The Firebird Mystery (Darrell Pitt, Text)

At its heart, The Firebird Mystery is a novel about a Sherlock Holmes-type character with a young apprentice—an ex-circus performer orphan—solving mysteries and saving the world. It’s set in the late 1800s in a steampunk world, with some Nazis and atomic bombs thrown in for good measure. It very much reminded me of a summer blockbuster at the cinema—a fun story, easy to read and full of action. The action, by the way, is excellently written, and while there were some moments I had trouble picturing it, and wondered if perhaps there was a little overuse of Chekov’s gun, I don’t think this will be too worrying for the undiscerning nine- to 12-year-olds The Firebird Mystery is aimed at. It does get bonus points for being the first kids’ book of its kind I’ve come across that gives mention to the suffragettes! I would say this book tries very hard to hook its intended audience—but maybe just a little too hard for my liking. It’s a fun holiday read and will act as a stepping stone to some excellent classics that children might not be aware of, such as books by Arthur Conan Doyle and Jules Verne.

Dani Solomon is a bookseller at Readings Carlton

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews