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Cogheart
(The Cogheart Adventures #1)
by
Some secrets change the world in a heartbeat...
Lily’s life is in mortal peril. Her father is missing and now silver-eyed men stalk her through the shadows. What could they want from her?
With her friends—Robert, the clockmaker’s son, and Malkin, her mechanical fox—Lily is plunged into a murky and menacing world. Too soon Lily realizes that those she holds dear may be the ve ...more
Lily’s life is in mortal peril. Her father is missing and now silver-eyed men stalk her through the shadows. What could they want from her?
With her friends—Robert, the clockmaker’s son, and Malkin, her mechanical fox—Lily is plunged into a murky and menacing world. Too soon Lily realizes that those she holds dear may be the ve ...more
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Paperback, 362 pages
Published
September 1st 2016
by Usborne
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Start your review of Cogheart (The Cogheart Adventures, #1)

Set in the skies above and the streets running through London, this scintillating story of clockworks, mechanimals, hybrids and humans is the book that will keep kids reading well past bed-times. It has to be hard for a young reader to step away from this fast-paced, perilous plot because as an adult, I found myself hurrying through a chore or four so that I could get back to the search for the oh-so-secret cogheart.
Professor John’s airship was attacked and it seems the sole survivor is Malkin, ...more
Professor John’s airship was attacked and it seems the sole survivor is Malkin, ...more

A fantastic start to what promises to be the most adventurous middle grade series!
When Lily's father apparently perishes in an accident, a mechanimal fox who survived named Malkin has a message for his daughter, Lily. With strange silver-eyed men popping up all over the place, Malkin joins forces with clockmaker's son Robert to get the message to Lily. Meanwhile, Lily is being looked after by a peculiar relative. Soon, Lily, Malkin and Robert all unite for an epic steampunk Victorian adventure. ...more
When Lily's father apparently perishes in an accident, a mechanimal fox who survived named Malkin has a message for his daughter, Lily. With strange silver-eyed men popping up all over the place, Malkin joins forces with clockmaker's son Robert to get the message to Lily. Meanwhile, Lily is being looked after by a peculiar relative. Soon, Lily, Malkin and Robert all unite for an epic steampunk Victorian adventure. ...more

Cogheart is a tale with many moving pieces, not unlike the steam-punk mechanicals that Lily's father builds. Unfortunately I think it's a bit flat, as I never felt very attached to the characters. Also, for a middle grade novel, there is an awful lot of proverbializing and "lessons learned" sort of speeches, which I found annoying and am sure many of the target audience would as well. It also has a bit of a dark feel in some places, not unlike the Series of Unfortunate Events series - only these
...more

This is a beautiful middle-grade book, extremely steampunk (which was the reason I picked this up in first place)
The story is the typical mystery with all the elements injected in the right points. It's not the most original,A missing father with secrets, a headstrong young heroine, the villains and her helping hands. A bit formulated storyline that we can kind of guess who the culprit is, but the world Bunzl builds is so captivating, I found myself attached to the story.
Lily's father goes missi ...more
The story is the typical mystery with all the elements injected in the right points. It's not the most original,A missing father with secrets, a headstrong young heroine, the villains and her helping hands. A bit formulated storyline that we can kind of guess who the culprit is, but the world Bunzl builds is so captivating, I found myself attached to the story.
Lily's father goes missi ...more

Sep 24, 2016
Puck
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
children fan of science-fiction & steampunk
4 stars for this exciting steampunk adventure.
Cogs and chronometers, this book is amazing! It caught my eye in Waterstones because of the beautiful cover and since I’ve never read something steampunk-related before, I decided to give this a try. And I’m glad I did, because I loved this book.
Cogheart is a middle-grade adventure story that takes place in Victorian London. We follow Lily, a headstrong, 11-year old girl who’s father, the talented inventor John Hartman, has gone missing and is pres ...more
Cogs and chronometers, this book is amazing! It caught my eye in Waterstones because of the beautiful cover and since I’ve never read something steampunk-related before, I decided to give this a try. And I’m glad I did, because I loved this book.
Cogheart is a middle-grade adventure story that takes place in Victorian London. We follow Lily, a headstrong, 11-year old girl who’s father, the talented inventor John Hartman, has gone missing and is pres ...more

“The soul’s a matter of the heart, Robert, and the heart’s a mystery even the greatest scientists don’t understand.”
I feel so lucky! I've discovered another great middle grade series to binge-read. This book was amazing! Just everything you want from an adventure book: fast-paced, full of mystery, and with a sassy adorable little girl protagonist! Not to mention the steampunk twist and victorian setting... It might be just a matter of personal taste, but I truly believe this book to be a treasu ...more

I feel so lucky! I've discovered another great middle grade series to binge-read. This book was amazing! Just everything you want from an adventure book: fast-paced, full of mystery, and with a sassy adorable little girl protagonist! Not to mention the steampunk twist and victorian setting... It might be just a matter of personal taste, but I truly believe this book to be a treasu ...more

This book was beautiful. It was charming and quaint, set in London, 1896. The characters were wonderful, I loved Lily and know she would have been a childhood favourite/hero of mine. It's not merely her though - all the characters were so well formed, including the wonderful Malkin (a mechanical fox), Robert (the clock makers son) and the villains. It's actually rather scary at times which I appreciated - it's a children's book that isn't glossing over death or peril but it isn't glorifying it e
...more

A super easy read and one which has a lot of Victorian steam punk elements which include a tiny mechanical fox called Malkin, a young girl with a rebellious streak and a boy who is the clockmaker's apprentice. Lots for kids to enjoy and well worth a read. 4*s
...more

A really wonderful steampunk story that reminded me of Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines series. It's pacy and exciting, and I loved the world that Peter has built.
*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. Please do not use it in any marketing material, online or in print, without asking permission from me first. Thank you!* ...more
*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. Please do not use it in any marketing material, online or in print, without asking permission from me first. Thank you!* ...more

Okay I'm so excited that I get to whip out this card already (context: I'm so excited to be old)

back in my day, I went to the library with my mom and wanted a book! I went to this magical land called the Reference Desk and waited 20 minutes in line to talk to a witch known as the Reference Librarian. I asked her for a book that was like Coraline and that damn witch refused to suggest anything but the damn Babysitters Club and the Dear Canada series. This damn book should have existed back then! ...more

back in my day, I went to the library with my mom and wanted a book! I went to this magical land called the Reference Desk and waited 20 minutes in line to talk to a witch known as the Reference Librarian. I asked her for a book that was like Coraline and that damn witch refused to suggest anything but the damn Babysitters Club and the Dear Canada series. This damn book should have existed back then! ...more

What are the Cogheart Adventure books about?
The Cogheart Adventure books are fantastical action-packed stories for ages 8+ set in an alternative Victorian world. They feature three main characters: Lily, the fiery and quick-witted daughter of two world famous inventors, Robert, a talented and thoughtful clockmaker’s son and Malkin, a scruffy and opinionated mechanical fox. The three heroes must use every ounce of their courage and cunning as they face a series of mysterious life-threatening adve ...more
The Cogheart Adventure books are fantastical action-packed stories for ages 8+ set in an alternative Victorian world. They feature three main characters: Lily, the fiery and quick-witted daughter of two world famous inventors, Robert, a talented and thoughtful clockmaker’s son and Malkin, a scruffy and opinionated mechanical fox. The three heroes must use every ounce of their courage and cunning as they face a series of mysterious life-threatening adve ...more

So, this is a rough one for me to review. Anyone who has been following me for any length of time knows how much I love Middle Grade books. There's something beautiful about a tough topic dealt with in a way that is consumable by young readers. Even better, there's something lovely about watching a young person conquer an unimaginable adventure. I always have high hopes for all the MG books that I read, and this was no exception.
At first, I was enchanted with the idea of a steampunk story for yo ...more
At first, I was enchanted with the idea of a steampunk story for yo ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Apr 20, 2019
La La
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
review-arcs-netgalley,
deleted-from-kindle
I was so disappointed with the last 20% of this story as a Middle Grade, I don't know what to rate it. Plus, I just saw the author's blurb says he was excited to write about these kids finding their way in the world, but that's YA. Middle Grade books are about kids finding their place in the family and among their peers. I am so tired of authors writing MG aged characters who are far beyond the maturity of children that age, instead of making them a year or two older and publishing it as YA. It
...more

Part of this review contains spoilers, I'll point out before I mention any! Apart from that, read away!
--
I stumbled across this book accidentally in my library, whilst searching for another. I must admit that it's cover captured my attention before it's contents. I sat down with it for half an hour before deciding to commit and take it home to finish... :).
This was in the children's/young adult section and it did read like a children's/very young adult book... It would have been something I'd ha ...more
--
I stumbled across this book accidentally in my library, whilst searching for another. I must admit that it's cover captured my attention before it's contents. I sat down with it for half an hour before deciding to commit and take it home to finish... :).
This was in the children's/young adult section and it did read like a children's/very young adult book... It would have been something I'd ha ...more

Thank you to Netgalley and North Star Editions for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
For a while I had my eye on Cogheart to purchase as an ebook. Then I stumbled upon it on Netgalley where it was getting a rerelease this year with North Star Editions and I knew I had to request it. This is just a lovely, delicious steampunk middle grade novel.
The story starts us off with Prof Hartman who gets attacked on his air ship. His mechanimal Maulkin escapes and is sent with a message to ...more
For a while I had my eye on Cogheart to purchase as an ebook. Then I stumbled upon it on Netgalley where it was getting a rerelease this year with North Star Editions and I knew I had to request it. This is just a lovely, delicious steampunk middle grade novel.
The story starts us off with Prof Hartman who gets attacked on his air ship. His mechanimal Maulkin escapes and is sent with a message to ...more

Oh, be still my heart! This is one of the most creative steam punk novels for teens! Lily and Jack are really just adorable and brave as they navigate their way through dangers along with mechfox. I just wanted to hang out them and be a kid again! I was able to get lost in that world completely. The author managed to paint the steam punk world very vividly along with words such as cogs, by the ticks, and so forth. There are many factors in the book we deal with in real life. Overall, this book g
...more

Jan 29, 2020
Adela Cacovean
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
from-the-publishers
Eventually ended up reading the Romanian edition. I had huge expectations from this children's' book since everyone and their dog were talking about it. I thought it was predictable. The dialogues felt as if the characters were reciting lines from a play. The characters also felt flat, like they were carton cut-outs and you could immediately tell who were the villains. The only character I actually enjoyed was the mechanical fox.
...more

Another version of this review can be found here.
Received with many thanks in exchange for an honest review from the publisher.
Cogheart by Peter Bunzl was a true delight to read. A middle-grade steampunk adventure set in Victorian England, this book has mechanical, mechanimals, hybrids, steam-powered airships and so much more. What first caught my eye was the brilliantly done cover- simply beautiful, don't you think? It gives you an idea of what to expect- two fabulous protagonists, a mechanical ...more
Received with many thanks in exchange for an honest review from the publisher.
Cogheart by Peter Bunzl was a true delight to read. A middle-grade steampunk adventure set in Victorian England, this book has mechanical, mechanimals, hybrids, steam-powered airships and so much more. What first caught my eye was the brilliantly done cover- simply beautiful, don't you think? It gives you an idea of what to expect- two fabulous protagonists, a mechanical ...more

This is my first steampunk, Victorian adventure and I had no idea what to expect! “Punchcards And pistons!” This book was so much fun!
Lily is a fiesty, young girl living away from home in an all girl’s school, when she learns her father is missing and presumed dead. This is where her adventure takes off!
Lily was being protected by her father, but she doesn’t even know why. Now she is being hunted for an invention her father was trying so hard to protect. Does she find the invention that everyone ...more
Lily is a fiesty, young girl living away from home in an all girl’s school, when she learns her father is missing and presumed dead. This is where her adventure takes off!
Lily was being protected by her father, but she doesn’t even know why. Now she is being hunted for an invention her father was trying so hard to protect. Does she find the invention that everyone ...more

I enjoyed the world and the steampunk aspects of this book, but I have to admit it fell a little flat for me. I found it perhaps written a little too young for me as I saw all of the twists coming and nothing really surprised me. But yet at the same time some things happened that felt a little out of place, like major things would happen to these kids but they'd just be fine and carry on without really feeling the emotions or impact of those things.
I liked the mechs but I don't think that will ...more
I liked the mechs but I don't think that will ...more

An exciting and gripping page turner of an adventure set in an alternate steampunk, Victorian England. With dastardly villains and two brilliant lead characters!
I really enjoyed this and am definitely intrigued to see where it goes from here. Works nicely as a stand alone though a sequel is planned, so looks to be a fun set of mysteries. Was brilliant to see a strong female lead who breaks the boundaries of her time period, and the writing makes note of this too!
I really enjoyed this and am definitely intrigued to see where it goes from here. Works nicely as a stand alone though a sequel is planned, so looks to be a fun set of mysteries. Was brilliant to see a strong female lead who breaks the boundaries of her time period, and the writing makes note of this too!

I wish I had read this as a kid, eight years old me would have been very into it. Thirty-one year old me has to recognise that it's a kids book. It's an interesting take on Victorian England. I'd recommend for 9+ (it can be creepy in parts and a bit violent, not necessarily gory but just a bit ew). It's made my shelf (love the cover) and I'd recommend it happily enough to parents/kids/adults who read kids books.
...more

From the moment you open the front cover until the moment you reach the conclusion this book does not stop! The prologue is action packed and perfectly formed to draw you firmly into the story, within seconds I was invested in what happened to John and Malkin.
Following the prologue Lily is visited at school by their housekeeper who tells her her father is dead and she needs to return home. Once she’s there it’s clear that something isn’t quite right, the housekeeper is raiding the rooms looking ...more
Following the prologue Lily is visited at school by their housekeeper who tells her her father is dead and she needs to return home. Once she’s there it’s clear that something isn’t quite right, the housekeeper is raiding the rooms looking ...more

Apr 15, 2020
Carmen (TheReadingTrashQueen)
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
audiobooks,
popsugar2020
3,5/5
I feel like the audio pulled me out of the story at times, but I am loving the steampunk aspect! Will definitely be reading the sequel.
I feel like the audio pulled me out of the story at times, but I am loving the steampunk aspect! Will definitely be reading the sequel.

Cogheart by Peter Bunzl is a fun middle school adventure set in the late 1800s.
I don’t read a lot of middle school books, but I’m glad I picked this one up! Cogheart was such a cute read! It was a playful book that set a frolicking pace and was jam-packed with action.
I adored the storyline for Cogheart! When Lily’s father goes missing, presumed dead, Lily’s world is turned upside down. She doesn’t know who to call friend or foe and finds herself in the middle of an intrigue she doesn’t fully und ...more
I don’t read a lot of middle school books, but I’m glad I picked this one up! Cogheart was such a cute read! It was a playful book that set a frolicking pace and was jam-packed with action.
I adored the storyline for Cogheart! When Lily’s father goes missing, presumed dead, Lily’s world is turned upside down. She doesn’t know who to call friend or foe and finds herself in the middle of an intrigue she doesn’t fully und ...more
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Peter Bunzl grew up in South London in a rambling Victorian house with three cats, two dogs, one little sister, an antique dealer dad, and an artist mum. As a child he found inspiration visiting TV and film sets, where his mum worked as a costume designer.
After art college and film school, Peter worked as an animator on commercials, pop videos, and two BAFTA-winning children’s TV shows, and wrote ...more
After art college and film school, Peter worked as an animator on commercials, pop videos, and two BAFTA-winning children’s TV shows, and wrote ...more
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The Cogheart Adventures
(4 books)
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“Feelings and intuition, love and compassion, those are the things make a soul, not blood and bones or machine parts.”
—
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“The soul’s a matter of the heart, Robert, and the heart’s a mystery even the greatest scientists don’t understand.”
—
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