The Great Brain Robbery: A Train to Impossible Places Novel

by P. G. Bell

Overview

The adventure continues in book two of the stunning The Train to Impossible Places middle-grade fantasy series!

Suzy Smith and her friends have gathered again for the re-launch of The Impossible Postal Express. The celebrations don't last long though, before Trollville is rocked by a violent tremor—one of a series growing more powerful by the day.

It's clear something sinister is underfoot. Nevertheless Suzy's got a long overdue package that the Express must deliver, and it may just lead her to some answers.

In P. G. Bell's The Great Brain Robbery: A Train to Impossible Places Novel, Suzy and the Express will travel deep under Trollville through the Uncanny Valley, and sky-high to new impossible places like Cloud Forge. She and the gang will test out its kinks, er, new features, and meet new allies and enemies alike, from a sentient cloud-consciousness to an obnoxious magician.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250619808
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	01/26/2021
Series:	Train to Impossible Places Series , #2
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	344,951
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 5.10(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

P. G. Bell is a native of south Wales, where he was raised on a diet of Greek mythology, ghost stories, and Doctor Who. He's had all sorts of jobs over the years, from lifeguard to roller coaster operator, but has always wanted to write stories for a living. His dream came true with the publication of The Train to Impossible Places series. He currently works as a library assistant for Cardiff University and lives in Wales with his wife, Anna, and their two children.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Great Brain Robbery: A Train to Impossible Places Novel:

"Bell has a knack for timing, knowing just when to break away from the action. The characters in this volume are more developed, especially Suzy, who takes on leadership successfully. Part adventure, part mystery, part fantasy world set on its ear, there is something here for everyone." —Booklist

Praise for The Train to Impossible Places:

“All aboard for an adventure like no other—readers will be delighted to learn it's just the first.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Bell sets a smart pace, guiding Suzy smoothly through one impossibility after another in a way that keeps readers off-balance without bogging them down . . . the kind of efficiency and solid storytelling that a troll would admire—while promising potential future adventures for Suzy.” —Horn Book

“A rollicking adventure . . reminiscent of Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones. There is plenty of humor to season Bell's debut novel, and the characters and plot are refreshingly well developed and raise serious questions about honor and freedom. Fortunately, there will be more adventures in this first in a projected series. All aboard!” —Booklist

"This debut fantasy is full of imaginative locales and fun twists, and readers will enjoy the creativity of Bell’s world and its look at how power left unchecked can corrupt." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2019-08-26
The most famous train in Troll Territory is ready to roll once more in this sequel to The Train to Impossible Places (2018).

It's been two months since the crash that put the Impossible Postal Express out of commission, and Suzy, now Deputy Postal Operative Suzy Smith, can't wait to return to the Union of Impossible Places to see her friends and hop aboard the Express to take up her position as "postie." An earthquake—Trollville's first—cuts the celebrations of the train's relaunch short and throws the town into chaos. When Suzy discovers that the earthquake was no act of nature, she reluctantly turns to an old nemesis for help defeating a new threat. Suzy is joined by her friends: Postmaster Wilmot, a troll; human Frederick, the Chief Librarian of the Ivory Tower, free from his snow globe prison; and the rest of the Express' quirky crew. The fast-paced dual narrative switches back and forth in the third person between Suzy and Wilmot, each of whom has a role to play in saving not just Trollville, but the entire Union. The ending is satisfyingly tidy, with the setup for the third in this projected trilogy firmly in place. Suzy and one secondary human character have brown skin while trolls are a variety of colors, including purple and cherry red. Frederick is white; assume whiteness for other humans.

Full-steam ahead for more fun. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews