მექანიკური გული

The Cogheart Adventures #1

by Peter Bunzl, ციცო ხოცუაშვილი (Translator)

განთქმული გამომგონებლის, თანამედროვე მექანოიდების შემქმნელის, ჯონ ჰარტმანის ქალიშვილი, კეთილი და გულადი გოგონა ლილი, მესაათის ვაჟი რობერტი და მექანოიდი მელა მალკინი ბნელით მოცულ და სახიფათო სამყაროში აღმოჩნდებიან. ლილის მამა საეჭვო ვითარებაში გაუჩინარდა და გოგონა ხარბი, დესპოტი მეურვის ხელში აღმოჩნდა. თავად ლილის სიცოცხლეც საფრთხეშია, რადგან მამის მტრები მასაც უდგანან კვალში. საბედნიეროდ, ლილი მალევე ხვდება, რომ მისი ოჯახის ახლობლები და კეთილის მსურველები სინამდვილეში მოღალატეები არიან. ამ თავბრუდამხვევ თავგადასავალში ერთმანეთს ეხლართება მკვლელობა, ქაოსი და საიდუმლოება.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Steampunk, Childrens, Adventure, Fiction, Mystery

346 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2016

About the author

Peter Bunzl grew up in South London in a rambling Victorian house with three cats, two dogs, one little sister, an antique dealer dad, and an artist mum. As a child he found inspiration visiting TV and film sets, where his mum worked as a costume designer.

After art college and film school, Peter worked as an animator on commercials, pop videos, and two BAFTA-winning children’s TV shows, and wrote and directed several successful short films.

Peter’s debut novel Cogheart was a Waterstones Book of the Month. It was shortlisted for the Waterstones Book Prize and the Branford Boase Award. Moonlocket was shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Readers Award. Cogheart, Skycircus and Shadowsea were nominated for the Carnegie Medal.

Peter lives in North London with his partner, a fox who visits their garden, and a clutter of house spiders.

Reviews

[jv poore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the skies above and the streets running through London, this scintillating story of clockworks, mechanimals, hybrids and humans is the book that will keep kids reading well past bed-times. It has to be hard for a young reader to step away from this fast-paced, perilous plot because as an adult, I found myself hurrying through a chore or four so that I could get back to the search for the oh-so-secret cogheart.

Professor John’s airship was attacked and it seems the sole survivor is Malkin, the mechanimal fox that serves as family pet and pseudo-protector. He must get a message to John’s daughter, Lily, but even a creature as clever as he cannot make that journey alone.

Slinking and thinking, Malkin has no idea he has been spotted. The teen-aged boy living above Townsend’s Horologist’s was having trouble sleeping and he spied the fox from his window. With a watchful eye, Robert realized the fox was a mechanimal and impulsively sought him out to see if he could be of assistance. He is his da’s apprentice, after all.

Robert and Malkin are indeed an unlikely duo, but it is apparent that they must work together to get to Lily, because they are definitely being pursued. Mr. Creepy-Mirror-Eyes Scary-Face (not his real name) and his equally alarming pal are popping up everywhere and it soon becomes obvious that the four share the same goal but for very different reasons. One pair wants to protect Lily and provide comfort, the other is after the Professor’s greatest invention.

When we finally meet Lily, and she pulls her little nose out of her beloved penny dreadful, we see a young lady that needs no protecting. But she’s no fool, so she is willing to let Robert and Malkin assist in her quest to obtain the elusive perpetual motion machine and to keep it safe from the heinous hybrids and whoever they are working for.

Cogheart could be categorized as an epic action-adventure and that would be accurate; but there are also some subtle, yet intriguing, conversations that provided unique points to ponder. I just love everything about this book and I cannot wait to give my copy to my favorite classroom library.


This review was written by jv poore for Buried Under Books, with huge thanks to North Star Editions for the Advance Review Copy.

[Gavin Hetherington · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic start to what promises to be the most adventurous middle grade series!

When Lily's father apparently perishes in an accident, a mechanimal fox who survived named Malkin has a message for his daughter, Lily. With strange silver-eyed men popping up all over the place, Malkin joins forces with clockmaker's son Robert to get the message to Lily. Meanwhile, Lily is being looked after by a peculiar relative. Soon, Lily, Malkin and Robert all unite for an epic steampunk Victorian adventure.

I had so much fun reading this. Peter Bunzl is a fantastic writer who knows how to tell a compelling story - the action never seems to stop. The tension is rather high throughout so lots of dangerous and mysterious events happen. I can only imagine where the series is going to next! Can't wait to read more.

[- The Polybrary - · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cogheart is a tale with many moving pieces, not unlike the steam-punk mechanicals that Lily's father builds. Unfortunately I think it's a bit flat, as I never felt very attached to the characters. Also, for a middle grade novel, there is an awful lot of proverbializing and "lessons learned" sort of speeches, which I found annoying and am sure many of the target audience would as well. It also has a bit of a dark feel in some places, not unlike the Series of Unfortunate Events series - only these dark events don't seem to have much effect on the characters except as plot devices.

Despite these flaws, I did finish the book and found the mech aspect interesting. I just have doubts about the book's ability to hold the attention of a middle grade reader due to the issues I've mentioned.

[Puck · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for this exciting steampunk adventure.

Cogs and chronometers, this book is amazing! It caught my eye in Waterstones because of the beautiful cover and since I’ve never read something steampunk-related before, I decided to give this a try. And I’m glad I did, because I loved this book.

Cogheart is a middle-grade adventure story that takes place in Victorian London. We follow Lily, a headstrong, 11-year old girl who’s father, the talented inventor John Hartman, has gone missing and is presumed dead. Lily doesn’t believe this, and when she hears from her mechanical fox Malkin that John was working on a special new invention, Lily goes looking for answers.
On her search she gets followed by a couple of creepy men, but luckily she finds an ally in Robert, the clockmaker’s son with a fear of heights.

So the plot seems very mysterious and exciting, but the first part of the book is actually quite slow. However, when Lily, Robert and Malkin meet the plot truly kicks off and the rest of the story becomes as action-packed and thrilling as the blurb promises. Some situations, especially near the end, were so intense that I hardly could put the book down!

I also completely fell in love with Robert. Lily is a charming girl but Robert became my favorite because of his character development. He grows from a hesitant boy who’s unsure of his talents into a brave young man who conquers his fears.

Next to know is that the world-building is brilliantly done. The image of Victorian London filled with mechanical machines- and people felt very real and alive. We have “Hybrids” (half-mech, half-human people) and steam-powered airships, mixed with vivid descriptions of 19th century London. Author Peter Bunzl really brings his steampunk world alive with only a few lines: well done!

However, as talented as he is in writing action-scenes and world-building, Bunzl needs some practice in writing dialogue. He often lets the characters say things that are too unrealistic. The lines sound as if they need to be written down, instead of spoken out loud.

For example, this is part of a conversation between Robert and his father. It’s nicely written and contains a great lesson, but it’s maybe not something I would truly say to an 11-year old boy:

“Such terrible things happen in the world, don’t they? Violence against mechs and humans. And sometimes it feels easier to give in, or not to get involved. But, I suppose, without those evils there’d be no chance for us to do good, and doing good is what matters. Though it can sometimes be very frightening…” Thaddeus paused and tapped the workbench thoughtfully with his screwdriver. ”No one conquers fear easily, Robert. It takes a brave heart to win great battles.”

So apart from telling us an exciting story, Bunzl doesn’t shy away from heavy themes like loss and grief, and from teaching lessons about loyalty, bravery, and being honest to each other. Combined with the nail-biting action scenes, the engaging (lead) characters, and the beautiful world building make Cogheart a fantastic book and an impressive debut.

The reason why I won’t give this book 5 stars is because of its slow start and the unpolished dialogues, but I still highly recommend it.
The book is aimed at middle-grade, but fans of “The Golden Compass” & “The Invention of Hugo Cabret”, or people who’d like to read something steampunk-related like me, will definitely love this too. ☺



Read here my reviews of the other books in The Cogheart Adventures Series: #2 Moonlocket | #3 Skycircus

[☾❀Apple✩ Blossom⋆｡˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The soul’s a matter of the heart, Robert, and the heart’s a mystery even the greatest scientists don’t understand.”



I feel so lucky! I've discovered another great middle grade series to binge-read. This book was amazing! Just everything you want from an adventure book: fast-paced, full of mystery, and with a sassy adorable little girl protagonist! Not to mention the steampunk twist and victorian setting... It might be just a matter of personal taste, but I truly believe this book to be a treasure. I immediately bought the hole series after closing this one!! :))))

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was beautiful. It was charming and quaint, set in London, 1896. The characters were wonderful, I loved Lily and know she would have been a childhood favourite/hero of mine. It's not merely her though - all the characters were so well formed, including the wonderful Malkin (a mechanical fox), Robert (the clock makers son) and the villains. It's actually rather scary at times which I appreciated - it's a children's book that isn't glossing over death or peril but it isn't glorifying it either. Excited to read the sequel, Moonlocket. 💟

[Kitty G Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super easy read and one which has a lot of Victorian steam punk elements which include a tiny mechanical fox called Malkin, a young girl with a rebellious streak and a boy who is the clockmaker's apprentice. Lots for kids to enjoy and well worth a read. 4*s

[Lucy'sLilLibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an exciting middle-grade read, just as I was starting to think they were all the same. This book was so refreshing and unique, it's a steampunk, Victorian England adventure and I loved it. If this book was around when I was 11-14 it would have been a favourite.

It has everything, mystery, action, adventure, life lessons, mechanical animals and found family. This book refuses to sugar coat life and it has so many important lessons to learn, I don't own anymore books in this series but I would love to continue it now. I do think this book has a satisfying enough ending to be read as a standalone though. This would make for such a great film too.

It does get dark and a little desperate a times and there are one too many speeches but other than that this was a really compelling quick read that I just couldn't put down, the perfect pellet cleanser.

[Robin Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really wonderful steampunk story that reminded me of Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines series. It's pacy and exciting, and I loved the world that Peter has built.

*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. Please do not use it in any marketing material, online or in print, without asking permission from me first. Thank you!*

[Samm | Sassenach the Book Wizard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay I'm so excited that I get to whip out this card already (context: I'm so excited to be old)

back in my day, I went to the library with my mom and wanted a book! I went to this magical land called the Reference Desk and waited 20 minutes in line to talk to a witch known as the Reference Librarian. I asked her for a book that was like Coraline and that damn witch refused to suggest anything but the damn Babysitters Club and the Dear Canada series. This damn book should have existed back then! I just kept rereading Coraline to spite that witch!

Okay yeah so as an adult reading middle grade, this is quite predictable. It reminds me of a very specific other book but I can't put my freaking finger on what book it is! For the target audience of this book though, this would be a good read with good morals, lovable characters. Also, as someone who wanted to bash my head through a wall when I was recommended stupid fluffy Babysitters Club over and over and over again as a child, this was the darker toned I wanted as a child! There's nothing graphically violent but it's darker and has an eerie feeling for most of the book and has a kidnapping.

This honestly seemed like a combination of Neil Gaiman's Coraline & Stardust but leaning more into steampunk and with space pirates. Also! Why do we as readers and writers under use space pirates?! I want more of that shit!

A second also: praise be to the cover gods. They are blessing middle grade titles like it's going out of style glares at YA titles with faceless girls in cloaks or badly photo shop stock image with ombre clearly done by an unpaid intern just doing their absolute best

[La La · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so disappointed with the last 20% of this story as a Middle Grade, I don't know what to rate it. Plus, I just saw the author's blurb says he was excited to write about these kids finding their way in the world, but that's YA. Middle Grade books are about kids finding their place in the family and among their peers. I am so tired of authors writing MG aged characters who are far beyond the maturity of children that age, instead of making them a year or two older and publishing it as YA. It would have been much less problematic for me if it was YA.

And I cannot believe the reader who gave it extra stars because it was "wonderfully gruesome". It wasn't scary, smelly, drooling, ghoulish monsters MG gruesome; it was violent and overly detailed gruesome. Please adult and teen readers, when you review Middle Grade keep in mind that MG is 7-12 year old readership, and although some things may be great reading entertainment for you on a more mature level, they might not be great for elementary grade students. The adults chasing and shooting children in this book was even too much for me to take at some points.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Won this book on goodreads,good read for younger readers.

[Len · Rating 4 out of 5]

An honest-to-goodness children's steampunk adventure set in an alternative Victorian England powered by steam and clockwork. I was going to say, without electricity, but the author lets a little spark slip in with Professor Silverfish's chandelier. Transport is horse-drawn or by steam locomotives, carriages and airships and the servant problem is solved with the use of mechanicals - clockwork driven robots which have an intriguingly unexplained ability to produce sentient thought, human emotions and conversation. There are even clockwork mechanimals which can be more talking furry companions than pets.

Lily, our stalwart hero, has a mystery in her life. Her father, John Hartman, is a genius when it comes to mechanical invention; however, he has invented one thing too far and his former partner, Professor Silverfish, wants it and will do anything to get it. When the airship of Lily's father is attacked and crashes, Lily is left alone to find out why, to find out is her father is still alive, to find out what the strange machine can do and, most importantly, to find out how to avoid capture.

The story has all the ingredients of a good old fairy tale or folk tale: an innocent and very brave hero, a loyal and resilient young friend, an evil governess to take the place of the evil stepmother, a fiendish villain, a fairy godmother - in this story a mechanical cook called Mrs. Rust, and a talking animal. Can Lily and Robert defy the odds and escape the clutches of Professor Silverfish with his clanking clockwork heart and his silver-eyed thuggish hybrid minions - hybrids are part mechanical, part human, and all very nasty indeed? Can they find out what the missing device is and where Dr. Hartman has hidden it? And can they avoid the dangers surrounding their adventure and survive?

Splendid stuff.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, this is a rough one for me to review. Anyone who has been following me for any length of time knows how much I love Middle Grade books. There's something beautiful about a tough topic dealt with in a way that is consumable by young readers. Even better, there's something lovely about watching a young person conquer an unimaginable adventure. I always have high hopes for all the MG books that I read, and this was no exception.

At first, I was enchanted with the idea of a steampunk story for young readers. The idea of Lily living in a place that was populated with dirigibles and mechanical people just stole my heart. However, I soon found that this book had a few flaws. While the story moves quickly, and the plot stays on track, there's not a lot of depth here. I found myself thinking about many other books that this story is similar to, that do things just a little bit better. It's a little cookie cutter, and that made it a rough read for me.

Now, do I think that young readers would like this book? Probably! The story has plenty of twists and turns and Lily's group is plucky to a fault. As I mentioned above, the plot moves quickly and the characters are rather fun. As an adult reader though, this book just didn't hold the magic that I really wanted it to. Lily was the basic version of every young heroine I've followed on an adventure, and all of the things that happened to her felt similar to other books I've read as well. This wasn't a bad book, just not a memorable one for me.

For young readers who enjoy high flying adventures with a touch of danger, this is a book they'll love. For adult readers, I'm not so sure.

[Hafsa Sabira · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novel follows Lily and her dangerous adventure in search of her lost father. After her mother dies in a tragic accident, Lily's father changes their identity and admits Lily into a Victorian boarding school where Lily has trouble fitting in. When her father goes missing, Lily is taken home from her school and left at the mercy of her governess and godfather. Soon Lily discovers silver-eyed men on pursuit of something that her mechanical genius father created. As life becomes more and more miserable for Lily, she runs away with her friends—Robert, the clockmaker’s son, and Malkin, her mechanical fox to seek help and to find her missing father.

The novel is a combination of mystery, action and adventure where sacrifice is made and lives are lost. However, I found the novel a bit rushed in some places, specially during the conversations. Some characters also seemed like they are trying too hard, specially the mechanical ones. Also, the whole point about making the perpetual machine, breaking a promise and trying to hide it- just don't seem rational. I guess I felt like this because so many explanations were missing in this novel, probably kept for the second book. I am not going to read it as I didn't quite enjoy this one. Moreover, the novel ended in such a way that the need for a sequel doesn't seem necessary, with all the villains dead and the heroes saved.
Therefore, three stars it is.

[Adela Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eventually ended up reading the Romanian edition. I had huge expectations from this children's' book since everyone and their dog were talking about it. I thought it was predictable. The dialogues felt as if the characters were reciting lines from a play. The characters also felt flat, like they were carton cut-outs and you could immediately tell who were the villains. The only character I actually enjoyed was the mechanical fox.

[Rebecca Jane Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of this review contains spoilers, I'll point out before I mention any! Apart from that, read away!

--

I stumbled across this book accidentally in my library, whilst searching for another. I must admit that it's cover captured my attention before it's contents. I sat down with it for half an hour before deciding to commit and take it home to finish... :).

This was in the children's/young adult section and it did read like a children's/very young adult book... It would have been something I'd have read at the end of primary school and loved! So with it's target audience in mind, I think it was sweet and enough to provoke curiosity! Adults can enjoy this too, for the language isn't simple or overtly obvious - it just may feel it's missing something.

Saying this, when I marked this as finished - I discovered it was the first in potential series. So that may explain why this felt like an extended short story. If these characters are going to develop over the course of a few books, it could be interesting. Though I'm not sure where the story could go from here? Discrimination of Mech-animals perhaps?

The book was easy to plough through, I've read it in three days. The language may push youngsters in places (especially all the random french during the first half), but for teenagers and adults - it's fine. As a book overall, it's not emotionally moving or mentally challenging - it's quite light to process.

I found myself going back to the prologue twice whilst reading and then found it easier to understand. Sometimes energetic and somewhat random prologues and openings do mean more, the further into the story you read. It's worth reading through and going back if you need to.

Potential spoilers in the next two paragraphs: The only negatives I have, are potentially due to me not being it's target audience: There were several twists and revelations in the book, most of which occurred in the last 100 pages... however by 140 pages in, I'd figured out most of them. I felt the author was too obvious with his hints. Especially with the letter he sent to Lily..... So I was furious when the characters (not figuring out what I'd cottoned onto,) continued on for another hundred pages and playing out a rather predictable story. Youngsters may not pick up the plot line so easily - so I can imagine the last 50 pages being quite exciting and twist-ful!

Again, my age impacted how I treated the characters: I kept forgetting they were 13 years old, not adolescents. I think they behaved too adult in places - especially Robert's reaction and dealing with his father's murder. I found it a little unrealistic.

The biggest thing I loved about this, was the world of mechanicals! I think that has huge potential. The idea of Mech-animals, rules and regulations AND their limited tick-span - has room for huge story telling. Especially in an alternate Victorian universe - it was rather cool!

Overal, I think this is a good children's book, though I wouldn't say it's written for older adolescents. I'd market this to tweens and older children, adults can enjoy it all the same. It's quite a simple story under all the action and mystery! I'm not sure if I'll continue reading the series, but would recommend to youngsters! x

*It says I've read this twice and I've only read it once! I read this over three days in June 2017.

[Annemieke / A Dance with Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and North Star Editions for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

For a while I had my eye on Cogheart to purchase as an ebook. Then I stumbled upon it on Netgalley where it was getting a rerelease this year with North Star Editions and I knew I had to request it. This is just a lovely, delicious steampunk middle grade novel.

The story starts us off with Prof Hartman who gets attacked on his air ship. His mechanimal Maulkin escapes and is sent with a message to the professor’s daughter. If you think this book starts off with a bang I am sorry to say that the start was slow. That is also one of the biggest reasons I didn’t end up rating this book higher. It takes a while for the story to get going after that. The first half is telling us the situation. It is setting everything up. The plot doesn’t really pick up until Lily and Robert meet. Then the adventure truly begins.

The world building is fine but I do have some questions. There seems to be an emphasis made that mechanimals and mechs do not have a soul and are just things to discard. But Prof Hartman’s own mechs seem to be very different in this. Just Maulkin and the cook. There is an emphasis on that too. I wonder how he made them so different from others. Maybe this is something that will come up in later books? I hope so. I think that would be interesting to read.

Having said all that however the steampunk elements beyond that were great. It really speaks to the imagination with mechs, mechanimals and air ships. There were air battles and quick thinking on your feet. Things I’d want in any steampunk book. One of the things that I also really appreciated was that adults still tried to help. Robert’s father and their savior later one. Adults were the bad guys but not only that. Sometimes middle grade can be too black and white in that.

Characterwise Lily is a girl that is headstrong and knows what she wants. When the book starts she is in a prim boarding school, where she has to walk with books on her head instead of reading them. Something she would a disgrace. I liked her right from there on out.
Robert next to her is a very hesitant boy who grows throughout the book. He slowly finds himself. Learns that he can do things. That he has learned things from his father.

So overall I think this is quite a solid middlegrade steampunk book.

[Quirkybookwormkat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, be still my heart! This is one of the most creative steam punk novels for teens! Lily and Jack are really just adorable and brave as they navigate their way through dangers along with mechfox. I just wanted to hang out them and be a kid again! I was able to get lost in that world completely. The author managed to paint the steam punk world very vividly along with words such as cogs, by the ticks, and so forth. There are many factors in the book we deal with in real life. Overall, this book gave me huge warm fuzzy feelings! I believe many kids along with adults would totally enjoy this book. I cannot wait for the next book to come out! You guys have got to read this novel!

Did I say the author is a hunk? What? I’m behaving!!

[Ruzaika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another version of this review can be found here.

Received with many thanks in exchange for an honest review from the publisher.

Cogheart by Peter Bunzl was a true delight to read. A middle-grade steampunk adventure set in Victorian England, this book has mechanical, mechanimals, hybrids, steam-powered airships and so much more. What first caught my eye was the brilliantly done cover- simply beautiful, don't you think? It gives you an idea of what to expect- two fabulous protagonists, a mechanical fox and a unique key...what could possibly happen when you put all these together?

Well, here's what: Lily is a 13-year-old spunky tomboy who is suddenly pulled out of school when her father, a renowned inventor goes missing and is presumed dead. Lily in understandably very shook, but her pet mechanical fox, Malkin, has other news. On learning that her father was working on a new invention that could possibly change the world as they know it, Lily knows she can't simply sit at home doing nothing while everything turned to chaos around her. She starts searching for answers, which ultimately draws all kinds of danger towards her- creepy mirror-eyed men included. However, with the help of her Robert, the clockmaker's son and others, Lily is sure she can take on whatever may come. The question is- can she?

The story starts with Lily in school, absolutely detesting every minute of their attempts to turn her into a demure young lady. The author then slowly builds up the pace, and everything unfolds smoothly up until Lily meets Robert and is reunited with Malkin, and that's when the story truly takes off. I absolutely loved the world-building. It all just felt so real, and I had no problem in conjuring up everything in my mind as I read on- right from Lily's posture classes to the mechanicals (mechanical humans) and hybrids (half-human, half-mechanical beings). The author does a great job in describing 19th century England and combining it with his very original ideas- I'd gladly move into this enchanting world without a second thought!



The characters, again, felt very real and alive. Lily and Robert went through a lot of development from who we first see, and Robert, especially, has a superb character arc, considering all he goes through the course of the story. Anna was a very welcome addition, and I loved how she fit into their story. The villainous mirror-eyed men and others were written deliciously creepily too! I also loved how the mechanicals felt so very human- and yes, Malkin too, was a fabulous character!

The plot itself was super exciting, and the second half, especially, had me glued to the pages- the author does a great job with the action scenes, especially, and doesn't shy away from dealing with themes such a loss and grief. I loved the little bits of wisdom sprinkled throughout, and it was lovely to see the story tackle all kinds of subject while focusing on the fun and exciting parts too! The ending was very satisfying, while leaving room for the story to progress as a sequel, and I, for one, simply can't wait to get started on it as soon as possible!

In conclusion I'd say- by all the ticks, just read this book already!

The story idea: 5/5
The realization of the story: 4.5/5
The characters: 5/5
The cover: 5/5
Enjoy factor: 5/5

Final Rating: 5/5

[Grace (irisroman & evajacks' version) ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this when I was 11 or 12. Back then, when I was such a small, innocent child (jk, I was never innocent 😉), I found Cogheart in the school library and decided to read it. And I LOVED it. Like, full-on obsession loved it. Cogheart was like a breath of fresh air- an intriguing, exciting mystery with high stakes, lovable characters (still love you, Malkin) and great writing. This is basically the series that kickstarted my love for mysteries, and I’ve loved thrillers and mystery books ever since. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder may be my new obsession, but Cogheart was the one that started it all. ♥️

[Eims · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had read this as a kid, eight years old me would have been very into it. Thirty-one year old me has to recognise that it's a kids book. It's an interesting take on Victorian England. I'd recommend for 9+ (it can be creepy in parts and a bit violent, not necessarily gory but just a bit ew). It's made my shelf (love the cover) and I'd recommend it happily enough to parents/kids/adults who read kids books.

[HP Saucerer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvelous, rip-roaring steampunk adventure, packed with danger and daring, dastardly villains, two brilliant lead characters and lashings of mystery and nerve-jangling suspense. Positively tocking brilliant.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first steampunk, Victorian adventure and I had no idea what to expect! “Punchcards And pistons!” This book was so much fun!

Lily is a fiesty, young girl living away from home in an all girl’s school, when she learns her father is missing and presumed dead. This is where her adventure takes off!

Lily was being protected by her father, but she doesn’t even know why. Now she is being hunted for an invention her father was trying so hard to protect. Does she find the invention that everyone is after, or ever see her father again? I won’t say…

But it is full of adventure with evil teachers, creepy bad guys and mechanical friends! The author was able to create such a creative, fantasy world with inventions and clock-workings that I was easily able to feel apart of and thoroughly enjoyed!

This is a book I would highly recommend to a young reader!

I received this advanced copy from NetGalley and the publisher, Jolly Fish Press in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will be published February 12, 2019.

[Dreximgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the world and the steampunk aspects of this book, but I have to admit it fell a little flat for me. I found it perhaps written a little too young for me as I saw all of the twists coming and nothing really surprised me. But yet at the same time some things happened that felt a little out of place, like major things would happen to these kids but they'd just be fine and carry on without really feeling the emotions or impact of those things.

I liked the mechs but I don't think that will be enough to get me to continue with this series.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting and gripping page turner of an adventure set in an alternate steampunk, Victorian England. With dastardly villains and two brilliant lead characters!

I really enjoyed this and am definitely intrigued to see where it goes from here. Works nicely as a stand alone though a sequel is planned, so looks to be a fun set of mysteries. Was brilliant to see a strong female lead who breaks the boundaries of her time period, and the writing makes note of this too!

[Sand-Witch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This kid tho. It’s very fun and adventurous. It has mystery to it and at one point it gets very gruesome. 4.5 stars. This book is really good.

[Jypsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read for middle school ages. It's a good steampunk adventure story. The characters are engaging. The story is predictable but still fun.

[Marko Jovanović · Rating 5 out of 5]

Između čitanja ozbiljnih drama i klasika, napetih trilera i krimića, stravičnih horora i emotivnih ljubavnih priča, volim da sa svoje #tbr liste uključim i po koji YA roman koji me uvek fino opusti, pruži mi zanimljivu avanturu i vrati me u tinejdžerske dane kada sam češće uživao u serijalima gde su protagonisti junaci poput Lili i Roberta.
Besmrtno srce mi je bilo pravo osveženje u ovim prazničnim danima, prvenstveno što sam uz ovu priču, tačnije ovaj alternativni svet, po prvi put upoznao takozvani "steampunk" podžanr naučne fantastike

Mehanoidi, hibridi, mehaničke životinje i ljubimci, šrafovi, zavrtnji, komplikovani mehanizmi vrlo su inspirativni za stvaranje fikcionog sveta i daju priči neki karakterističan, retro šmek. Radnja smeštena u Viktorijanskoj Engleskoj, u doba najvećeg i najznačajnijeg tehnološkog napretka, fantastično se poklopila sa pričom o stvaranju "perpetuum mobile"-a od strane Lilinog oca.

Lili, kao protagonistkinja, odlično se uklapa u šablon svima dopadljive junakinje YA romana. Energična i visprena, istrajna i hrabra, predstavlja simbol borca za pravdu, za istinu, za ravnopravnost. Njena težnja da se izbori da mehanoidi koji imaju osećanja imaju svoja prava, a ne budu robovi i predmet iskaljivanja besa njihovih vlasnika, nosi sa sobom lepu poruku čitaocima, poruku o značaju ravnopravnosti, o toleranciji, o međusobnom poštovanju bez obzira na poreklo i društveni status.

Stil pisanja je odličan. Rečenice su jako pitke, jednostavne, autor vešto drži pažnju čitalaca kako priča teče. Dinamika je uvek na nivou, bez turbulencija. Iako je radnja često predvidiva, nećete je ostaviti jer ćete sigurno uživati u svakom momentu Liline i Robertove avanture.

I na kraju, osvrt na kvalitet štampe, lekturu, korice i ostale tehničke karakteristike. Sve je PERFEKTNO i knjige zaista vrede svaki potrošeni dinar. Tek će moja riznica biti obogaćena izdanjima Propolisa.

Od mene, za ovu nezaboravnu YA avanturu, čista petica.
Zadovoljava sve moje kriterijume u okviru žanra da je ocenim maksimalnom ocenom.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment you open the front cover until the moment you reach the conclusion this book does not stop! The prologue is action packed and perfectly formed to draw you firmly into the story, within seconds I was invested in what happened to John and Malkin.

Following the prologue Lily is visited at school by their housekeeper who tells her her father is dead and she needs to return home. Once she’s there it’s clear that something isn’t quite right, the housekeeper is raiding the rooms looking for something, and then there is creepy mirror eyed man who arrives asking questions. It’s clear they’re after something but just what is it they’re looking for? Lily isn’t sure but she’s determined to find out what happened to her father.

Cogheart gave me everything I could ask for in a book, a wonderful action filled plot and a superb cast of characters. Let’s start with the plot, this story was so well put together, I loved the way the story switched between Malkin and Lily’s points of view. I think it was a brilliant way of allowing the reader to connect to two brand new characters quickly while also moving on the plot and allowing us to see two important parts of the story progress simultaneously.

The whole story was filled with adventure and had me turning page after page keen to figure out what was happening, what was it those who attacked the Dragonfly were after? What happened to John and just who could Lily trust?

The ending was simply outstanding, the drama and the tension built to a perfect level as we were given information to help us understand the past and secrets were revealed before the final climax. My heart was in my mouth, it was so well done and I was desperate to find out what would happen to the characters I had come to care about so much.

And onto the characters, there were so many wonderful characters in this story:

Lily is such a brave little girl! I cannot imagine any better character as the heart of the story; throughout the book she shows herself to be a kind and compassionate girl, especially with her love for the mechanicals like Mrs Rust. I challenge anyone not to feel a connection to Lily will all she faces and overcomes over the course of the story.

Robert was such a relatable hero, he’s not some superhuman who is completely fearless and able to do everything with ease. He has his fears which he works to overcome and when it truly matters he battles his way through them to be there for Lily. Quite frankly I adore him.

Malkin the mechanimal fox! I adored this grumpy lovable wee fox! He’s incredibly loyal and does whatever he can to help Lily, he’s a little snarky which totally appeals to me, if mechanimals were a thing I would totally have a Malkin!

Cogheart also contains a wonderful cast of villains – I won’t go into detail as I wouldn’t want to risk any spoilers but it’s safe to say the mirror-eyed man was delightfully creepy and wonderfully wicked – I say this as an adult of course!


Final Thoughts
This was such an incredible story filled with action and adventure. I got major Sally Lockhart vibes in places and I mean that in a positive way – the Sally Lockhart Quartet was one of my favourite series growing up. I’m so pleased I can catch up with Lily and Robert again already! I shall be reading Moonlocket soon!