![]() Would I recommend this? Hmmm, only if you really want to read about a young Sherlock Holmes, and your expectations aren't too grand. Why do I do that to myself? That can burst a bubble or two for a reader. Yeah, I know it, it's a problem of having too high expectations. Happily, there is a good progression in his character over the course of the book. ![]() I realize that he's a young kid and he's just in the beginning of his long career as a detective, but I think he could have been a bit brighter in some circumstances. I liked the action bits, for the most part, but I wasn't keen on how long it took Sherlock to figure things out. Sometimes I get impatient with the "I am an Evil Overlord" speeches.Ī big issue I did have was the pacing. I guess that could be fun, but his bombastic speech about wreaking vengeance against the British Empire was a bit tedious. The main bad guy is suitably majestic, and really quite outre' in his madness and character quirks, almost over the top, in fact. Not to mention a nasty fist fight that Sherlock finds himself involved in, along with numerous altercations with the Big Bad's minions who have no qualms about murdering youngsters. I was concerned that the exceedingly villainous bad guys who would torture a kid with a bullwhip in a book for a younger audience. There are some fairly descriptive acts of brutality that I think would be a bit much for a younger reader. Personally, I would be wary about letting a child younger than thirteen read this. What surprised me was how violent this book is. His daughter, Virginia, doesn't have quite as concrete a role, other than the horse-mad hoyden, would-be love interest, and perhaps, her tendency to bring out the impulsive adventurer in Sherlock. I have a feeling he will be accompanying Sherlock on more adventures in this series, and I'm very cool with that. I also liked Holmes' sidekick Matty Arnett. It was interesting seeing how Holmes went from being a 'whatever/why is this important?' kid to the man who has an insatiable curiosity about the world and the burning desire to solve any puzzle that he encounters. Crow helps to develop Holmes' signature traits, deductive reasoning and a keenly analytical mind. I did like the fact that Holmes has a mentor in an American who brings to mind a cross between Mark Twain and Wyatt Earp/Doc Holiday. I just found the book disappointing in how it did craft young Holmes. Yeah, I'm not sure I can clarify that right now, so I won't try. I have my own perceptions about how young Sherlock Holmes would be and this one isn't real close to my ideas. I'm going to put this book in the 'not bad, but could have been better' classification. His team comprises a computer hacker, a free runner, an ex-marine and a pathological liar. Calum's intention is to use the creatures' DNA to help protect the species, but also to search for a cure for his own paralysis. The Lost World books will follow disabled 15-year-old Calum Challenger, who is co-ordinating a search from his London bedroom to find creatures considered so rare that many do not believe they exist. ![]() Black Ice won the 2012 Centurion Book Award.Įarly in 2012, Macmillan Children's Books announced that they would be publishing a new series by Lane, beginning in 2013. (coming second by three votes) and the 2011 Southampton's Favourite Book Award. Death Cloud was short-listed for both the 2010 North East Book Award. The fifth book, Snake Bite was published in hardback in October 2012 and the sixth book, Knife Edge was published in September 2013. The third book – Black Ice – was published in June 2011 in the UK while the fourth book – Fire Storm – was published originally in hardback in October 2011 with a paperback publication in March 2012. The first book in the 'Young Sherlock Holmes' series – Death Cloud – was published in the United Kingdom in June 2010 (February 2011 in the United States), with the second – Red Leech – published in the United Kingdom in November of that year (with a United States publication date under the title Rebel Fire of February 2012). John the Beheaded as a meeting place for the worlds of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who. Lane had already shown an extensive knowledge of the Holmes character and continuity in his Virgin Books novel All-Consuming Fire in which he created The Library of St. The series was developed in conjunction with the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. During 2009, Macmillan Books announced that Lane would be writing a series of books focusing on the early life of Sherlock Holmes.
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