Cuttlefish

June 18, 2012
In this steampunk adventure set in an alternate 20th-century, two teenagers bond during a series of death-defying
episodes aboard an illegal submarine. Fourteen-year-old Clara Calland and her mother are on the run from the globally dominant British Empire because of their association with Irish rebels. Circumstances place them on the Cuttlefish, a coal-fueled submarine that runs smuggled goods across the ocean. On the ship, Clara meets Tim Barnabas, a young member of the crew who is determined to prove himself. As the Cuttlefish races from port to port, one step ahead of pursuit, Tim and Clara must help save the ship on a number of occasions, while trying to ferret out a traitor. While Freer (Dog and Dragon) offers action aplenty, a fascinating setting, and memorable characters, his story runs on a slow burn, not unlike the submarine at its center. Still, he has created a fun world to explore, and he doesn’t shy away from deeper themes, such as the casual racism that plagues the mixed-race Tim, courtesy of his shipmates. Ages 12–up. Agent: Michael Kabongo, OnyxHawke Agency.

June 15, 2012
An overwhelming wealth of precise detail bogs down this steampunk effort from adult-fantasy author Freer. In a world where synthetic ammonia was not invented in 1898 (per the exhaustive backmatter), two primary facts have remained true: The British Empire holds most of the political power, while coal supplies the actual power. By 1953, when the story is set, global warming has resulted in a political sphere entirely unlike the mid-20th century readers know. Fourteen-year-old Clara's mother has notes that may lead to synthetic ammonia at last, so the two of them find themselves aboard the submarine Cuttlefish on the run from the Russians, the British and possibly the Americans. Amid a barrage of minutiae (from engine workings to background elements that try but fail to establish worldbuilding), Clara finds herself and true love with the lone black crew member, whose own story plays a role (and includes some commentary on racism). The repetitive plot consists of near misses and tight escapes; overt statements replace character growth ("She hadn't realized before just how important people who merely made food and hot drinks were"), and the burgeoning romance moves too rapidly from a kiss to "I love you." Moreover, the image of Clara on the cover is reminiscent of the TV Laura Ingalls Wilder in her preteen years. Steampunk and the Cuttlefish's coal engines might be hot, but tepid storytelling sinks this tale. (glossary) (Steampunk. 12-15)

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July 1, 2013
In an alternate London with a domineering government, Clara meets Tim, a member of a rebel group. Tim takes work on the Cuttlefish--a smuggling submarine that eventually carries Clara and her scientist mother to safer Westralia. But the British Imperial power becomes a threat there, too. Extended descriptions and bland characters impede the narrative pace of these first installments.

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