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kailey_luminouslibro's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Archie's parents are part of the Septemberist Society, a secret organization that has kept evil monsters locked away for centuries. When the Swarm Queen begins to awaken out of her prison, Archie's parents are kidnapped and brainwashed to release the monster. Archie and his robot servant have to unravel the secrets of the ancient civilizations that imprisoned all the monsters in the first place. Along the way, Archie befriends two other children who are also searching for answers... and revenge.
I really loved the imaginative setting in this book! There are all these different tribes and states, and I especially appreciate the cool map of all the different nations and republics. Electricity (or as they call it "lektricity") is forbidden because the monsters feed on it and grow strong enough to break out of their prisons, so everything is run on steam power. It's like this interesting alternate history for North America that is really weird and different.
I liked the characters very much. They are all complex and diverse. Archie is especially conflicted because his parents have been taken, and he has these ideas about being a hero to save them. But he begins to realize that there are more secrets in the Septemberist society than he ever knew. Because of these secrets, he begins to question his family history and his whole identity. This throws the whole team into chaos, and they all have to deal with conflicting emotions and try to stay on track with their mission to stop the Swarm Queen.
The plot moves along quickly with many different battles and adventures. There is a lot of intrigue and secrets and mysteries that I enjoyed reading about.
The writing style is really good, and it brings you into the story. But I found myself skimming through some of the descriptions.
jgintrovertedreader's review
4.0
It's 1875 and Archie Dent's parents belong to The Septemberists, a society dedicated to remembering the damage caused by monsters called the Mangleborn and to preventing them from rising again to destroy civilization. On a routine trip to the Septemberist headquarters, the older Dents are taken over by Manglespawn, children of a Mangleborn, and forced to Florida where one of the monsters is trying to break free. Archie and his family servant, a tik tok man named Mr. Rivets, try to save the Dents but fail. They set off to seek help from other Septemberists and make a couple of brilliant young friends along the way.
Whew! That sounds complicated! It's not really. This is a middle grade steampunk adventure and everything's explained pretty easily.
Archie's a great protagonist. He's small for his age, smart, kind of a nerd, and apparently there's nothing special about him. He wants so badly to be a hero that he feels his normalcy is a weakness. His friend Fergus is an electrician/scientist of amazing talents. His friend Hachi is a fierce warrior, utilizing five clockwork toys to her advantage. Archie seems to just be...Archie.
I love the whole world this is set in. The fledgling colonies of North America lost contact with Europe when there was a catastrophic Mangleborn rising. They had to learn to live peacefully with the Native Americans so they've come to be known as the United Nations of America. The states we know correspond more closely to tribes of Native Americans. The colonists come to be known as the Yankee tribe. The society is pretty advanced but everything runs on clockwork and steam power.
I was fortunate to see author Alan Gratz at his book launch and he said that he wanted to write a "book of awesome," so he wrote down all the awesome things he could think of and tried to fit them all into one book. It works for me and I'm sure it will work for younger boys and girls looking for an action-packed read. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the trilogy.
Whew! That sounds complicated! It's not really. This is a middle grade steampunk adventure and everything's explained pretty easily.
Archie's a great protagonist. He's small for his age, smart, kind of a nerd, and apparently there's nothing special about him. He wants so badly to be a hero that he feels his normalcy is a weakness. His friend Fergus is an electrician/scientist of amazing talents. His friend Hachi is a fierce warrior, utilizing five clockwork toys to her advantage. Archie seems to just be...Archie.
I love the whole world this is set in. The fledgling colonies of North America lost contact with Europe when there was a catastrophic Mangleborn rising. They had to learn to live peacefully with the Native Americans so they've come to be known as the United Nations of America. The states we know correspond more closely to tribes of Native Americans. The colonists come to be known as the Yankee tribe. The society is pretty advanced but everything runs on clockwork and steam power.
I was fortunate to see author Alan Gratz at his book launch and he said that he wanted to write a "book of awesome," so he wrote down all the awesome things he could think of and tried to fit them all into one book. It works for me and I'm sure it will work for younger boys and girls looking for an action-packed read. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the trilogy.
brandypainter's review
3.0
This is fun and I enjoyed the concept of the seven heroes coming together each with a different talent and focus. I can see kids really enjoying this. I've seen steampunk not work in several MG books but I think it works well here. For me personally this is one too many books I've read recently with Edison as the big bad villain turning him almost cartoonish. So many books have been doing this lately with, of course, Tesla on the good side. (Albeit as crazy as he ever was.) It is becoming a bit of an overused trend. I get that Edison was a terrible human being and he did many people wrong, but I think we've hit the threshold with him as evil sic-fi villain. Let's do something different now.
booksnorkel's review
5.0
round two!
Love this book, and I will continue to periodically search this author in the hopes that he continues this series, however he wants to do that, prequels, sequels, other times, lands, myths, I will read it. Fun and action packed this is a book set in an alternative America, steampunk, magic, machines, and monsters. We follow Archie into the secret headquarters of the Septemberist Society and he is thrust headfirst into adventure. A monster is being woken up, it has the power to control people and if it can get into your head it wants to stay there. Creepy, dark, and fun this book is a hidden gem! For fifth grade on up looking for action/adventure/ alt history/ steampunk.
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Archie thinks he knows everything about the Septemberist society. His family has been working for this secret organization for generations. When the main headquarters is under attack and his parents are under the influence of some sort of terrible parasite its up to Archie and Mr. Rivets an old family retainer to stop them from awakening the terrible monster that lives in a puzzle trap put there hundreds of years ago. There are monsters all over the world and when they start to wake up they wreak havoc and chaos wherever they go. Luckily when the world needs them a League of Seven appears and forms. There are always seven heroes and there is always – a Maker, Warrior, Hero, Trickster, Scientist, Law bringer, and a Shadow. These seven must work together to fight the ancient monsters. Archie has always dreamed of being the Hero. He loves the stories of Theseus an ancient League of Seven Member who was the Hero/Leader of his generation.
Mixing the old myths into this world is very well done. I really enjoyed this Steam Punk America, with some alternative history, and mythology thrown in. Fast paced, action packed, this book was amazing. I’m a little bummed I haven’t ever heard of it before. For fans of Riordan, Kenneth Oppel, and Scott Westerfeld this series might read a little lower than Oppel and Westerfeld but has the plot and writing to interest those who enjoy them.
Typically I don’t really enjoy it when authors throw random historical figures into their books but in this one I loved it. It was fun and done in a way that it didn’t feel forced or crammed in. This is a great book and I am so happy that I was able to read it and can’t wait to see where this series goes. For boys and girls 5th grade on up!
Love this book, and I will continue to periodically search this author in the hopes that he continues this series, however he wants to do that, prequels, sequels, other times, lands, myths, I will read it. Fun and action packed this is a book set in an alternative America, steampunk, magic, machines, and monsters. We follow Archie into the secret headquarters of the Septemberist Society and he is thrust headfirst into adventure. A monster is being woken up, it has the power to control people and if it can get into your head it wants to stay there. Creepy, dark, and fun this book is a hidden gem! For fifth grade on up looking for action/adventure/ alt history/ steampunk.
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Archie thinks he knows everything about the Septemberist society. His family has been working for this secret organization for generations. When the main headquarters is under attack and his parents are under the influence of some sort of terrible parasite its up to Archie and Mr. Rivets an old family retainer to stop them from awakening the terrible monster that lives in a puzzle trap put there hundreds of years ago. There are monsters all over the world and when they start to wake up they wreak havoc and chaos wherever they go. Luckily when the world needs them a League of Seven appears and forms. There are always seven heroes and there is always – a Maker, Warrior, Hero, Trickster, Scientist, Law bringer, and a Shadow. These seven must work together to fight the ancient monsters. Archie has always dreamed of being the Hero. He loves the stories of Theseus an ancient League of Seven Member who was the Hero/Leader of his generation.
Mixing the old myths into this world is very well done. I really enjoyed this Steam Punk America, with some alternative history, and mythology thrown in. Fast paced, action packed, this book was amazing. I’m a little bummed I haven’t ever heard of it before. For fans of Riordan, Kenneth Oppel, and Scott Westerfeld this series might read a little lower than Oppel and Westerfeld but has the plot and writing to interest those who enjoy them.
Typically I don’t really enjoy it when authors throw random historical figures into their books but in this one I loved it. It was fun and done in a way that it didn’t feel forced or crammed in. This is a great book and I am so happy that I was able to read it and can’t wait to see where this series goes. For boys and girls 5th grade on up!
oneangrylibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Take steampunk, alternate history, science fiction, and a hero's quest and you have an apt description of The League of Seven. While this may sound too much to some, I really enjoyed it. I found the main protagonists charming and well thought out. When I first started reading, I was afraid that I would have to slog through a lot of world building, but I was happy by how quickly the story took off. At times disturbing, at times adorable, and others suspenseful, this novel has a lot going for it. It is accessible to middle grade students and provides enough historical winks and nods that adults should enjoy it too. For many readers, there will be predictable plot points but I never found myself bored by any of the twists. Even though it may feel familiar, it is like comfort food on a stormy day. This is a series that I have to own and I can't wait to promote it with my students.
lazygal's review
4.0
Steampunk adventure perfect for middle grade readers looking for something like Percy Jackson but without the mythology. Instead of Hera and Zeus (and the other gods), we have a group of seven Heroes who arise every whenever, that "whenever" being when monsters - deadly, destructive monsters out to destroy civilization - rise and start doing their thing. These seven have certain attributes and have united many times over the millennia, and now it's time to do so again. This book only introduces us to three of them, in an alternate version of the world, so there will be sequels.
Usually steampunk bothers me, but not as much here. It added a nice overlay to the genre (random children with something special that fulfills a prophecy or need), and the way in which our world had changed was interesting.
ARC provided by publisher.
Usually steampunk bothers me, but not as much here. It added a nice overlay to the genre (random children with something special that fulfills a prophecy or need), and the way in which our world had changed was interesting.
ARC provided by publisher.
janislynne78's review
4.0
EBOB book #3. Great little steampunk fantasy. Will be a difficult book for BOB because there is a lot of plot and a lot of details. I will actually probably pick up the other books in the series and read them because I need to know what else happens.
yapha's review
4.0
In this steampunk alternate reality of the 1870s, electricity is outlawed but clockwork machinery is everywhere. Archie Dent and his parents are part of a secret society that protects society from Mangleborn -- monsters threatening to take over the world. When Archie's parents and the rest of the Septemberists are taken over by Manglespawn, it is up to Archie, his Tik Tok man Mr. Rivets, and their two new friends to save his parents and the world. It takes a little while to become a part of this world, but once you are in, it will be hard to put down. An exciting start to a new trilogy. Recommended for grades 4 & up.
dim_light's review
4.0
This was just as good as I remember it from when I was a kid, if not better :D