Likeable young hero George Feather found himself to be a crucial part of the crime-fighting Bureau of Mysteries in book one, where his code-cracking skills helped save the city of Little Obscuria from the evil Clockwork Octopus Society.

Now his – and the readers’ – cryptography skills are needed again to fight the Mechanomancers, who make their first entrance with a giant mechanical bull that can take down whole buildings.

H.J. Harper’s fluid writing style, sense of humour and great variety of codes to crack really get readers involved. A light note of Dickensian charm is combined with inventive mechanical devices and a comic-book sense of adventure.

Intelligent and accessible for ages 8 and up.

Emily Gale