The Clockwork Queen - Peter Bunzl

-

Author: Peter Bunzl

Illustrator: Lia Visirin
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction.
Rating: 4.5 stars.

In a Nutshell: A really interesting story about how a young girl saves her father from the Russian prison with the help of chess and a ‘clockwork queen’.

Story:
Sophie Peshka loves chess and has learnt the game in detail from her grandmaster father, Ivan. But now, Ivan is imprisoned in the dungeons of Queen Catherine for a very silly reason. With her mother dead, Sophie is left to survive using her chess skills. When an old friend re-enters her life with a chess-playing automaton named ‘The Clockwork Queen’, Sophie’s life changes and she sees a glimmer of hope to rescue her father. Will Sophie succeed?
The story is told in the first person narrative pov of Sophie, who goes from ages 10 to 12 during the narrative.


I simply couldn’t keep the book aside. Of course, its being a quick read helped tremendously – it’s hardly 115 pages long.

The book has so much going for it. The details of chess are outstanding, and understandable even to those who don’t know the game. The bond between father and daughter is beautiful. The Clockwork Queen is amazing and will blow away the minds of children who don’t know anything about automata. (I would have been mind-blown too, had I not recently read another fictional novel on the same topic.) The descriptions of the environment of those days is vivid. The B&W illustrations are charming and work appropriately for the story.

The author’s note at the end reveals the factual basis for this fictional story. I found this very informative and it serves as a wonderful add-on to the book.

As with every Barrington Stoke book, the story is of a higher level but the writing is on a simpler scale of understanding to suit a lower reading age. The official target age range for this book is 8-12 years.

I loved this book from start to end and I hope every little reader too will cherish the experience as much as I did.

Trigger Warning: parental death.

My thanks to Barrington Stoke and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Clockwork Queen”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

Stormy Normy Finds His Forever Home - Leisa Fail - ★★★.½

-
Image
AUTHOR: Leisa Fail SERIES: The Adventures of Stormy Normy, #1 GENRE: Children's Fiction, Animals. PUBLICATION DATE: March 25, 2024 RATING: 3.5 stars In a Nutshell: A children’s chapter book about a young brumby horse named Stormy Normy. The author certainly knows horses! Recommended to young animal lovers looking for a sweet and easy-going story. Plot Preview: Outback Queensland, Australia. Young Stormy Normy was born, as his name suggests, on a stormy night. As his mother and he are returning to their herd, Stormy gets distracted and enters a farm with many horses. His mother, realising that he will have a better life there than in the wild pack, leaves him there with a heavy heart. Thus begins Stormy’s life, where he learns to navigate tricky situations, make new friends, and realises whom and how to trust. The story is written in Stormy’s first person perspective, with two brief interludes from his mother’s point of view in third person. I am not really a horse person, being
Read More»

Takeout Sushi - Christopher Green - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Christopher Green GENRE: Contemporary Short Story Collection, Japanese Fiction. PUBLICATION DATE:  May 2, 2024 RATING: 3.9  stars. In a Nutshell: An interesting collection of stories, with most of them set in Japan. Loved the writing style and enjoyed the diverse emotions. Much recommended! This story collection has, as the title suggests, a strong Japanese flavour. So let me begin by confessing that I am not a fan of Japanese literature. Most Japanese fiction that I tried hasn’t suited my reading tastes, so I generally keep away from this genre. The reason I picked this collection up is... No, no, the sushi had no role to play in my decision; I can’t stand even the thought of sushi! The reason I wanted to read this is that the author is NOT a Japanese! 😁 I know this sounds quite silly to declare, but had the author been Japanese, I would have resisted opting for this. But by virtue of his being an “outsider”, I thought it was a great opportunity to get a look at Japan witho
Read More»

Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales - Catherine Cawthorne - ★★★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: Catherine Cawthorne ILLUSTRATOR: Sara Ogilvie GENRE: Children's Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: April 25, 2024 RATING: 5 sparkly, scientifically accurate stars. In a Nutshell: This book and I were a match made in book heaven! Loved the approach that combines humour and logic to debunk the sillier elements of some fairy tales. Strongly recommended! I enjoy fairy tales. I love scientific thinking. I adore logic. I relish humour. Seeing all four of these together in a single work was almost a “bookgasmic” moment for me! 😆 Had the book not delivered on any of these factors, I might still have been happy reading it. But the content not only reaches but also surpasses the promise made by the title and cover. All of us know that there are several logically impossible elements in fairy tales. In childhood, we might have oohed and awwwed at the stories without overthinking the practicalities. In adulthood, we might have cringed at the gender bias, wealth bias, and the lack of conse
Read More»

Making Up the Gods - Marion Agnew - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Marion Agnew GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An indie drama with some quirky characters and a great setting in Lake Superior, Canada. Mellow in tone, genuine in content, thought-provoking in themes. I enjoyed this unusual novel. Plot Preview: Simone, almost 70, is a retired widow who lives an isolated life in her cottage on the banks of Lake Superior and still misses her husband, though he’s been dead for five years. While she is now active in her local church and finds solace in baking for those grieving, she is fiercely protective of her privacy. But when the local reverend asks her to take care of nine-year-old Chen while his widowed mother goes on a much-needed trip, Simone finds it tough to refuse a fellow-mourning widow. Just before Chen arrives, a stranger named Martin knocks at Simone’s door, claiming to be her cousin. Simone is suddenly handling two strangers at once, and she worries that they will dis
Read More»

Red Runs the Witch's Thread - Victoria Williamson - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Victoria Williamson GENRE: Historical Fiction, Horror. RATING:  4 stars. In a Nutshell: A psychological horror inspired by the last witch burning in Scotland in 1697. A disturbing yet compelling read. I wanted more closure at the end for my own peace of mind, but other than that, this was a satisfying book. Recommended! Plot Preview: 1722. Paisley, Scotland. Thirty-seven-year-old widow Christian Shaw is obsessed with perfecting her thread bleaching process. She wants to make the thread the purest white, so it can sell better and restore their family fortunes. In the absence of any male family members, it is up to her as the eldest daughter to ensure the security of their house, her mother and two younger sisters, and her late father’s social position as the laird (landowner.)  However, Christian’s mind is troubled. With the 25th anniversary of the witch burnings of 1697 approaching, Christian’s thoughts go frequently to the past, and to the role she played in the burning of s
Read More»