Archibald and the Blue Blood Conspiracy

Archibald #1

by Sher-May Loh

Lord Archibald knows the school year is off to a bad start when he is kidnapped and then dramatically rescued by a sword-wielding stranger. No complaints if you're a princess--but not so great when you're a scrawny son of a duke in 19th-century England. When other boys are also attacked, it becomes clear that someone is out for blue blood in Wyndsor, England's School of Kings. Archie must put aside his bumbling ways, don his sleuth's hat and figure out who's behind the sinister attacks, and what they're really after, before it's too late!

http://www.shermayloh.com
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Genres: Young Adult

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2011

About the author

Published in Singapore by Epigram Books:

ARCHIBALD AND THE BLUE BLOOD CONSPIRACY (2011) debuted at #10 in its category on Kinokuniya's weekly bestsellers on its first week. It also won a Bronze Medal at the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards, making it the first book in Southeast Asia to win a Moonbeam Award in the Young Adult category.

The sequel, ARCHIBALD AND THE BLACK KNIGHT'S RING (2012), won a Silver Medal at the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards.

Reviews

[Spleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when I was 14 and wanted to relive the positive experience I had. Was a tad disappointed as the writing and plot were simpler than I remembered. But for teens, it’s a good book with an unexpectedly heroic protagonist and likeable characters.

WARNING: Do not go into this book expecting historical accuracy; the author often adds details and dialogue that could not be possible in 19th century England(for example jousting being a popular sport in any capacity). I took it as a fantastical retelling of young nobles with a bit of modern sensibility.

All in all, a well written book for young teens or people who want a bit of palate cleansing after reading the 60th dystopian novel.

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been on my TBR list for a really long time, but somehow I never picked it up until now, when I was craving for a quick and easy read.

Archibald and the Blue Blood Conspiracy is a mystery set in a boarding school. Shortly before the new term starts, Archibald, the second son of the Duke of Chestershire, is kidnapped but fortunately very quickly rescued. He thinks that this is a one-off, but as mysterious accidents start happening in the school, it becomes very clear that someone is targeting the children of nobility.

Since this is MG, it was a light, breezy read. The friendship between Archie and his friends are adorable and I thought the mystery is well-developed. The ending of the book was pretty exciting, with a few twists that I did not see coming.

However, because this is MG, the book misses a few chances to tackle harder issues. While one issue is dealt with well, because it’s integral to the plot, I was a bit disappointed with how the relationship between Archie and his older brother, Alexander, turned out. It started off as a rather hostile-seeming relationship, possibly brought on by the death of their mother, but as the story continued on, they just bonded without many issues. While I liked the fact that they worked as a team, it would have been more interesting if their reconciliation was a bit rockier (or more realistic, to use a better term).

Overall, I enjoyed Archibald and the Blue Blood Conspiracy. Setting the story in a boarding school in England made me think of Enid Blyton, and I really enjoyed the way Archie, Alexander, and their friends worked together to solve the mystery.

This review was first posted at Eustea Reads

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not something I would compare to Percy Jackson, the greatest mythology-based book in the universe, but it wasn't half as bad either.

Archibald just seemed rather pretentious and at times his actions weren't very smooth but it was pretty good for a book catering to the younger readers. The adventure was rather toned down, and it could have fared better if there was more action involved and pulse-racing adrenaline involved.
I quite enjoyed the ending because of that little twist but dang, there should have been more mentions of knightly pursuits in darkness, saving people from the shadows.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book, well-written and fast-paced with interesting plot twists. Great for kids who like Harry Potter, Neil Gaiman, Percy Jackson and Artemis Fowl. Highly recommended!

This book is currently available only in Singapore's major bookstores.

[Jia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boarding school adventure packed with likeable characters. With a dash of royalty and a pinch of chivalry for good measure. What's not to like? This was a delightful read.

[Typingcow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its a pretty good story, rather short and fast paced. Would recommend it to a kid who likes fantasy books.

[Xiao Wei · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars