The Myriad Mysteries of Eartha Quicksmith

Eartha Quicksmith's damaged parrot shaped Ark is struggling to reveal its secrets, but Kip and his ingenious friends are still eager to solve the mystery and find the treasures hidden by the Renaissance genius over 400 years ago. Meanwhile, Leela and Timmi have been experimenting with the Dreambomber, which allows them to enter the dreams of others, including Kip's flying squirrel and the accidentally created Mowl, and Kip seems to have an admirer, new first year Iris, who is very persistent. Whilst looking for solution to their latest clue, a bizarre accident sends Kip and Timmi into different myriads, where they are propelled into a frantic, dangerous quest for the Futurescope, Eartha's most important invention and Albert and Leela try desperately to rescue them. At the same time, mysterious holes are appearing in the fabric of the school, and someone seems to be messing with time...
Frenetic, funny and exciting, and set in a beautifully described world that stands where magic meets science fiction, this novel is enthralling and supremely entertaining. Within this fantasy world with its memorable and often eccentric characters, the target audience will identify with Kip and Albert especially, ordinary children plunged into a world far removed from the reality of their home life. What stands out most, however, is the credibility of the relationships between the four friends and Kip's feelings for his family. I loved this book and I am sure the readers in our school library will be queuing up to read it.

It scarcely seems possible that I read the title preceding this one – The Ten Riddles of Eartha Quicksmith – about two years ago. Since that book was published, it has been one I have been delighted to have in my little library and one which has held those who have chosen to read it absolutely spellbound, as I was all those months ago. Most recently, one of my more confident Year 5 readers devoured it in a couple of evenings and when I told him that there was soon to be a sequel, he was thrilled.

With shades of Dr Who, The Strangeworlds Travel Agency series and a whole host of other stories I have read and loved, this is another bold, imaginative and highly entertaining adventure for our hero Kip Bramley, after he was invited to join the Quicksmiths College of Strange Energy in Book 1 and successfully solved an assortment of riddles and puzzles on his quest to find a mysterious hidden treasure accompanied by furry friend Pinky the flying squirrel.

After the excitement of their previous adventure, Kip and Pinky, together with best friend Albert, go to visit Professor Steampunk, who is experimenting on the Ark of Ideas – a 400-year-old artefact belonging to Eartha Quicksmith after whom the college has been named. Bringing the professor biscuits, the boys ask him if the Ark has revealed any secrets other than muttering about the crazy paving as they arrived and are told that there appears to be some residual energy within it, which he plans to investigate further.

Following their visit, Kip and Albert meet up with friends Leela and Timmi, and Leela explains her new Dreambomber invention to them – a device which allows the user to visit other people’s dreams and is nearing completion. Testing it out later on Pinky, Kip and the others are amazed to see the little creature’s reaction to having her dreams influenced by her visitor and Leela reassures him that unwelcome guests will not be allowed access to the sleeper’s mind.

But it is not long before the foursome’s attentions are turned elsewhere, when they investigate another one of Eartha Quicksmith’s possessions, which in turn leads them to another of her riddles – this time one which mentions paving. Making a connection between this and the Ark, the friends find themselves once more trying to decipher the clues that have been left for them. However, when Kip and Timmi become transported into another world with no discernible way back, they will need all of their assorted skills and talents to solve new riddles and mysteries, if they are ever to return back home…

Having established the characters and the setting of the college so perfectly in Book 1, the author takes us on the most incredible journey beyond its walls in this second outing. Building on the science of Strange Energy, to which we were introduced previously, and the seemingly limitless talents of Eartha Quicksmith, who has set everything in place for Kip and the others to unravel, this is a stunning sequel which delivers everything that I had hoped in the way of further puzzles, action and hints of more to come in Book 3 – and possibly beyond.

By not pairing Kip with his best friend Albert but with Timmi when they accidentally find themselves transported away from Quicksmiths, we see Kip’s ability to adapt to whatever life throws at him come to the fore. Both highly intelligent, and equipped with very different abilities and skill sets, the two of them make a great team of equals – something that will go a long way to showing young readers that both girls and boys are capable of stepping up when called upon and have much to offer, practically speaking and in terms of friendship.

With enough of the backstory woven through the text, you do not need to have read Book 1 to pick this up, but I think that to fully appreciate the breath-taking inventiveness of the plot and what came before it is probably better to read the books in sequence. Perfect for Year 5 readers upwards, this is a title I cannot wait to see sitting on my little library shelf when it publishes on July 7th, giving you ample time to read Ten Riddles, should you need to, and to pre-order this. Huge thanks must go to publisher Firefly Press and Net Galley for my advance virtual read ahead of that date.