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The Duke's Trumpet
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See why Readers Favorite gave the Duke's Trumpet five
Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite
Mimi Mockel is a timid book lover with nothing else to do on New Year’s Eve but read. She sneaks into the closed New York City Public Library, where she finds a diary that belongs to Sebastian Barkley –- a time traveler. Unwillingly chosen by the diary itself as a prodigy, Mimi discovers a new world completely different from her own. She and her thirteen-year-old-brother Albert are thrust in a world where heroes aren't read about but made. The Duke’s Trumpet is Book 1 of the Time & Heart series by Claire E. Smith.
Action starts chapter one immediately and I couldn't be happier. Prose and pacing are excellent. I instantly liked Bellator Impes, the Ambassador of Time, as I love strong female characters, despite her being on the enemy side. Claire E. Smith does an excellent job of portraying a fascinating future and keeps the past facts intact in her time travel storytelling. I also liked the combination of magic and science in this exciting take on time travel and futuristic war.
Mimi Mockel is an underdog and a lovable bookworm that everybody will root for. Her transformation from a meek girl to a confident young woman is marvelous. Sebastian ‘Bas’ Barkley is charming and annoying at the same time; I find him to be a suitable mentor for Mimi. All in all, a classic tale that is not just for young adults but mature readers as well. I can’t wait to join the cast in their next journey.
Going from shy bookworm to butt-kicking avenger isn’t easy, but somebody’s gotta do it….
All Mimi Mockel wants to do is read books 24/7. With nothing else to do on New Years Eve, she pays a visit to the New York City Public Library only to find they are closed for the evening. Spying an open window, she sneaks in and finds a mysterious book that appears to beckon to her.
She soon discovers the book is a rogue time-traveler’s diary and learns she has been chosen as the Prodigy. Suddenly, life is more complicated than Mom grounding her from her favorite library. Now she and her thirteen-year-old-brother Albert are thrust in a world where heroes aren’t read about, they’re made. And it’s up to her to save the future of 4218 from the terrible King Noctria who is winning a worldwide civil war.
When she learns that their-time traveling host, Sebastian “Bas” Barkley, is a notorious time thief, Mimi urges him to return everything he’s stolen from history, beginning with the trumpet of the legendary Duke Ellington. But Bas will only agree if she will learn alchemy as the Prodigy.
Soon she discovers a new world completely different from her own. Along the way, Mimi befriends others who are fighting for the cause. But when the cruel Ambassador of Time, Captain Deatherage, murders one of her friends, suddenly becoming the Prodigy just got personal.
See why Readers Favorite gave the Duke's Trumpet five
Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite
Mimi Mockel is a timid book lover with nothing else to do on New Year’s Eve but read. She sneaks into the closed New York City Public Library, where she finds a diary that belongs to Sebastian Barkley –- a time traveler. Unwillingly chosen by the diary itself as a prodigy, Mimi discovers a new world completely different from her own. She and her thirteen-year-old-brother Albert are thrust in a world where heroes aren't read about but made. The Duke’s Trumpet is Book 1 of the Time & Heart series by Claire E. Smith.
Action starts chapter one immediately and I couldn't be happier. Prose and pacing are excellent. I instantly liked Bellator Impes, the Ambassador of Time, as I love strong female characters, despite her being on the enemy side. Claire E. Smith does an excellent job of portraying a fascinating future and keeps the past facts intact in her time travel storytelling. I also liked the combination of magic and science in this exciting take on time travel and futuristic war.
Mimi Mockel is an underdog and a lovable bookworm that everybody will root for. Her transformation from a meek girl to a confident young woman is marvelous. Sebastian ‘Bas’ Barkley is charming and annoying at the same time; I find him to be a suitable mentor for Mimi. All in all, a classic tale that is not just for young adults but mature readers as well. I can’t wait to join the cast in their next journey.
Going from shy bookworm to butt-kicking avenger isn’t easy, but somebody’s gotta do it….
All Mimi Mockel wants to do is read books 24/7. With nothing else to do on New Years Eve, she pays a visit to the New York City Public Library only to find they are closed for the evening. Spying an open window, she sneaks in and finds a mysterious book that appears to beckon to her.
She soon discovers the book is a rogue time-traveler’s diary and learns she has been chosen as the Prodigy. Suddenly, life is more complicated than Mom grounding her from her favorite library. Now she and her thirteen-year-old-brother Albert are thrust in a world where heroes aren’t read about, they’re made. And it’s up to her to save the future of 4218 from the terrible King Noctria who is winning a worldwide civil war.
When she learns that their-time traveling host, Sebastian “Bas” Barkley, is a notorious time thief, Mimi urges him to return everything he’s stolen from history, beginning with the trumpet of the legendary Duke Ellington. But Bas will only agree if she will learn alchemy as the Prodigy.
Soon she discovers a new world completely different from her own. Along the way, Mimi befriends others who are fighting for the cause. But when the cruel Ambassador of Time, Captain Deatherage, murders one of her friends, suddenly becoming the Prodigy just got personal.
272 pages, Paperback
Published January 19, 2013
7 people want to read
About the author
Claire E. Smith
1 bookSee
C.E. Smith
Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 8, 2013
Well...I wrote it, so of course I loved it :P Fans of Steampunk, Young Adult, romance, action, adventure, treasure hunting, time travel, alchemy, history, Indiana Jones, Doctor Who, sci-fi .... will surely enjoy this story! Great set of characters and dynamic plots.
Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18lOlI...
Thanks for taking the time to read! Please check it out!
Claire
Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18lOlI...
Thanks for taking the time to read! Please check it out!
Claire
Displaying 1 of 1 review