NOVEMBER 2012 - AudioFile
The door between the human and faery worlds has been closed since the end of the Smiling War in Victorian England. The surviving humans and faeries are living in a precarious peace when children—changeling children—begin to go missing. A thrilling tale of mystery and suspense, Stefan Bachmann's debut novel is populated by memorably named characters and punctuated by descriptive and playful language, all of which are wonderfully captured by the deft narration of Peter Altschuler. A theatrical delight, Altschuler employs a variety of British accents and is meticulous in his pacing, flawlessly heightening the tension at times, while slowing down to consider a character's internal debates. Most notably, villains become more sinister with Altschuler's cringe-worthy delivery. Recommended for family road trips. A.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
The New York Times Book Review
Here is a richly realized alternate Victorian world of elegant upper-class homes and squalid faerie slums. Filled with healthy doses of suspense and action, this is a story young fantasy buffs are sure to enjoy. And while he is bound to be compared to Christopher Paolini, whose Eragon was also published while he was still in his teens, Bachmann has written an accomplished book that deserves to be considered on its own.
—Monica Edinger
Publishers Weekly
When a teenager writes a publishable book, it’s noteworthy, but when the book is this good, it’s something special. Bachmann sets his tale in a polluted, steampunk Victorian England rendered even stranger by a faery invasion in the previous century. Some of the fay—like Lord Lickerish, Lord Chamberlain of England—have grown powerful, but most live in poverty, deeply distrusted by the natives, with the half-human changelings despised by everyone. Bartholomew, a changeling, sees a friend abducted by magic in broad daylight and later learns it is the latest in a string of disappearances. Meanwhile, a government official, Arthur Jelliby (“a very nice young man, which was perhaps the reason why he had never made much of a politician”), finds dangerous information linking Lord Lickerish to the kidnappings. Together Jelliby and Bartholonew uncover a horrible secret that might destroy England. Bachmann, now 18, has a polished and witty writing style; his characters are skillfully developed, the action is nonstop, and his faery society is fascinating. An absolute treat for readers of any age. Ages 8–12. Agent: Sara Megibow, Nelson Literary Agency. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Bachmann’s prose is beautiful, and his story is swift, strong, and entertaining. Highly recommended. I can’t wait to see what Bachmann writes next.” — CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle)
“Stefan Bachmann’s sparkling debut is sure to get a lot of well-deserved notice. He breathes fresh life into ancient magic.” — RICK RIORDAN, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Kane Chronicles and Percy Jackson and The Olympians
“Polished and fun to read…Bachmann’s steampunk fairy tale…recalls Dostoevsky, Dickens, and more recent classics, such as J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.…Bachmann leavens the dark goings-on with whimsy…in spectacular and hilarious fashion.…[An] unusually gifted young writer.” — Los Angeles Times
“Richly realized . . . accomplished … This is a story young fantasy buffs are sure to enjoy.” — The New York Times Book Review
“Imaginative, highly descriptive writing . . . Thrilling adventure.” — Booklist
“An absolute treat for readers of any age.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Gripping . . . with a wry humor and unusual characters. Fans of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book (HarperCollins, 2008) and young steampunk enthusiasts will find much here to enjoy.” — School Library Journal
“The Peculiar has the kind of enchantment, whimsy, and utter wonder that stands the test of time. An astounding debut!” — Marie Lu, New York Times best-selling author of the Legend trilogy
Christopher Paolini
Bachmann’s prose is beautiful, and his story is swift, strong, and entertaining. Highly recommended. I can’t wait to see what Bachmann writes next.
Marie Lu
The Peculiar has the kind of enchantment, whimsy, and utter wonder that stands the test of time. An astounding debut!
|Los Angeles Times
Polished and fun to read…Bachmann’s steampunk fairy tale…recalls Dostoevsky, Dickens, and more recent classics, such as J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.…Bachmann leavens the dark goings-on with whimsy…in spectacular and hilarious fashion.…[An] unusually gifted young writer.
Booklist
Imaginative, highly descriptive writing . . . Thrilling adventure.
Rick Riordan
Stefan Bachmann’s sparkling debut is sure to get a lot of well-deserved notice. He breathes fresh life into ancient magic.
Booklist
Imaginative, highly descriptive writing . . . Thrilling adventure.
Los Angeles Times
Polished and fun to read…Bachmann’s steampunk fairy tale…recalls Dostoevsky, Dickens, and more recent classics, such as J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.…Bachmann leavens the dark goings-on with whimsy…in spectacular and hilarious fashion.…[An] unusually gifted young writer.
RICK RIORDAN
Stefan Bachmann’s sparkling debut is sure to get a lot of well-deserved notice. He breathes fresh life into ancient magic.
CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI
Bachmann’s prose is beautiful, and his story is swift, strong, and entertaining. Highly recommended. I can’t wait to see what Bachmann writes next.
NOVEMBER 2012 - AudioFile
The door between the human and faery worlds has been closed since the end of the Smiling War in Victorian England. The surviving humans and faeries are living in a precarious peace when children—changeling children—begin to go missing. A thrilling tale of mystery and suspense, Stefan Bachmann's debut novel is populated by memorably named characters and punctuated by descriptive and playful language, all of which are wonderfully captured by the deft narration of Peter Altschuler. A theatrical delight, Altschuler employs a variety of British accents and is meticulous in his pacing, flawlessly heightening the tension at times, while slowing down to consider a character's internal debates. Most notably, villains become more sinister with Altschuler's cringe-worthy delivery. Recommended for family road trips. A.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
Goblins, faeries, gnomes, elflike fay, sylphs, automatons and changelings, oh my! In an alternate Victorian England where there are vertical cities, faery slums, gnome-driven taxis, and mechanical birds, changelings Bartholomew and his sister Hettie are labeled "peculiars" by the Church. Despised by both the Sidhe and the English upper-crust, they have been kept, confined and secret, in their house. When Bartholomew witnesses a boy changeling across the street being kidnapped by a mysterious woman in a frenzy of menacing black feathers, he becomes an unwitting pawn in a battle between the dark side and the humans. Tension mounts like a stack of teetering blocks as Bartholomew tries to rescue Hettie, who is in danger of becoming the 10th kidnapped changeling killed. Can he survive to save his sister? The open ending paves the way for sequels, and the intricately detailed descriptions of sinister scenes create palpable evil that will raise readers' hackles. The author was only 16 in 2010, when he began writing this fantasy stemming from British folklore and infused with a Dickensian flair; it's bound to be hyped like Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle. Not to be confused with a new steampunk novel for teens with the title of The Peculiars, by Maureen McQuerry (2012). A promising, atmospheric fantasy debut. (Fantasy. 10-15)
