Synopses & Reviews
Set in the seedy underworld of Coney Island, Brooklyn, and Manhattan in 1877, this prequel to The Boneshaker centers around the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge and the drifter Jack's attempt to claim the city of New York as his own personal hell. Teenagers Sam and Jin, orphans whose special skills include hustling cards and detonating fireworks, are the only ones who can stop Jack's evil minions from performing a ritual (at the center of the great crossroads formed by the bridge and the East River) that will allow them to take over the city. Eerie and atmospheric, The Broken Lands is a rich, vivid, extensively researched YA historical fantasy that explores themes of friendship, courage, and standing up to evil in a fast-paced and highly original way.
Review
andquot;This seamless blend of fantasy and historical fiction is ripe with rich, gritty detail . . . Readers will be captivated.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus
* andquot;A true delight to fans of history, fantasy, and the triumph of good.andquot;
andmdash;Bulletin, starred review
andquot;This spine-tingling, action-packed, and emotionally powerful prequel to The Boneshaker (Clarion, 2010) can stand on its own and has much to offer discerning readers.andquot;
andmdash;School Library Journal
andquot;Thrilling, gothic, gorgeous. Milford can conjure spirits as well as any of the mysterious wanderers who travel through her world.andquot;
andmdash;Adam Gidwitz, author of A Tale Dark and Grimm
andldquo;A glimpse into a past that feels frighteningly real, The Broken Lands explodes off the page with unforgettable moments of skin-crawling terror and heart-stopping bravery. It thrilled me, enchanted me, terrified me, and by the end, made me fall in love.andrdquo;
andmdash;Robin Wasserman, author of The Book of Blood and Shadow
andquot;The Broken Lands weaves hobo and drifter legends, post-Civil War Americana, and Coney Islandand#39;s tawdry history into a desperately romantic, canand#39;t-put-it-down scary tale of young love and ancient magic. A superb second novel, rich, complex, and beautifully written.andquot;
andmdash;Chris Moriarty, author of The Inquisitorand#39;s Apprentice
andquot;If Milfordand#39;s The Boneshaker was a combination of Ray Bradbury and American folk legends, its prequel must be what you get when fairy tales meet E.L. Doctorow.andquot;
andmdash;Elizabeth Bird, Youth Materials Collections Specialist, The New York Public Library
andquot;This book held me hostage for the majority of time I was reading it; it was impossible to put it down. The Broken Lands was one of the best books I have ever read.andquot;
andmdash;Kyle, grade 6
Review
A 2011 ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book
"Not to be confused with Cherie Priest's steampunk novel of the same name (though there is just the barest whiff of steampunk here), this historical fantasy uses the classic devil-at-the-crossroads motif as the foundation for an elaborate and intricate gearwork story set in the little town of Arcane, Missouri, in 1913...Both impressive and ambitious, Milford's first novel rarely overreaches as it lays out an eerie and atmospheric vision of early-twentieth-century Americana, electrified by supernatural traces and a generously complex look at good, evil, and the wide swath in between."—Booklist, starred review
"The tale is shrouded in mystery and explores themes of gaining confidence and recognizing evil, and Milford's detail-rich prose makes it all the more haunting ("In the gaslight and what morning sun that filtered through the heavy curtains, startling shapes began to resolve themselves into familiar objects. Seeing them clearly didn't make her like them any better")."—Publishers Weekly
"This unusual story, with elements of folklore, tall tales and steampunk, has rich details of small-town America in the early 20th century as well as the impact of budding technology. Natalie is a well-drawn protagonist with sturdy supporting characters around her. The tension built into the solidly constructed plot is complemented by themes that explore the literal and metaphorical role of crossroads and that thin line between good and evil."—Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
A fast-paced and richly textured historical fantasy, this prequel to The Boneshaker centers around the planned sabotage at the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge, and the two orphans who are determined to stop it.
Synopsis
A crossroads can be a place of great power. So begins this deliciously spine-tingling prequel to Kate Milfordandrsquo;s The Boneshaker, set in the colorful world of nineteenth-century Coney Island and New York City. Few crossroads compare to the one being formed by the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River, and as the bridgeandrsquo;s construction progresses, forces of unimaginable evil seek to bend that power to their advantage. Only two orphans with unusual skills stand in their way. Can the teenagers Sam, a card sharp, and Jin, a fireworks expert, stop them before itandrsquo;s too late? Here is a richly textured, slow-burning thriller about friendship, courage, and the age-old fight between good and evil.
Synopsis
A fast-paced and richly textured historical fantasy, this prequel to The Boneshaker centers around the seedy underworld of Coney Island, the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, and the two orphans who are determined to stop evil forces from claiming the city of New York.
Synopsis
Thirteen-year-old Natalie Minks loves machines, particularly automata—self-operating mechanical devices, usually powered by clockwork. When Jake Limberleg and his traveling medicine show arrive in her small Missouri town with a mysterious vehicle under a tarp and an uncanny ability to make Natalie’s half-built automaton move, she feels in her gut that something about this caravan of healers is a bit off. Her uneasiness leads her to investigate the intricate maze of the medicine show, where she discovers a horrible truth and realizes that only she has the power to set things right.
Set in 1914, The Boneshaker is a gripping, richly textured novel about family, community, courage, and looking evil directly in the face in order to conquer it.
About the Author
Kate Milford is the author of The Boneshaker, has written for stage and screen, and is a regular travel columnist at www.nagspeake.com. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. To find out more about Kate and her work, visit www.clockworkfoundry.com.
Andrea Offermann attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and now lives in Hamburg, Germany. Her illustrations for The Boneshaker marked her U.S. publishing debut. To find out more about Andrea and her work, please visit www.andreaoffermann.com.