Bleakwatch Chronicles: Tinker Bell and the Lost City

by Zack Loran Clark

Tinker Bell, da Disney, está de volta em uma nova aventura!

Conheça Bleakwatch — uma cidade de fadas escondida sob as ruas de Londres. Nela, Tinker Bell fará amizade com os Flutterpunks, um bando de vasculhadores de quinquilharias de Bleakwatch. Ao trabalharem juntos para encontrar um objeto misterioso, o grupo lidará com um segredo terrível na Capital Mecânica. Caberá a Tinker Bell consertar tudo. Por sorte, isso é o que fadas artesãs fazem melhor.

Sobre o autor
Zack Loran Clark escreve livros para jovens leitores. É autor de The Lock-Eater, além de coautor da trilogia Adventurers Guild e da série Doomsday Archives, em parceria com Nick Eliopoulos. Foi um nerd apaixonado por fantasia a vida toda, um jogador ávido de Dungeons & Dragons e, com sorte, amigo das fadas. Ele mora com seu marido e o cachorro deles no Brooklyn, em Nova York.

Sobre Disney Consumer Products
Disney Consumer Products (DCP) traz a magia das marcas e franquias da The Walt Disney Company – incluindo Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic e mais – no cotidiano de famílias e fãs de todo o mundo por meio de produtos e experiências em mais de 100 categorias de varejo, de brinquedos e camisetas a aplicativos, livros, videogames e muito mais. Uma divisão do segmento de Parques, Experiências e Produtos da Disney, as operações globais da DCP o maior negócio de licenciamento do mundo, uma das maiores marcas de publicações infantis, um dos principais licenciadores de jogos interativos entre plataformas, Store in Stores por toda a região, e o e-shop no disneylatino.com/shop e disney.com.br/shop (disponível no Brasil, Colômbia e México).

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Steampunk, LGBT, Found Family, Queer, Fiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published November 5, 2024

About the author

ZACK LORAN CLARK is a writer and editor of books for young readers. He is the author of The Lock-Eater and co-author of The Adventurers Guild trilogy with Nick Eliopulos. A lifelong fantasy nerd, avid Dungeons & Dragons player, and aspiring sorcerer, he lives with his husband and their dog in Brooklyn, NY.

Reviews

[Larissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who was so sad when Tinker Bell’s movies stopped being made, this book made my soul so happy. It is like diving back into her world and no time has passed. The new fairies that are introduced are fun and dynamic and Tinker Bell as always allows her curiosity sore helping her solve a mystery. This is everything I could have wanted from this book and more. I hope that this is a series that might continue. As my daughter loves the movies, and I would love to bring her back to Pixie Hallow even if it is in book format.
Thank you so much to Disney Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok as someone who is fiercely protective of the OG books and doesn't like the movies as much.... I liked this. it adds a lot to the lore and has a lot of fun characters. if the mouse wanted to adapt this into a cool 2D animated series I would not object!!

(also I totally clocked that DND reference, Ozwald)

[Mercutio Boyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up, I was obsessed with Disney Fairies. Reading this book might have thrust me back into that obsession. It was enjoyable, fun, a breeze to read-- it took me less than thirty minutes to get through-- and overall, I had a great time with it. The illustrations and character design are fantastic; they drew me in immediately. The characters themselves are a little one-note and simplistic, but it's an ensemble-cast middle-grade book, so that's understandable. I thought the hook was quick and interesting, and it didn't waste a second before getting into the main plot. The plot is a little simple, and the plot twist, predictable, but accounting for the target audience, I thought it was great. The found family aspect was compelling, with hints at really interesting dynamics, and I honestly might go seeking out the next book when it gets published.
Four stars; not a perfect book, but it would have changed my life at ten years old.

[Franky Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need the second one. Now.

[Nouk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute middle grade read! I'm sad we didn't get the Tinker Academy film, but happy the book is here. I love the flutterpunks (the new cast is so cool!) & the steampunk aesthetic. The plot is not really that special & info-dumpy at times. Short, but sweet! Hope this will become a series :))

[kristal ✿]

firstly i wanna make a petition for disney to continue making fairies movies and secondly that ending was criminal

[Cana · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely fabulous steampunk fairy adventure full of twists and turns, perfect for new and old fans of Tinker Bell! ✨️🧚‍♀️

(This new series takes place in the same world as the Tinker Bell movies, so there are plenty of Easter eggs and references to the films).

Tinker Bell travels to the Mainland to find the missing necklace of a mysterious fairy who crash-landed a flying machine on Neverland...

On the Mainland, she meets a band of scavenger fairies called the Flutterpunks, who take her to the hidden steampunk fairy city of Bleakwatch. Here, Tinker Bell discovers the failings of a world where pixie dust is scarce and fairies must take desperate measures to survive.

The Flutterpunks are a charming group of misfits with a delightful found family dynamic. They each had a fascinating past and we even got to read from their perspectives a few times! Of course, the clever and sarcastic leader Quin was my favorite ❤️

Tinker Bell and Quin argue a lot, but they also introduce each other to a completely different way of looking at the world, and empathy plays an enormous role in their relationship. Tinker Bell reconciles with her privilege, and Quin discovers putting others first - even if that person is strange and new.

My favorite part of reading this was all the new lore!! The Bleakwatch fairies are different than the Neverland fairies in some really fun ways, with a new culture, social structure, and economy. As mentioned previously, the entire economy of Bleakwatch is based off of scavenging and a limited supply of pixie dust, which results in a hilarious scene where Tinker Bell learns what it means to "buy" something. But also, we get a kid-friendly look at the consequences of a world where some have a lot, but most have a little.

We get plenty of lore but also plenty of adventure! Chases through Big Ben, crash landing a fairy helicopter, and even a high-stakes heist make the pages fly! We even get a makeover scene with Tinker Bell!

All in all, a fantastic read for any Disney Fairy fan. I can't wait to buy a copy!

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

whoa, that was a cool cinematic ending! Nicely done—as was the whole of the book. The new steampunk fairy city is cool and fun, as are its inhabitants (both good and evil).

I love the they/them rep in a main character and the diverse skin tones.

W gratitude to the Publisher and Edelweiss+ for the eARC

[Bell (wicked era💚🫧) · Rating 5 out of 5]

THAT ENDING SCREAMING

[mreadsbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rep: brown and nonbinary SC (Quin, they/them); Black cis women SCs (Danvers and Darwin); Black cis man SC (Axel); Asian cis man SC (Oz); brown cis man SC (Maddox)

[nini ⟡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

rating: ★★★★

this was an enjoyable read for a short middle grade style book! i was just excited to read a new tale about Tinker Bell, and this book was amazing. it really felt like i was watching one of the movies with its twists and turns. i did not expect the epilogue to end like that either-i really want more from this series already to find out more about what is really going on. it was cool to learn about different kinds of fairies living in the human world. also it was SUPER COOL to have a fairy who uses they/them pronouns.

[Megan Mixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tinker Bell meets Arcane vibes? Sign me up.

As a childhood fan of the Tinker Bell movies, I loved this. Very quick read. I would've loved if it was longer so we could've seen more of Bleakwatch, but given it ended on a cliffhanger, I think we'll see more soon enough.

Super cute read :)

[amanda luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need book 2 NOW!!! So much fun, hooked me right away. So so happy to be back in the world of Pixie Hollow! Steampunk world, diverse characters (we got nonbinary fairies now I’m so happy), and a predictable twist that still got me good.

[Kathryn Currier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is going to be an interesting series! I love the mystery aspect of it!

[Amelia (Taylors Version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOAH! CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONEEEE

[SarahUnderStars · Rating 4 out of 5]

the ending showed up very quickly and was almost Too perfect, but joyous nonetheless :) there was also the random twist thrown in, but luckily there's a sequel in the works that I'm looking forward to!

[Alyssa Soussan · Rating 4 out of 5]

so do we think mainland fairies have british accents or...?

[Meriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE TINKERBELL AND STEAMPUNK AESTHETICS!!!!!

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dreams do come true. This review is based on an ARC.

Let's just say inclusive fairies. Period. A modern twist on the Neverland fairies and Tinkerbell's identity outside of Peterpan. A few times I was taken back with her phrases because having read all the Tink books and having watched all the Tink movies I felt it wasn't totally something she'd say but everything else was on brand. It felt fresh and new and engaging for a young audience and approachable for an audience not well versed in her overall story.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a flitterific read! As an avid Disney fairies fan, I am thrilled to be able to go on more adventures with Tinkerbell. Enjoyed this fresh take on the world building and really loved all the new characters. I was worried this book would be lacking without the inclusion of our beloved Tinkerbell characters from the movies, but I could tell the author was a fan as well and made sure to include nods to them.

Really excited for what’s next to come.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blah blah blah I know this is middle grade and I’m 22 years old but when I’m offered a steampunk Tinkerbell adventure I’m not going to turn it down. Really cute story with a cool concept. Surprisingly aware of class struggle. Would recommend.

[Engel Dreizehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Copy...Even it going to take getting used to having steampunk in the "Disney Fairies" world now, did like having more fairy magical talents introduced!

[Charlie - disableddaydreamer | itsbarbieparis (looking for mutuals) · Rating 4 out of 5]

modern tinkerbell book releases?
we are so back girlies.

[Vi_nica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0/5 ⭐️
I have to say, I enjoyed this book a lot. The writing was very engaging, and at some points it did remind me of the old Disney Fairy Books. I missed reading about Pixie Hollow a loooot, so it was very heartwarming to read it. HOWEVER, Bleakwatch was not what I was expecting (and probably that's my fault).
The thing is, Disney Fairy books are what you would think is early to middle grade cozy fantasy. Pixie Hollow is a land of friendship and calmness that is almost endearing when you look at other high fantasy worlds. The old Disney Fairy Books, along with the movies, had more character dynamic conflicts leading to a simple resolution in which friendships were restablished and not much stuff was lost. In the end, they are stories that start cozy and end cozy. Bleakwatch was... worrying. The concept of the city is cool, but it was missing that coziness that the Disney Fairies franchise usually used.
In Bleakwatch, the fairies are not happy. They are bitter and barely living. I think someone joked that this book was "Tinker Bell meets savage capitalism", and it's sadly true. I understand that probably a community of fairies living in the Mainland would probably have a different way of living, but it ultimately sounded like a place I personally wouldn't even like to visit or dream about (I even thought it was very diminishing the way fairies of Bleakwatch thought of the Pixie Hollow, like an under develped comunity of inadequate fairies in comparisson to Bleakwatch's mindset).
Apart from the King not taking care of his fellow subjects, there was a whole conspiracy that I don't understand how everyone could have even thought was true!
Truth be told, I never fully understood the villain's argument for doing what he was doing. Because according to the fairy lore, there is enough pixie dust for every fairy, so it's impossible for the source to die out if you are replenishing it with magic every once in a while (like in TB and the lost treasure that they need to do the moonstone rite). Because, according to the king, they do manage to do something like that in Bleakwatch...
I liked the Flutterpunks, they are funny and nice. I didn't like Quin at first because they kept being mean to Tink for no reason (like Tink was not acting as obnoxious as she probably did with Terrance in other movies, so to me, there was no need), but after that, I eventually liked them more and ended up being a favory of mine (maybe second to Axel, I ADORE AXEL!).
Ultimately, I thought that Bleakwatch would be a fairy world similar to Tinker Academy. Where the Tinkers mostly lived, and it was almost an honor to go there. BUT, it just seemed kinda depressing city.
THE ENDING DID ANGER ME THOUGH! Because why would they decide it would be a good idea that Tink would take back to Never Land the only way to take off the bracelet that was impeding everyone's talents?! LIKE, use them! Why only the Flutterpunks got the opportunity to take the bracelets off, but not any other aeronaut?! THAT WAS SO WEIRD.
I know that the book says "Bleakwatch Chronicles", meaning that there would probably be more books focused on the Flutterpunks than Never Land, but... with the introduction on how bad things are in Bleakwatch for the fairies... I don't know if I want to keep reading them. It's just I'm so used to Pixie Hollow being a safe haven in books that Bleakwatch seems almost dystopic to a point.
ALSO! Like I said before, Maddox's reasoning behind suppressing talents (which I didn't know dust talents could even do) is very stupid. If the Golden Dustcap has the same properties as the Pixie Dust Tree, there was no reason for this years old deceit.
Comparing other fairy villains in other movies (because the book focuses more on the movie canons), usually there is a reason behind it: jealousy, discomfort, or protection. They are comprehensible! But the fairies redeem themselves and they are actually good inside (i.e, Vidia, Zarina, and Lord Milori). But in this case, Maddox is so villainous and dangerous that they have to keep him LOCKED UP in the meantime... THERE IS NO SAFETY OR COMFORT IN BLEAKWATCH!
QUICK PSA: It also seems that the King was behind this scheme, but it's so sad that Bleakwatch has an evil ruler... Although it makes sense because I was thinking either the King was behind it, or he was just utterly stupid!

All in all, it was an entertaining read and very different from the other things Disney has published. I would like to keep reading just to give the series the benefit of the doubt, that Bleakwatch would become a safe haven for fairies in the Mainland... until then, I guess...

[Prilla Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an AVID Tales of Pixie Hollow lover since I was a child, this will probably be the longest review I’ve ever done lol I was both excited and hesitant about a new Disney Fairies book being released, especially after all these years. And as expected, I think the author took more of (if not all) the lore and canon events from the movies rather than the OG chapter books. (More on this later).

I like that there was more POC representation in this novel than any DF book/movie thus far. That was something I wanted more of and we finally got it!

I also really enjoy there being a nonbinary fairy! I’ve wondered for years if that was a possibility in the DF universe, and if they would be called something apart from fairy or sparrow man (it’s just “fairy!) I also liked that the author didn’t make a “thing” out of it; nothing was over explained, Quin was just a fairy that used they/them pronouns and looked androgynous. It was kept simple, great especially for the targeted audience!



Spoilers below!




At the end of the book, when Quin is worried that they might be talentless, I would have loved Tink to mention Prilla. Prilla also took a long time finding her talent, as she is the only clapping-talent fairy in Pixie Hollow. I think it would have comforted Quin to know that there is another fairy out there like them, and that maybe they also possess a rare talent (or the same one!) No mention of Prilla during this conversation is one reason I don’t think the author read any of the Tales of Pixie Hollow stories.

This next part is going to be nitpicky, so fair warning..

There is some inconsistency with the lore (mainly from ToPH of course), such as the twins sleeping in sardine cans (the average fairy is 5 inches tall.. could they fit comfortably in that?) Tinker Bell also mentions certain things/sayings that a Never Fairy wouldn’t know, such as knowing the “a stopped watch is right twice a day” saying. There is also mention of a handkerchief (while in Tink’s POV), but she should have called it a “leafkerchief”, as that’s what it’s known as in Pixie Hollow. Tink calls humans “humans” in this book instead of Clumsies as well. These are all things that personally took me out of the book. I don’t think anyone else would have thought twice about these things, but again, I’m a huge lover of the gen 1 books and noticed the small things.

My only other real issue with the book was how quickly the Flutterpunk’s came around to Tink. I think she was only there a day before they went from attacking her, to then calling her a friend and getting emotional about her capture and then departure. This felt too quick for me, and I would have liked to see a more slow burn there (especially with Quin). It also felt like there were too many fairies in the Flutterpunk’s group than needed to be. If there were only two or three fairies instead of five, I think we could have spent more time getting to know each of them, and the group as a whole.

I will definitely be reading the next Bleakwatch Chronicles book, I’m interested to get some answers to the cliffhangers we got in Lost City!

Thanks for reading, friends.

Fly with you <3

[Vandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fun!! I grew up obsessed with Tinker Bell - I had all the books and a ton of merch, played a ton on the Pixie Hollow website lol, saw the movies in theaters and even went to the premiers of The Pirate Fairy and Neverbeast. I was so sad when Disney seemed to just stop making Tinker Bell/Pixie Hollow stuff altogether. When I heard about this book I was STOKED. Not only is Tinker Bell and Pixie Hollow back but we’re getting an even cooler version of the scrapped Tinker Academy movie!!

I already added the next book in this series to my TBR list. Yes, it’s a middle grade reader book, but honestly it’s good enough that I truly enjoyed it. I would say the best audience for this would be 7 to 12 year olds depending on their reading level, but if you’re a lifelong Pixie Hollow fan like me, I think it’s worth picking up.

The cover art and map and character bios inside are just beautiful. This book felt like a treasure in my hands. The author definitely got Tinker Bell’s “voice” right, and as a nonbinary person I was SO stoked that Quin acted as the second main character.

Bleakwatch is such a vivid world that really reaches out and pulls you into it. It acts as a great foil to Pixie Hollow but still feels inviting and I really look forward to exploring it more. I wish we had more time to get to know the other Flutterpunks, but I understand it's for younger audiences so there's limitations there. I can't wait to read the next one!

[Karlie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steampunk Tinker Bell?! Sign me up!

This first of a new series follows Tinker Bell, ever the most inquisitive of fairies, as she jets off to the Mainland on a quest to find answers to a mysterious fairy whose been found washed up on the shores of Neverland. The fairy has been injured and cannot speak, and unable to answer our curious Tinker's questions. Tink sets off to figure out the story behind the machine used to bring Elmira to Pixie Hollow.
She then finds herself stuck in the mechanical world of the Flutterpunks, a group of fairies not from Pixie Hollow! The Flutterpunks do not trust our Tink, and barter with her for her Pixie Dust. This adventure takes her to the inside of Big Ben, which of course according to the film universe, she had visited with Lizzie the human girl (who was mentioned). Needless to say, our Tink has a whole new world of fairies to explore and uncover the spooky secrets of her new friend Elmira.
This story builds off the existing movie canon, and goes as far as to mention Periwinkle, Zarina, and Tink's original friends. There is a lot of name dropping of the cinematic universe characters, and I'm not yet sure whether or not that is just for clout. The only two in the first one hundred pages of the book to make any appearance were Clank and Bobble.

[kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was in a bit of a reading slump until I came face-to-face with no Internet so I knew I HAD to make use of my time wisely by reading a book. (Ah, yes. The most primative way to spend your past time.) And when hours of jumping from one social media platform to another introduces you to a book series outside Disney supervision about the Disney Fairies (may they ever rest in peace), you kind of need to take on the opportunity as it finds you.

But first of all, What The Hell™.

Did I assume this was a standalone at first? Yes. Did that assumption lead to my inevitable disbelief at how the book ended on a cliffhanger? Rightfully so. Eitherway, I AM HOOKED. It feels good to read more about the Disney Fairies outside of the movies (and there were never enough, mind you). Despite being outside of Walt jurisdiction, it has been faithful to the series it came from and was a broad take on the world of fairies and what lay beyond Pixie Hollow. I'm going to have to read all the other books to determine if the entire series is worth the read, but so far, it is.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

In all honesty, this is probably closer to a 3 than a 4 star read for me. I'm absolutely obsessed with the Pixie Hollow franchise but this one was a tad hard to get into for me.

The pacing goes at a breakneck speed so a lot of the worldbuilding is left underdeveloped and the plot overall feels extremely rushed leaving some glaring plot holes in it's wake. That said, I really hope this series gets renewed for future installments because there's a lot of great seeds planted here they just need more time to grow and get fleshed out.

As an avid Disney Fairies fan, you can tell a lot of love for the old movies went into this book. Despite my issues with it, it truly does read like the long lost Tinkerbell movie put to page and I'm so excited to see what the future has in store for this beloved franchise of mine!

[Clangbutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four Stars
So Tinker Bell is living her best life in Pixie Hollow when a stranger crashes on the beach in a steampunk flying contraption. Tink is soon on a solo quest to the mainland where she encounters a steampunk fairy settlement under the city of London. She joins forces with a new group of fairies to uncover mysteries and defeat homophobia!
Okay, that last part is a lie, but after the sapphic B plot in “Wings of Starlight”, I was NOT expecting one of the two leads to be nonbinary. MY BAD, I WILL KNOW BETTER NEXT TIME. Besides that, the vibes were very nice and cutesy and the steampunk aesthetic goes really well with Tinker Bell stuff. I liked the references to earlier books/movies and was immersed in this new world! Excited to see what the sequel might bring! Age level: Middle grade
(hello, Goodreads! This is my first review :)