There was no meat in the story. It started off really well but when Jack got to the Dr.'s house, right before he went to the palace was when it took a turn. Everyones motive for their actions was a little weak. Lorcan's motives were good. He was a good villain. The part about the Lady and her wanting peace and kicking Jack to the curb so abruptly was weak. I get why Jack wanted to live with the Lady and I get why she wanted Jack but The Lady character and storyline was not interesting or dynamic.
I think kids will like the story and I will recommend it to middle graders.
So I read this book b/c it had a high Goodreads rating but I think the reviews were stacked. This book should get around a 3.90.
This is a high fantasy/steampunk middle grade novel about Jack Foster, a 10 year old boy, who is ignored by his parents. One day, a mysterious man, Lorcan, visits his mother and her friends but he actually wants to take Jack away to live with The Lady in bizzaro London to be her son. Jack enters bizzaro London but soon learns that this was a mistake and he wants to g home.
This book was a cross between Alice in Wonderland and Coraline with a dash of Wizard of Oz.
The Good
* The world building was written well. Trevayne did a great job describing her steampunk London and the characters in the story.
* The premise was good. An evil Lady wants a human son.
* I thought the steampunk aspect was written well. If you've never read steampunk, it is hard to picture it in your head. This will probably be an introduction to steampunk for MG and the way it was written will make it easy for kids to picture this world.
* It's a good discussion book. I think middle graders will learn lessons about "the grass is always greener," having a soul, etc
The Bad
* The Characters. Jack was kind of stupid. He was angry with his mom for ignoring him and shipping him off to boarding school and he wanted to go the The Lady and Lorcan even though everyone told him it was a bad idea. The other characters were flat. I thought Beth was going to be a good snarky character but no. I thought the Dr. was going to be a humorous character but I only chuckled a couple of times. The Lady was weird and not in a good way. Lorcan was the only good character-but that was it.
* There was no meat in the story. It started off really well but when Jack got to the Dr.'s house, right before he went to the palace was when it took a turn. Everyones motive for their actions was a little weak. Lorcan's motives were good. He was a good villain. The part about the Lady and her wanting peace and kicking Jack to the curb so abruptly was weak. I get why Jack wanted to live with the Lady and I get why she wanted Jack but The Lady character and storyline was not interesting or dynamic.
I think kids will like the story and I will recommend it to middle graders.
August 11, 2015
"Long ago, this land was nothing but gods and magic. Some say one came from the other, but that's for another time."
This was an amazing little middle-grade stand alone fantasy. I loved every cog and wheel.
Jack Foster is a 10 year old from London 1899. Jack has just been picked up by his mother for his summer holiday away from boarding school. His mother hosts a lot of parties and seances. His father a hard working businessman is rarely at home. Jack is ignored by his parents and wishes to be far away in a magical world with adventure just like his fairy-tales.
Sir Lorcan is a man from Londininium, a alternate London made entirely by magic and tinkerings. Everything in Londininum has a cog, screw or bolt. Except The Lady (the Queen) of this magical island. Lorcan has been sent to present day London to fetch The Lady a new son. Jack being the target.
Jack discovers this alternate London accidentally and without Lorcan as his guide. Jack is confused when he finds himself in a new world and befriends a wind up girl named Beth.
Jack goes on an magical adventure of air ships and trickery. Tinkerings and myth.
A very fast and entertaining read that I'm sure all ages will come to love and enjoy.
This was an amazing little middle-grade stand alone fantasy. I loved every cog and wheel.
Jack Foster is a 10 year old from London 1899. Jack has just been picked up by his mother for his summer holiday away from boarding school. His mother hosts a lot of parties and seances. His father a hard working businessman is rarely at home. Jack is ignored by his parents and wishes to be far away in a magical world with adventure just like his fairy-tales.
Sir Lorcan is a man from Londininium, a alternate London made entirely by magic and tinkerings. Everything in Londininum has a cog, screw or bolt. Except The Lady (the Queen) of this magical island. Lorcan has been sent to present day London to fetch The Lady a new son. Jack being the target.
Jack discovers this alternate London accidentally and without Lorcan as his guide. Jack is confused when he finds himself in a new world and befriends a wind up girl named Beth.
Jack goes on an magical adventure of air ships and trickery. Tinkerings and myth.
A very fast and entertaining read that I'm sure all ages will come to love and enjoy.
January 9, 2019
Beautifully, beautifully written. I have read short stories by Emma Trevayne and always admire her talent.
Unfortunately, the plot moved very slowly for me and I felt distant from the characters — always a problem for engagement. I do not mind a slow plot if I feel connected to the characters, but not having either leaves me feeling restless.
I also felt, personally, that more could have been done with the faery world. It was just an even dirtier, more mechanical version of Victorian London — there wasn’t that much variation between the faery world and human London besides the average person having more prosthetics in the faery one.
Overall, poetic prose, but slow moving.
Unfortunately, the plot moved very slowly for me and I felt distant from the characters — always a problem for engagement. I do not mind a slow plot if I feel connected to the characters, but not having either leaves me feeling restless.
I also felt, personally, that more could have been done with the faery world. It was just an even dirtier, more mechanical version of Victorian London — there wasn’t that much variation between the faery world and human London besides the average person having more prosthetics in the faery one.
Overall, poetic prose, but slow moving.
August 4, 2017
*annoyed I didn't love this book*
The writing style was good. The first couple of pages were promising. But ultimately, I had problems with the plot and characters and it just devolved into "meh" territory.
Darn it. And the title/cover is so whimsical and imaginative, too.
The writing style was good. The first couple of pages were promising. But ultimately, I had problems with the plot and characters and it just devolved into "meh" territory.
Darn it. And the title/cover is so whimsical and imaginative, too.
November 25, 2015
This book is magical and delightful and I almost (but not quite) want to live inside it.
August 2, 2017
recommended for the fans of Neil Gaiman's Coraline ^ ^
August 28, 2020
I finished this book last night , & I really enjoyed it!! Jack was a great main character. This is truly is a book about getting to see if the grass is greener on the other side-literally! Jack steps through a doorway in London, into a totally different “London”. A more steampunk London for sure lol The world was very vividly described, as were all the creative steampunk elements throughout the story. This was quite an adventure Jack found himself on. I loved Beth, Xeno, & Dr Snailwater. They were his family in Londinium for sure, & I loved that dynamic. The Lady creeped me out big time, as did Lorcan & his obsession w/her. I also despised Lorcan, & he was written brilliantly for a villain. This book had magic, a little mystery, a grand adventure, & all the steampunk goodness I love. The cover is also absolutely amazing! As are the illustrations sprinkled throughout the book. 😍😍💜💜
Synopsis: Ten-year-old Jack Foster has stepped through a doorway and into quite a different London.
Londinium is a smoky, dark, and dangerous place, home to mischievous metal fairies and fearsome clockwork dragons that breathe scalding steam. The people wear goggles to protect their eyes, brass grill insets in their nostrils to filter air, or mechanical limbs to replace missing ones.
Over it all rules the Lady, and the Lady has demanded a new son—a perfect flesh-and-blood child. She has chosen Jack.
Jack’s wonder at the magic and steam-powered marvels in Londinium lasts until he learns he is the pawn in a very dangerous game. The consequences are deadly, and his only hope of escape, of returning home, lies with a legendary clockwork bird.
The Gearwing grants wishes—or it did, before it was broken—before it was killed. But some things don’t stay dead forever.
Synopsis: Ten-year-old Jack Foster has stepped through a doorway and into quite a different London.
Londinium is a smoky, dark, and dangerous place, home to mischievous metal fairies and fearsome clockwork dragons that breathe scalding steam. The people wear goggles to protect their eyes, brass grill insets in their nostrils to filter air, or mechanical limbs to replace missing ones.
Over it all rules the Lady, and the Lady has demanded a new son—a perfect flesh-and-blood child. She has chosen Jack.
Jack’s wonder at the magic and steam-powered marvels in Londinium lasts until he learns he is the pawn in a very dangerous game. The consequences are deadly, and his only hope of escape, of returning home, lies with a legendary clockwork bird.
The Gearwing grants wishes—or it did, before it was broken—before it was killed. But some things don’t stay dead forever.
February 1, 2020
Jag kan inte komma över hur vacker omslaget till Emma Trevaynes Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times är. Det var en uppenbar cover-buy, som ni förstår, men jag var tvungen att ha den då jag såg den. Sådan tur var skulle det visa sig vara en bra bok. Absolut inte en av de bästa jag läst men helt klart en favorit i år. Boken handlar om 10-åriga Jack Foster som hamnat i ett alternativt London, kallad Londinium, efter att ha förföljt den mystiske Mr. Havelock genom en dörr i ett klocktorn. I den alternativa staden möter Jack den mekaniska flickan Beth som följer med honom på hans upptäcktsfärd. Givetvis finns det också en skurk och andra sinnessjuka karaktärer som försöker att sätta en käpp i hjulet för vår huvudkaraktär.
Det absolut bästa med Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times är språket och stämningen. Omslaget reflekterar innehållet otroligt bra och boken är verkligen så mysig som ni tror att den är. Det är lått att bli indragen i handlingen och den alternativa staden just på grund av hur välskriven den är. Den är så där lagom annorlunda så att det både är fascinerande och skrämmande på en och samma gång. Trevayne är också bra på att skapa karaktärer. Det finns egentligen ingen som du kan relatera till men samtidigt gillar du dem. Jack är en bortskämd snorunge (som i och för sig utvecklas under handlingen), föräldrarna är frånvarande och så vidare…
Jag har förstått så här i efterhand att detta är steampunk. Jag har aldrig läst en bok ur steampunkgenren förut men måste säga att jag gillar den oerhört mycket. Boken har en skön blandning av science fiction, historia och middle grade. Jag vill absolut läsa fler liknande böcker efter denna!
Det absolut bästa med Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times är språket och stämningen. Omslaget reflekterar innehållet otroligt bra och boken är verkligen så mysig som ni tror att den är. Det är lått att bli indragen i handlingen och den alternativa staden just på grund av hur välskriven den är. Den är så där lagom annorlunda så att det både är fascinerande och skrämmande på en och samma gång. Trevayne är också bra på att skapa karaktärer. Det finns egentligen ingen som du kan relatera till men samtidigt gillar du dem. Jack är en bortskämd snorunge (som i och för sig utvecklas under handlingen), föräldrarna är frånvarande och så vidare…
Jag har förstått så här i efterhand att detta är steampunk. Jag har aldrig läst en bok ur steampunkgenren förut men måste säga att jag gillar den oerhört mycket. Boken har en skön blandning av science fiction, historia och middle grade. Jag vill absolut läsa fler liknande böcker efter denna!
June 4, 2014
È difficile esprimere un parere netto su Flight and chimes and mysterious times (i titoli corti li avevano finiti). La quarta di copertina, nonché la copertina stessa, avevano acceso la mia curiosità, ma la lettura dei primi capitoli mi ha trovato piuttosto indifferente. Proseguendo, però, la storia si è fatta più interessante e nell’insieme il libro mi è abbastanza piaciuto. Se dovessi definire il romanzo parlerei di un prodotto ibrido. Da un lato il concept della storia strizza l’occhio alla fiaba (la regina delle fate che rapisce un bambino per farne suo figlio) e ben si addice alla fascia di età di riferimento. Dall’altro la Trevayne inserisce l’elemento steampunk, abbastanza insolito nella letteratura middle grade (la regina delle fate è la sovrana di una Londra alternativa tutta ingranaggi e bulloni). Credo sia questo contrasto a lasciare un po’ perplessi, io l’avrei vista più come una storia per giovani adulti. Se a questo aggiungiamo un finale frettoloso, abbiamo il quadro completo del romanzo. Do la sufficienza per la voglia di sperimentare e perché le cose brutte sono altre, ma mi aspettavo qualcosa di più.
October 7, 2016
"Young Readers - Ages 8-12"
Amazing cover artwork featuring an airship flying in front of a brilliantly lit full moon, gears, steampunk-like details, and a young boy with a lightning-like bolt in front of his hand -- I knew this was a book for me.
Other reviews detail the wonderful characters and villains, the magic, paranormal, and steampunk elements. Though a "young reader" book, I found this a refreshing, enjoyable world and recommend it.
Amazing cover artwork featuring an airship flying in front of a brilliantly lit full moon, gears, steampunk-like details, and a young boy with a lightning-like bolt in front of his hand -- I knew this was a book for me.
Other reviews detail the wonderful characters and villains, the magic, paranormal, and steampunk elements. Though a "young reader" book, I found this a refreshing, enjoyable world and recommend it.
December 3, 2013
What an incredible, lyrical, imaginative story. I fell in love with this book from page one. The descriptives are pause-worthy. I had to stop several times and just revel in the beauty of the words. Fresh & exciting, filled with adventure and mysteries - I would put this book into the hands of every boy and girl and demand they read it. As a matter of fact, I plan on doing just that.
Want to read
August 20, 2013This has got to be the prettiest cover I've ever seen. Okay, the prettiest cover after Shadow and Bone. It's absolutely GORGEOUS! *grabby hands*
Read
March 13, 2015DNF at 15%. There is nothing wrong with this book but I am so boooorrrrreeeeeddd. Seriously, I cannot make myself pay attention. Middle grade books are not supposed to be this dull.
July 17, 2024
"There are doorways, and then there are doorways."
September 16, 2015
More 3.5 for the ending.
November 6, 2018
This was a good book. Not a great book, but good. It took a long time for it to get going for me. It really didn't start to catch my attention until he was in Londinium, then it was off and on for me, boring parts mixed with good parts. It wasn't bad, just a little slow moving for my tastes. Cute for middle grade, adults who like MG may be hit or miss on it. Characters were pretty good and the best part of the book. Londinium itself was neat but would have liked to have seen more of it.
August 5, 2016
3.5 stars
It has an interesting blurb and high ratings so I had a high expectation for this book but sadly the storytelling style somewhat failed to hold my interest from the start and in the end I couldn't wait for it to be over asap.
Anyway, the slow pacing didn't help too. In the first half of the book, readers get an introduction to Jack and his family background, Jack's brief exploration in Londinium, how he met his first friends there, etc.
Long story short, it took nearly 50% before Jack FINALLY met the Lady. *I thought they would met around 15%-30% -__-*
And it took me days to reach 50% as I struggled to survive the boredom. Finally, things were getting more interesting around 66%. *phew*
There wasn't a lot of character development and many of the characters felt flat to me. Except Lorcan's. His was the one that truly fleshed out, the one that shined most in this book. It's sad that things must turned out like this for him, I can only blamed Lady for all this mess. Anyway, till the end, I still have no clue as to why she wanted a son, not a daughter. Where did she come from? And who was she actually? So many unanswered questions about her. She remains as a total mystery to me. Overall, not a bad story. It had potential though, and I can totally picture it in a movie. :)
With its alternate London trope, it's no wonder why this book reminded me of Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab and Un Lun Dun by China Miéville. I haven't read the last two yet, but Schwab's is in the waiting list. Gonna devour it when the right mood strikes. :p
Well, imho I think this book is better than Neverwhere, with steampunk genre mixed in it. Neverwhere is darker and grimmer, and unfortunately bored me terribly. I'm not a fan of Neil Gaiman's works except Coraline which only got 3 stars from me and that's just okay in my rating rules. I gave 4 stars for InterWorld though, but that's because I thought its writing style and pacing are more like Michael Reaves' style, not Gaiman.
Talk about steampunk, actually it's really new for me and so far I only tried 3 books from this genre. I'm a fan of sci-fi and historical genre but I'm not sure if steampunk will be one of my favorite genres in the future. Well, let's see then.
Honestly, I think the alternate London trope is becoming dull and lost its appeal. Maybe it's a high time for authors to consider another territories aside from London if they want to write underland story like Neverwhere? Why not try Japan, Korea, China, India, Russia, France, German, Spanish, etc? So many different cultures, myths, tales and histories around the world yet they always stick to London. I assumed that maybe some people don't want to spend an extra energy or time to do a thoroughly research for their works and choose a safer route instead? Or maybe it's actually out there somewhere in Goodreads but I just didn't find it yet? However, I found another underland story that take place in New York : Gregor the Overlander.
And for books in Alternate Universe genre, you can check Alternate Universe list and Best Multidimensional list. Well, all the books in the list are not exactly about underland story just like Neverwhere, they just fall in the same general category : Alternate Universe (AU).
You might also want to check this two : YA Books with Parallel Universes list and Parallel Universes list, maybe you'll find another books to fatten your TBR list, lol.
Well, I personally want to read about alternate Prague or Japan in novel. The AU theme is really mainstream in Japan's manga, and strangely it never gets old for me. I always have a new title to put in Favorites shelf, which unfortunately is not the case with novel. *sigh*
Those Japanese mangakas (mangaka = manga's author) never fail to amaze me with their creative brain. Their imagination knows no boundaries.
From realistic everyday story to absurd, fantastic, smutty, bizarre, taboo, crazy, gruesome, savage, bloody, immoral, unheard of, heartwarming, heartbreaking, inspiring, informative, mind-blowing, hilarious, etc. You name it, they have it.
Take Battle Royale manga by Takami Koushun for example, created years before Hunger Games. More savage and bloody than Hunger Games, they said. Much of the violence is so graphic that it is enough to make people feel sick. I don't know if I can stomach it as I haven't read it yet, due to its translation and artwork style which aren't to my liking. Anyhow, still gonna read it someday. Yeahh, someday....lol
It has an interesting blurb and high ratings so I had a high expectation for this book but sadly the storytelling style somewhat failed to hold my interest from the start and in the end I couldn't wait for it to be over asap.
Anyway, the slow pacing didn't help too. In the first half of the book, readers get an introduction to Jack and his family background, Jack's brief exploration in Londinium, how he met his first friends there, etc.
Long story short, it took nearly 50% before Jack FINALLY met the Lady. *I thought they would met around 15%-30% -__-*
And it took me days to reach 50% as I struggled to survive the boredom. Finally, things were getting more interesting around 66%. *phew*
There wasn't a lot of character development and many of the characters felt flat to me. Except Lorcan's. His was the one that truly fleshed out, the one that shined most in this book. It's sad that things must turned out like this for him, I can only blamed Lady for all this mess. Anyway, till the end, I still have no clue as to why she wanted a son, not a daughter. Where did she come from? And who was she actually? So many unanswered questions about her. She remains as a total mystery to me. Overall, not a bad story. It had potential though, and I can totally picture it in a movie. :)
With its alternate London trope, it's no wonder why this book reminded me of Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab and Un Lun Dun by China Miéville. I haven't read the last two yet, but Schwab's is in the waiting list. Gonna devour it when the right mood strikes. :p
Well, imho I think this book is better than Neverwhere, with steampunk genre mixed in it. Neverwhere is darker and grimmer, and unfortunately bored me terribly. I'm not a fan of Neil Gaiman's works except Coraline which only got 3 stars from me and that's just okay in my rating rules. I gave 4 stars for InterWorld though, but that's because I thought its writing style and pacing are more like Michael Reaves' style, not Gaiman.
Talk about steampunk, actually it's really new for me and so far I only tried 3 books from this genre. I'm a fan of sci-fi and historical genre but I'm not sure if steampunk will be one of my favorite genres in the future. Well, let's see then.
Honestly, I think the alternate London trope is becoming dull and lost its appeal. Maybe it's a high time for authors to consider another territories aside from London if they want to write underland story like Neverwhere? Why not try Japan, Korea, China, India, Russia, France, German, Spanish, etc? So many different cultures, myths, tales and histories around the world yet they always stick to London. I assumed that maybe some people don't want to spend an extra energy or time to do a thoroughly research for their works and choose a safer route instead? Or maybe it's actually out there somewhere in Goodreads but I just didn't find it yet? However, I found another underland story that take place in New York : Gregor the Overlander.
And for books in Alternate Universe genre, you can check Alternate Universe list and Best Multidimensional list. Well, all the books in the list are not exactly about underland story just like Neverwhere, they just fall in the same general category : Alternate Universe (AU).
You might also want to check this two : YA Books with Parallel Universes list and Parallel Universes list, maybe you'll find another books to fatten your TBR list, lol.
Well, I personally want to read about alternate Prague or Japan in novel. The AU theme is really mainstream in Japan's manga, and strangely it never gets old for me. I always have a new title to put in Favorites shelf, which unfortunately is not the case with novel. *sigh*
Those Japanese mangakas (mangaka = manga's author) never fail to amaze me with their creative brain. Their imagination knows no boundaries.
From realistic everyday story to absurd, fantastic, smutty, bizarre, taboo, crazy, gruesome, savage, bloody, immoral, unheard of, heartwarming, heartbreaking, inspiring, informative, mind-blowing, hilarious, etc. You name it, they have it.
Take Battle Royale manga by Takami Koushun for example, created years before Hunger Games. More savage and bloody than Hunger Games, they said. Much of the violence is so graphic that it is enough to make people feel sick. I don't know if I can stomach it as I haven't read it yet, due to its translation and artwork style which aren't to my liking. Anyhow, still gonna read it someday. Yeahh, someday....lol
March 25, 2021
This book had much potential but didn’t quite reach my expectations. Though, Londonium is a mechanical place that opens a new magical door in the book world. A mixture of Alice in wonderland and Coraline: good book if you’re up for an adventure.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews