Ancient Appetites

Gr 9 Up—An exciting new steampunk adventure. The story of the Wildenstern family starts with 18-year-old Nate, a younger son just returned to the British family estate from the wilds of Africa, taming The Beast of Glenmalure, a type of engimal called a velocycle. These half-animal/half-machine beasts are featured prominently throughout the narrative. The work details a murderous coup that threatens to topple the magical Wildenstern family, whose members are difficult to kill thanks to their incredible healing powers. Nate and his allies race to discover how his older brother really died, the source of a rumored plot against the family, and the true nature of the "ancient appetites" displayed by a trio of resurrected relatives. The author creates a rich fantasy world using the backdrop of 19th-century England, combined with fantastical techno-beasts and a family of humans with mythical healing powers and incredibly long life spans. The internal turmoil of this multi-generational family is intense and resembles the powerful Russian sagas written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Leo Tolstoy. Thankfully, the spunky characters, accessible dialogue, and nonstop action make this novel enjoyable for contemporary teens who already enjoy the genre and are willing to tackle a dense and complex story.