Her Perilous Mansion

by Sean Williams

In a strange mansion miles from anywhere, an orphan named Almanac and a twelfth daughter named Etta find themselves working - and bickering - side by side in the largely deserted rooms. But soon they realise that the house and its inhabitants are not quite what they seem, and there's more at stake than just their jobs. Can they solve the puzzle of Her Perilous Mansion before it's too late?

'Her Perilous Mansion is pure delight! A funny, clever and joyous fantasy for children that zings with action, adventure, mystery and magic, the pages flying past as if by wizardry. Guaranteed to keep young readers hooked to the very last word.' - Kate Forsyth, author of the Impossible Quest series

'Her Perilous Mansion is a magical story, and the magic just gets stronger and stronger the more you read. The characters are lovely, and their quirks are both funny and sad, especially when the reason is revealed at the end. Williams makes you laugh and pulls at your heart at the same time.' - T. C. Shelley, author of The Monster Who Wasn't

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Mystery, Magic

336 pages, Paperback

Published April 28, 2020

About the author

#1 New York Times bestselling Sean Williams lives with his family in Adelaide, South Australia. He’s written some books--forty-two at last count--including the Philip K. Dick-nominated Saturn Returns, several Star Wars novels and the Troubletwister series with Garth Nix. Twinmaker is a YA SF series that takes his love affair with the matter transmitter to a whole new level. You can find some related short stories over at Lightspeed Magazine and elsewhere. Thanks for reading.

Reviews

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was going to be my grumpy, nit-picky self and give this one 4 1/2 but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I struggle to enjoy anything since I had COVID and I found this very easily readable (it's aimed at kids I think) but not predictable and having lots of little touches that I liked (like the absent Josh). Almanac is the trope of the innocent orphan but in many ways more like the industrious female orphans of the Latvian fairy-tales I grew up with. Etta is brave but also loves reading. It's hard working out who is a "good guy"or "bad guy" and I won't discuss that at all because the fun of this book is not knowing what you are getting yourself into or what will happen next.

I felt so clever to spot the anagrams and then they didn't work...but they almost did and I was like what the...? It's that sort of a book, for people who've read enough to think they are clever and then it goes off in a different direction.

Anyway I really approve of people who write kids books that are not too boring for adults. I approve of nuance around gender (not pretending that gender is not a thing but also not falling into stereotypes) and I did like Josh who we never get to meet. I like that the romance in the book (between the two protagonists I mean) might be a thing...or maybe they are just adolescents with trauma to get over...who knows?

I recommend this, your kids won't need huge reading stamina although it's over 300 pages because the print is large and the book is in manageable and engaging chapters. I also recommend this for adults because it's not infantilising. A good rainy day or quarantine read.

Also...the author is friends with Garth Nix and reads Diana Wynne Jones and Georgette Heyer. Nuff said! (I always read the author dribble at the end for cool tidbits like that)

[Anna Hepworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous kids fantasy with adventure, intrigue, powerful magic, and a happy ending. Two teens unhappy with their current situation get offered jobs that are too good to be true. The story starts with their arrivals at their new place of employment, and goes sideways from there. Ghosts in the walls, a hidden library, and a cellar so full of rubbish it could take a lifetime for one of our protagonists to clear, this is a fascinating old house and a fascinating story.

[Antidote · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5. Beautifully crafted world around and within a complex and mysterious house. My kind of comfort read for these uncomforting times when we’re bound by the walls of our own dwellings and internalised lives. Longer review to come.

[Yolande · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable middle grade fantasy novel about two children, Etta and Almanac, who are looking for a place to belong.

They are invited to work at a mysterious house and as soon as the step over the threshold, strange things are afoot. There is some sort of magic affecting the elusive residence of the mansion and it is their job to figure it out.

A middle of the road novel for me, with likeable characters and a charming world, but nothing new or truly intriguing to set it above the crowd.

[Allie_and_books · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like two and a half stars.
An interesting book to read during confinement! I enjoyed the mystery and the clues the children had to follow, sadly I felt the book really lacked tension in the first half, only to turn a pretty dark and creepy turn in the second part... I wasn't convinced by the ending either. Still spend an enjoyable few hours reading it.

[Josie M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when I was younger and I could not remember what it was called! I have finally found it and I remember just how good of a book it was, it was very well written and was a great story, I enjoyed reading it very much and thought it was the best book I had ever read. Definitely worth the read and even a re-read! It’s full of plot twists and has great story elements!

[Debbie Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise but not as well devised or executed as I would hope to read. The tension didn't build as well as it could have, and there were dialogue disappointments that affected the atmosphere of the story. Sorry, this one didn't strike the right chord with me.

[H.M. Waugh]

This fab book kept me guessing all the way through. A really interesting concept, spooky without being too scary. It's got the right amount of funny, too. I loved the ongoing joke of slowly revealing the actual names of Etta's sisters.
A recommended read for upper middle-grade.

[Becc Hof · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled to find enthusiasm to keep reading this book. It picked up around 3/4 through, but for the most part, just kind of bumbled along. Good ideas, not enough to capture attention to begin with through and lacking any real flow. Good twists at the end.

[Samantha-Ellen Bound · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very spooky and atmospheric.

[Maree Silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky read, with a twist at the end. Good mystery in an unusual setting.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this YA page turner. The main characters were interesting, and although it was a quick read, the puzzle elements were well handled and the story flowed.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story about magic, ghost and adventures

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a middle grade, this was an amazing book! I was so interested and wanted to keep reading the whole time. It kept me on the edge of my seat and late at night since I struggled to put it down. The writing style was so quick and easy to read that I flew through the pages. The only thing that I was really surprised about was that I actually did get creeped out a couple of times as the book was spooky and eerie at points.

There really isn't much to say about this book as it is not really for my age group although I did love it! Would recommend for anyone after a nice middle grade read!

[Amelie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Words hold magic.