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The Mortlock Books
The Bonehill Curse
Anthony Bonehill plans to outwit a Djinn with his seven accomplices. Six will make their wish, and the seventh must wish the Djinn dead. But the seventh accomplice, Carlos Grossford, double-crosses them and now he can wield whatever tyranny he chooses.
Necessity Bonehill is a tomboy. Being sent to a boarding school for girls has honed rather than tamed her wild side. She fears her parents were keen to get rid of her, and therefore feels abandoned. So when Uncle Carlos starts sending her food parcels, she is happy that someone cares. Then one day he sends a stoppered bottle. Ness is perplexed, but surely there can’t be any harm in opening an empty bottle?
She takes out the stopper and unwittingly launches herself into and exotic and cut-throat world as the powerful Djinn is set free, hell-bent on revenge.
Necessity Bonehill is a tomboy. Being sent to a boarding school for girls has honed rather than tamed her wild side. She fears her parents were keen to get rid of her, and therefore feels abandoned. So when Uncle Carlos starts sending her food parcels, she is happy that someone cares. Then one day he sends a stoppered bottle. Ness is perplexed, but surely there can’t be any harm in opening an empty bottle?
She takes out the stopper and unwittingly launches herself into and exotic and cut-throat world as the powerful Djinn is set free, hell-bent on revenge.
384 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2012
4 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Jon Mayhew
35 books31 followersI live on the Wirral Peninsula with my wife and four children. We have a whole menagerie of dogs and cats and chickens and tortoises. My house overlooks the forbidding marshes of the Dee Estuary which is great for wildlife, spooky mists and wet feet.
I love writing but also enjoy running and playing the mandolin. Running is great because it keeps me fit and I can eat as many chips as I like without worrying about putting on weight... I think!
My Favourite food, apart from chips, is probably chicken korma, or maybe mussels or perhaps lasagna or maybe roast lamb...
Some more facts:
I never became a 'free reader' in primary school. Ask me why if I come to your school.
I used to love reading the Moomintroll books and, later the Conan series.
My favourite children's book is Holes by Louis Sachar.
(Copied from Official Website's About Me Page)
I love writing but also enjoy running and playing the mandolin. Running is great because it keeps me fit and I can eat as many chips as I like without worrying about putting on weight... I think!
My Favourite food, apart from chips, is probably chicken korma, or maybe mussels or perhaps lasagna or maybe roast lamb...
Some more facts:
I never became a 'free reader' in primary school. Ask me why if I come to your school.
I used to love reading the Moomintroll books and, later the Conan series.
My favourite children's book is Holes by Louis Sachar.
(Copied from Official Website's About Me Page)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 5, 2022
I thought Mortlock was my favorite until I read this book. Sir Mayhew, if you're reading this, I am in love with Azuli, and I've never related to a character more than I did with Necessity. I'm not a bully, but I'm literally a wildflower that wouldn't hesitate to fight people even if I had poor fighting skills. Anyway, these books are just mwah. It's a genie in a bottle, but far from a sugary Disney beauty. I love how the story paces, how the scenes take place, how the characters meet, how Ness' character develops, and how the ending comes. I just love the ending, and although I had a bit of an expectation that the genie was you-know-what, it literally left my mouth wide open when the ending came, especially with the revelation about Azuli knowing you-know-what. Great ending, great characters; loved the whole premise. I'm now going to read The Demon Collector, and hopefully, I'll get more intrigued. Also, I didn't know these books had connections with each other. I literally almost threw my book across the room after reading "Morlock's map" and the "Amarant" mentioned.
May 8, 2018
Excellent addition to the Mortlock Series which has some tie-ins and easter eggs to the previous two books in the trilogy.
June 19, 2022
3.5/5
May 16, 2012
4½ Out of 5
"With Wishing Comes Grieving" (Traditional Proverb)
Neccessity Bonehill's uncle sent her a bottle, along with instructions to never, ever open it.
Only she did.
What Ness didn't know is that her uncle and six others summoned a djinn. And when she opened that bottle, she unleashed it on the world.
She has only seven days to repair her mistake. If she doesn't manage to get the djinn back in the bottle, he will destroy the world Ness knows...
Can she succeed? How can one girl, her new-found friend Azuli and an untameable flying carpet unravel the conspiracy and destroy one of the most powerful magical beings - the last djinn Zaakiel...? Before he carries out his final, destructive wish...?
I love the Arabian Nights, the Victorian era and djinn - so this book was right up my alley! I found out only after reading this that it is the third in a series set in the same world. As I adore this world and can't wait to dive right back in, I'll be getting my hands on those two books ASAP! I loved all the characters, the world, the magic, the writing, the setting, the... well, everything! An incredible book that left me wanting more!
Ness was amazingly kickbutt and could totally hold her own! To begin with she was a real piece of work - a bully - but I loved how she grew and developed. She was just so alone, so young despite her toughness. And as stubborn as a mule! I felt so sorry for her - her name said it all "Neccessity". No wonder she didn't feel loved.
Azuli was brave, impulsive and dedicated. He just wanted to prove he was worthy, to be accepted as a Lashkar. He was kinda withdrawn to begin with, but I quickly came to love him! He was also a teeny bit arrogant - but Ness soon knocked that out of him!
All of the characters were so well padded out, and so many of them completely surprised me. I loved Sergeant Major Morris, the scatter-brained, determined, funny and loyal man who taught Ness to fight. And I also loved how Mayhew wrote the djinn Zaakiel. Sure, he was creepy and hell-bent on vengeance, but his story was so…. Rich and believable and he just had so many levels. He was the most amazing and utterly compelling villain ever, and I loved how strangely relatable he was! I also adored how the main characters changed and grew as well... Mr Mayhew sure know how to write wonderfully strong characters!
The writing was amazing - I really felt like I'd gone back in time! And I could see everything! It was all simple, descriptive, beautiful addictive, spooky and rather gory - and I loved every second! I adored all the creepy Proverbial-snippets at the start of each chapter. They were majorly spooky! I just adored Mayhew's writing and also the plot: it was so addictive! As it says of the back of the proof copy, this book really is "Arabian Nights meets Indiana Jones"! Awesome!! I loved the quest-like-adventure feel of the book. It was action-packed, spooky, addictive! I was left wanting more, more, more!
And the setting was just amazing - so rich and vivid and real. Again, like I'd gone back in time! And all the magic and history was just stunning - breath-taking and amazing. I especially loved the djinn and Lashkar mythology! And all the supernatural things in this world... well, I have to get my hands on the other books - I can't wait to see more of this world! I loved how the Oliver-Twist-London was made new, exciting and exotic by the magic and djinn. Man I love this world!
A djinn bent on revenge, a secret society bent on stopping him and a girl caught in the middle... An amazing, magical, addictive, action-packed, mythical, awesome book that had me hooked from start to finish. I sped through this book and was left desperate for more. I will be getting my hands on Mr Mayhew's other books as soon as I possibly can - I adore this world and everything about this book, and simply must get back into it!
"With Wishing Comes Grieving" (Traditional Proverb)
Neccessity Bonehill's uncle sent her a bottle, along with instructions to never, ever open it.
Only she did.
What Ness didn't know is that her uncle and six others summoned a djinn. And when she opened that bottle, she unleashed it on the world.
She has only seven days to repair her mistake. If she doesn't manage to get the djinn back in the bottle, he will destroy the world Ness knows...
Can she succeed? How can one girl, her new-found friend Azuli and an untameable flying carpet unravel the conspiracy and destroy one of the most powerful magical beings - the last djinn Zaakiel...? Before he carries out his final, destructive wish...?
I love the Arabian Nights, the Victorian era and djinn - so this book was right up my alley! I found out only after reading this that it is the third in a series set in the same world. As I adore this world and can't wait to dive right back in, I'll be getting my hands on those two books ASAP! I loved all the characters, the world, the magic, the writing, the setting, the... well, everything! An incredible book that left me wanting more!
Ness was amazingly kickbutt and could totally hold her own! To begin with she was a real piece of work - a bully - but I loved how she grew and developed. She was just so alone, so young despite her toughness. And as stubborn as a mule! I felt so sorry for her - her name said it all "Neccessity". No wonder she didn't feel loved.
Azuli was brave, impulsive and dedicated. He just wanted to prove he was worthy, to be accepted as a Lashkar. He was kinda withdrawn to begin with, but I quickly came to love him! He was also a teeny bit arrogant - but Ness soon knocked that out of him!
All of the characters were so well padded out, and so many of them completely surprised me. I loved Sergeant Major Morris, the scatter-brained, determined, funny and loyal man who taught Ness to fight. And I also loved how Mayhew wrote the djinn Zaakiel. Sure, he was creepy and hell-bent on vengeance, but his story was so…. Rich and believable and he just had so many levels. He was the most amazing and utterly compelling villain ever, and I loved how strangely relatable he was! I also adored how the main characters changed and grew as well... Mr Mayhew sure know how to write wonderfully strong characters!
The writing was amazing - I really felt like I'd gone back in time! And I could see everything! It was all simple, descriptive, beautiful addictive, spooky and rather gory - and I loved every second! I adored all the creepy Proverbial-snippets at the start of each chapter. They were majorly spooky! I just adored Mayhew's writing and also the plot: it was so addictive! As it says of the back of the proof copy, this book really is "Arabian Nights meets Indiana Jones"! Awesome!! I loved the quest-like-adventure feel of the book. It was action-packed, spooky, addictive! I was left wanting more, more, more!
And the setting was just amazing - so rich and vivid and real. Again, like I'd gone back in time! And all the magic and history was just stunning - breath-taking and amazing. I especially loved the djinn and Lashkar mythology! And all the supernatural things in this world... well, I have to get my hands on the other books - I can't wait to see more of this world! I loved how the Oliver-Twist-London was made new, exciting and exotic by the magic and djinn. Man I love this world!
A djinn bent on revenge, a secret society bent on stopping him and a girl caught in the middle... An amazing, magical, addictive, action-packed, mythical, awesome book that had me hooked from start to finish. I sped through this book and was left desperate for more. I will be getting my hands on Mr Mayhew's other books as soon as I possibly can - I adore this world and everything about this book, and simply must get back into it!
October 23, 2020
A destructive genie held captive in a bottle, a feisty young heroine with a fancy name - Necessity Bonehill - an evil stepfather, and an instruction not to open the bottle under any circumstances. They should be the ingredients for an exciting fantasy adventure. However, this one is too predictable. It jumps from one loud, energetic, sometimes bloodthirsty but ill-disciplined scene to another. To bring it all to a conclusion, when the whole population of London is being turned into demented zombies, Necessity turns out, by not very convincing means, to be able to go back in time and change history. So the genie meets a horrible doom, as does the evil stepfather, and everyone lives happily ever after. It was a bit of a let-down after reading Mortlock; but the real reason I didn't like it is probably that I'm too old and could see what was coming next.
August 11, 2012
Interesting idea, terrible execution. It's supposed to be the Victorian era, but no one speaks or acts like it. The writing isn't great either; Jon Mayhew seems to have an aversion to the word "said". I just opened this book to a random page and the characters hissed, snapped, murmured, finished, muttered, snapped (again), snarled, and whispered.
Also: an interesting name does not an interesting heroine make.
Also: an interesting name does not an interesting heroine make.
August 15, 2013
The start and middle of the book was excellent! (Spoilers!) But when Ness and Azuli got to the oasis it was downhill from there. So sadly i could not bring myself to finish the book as it was just so predictable and boring!
May 7, 2012
Classic MG adventure that provides constant excitement, horror and fun!
June 11, 2012
Brilliant! I love Ness - she's such a feisty girl. Fab xxx
June 23, 2012
A great read full of action, love and justice. A book that I would happily recommend.
Want to read
August 8, 2012The Bookwitch says to get past the cover and the blurb, it's Mayhew's best book so far:
http://bookwitch.wordpress.com/2012/0...
http://bookwitch.wordpress.com/2012/0...
August 4, 2013
Loved it!
A brilliant twisty tale, Jon Mayhew's best (so far!).
Perhaps more tween than teen
A brilliant twisty tale, Jon Mayhew's best (so far!).
Perhaps more tween than teen
January 16, 2014
Very good book. Not for young adults really enjoyed this. Consists of detail and creativity and also improves your English skills...
September 22, 2014
Loved Jon Mayhew's 1st book, Mortlock. This one I found a tad boring sadly. the characters weren't strong and I didn't get a sense of place really at all - with Mortlock I did. Not great.
August 6, 2015
Excellent. Maybe the best of the Mortlock series, though they're all pretty fun.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews