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The Wolves Chronicles #2
Black Hearts in Battersea
In this hilarious classic adventure, an innocent boy and his friends must stop a plot to topple the King of England. Simon, the foundling from The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, arrives in London to meet an old friend and pursue the study of painting. Instead he finds himself unwittingly in the middle of a wicked crew’s fiendish caper to overthrow the good King James and the Duke and Duchess of Battersea. With the help of his friend Sophie and the resourceful waif Dido, Simon narrowly escapes a series of madcap close calls and dangerous run-ins. In a time and place where villains do nothing halfway, Simon is faced with wild wolves, poisoned pies, kidnapping, and a wrecked ship. This is a cleverly contrived tale of intrigue and misadventure.Perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl “It’s a marvel!” —The New Yorker “A wild yarn, not to be put down once it is started.” —Washington Post “A riot of wildly improbable adventures happening to absurd and loveable characters with Dickensian names in a time that never was . . . Heartrending, hair-raising, rib-tickling, and delightful.” —New York Times
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1964
68 people are currently reading
2443 people want to read
About the author
Joan Aiken
331 books599 followersJoan Aiken was a much loved English writer who received the MBE for services to Children's Literature. She was known as a writer of wild fantasy, Gothic novels and short stories.
She was born in Rye, East Sussex, into a family of writers, including her father, Conrad Aiken (who won a Pulitzer Prize for his poetry), and her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge. She worked for the United Nations Information Office during the second world war, and then as an editor and freelance on Argosy magazine before she started writing full time, mainly children's books and thrillers. For her books she received the Guardian Award (1969) and the Edgar Allan Poe Award (1972).
Her most popular series, the "Wolves Chronicles" which began with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, was set in an elaborate alternate period of history in a Britain in which James II was never deposed in the Glorious Revolution,and so supporters of the House of Hanover continually plot to overthrow the Stuart Kings. These books also feature cockney urchin heroine Dido Twite and her adventures and travels all over the world.
Another series of children's books about Arabel and her raven Mortimer are illustrated by Quentin Blake, and have been shown on the BBC as Jackanory and drama series. Others including the much loved Necklace of Raindrops and award winning Kingdom Under the Sea are illustrated by Jan Pieńkowski.
Her many novels for adults include several that continue or complement novels by Jane Austen. These include Mansfield Revisited and Jane Fairfax.
Aiken was a lifelong fan of ghost stories. She set her adult supernatural novel The Haunting of Lamb House at Lamb House in Rye (now a National Trust property). This ghost story recounts in fictional form an alleged haunting experienced by two former residents of the house, Henry James and E. F. Benson, both of whom also wrote ghost stories. Aiken's father, Conrad Aiken, also authored a small number of notable ghost stories.
She was born in Rye, East Sussex, into a family of writers, including her father, Conrad Aiken (who won a Pulitzer Prize for his poetry), and her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge. She worked for the United Nations Information Office during the second world war, and then as an editor and freelance on Argosy magazine before she started writing full time, mainly children's books and thrillers. For her books she received the Guardian Award (1969) and the Edgar Allan Poe Award (1972).
Her most popular series, the "Wolves Chronicles" which began with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, was set in an elaborate alternate period of history in a Britain in which James II was never deposed in the Glorious Revolution,and so supporters of the House of Hanover continually plot to overthrow the Stuart Kings. These books also feature cockney urchin heroine Dido Twite and her adventures and travels all over the world.
Another series of children's books about Arabel and her raven Mortimer are illustrated by Quentin Blake, and have been shown on the BBC as Jackanory and drama series. Others including the much loved Necklace of Raindrops and award winning Kingdom Under the Sea are illustrated by Jan Pieńkowski.
Her many novels for adults include several that continue or complement novels by Jane Austen. These include Mansfield Revisited and Jane Fairfax.
Aiken was a lifelong fan of ghost stories. She set her adult supernatural novel The Haunting of Lamb House at Lamb House in Rye (now a National Trust property). This ghost story recounts in fictional form an alleged haunting experienced by two former residents of the house, Henry James and E. F. Benson, both of whom also wrote ghost stories. Aiken's father, Conrad Aiken, also authored a small number of notable ghost stories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews
June 30, 2017
Why do I still love this book enough to stay up re-reading it for at least the fifth time?
The whole series has a unique, distinct style of prose and storytelling. It's ageless and timeless. Simon is one of my favorite characters ever. I just like how everything is just a bit off from the very beginning and then BAM! danger and conspiracy.
Each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone. This is the order, though:
0 The Whispering Mountain
1 The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
2 Black Hearts in Battersea
3 Nightbirds on Nantucket
4 The Stolen Lake
5 Dangerous Games
6 The Cuckoo Tree
7 Dido and Pa
8 Is Underground
9 Cold Shoulder Road
10 Midwinter Nightingale
11 The Witch of Clatteringshaws
The whole series has a unique, distinct style of prose and storytelling. It's ageless and timeless. Simon is one of my favorite characters ever. I just like how everything is just a bit off from the very beginning and then BAM! danger and conspiracy.
Each book in the series can be read as a stand-alone. This is the order, though:
0 The Whispering Mountain
1 The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
2 Black Hearts in Battersea
3 Nightbirds on Nantucket
4 The Stolen Lake
5 Dangerous Games
6 The Cuckoo Tree
7 Dido and Pa
8 Is Underground
9 Cold Shoulder Road
10 Midwinter Nightingale
11 The Witch of Clatteringshaws
March 11, 2025
The Duke and Duchess are a Delight! Simon's adventures as jack-of-all-trades and generally good guy are so fun to read, and of course I always love a book where handwork of any kind saves the day!
September 6, 2009
Simon, a minor character in Black Hearts in Battersea (but one who clearly took over Aiken's heart), leaves Yorkshire for London where he can study painting. However, after arriving in London at the home of the Twite family, he is mystified by the disappearance of his mentor, Dr. Field. No one admits to having seen Dr. Field but there are hints he has been at the Twites, in addition to the letter he sent Simon urging him to come stay with him there. Simon enrolls at the art academy as planned and obtains a job nearby, and is happy to be reunited with Sophie, an orphan he knew years before, who is now employed by the eccentric but warm-hearted Duke and Duchess of Battersea. How Simon seeks his fortune in London while navigating the danger posed by Hanoverian plotters is very satisfying historical fiction.
March 25, 2022
I never thought this was a book I would love. Perhaps I was right back then, but my love of British humor and storytelling has grown so much that I just loved this book! The characters are fantastic, the storytelling is somehow both breezy and compelling, and the humor is just so great. Even when things are looking grim for Sophie and Simon and their cadre in this alternate English history, the humor sparkles through. The plot is rather absurd but it doesn’t even matter because it is written so engagingly and the characters are so lovable.
The Wolves of Wilhoughby Chase felt so much like a kid’s version of Jane Eyre whereas this one felt very Dickensian. The back cover noted that and the more I think about it, the more both plot and character felt like something Dickens would write. There’s an interesting combination in both Dickens and this book of realism and fantasy. That combination makes for such a fun read.
Super cliffhanger though. I must get the next book right away and find out what happened to the irrepressible Dido Twite.
The Wolves of Wilhoughby Chase felt so much like a kid’s version of Jane Eyre whereas this one felt very Dickensian. The back cover noted that and the more I think about it, the more both plot and character felt like something Dickens would write. There’s an interesting combination in both Dickens and this book of realism and fantasy. That combination makes for such a fun read.
Super cliffhanger though. I must get the next book right away and find out what happened to the irrepressible Dido Twite.
February 16, 2013
I love these books. It's hard to explain, because they are so very weird: the language is old-fashioned, plausibility is left at the door, coincidence abounds. I mean, it even has the old "orphan kid is really a great person, even though very disadvantaged in upbringing, but oh wow it turns out he's really a duke" trope - twice! I usually hate that, but I don't get an overwhelmig feeling of classism from Aiken. I mean, her very best character - Dido! - is a poor child, and though many of the villains are not wealthy, some of the book's kindest and most lovely are too.
So, Dido, Dido Twite.....I LOVE HER! I forgot how much of a brat she is at the beginning of this book, but soon she starts to win your heart with her guttermouth, her loneliness, her spunk, and her quick wit. Of course, she gets even better in the next one!
So, Dido, Dido Twite.....I LOVE HER! I forgot how much of a brat she is at the beginning of this book, but soon she starts to win your heart with her guttermouth, her loneliness, her spunk, and her quick wit. Of course, she gets even better in the next one!
October 2, 2022
Implementing her theory that a story is enriched by having a lot of relevant action before the story opens, Simon - our goose-boy hero from Wolves - comes to London to seek his fortune by practising and studying art with his friend, Dr. Field. Looking for a place to stay he ends up with the Twites and happens to meet one of children's literature's finest heroes: Dido. Unbeknownst to Simon, Dido's family are Hanoverian plotters who are in a plot to kill the Duke of Battersea. This is possibly my favourite Wolves story so far: clever, intricately plotted and full of rich language and detail.
*Spolier*
I'm so glad that Aiken didn't stick to her original intention of having her famous hero, Dido Twite, killed in this second instalment. Death in children's literature and facing it was something Aiken felt all readers should face at some time but the continual letters of love and praise for Dido from readers across the globe meant that she was here to steer us through this narrative and beyond.
*Spolier*
I'm so glad that Aiken didn't stick to her original intention of having her famous hero, Dido Twite, killed in this second instalment. Death in children's literature and facing it was something Aiken felt all readers should face at some time but the continual letters of love and praise for Dido from readers across the globe meant that she was here to steer us through this narrative and beyond.
September 27, 2009
Lies, deceptions, treasonous plots, mistaken identity, hot air balloons, wolves at the door, stowaways and completely indecipherable dialect. How could you go wrong? I completely loved this even though it took me a bit to get into it, once it gets going though, it's hard to put down.
September 12, 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2018
This second volume in the Wolves Chronicles follows the adventures of Simon the goose-boy, who journeys to London from the Willoughby estate, intent on studying art and becoming a great painter. Nothing is quite as he expected however, and as he makes friends in places high and low, Simon soon finds himself at the center of a dastardly Hanoverian plot...
A humorously convoluted Victorian melodrama, complete with plots, assassination attempts, kidnappings, shipwrecks, hidden identities, secret societies, and hot-air balloon escapes, Black Heart in Battersea also has the distinction of introducing into the pages of children's literature one of its most distinctive heroines. The incomparable Dido Twite, with her awful language, defiant manner, and appearance like a "molting sparrow," cannot boast a very auspicious debut, but she carries within her the seeds of all those qualities that most matter in Aiken's world: bravery, loyalty and love. In a word, she has heart...
It is my good fortune to own a copy of the original (American) edition of this book, which is illustrated by Robin Jacques, whose work is perhaps best known from Ruth Manning-Sanders' folktale collections. It seems a real shame to me that these illustrations have been omitted from later editions.
Addendum: Because the reading order of this series is somewhat complicated, I have included this handy guide, which is organized by publication date, and which I recommend to prospective readers of the series, rather than the one offered here on Goodreads:
Reading Order for the Series:
1) The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
2) Black Hearts in Battersea
3) Nightbirds on Nantucket
4) The Whispering Mountain
5) The Cuckoo Tree
6) The Stolen Lake
7) Dido and Pa
8) Is Underground
9) Cold Shoulder Road
10) Dangerous Games
11) Midwinter Nightingale
12) The Witch of Clatteringshaws
A few notes:
-- Is Underground is the American name for the British original, Is . Similarly, Dangerous Games was originally published in Britain as Limbo Lodge .
-- The Wolves of Willoughby Chase features two characters that recur, but the two young heroines do not.
-- The Stolen Lake is the point at which the chronology becomes somewhat complicated, as it is the sixth book, but chronicles events that occur in between Night Birds on Nantucket (#3) and The Cuckoo Tree (#5).
-- Is Underground (or Is ) and Cold Shoulder Road both feature Is Twite, cousin to the main heroine, Dido. They occur alongside the other books, and their position in the series is not chronologically relevant.
-- Dangerous Games ( Limbo Lodge ) is another title that backtracks in the chronology...
--Although not technically part of the series, Aiken's Midnight Is a Place does occur in the same alternative timeline, and is set in Blastburn, the same imaginary city that features in the other books.
A humorously convoluted Victorian melodrama, complete with plots, assassination attempts, kidnappings, shipwrecks, hidden identities, secret societies, and hot-air balloon escapes, Black Heart in Battersea also has the distinction of introducing into the pages of children's literature one of its most distinctive heroines. The incomparable Dido Twite, with her awful language, defiant manner, and appearance like a "molting sparrow," cannot boast a very auspicious debut, but she carries within her the seeds of all those qualities that most matter in Aiken's world: bravery, loyalty and love. In a word, she has heart...
It is my good fortune to own a copy of the original (American) edition of this book, which is illustrated by Robin Jacques, whose work is perhaps best known from Ruth Manning-Sanders' folktale collections. It seems a real shame to me that these illustrations have been omitted from later editions.
Addendum: Because the reading order of this series is somewhat complicated, I have included this handy guide, which is organized by publication date, and which I recommend to prospective readers of the series, rather than the one offered here on Goodreads:
Reading Order for the Series:
1) The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
2) Black Hearts in Battersea
3) Nightbirds on Nantucket
4) The Whispering Mountain
5) The Cuckoo Tree
6) The Stolen Lake
7) Dido and Pa
8) Is Underground
9) Cold Shoulder Road
10) Dangerous Games
11) Midwinter Nightingale
12) The Witch of Clatteringshaws
A few notes:
-- Is Underground is the American name for the British original, Is . Similarly, Dangerous Games was originally published in Britain as Limbo Lodge .
-- The Wolves of Willoughby Chase features two characters that recur, but the two young heroines do not.
-- The Stolen Lake is the point at which the chronology becomes somewhat complicated, as it is the sixth book, but chronicles events that occur in between Night Birds on Nantucket (#3) and The Cuckoo Tree (#5).
-- Is Underground (or Is ) and Cold Shoulder Road both feature Is Twite, cousin to the main heroine, Dido. They occur alongside the other books, and their position in the series is not chronologically relevant.
-- Dangerous Games ( Limbo Lodge ) is another title that backtracks in the chronology...
--Although not technically part of the series, Aiken's Midnight Is a Place does occur in the same alternative timeline, and is set in Blastburn, the same imaginary city that features in the other books.
January 23, 2022
ENGLISH: This is the second book in Joan Aiken's series on alternate history. King James II is supposed never to have been deposed, although the house of Hannover/Windsor is trying to win the kingdom. James III is the king of the United Kingdom during the first decades of the 19th century.
The protagonist of this novel is Simon, the orphan who helped the two young girls in the previous book in the series. Two new girls help him in his troubles: Sophie, and old friend from the orphanage, and Dido Twite, eight years old, a surprising child with unsavory parents.
This book starts as a typical conspiracy plot, but little by little transforms into a full-fledged adventure novel with all kinds of horrible hazards that move the characters further and further of normal life. One of the main characters disappears during a shipwreck and is given for dead, but we strongly suspect that she will appear again further on in the series.
ESPAÑOL: Este es el segundo libro de la serie de Joan Aiken sobre historia alternativa. Se supone que el rey James II no fue depuesto, aunque la casa de Hannover/Windsor esté incordiando para ocupar el trono. James III es el rey del Reino Unido durante las primeras décadas del siglo XIX.
El protagonista de esta novela es Simon, el huérfano que ayudó a las dos chicas en el primer libro de la serie. Otras dos chicas le ayudan en sus dificultades: Sophie, una vieja amiga del orfanato, y Dido Twite, de ocho años, una niña asombrosa con unos padres muy desagradables.
Este libro comienza con una típica trama de conspiración, que poco a poco se transforma en una novela de aventuras en toda regla, con todo tipo de situaciones tremendas que alejan a los personajes cada vez más de la vida normal. Uno de los personajes principales desaparece durante un naufragio y es dada por muerta, pero tenemos la sospecha de que volverá a aparecer más adelante en la serie.
The protagonist of this novel is Simon, the orphan who helped the two young girls in the previous book in the series. Two new girls help him in his troubles: Sophie, and old friend from the orphanage, and Dido Twite, eight years old, a surprising child with unsavory parents.
This book starts as a typical conspiracy plot, but little by little transforms into a full-fledged adventure novel with all kinds of horrible hazards that move the characters further and further of normal life. One of the main characters disappears during a shipwreck and is given for dead, but we strongly suspect that she will appear again further on in the series.
ESPAÑOL: Este es el segundo libro de la serie de Joan Aiken sobre historia alternativa. Se supone que el rey James II no fue depuesto, aunque la casa de Hannover/Windsor esté incordiando para ocupar el trono. James III es el rey del Reino Unido durante las primeras décadas del siglo XIX.
El protagonista de esta novela es Simon, el huérfano que ayudó a las dos chicas en el primer libro de la serie. Otras dos chicas le ayudan en sus dificultades: Sophie, una vieja amiga del orfanato, y Dido Twite, de ocho años, una niña asombrosa con unos padres muy desagradables.
Este libro comienza con una típica trama de conspiración, que poco a poco se transforma en una novela de aventuras en toda regla, con todo tipo de situaciones tremendas que alejan a los personajes cada vez más de la vida normal. Uno de los personajes principales desaparece durante un naufragio y es dada por muerta, pero tenemos la sospecha de que volverá a aparecer más adelante en la serie.
December 31, 2016
This was a fast-paced, fun, and exciting mystery/adventure story. It finds Simon (from the Wolves of Willoughby Chase) heading to London to study painting at the invitation of Dr Field but on reaching there, not only is there no sign of Dr Field, no one at his lodgings seems to have heard of him. Simon starts his classes, finds a job, and reconnects with his friend Sophie, while on the sidelines continuing to investigate the disappearance of Dr Field. He is helped by the rather unattractive (at the start) Dido Twite (who proves herself quite an asset as we go on). What transpires is a deep and fairly well planned plot and a secret that holds the key to the entire mystery. One pretty much guesses the secret some way in but that didn’t make the book any the less interesting for me. There were also still some surprises along the way. Highly entertaining!
August 10, 2021
This is the most amazing book series. I started yesterday and today i finished it. I just don't want to put it down. Writing is in old fashioned british english that i have to slow down and re read some things.but it is delightful, full of adventures, beautiful characters and story is has so much in it, it never for a second will bore you. Absolutely in love with these series. Even though i find it in middle grade section, i definitely think it is for adults to read.
This is a story of Simon and his adventures, though first book is so very close to me still. Wolves appears and makes everything surreal again like first book and its setting. Simon and Sophie characters are such a pure heart, that can't help but to be like them or respect them. And last few chapters are full of goosebumps and what will happen now.
Love every sentence of it. Cant wait to start next book in a series.
This is a story of Simon and his adventures, though first book is so very close to me still. Wolves appears and makes everything surreal again like first book and its setting. Simon and Sophie characters are such a pure heart, that can't help but to be like them or respect them. And last few chapters are full of goosebumps and what will happen now.
Love every sentence of it. Cant wait to start next book in a series.
March 24, 2020
With his heart set on becoming an artist, Simon heads for London to make his fortune. But prowling wolves and mysterious goings-on are rife in the city and Simon’s new lodgings with the very odd Twite family don’t improve matters. Uncovering a plot to kill the King, Simon is kidnapped, and it seems his hopes of victory may be dashed…
This is Ms Aiken’s second volume in the ‘Wolves Chronicles’ and while it’s quite interesting, the plot didn’t really grab my attention like the first one (The Wolves of Willoughby Chase). The story plods along in a rambling sort of way and I found myself wishing the author would just get on with it. The Twite family are amusing but even their silly carryings on didn’t hold my attention for long.
All in all, an interesting, but flawed book.
This is Ms Aiken’s second volume in the ‘Wolves Chronicles’ and while it’s quite interesting, the plot didn’t really grab my attention like the first one (The Wolves of Willoughby Chase). The story plods along in a rambling sort of way and I found myself wishing the author would just get on with it. The Twite family are amusing but even their silly carryings on didn’t hold my attention for long.
All in all, an interesting, but flawed book.
June 26, 2011
I don't know why I never read this series when I first discovered Aiken's alternate history London in Midnight Is a Place, but I'm enjoying it now. It's a quick read, not dark by my standards (though bad things do happen they are tempered with humor), and it was easy to gloss over any historical contexts that I was clueless about (it's summer after all, and I didn't want to make myself think too much). I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I do wonder about something at the end which I thought was shoved aside rather quickly in all the other happenings, but I'm hoping that it will be addressed in the next book.
April 6, 2018
4 and 1/2 stars. Young Simon from "Wolves" goes off to London to learn to paint. He plans to live with his friend Dr. Field, but when the boy arrives in the city, the doctor has vanished without a trace. Breathless non-stop adventure from the first page, "Black Hearts" is the sequel to "Wolves of Willoughby Chase." A delightful mixture of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Robert Louis Stevenson.
March 3, 2024
What an absolutely delightful romp of a story!
May 25, 2023
This was the book in the series I read out of order as a child because my local library did not have it. They only had "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase," and "Nightbirds on Nantucket." Many thanks to Erin O'Neill, wherever she may be, who had the rest of the set. I read them at her house while babysitting her little brothers and sisters.
Such fantastical adventures young orphans Simon and Sophia have in this book, where their lives are endangered again, and they find they are much more than friends.
Such fantastical adventures young orphans Simon and Sophia have in this book, where their lives are endangered again, and they find they are much more than friends.
November 24, 2021
Review to follow.
April 20, 2016
Late summer, 1833. The second in Joan Aiken's Wolves Chronicles opens with Simon, the orphan who helped cousins Sylvia and Bonnie Green to regain Willoughby Chase, looking for his friend Gabriel Field in London: Dr Field has offered him space in his Southwark lodgings so that Simon can attend an art academy in Chelsea. But Simon is encountering difficulty finding Rose Alley, having been misdirected a few times. When he does eventually find No 8 it is to discover no sign of the good doctor, only a streetwise little urchin called Dido and her rather strange family.
The mystery of Gabriel Field's disappearance is only one of several puzzles that Simon meets during the course of this inventive novel, a good example of a sequel that is not only the equal of the first novel but in some ways almost surpasses it. It combines the twin thrills of pantomime and melodrama by means of a series of extraordinary coincidences: typically, every character Simon meets somehow has a connection with him, and every individual turns out to be either his friend or his foe. Only rarely is there a hint of ambiguity, and with two potential adversaries -- Dido and her nefarious Pa -- we soon realise that their personalities are more nuanced than expected. In fact with Dido, who almost literally drops out of the story, her peccadilloes have so endeared herself to us that we are cheered when somebody at the end declares, "I feel in my bones that we shall hear of her again. So do not grieve too much."
I've been wracking my brain to figure out what it is that strikes me about what might otherwise be regarded as a very slight adventure story for youngsters, and I think I've finally twigged: the year that Black Hearts in Battersea was published -- 1964 -- was the year in which we celebrated the fourth century of Shakespeare's birth, and I wonder if, consciously or subconsciously, Aiken drew inspiration for her plot from his plays. For a start, Rose Alley (just a narrow service street now) commemorates The Rose which, erected in 1587, was the fifth purpose-built London theatre as well as the first on Bankside. Bankside is where The Swan was erected in 1595 and The Globe transferred in 1599 from another part of London, sited close to where its modern counterpart is. Bear Gardens, which runs parallel to Rose Alley, reminds us that here too stood an arena dedicated to the cruel sport of bear-baiting.
But even if Aiken deliberately sited the Twites in this area that doesn't necessarily prove a Shakespearean inspiration, but there are other clues. First, let's remember this is an alternate history and that Hanoverian rulers are plotting to overthrow the rightful Stuart king James III (who, oddly, still retains his Scots accent). There is a sequence which strongly suggests to me the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in which Guy Fawkes and his associates planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament, due to be opened by the Scottish-born king James VI of Scotland, by now also James I of England.
Next, it's often proposed that Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in the aftermath of the Plot, in 1606, and the dastardly deeds of the usurping thane of Glamis may find an echo in Aiken's subplot of a rightful heir to a duke's title.
Another related subplot is about twins, both missing and unsuspected, and some Shakespeare comedies are full of this universal theme, as we know from The Comedy of Errors and Twelfth Night. Add to that the Shakespearean commonplace of a shipwreck following a storm (The Tempest, of course, and Twelfth Night) which Aiken also cunningly includes in Black Hearts in Battersea and it's hard to avoid the impression that Joan may well have been cock-a-hoop with delight at how many references she could include. To include more here would be to spoil the story for anyone yet to enjoy this tale of derring-do, but she may still have been surprised that it might have taken till the fourth centenary of Shakespeare's death to pick this Gordian knot apart.
The title of Black Hearts utilises a phrase associated with the moral depravity of villains, but I also suspect that Joan used it to substitute for blackguard, commonly pronounced to rhyme with laggard and meaning a rogue, scoundrel, rascal or, indeed, anyone who acts in a dishonourable or contemptible way. In a just world such people would get their deserts, but you will have to read the novel itself to discover if in fact this holds true here. But one can hope!
The mystery of Gabriel Field's disappearance is only one of several puzzles that Simon meets during the course of this inventive novel, a good example of a sequel that is not only the equal of the first novel but in some ways almost surpasses it. It combines the twin thrills of pantomime and melodrama by means of a series of extraordinary coincidences: typically, every character Simon meets somehow has a connection with him, and every individual turns out to be either his friend or his foe. Only rarely is there a hint of ambiguity, and with two potential adversaries -- Dido and her nefarious Pa -- we soon realise that their personalities are more nuanced than expected. In fact with Dido, who almost literally drops out of the story, her peccadilloes have so endeared herself to us that we are cheered when somebody at the end declares, "I feel in my bones that we shall hear of her again. So do not grieve too much."
I've been wracking my brain to figure out what it is that strikes me about what might otherwise be regarded as a very slight adventure story for youngsters, and I think I've finally twigged: the year that Black Hearts in Battersea was published -- 1964 -- was the year in which we celebrated the fourth century of Shakespeare's birth, and I wonder if, consciously or subconsciously, Aiken drew inspiration for her plot from his plays. For a start, Rose Alley (just a narrow service street now) commemorates The Rose which, erected in 1587, was the fifth purpose-built London theatre as well as the first on Bankside. Bankside is where The Swan was erected in 1595 and The Globe transferred in 1599 from another part of London, sited close to where its modern counterpart is. Bear Gardens, which runs parallel to Rose Alley, reminds us that here too stood an arena dedicated to the cruel sport of bear-baiting.
But even if Aiken deliberately sited the Twites in this area that doesn't necessarily prove a Shakespearean inspiration, but there are other clues. First, let's remember this is an alternate history and that Hanoverian rulers are plotting to overthrow the rightful Stuart king James III (who, oddly, still retains his Scots accent). There is a sequence which strongly suggests to me the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in which Guy Fawkes and his associates planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament, due to be opened by the Scottish-born king James VI of Scotland, by now also James I of England.
Next, it's often proposed that Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in the aftermath of the Plot, in 1606, and the dastardly deeds of the usurping thane of Glamis may find an echo in Aiken's subplot of a rightful heir to a duke's title.
Another related subplot is about twins, both missing and unsuspected, and some Shakespeare comedies are full of this universal theme, as we know from The Comedy of Errors and Twelfth Night. Add to that the Shakespearean commonplace of a shipwreck following a storm (The Tempest, of course, and Twelfth Night) which Aiken also cunningly includes in Black Hearts in Battersea and it's hard to avoid the impression that Joan may well have been cock-a-hoop with delight at how many references she could include. To include more here would be to spoil the story for anyone yet to enjoy this tale of derring-do, but she may still have been surprised that it might have taken till the fourth centenary of Shakespeare's death to pick this Gordian knot apart.
The title of Black Hearts utilises a phrase associated with the moral depravity of villains, but I also suspect that Joan used it to substitute for blackguard, commonly pronounced to rhyme with laggard and meaning a rogue, scoundrel, rascal or, indeed, anyone who acts in a dishonourable or contemptible way. In a just world such people would get their deserts, but you will have to read the novel itself to discover if in fact this holds true here. But one can hope!
April 16, 2020
Reading The Wolves series, for me, is like putting on a nice warm sweater and sitting in front of a roaring fire. There's comfort and ease in it. Sometimes it takes awhile to get into the character's strong accented language, but if you're familiar at all with 19th century British accents, and you can imagine them saying the words aloud, you'll make it through just fine. Simon is one of the characters from the previous book, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, and we follow him here to Battersea Castle, where he is looking for his art tutor. He's a good natured boy and acts much more mature than his calendar years, so he makes friends quickly. There are plots and darkness afoot, but because of him and his friend from childhood, Sophie, they thwart plots and keep everyone one step ahead of catastrophe. There's some fantastical elements in here- a secret island, a huge hot-air balloon, and wolves way more intelligent than they have any right to be. It rather feels a bit like a fairy tale, with lost royalty and a kidnapping, a pirate voyage and the comeuppance of the evil-doers in the end. This, like the first in the series, is a wonderful middle-grade that isn't written for just pre-high school age children. I had a wonderful time, and I plan on continuing to read the series.
February 10, 2016
i reiterate what i said upon reading "nightbirds." which boils down to fangirlish, "how did i not read these before now, they are awesome." although i have to say, i am glad i read that one first, because i'm not sure that i would've loved dido if this was my first intro to her. i loved all the good characters and hated all the bad ones and wonder why more children's books today don't involve nefarious plots, wolves and hot air balloons.
September 12, 2014
From BBC Radio 4 - Afternoon Drama:
A dramatisation of Joan Aiken's classic children's adventure. Young Simon comes to 18th century London to study painting - and finds himself caught up in wicked Hanoverian plots to overthrow the king.
A dramatisation of Joan Aiken's classic children's adventure. Young Simon comes to 18th century London to study painting - and finds himself caught up in wicked Hanoverian plots to overthrow the king.
March 15, 2017
Utterly delightful and deliciously dark, as only an Aiken book can be. Even the brat Dido Twite turns out to be a surprisingly capable hand while capturing a ship. A wonderful, adventurous trip through an alternate past.
June 28, 2019
I somehow never read this sequel to Wolves of Willoughby Chase as a child. A fun enough romp with weirdly high stakes (literal treason). Has a touch of the Brian Jacques excessive phoneticization of accents to the point of being nearly incomprehensible thing going on.
October 5, 2016
This is the best book in the Wolves series. Enter the unlikeliest, and the most lovable, heroine ever -- one whose adventures you'll want to follow right till the last book!
February 3, 2013
One of my favourite childhood authors.
June 15, 2015
Magnificent alternative reality period romp in the inimitabe style of Joan Aiken. Great stuff but didn't quite enchant me the way The Wolves of Willoughby Chase did. I wanted Simon to stay Simon.
July 17, 2017
DIDO!!!!!!!
also schemes and kings and Sophie and all sorts of goodness.
also schemes and kings and Sophie and all sorts of goodness.
January 16, 2019
This is the 2nd in the series "The Wolves Chronicles". Just as good as the first, possibly better. Excellent children's literature, but I also was unable to put it down.
March 14, 2024
Black hearts in Battersea was an excellent sequel to wolves of Willoughby chase. What i loved about this book was i liked that some of the same characters from wolves of Willoughby chase were returned in this book and i liked the new characters as well. My favourite new character was Dido i liked her feistiness but she was also kind and sweet as well especially towards Simon. My second favourite character was Sophie i liked her calmness and how she always fixes things and she was a good friend to Simon too. I like the setting of this book the coldness of London it really captured the atmosphere and feel of the book i liked the snow as well. My favourite part was when Simon dido Sophie and Justin went to the fair and they went on all the rides and they were very happy. That part made me feel happy too because they were all having fun and forgetting about everything else that was going on around them. I am really liking Joan Aiken books i like her writing style and her stories. I am definitely going to read the third book in the series. Joan Aiken smashed it out of the park again with her books.
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