The Lost Kingdom
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
A remarkable adventure by award-winning author Matthew J. Kirby brings a fantastical American West filled with secrets and spies and terrifying creatures to vivid life.
In this extraordinary adventure story, Billy Bartram, his father, and a secret society of philosophers and scientists venture into the American wilderness in search of the lost people of the Welsh Prince Madoc, seeking aid in the coming war against the French. Traveling in a flying airship, the members of the expedition find their lives frequently endangered in the untamed American West by terrifying creatures, a party of French soldiers hot on their trail, and the constant threat of traitors and spies. Billy will face hazards greater than he can ever imagine as, together with his father, he gets caught up in the fight for the biggest prize of all: America.
THE LOST KINGDOM is an epic journey filled with marvelous exploits, courage and intrigue, and a bold reimagining of a mythical America. Matthew J. Kirby brings his signature storytelling prowess and superb craft to this astonishing story of fathers and sons, the beginnings of a nation, and wonder-filled adventure.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Continuing to explore new ground and ideas, Kirby (Icefall) mixes American myth with characters based on historical figures in an imaginative story set in 1750s North America. Billy Bartram is thrilled when his father allows him to come along on a westward expedition, but he never dreamed the journey would involve a secret philosophical society, a flying vessel crewed by geniuses, and a mythical kingdom founded by an ancient Welsh prince, which could hold allies against the encroaching French. The trip doesn't go as planned, though, with a suspected traitor aboard, the French in hot pursuit, hostile Native Americans on the ground, and a deadly bear-wolf stalking them. While taking some liberties, Kirby skillfully draws on 18th-century beliefs, legends, and personages to construct a historical fantasy that touches on the scientific disciplines of the era to create wonders both natural and manmade. The only drawback is a necessary adherence to less-than-admirable views toward women and minorities on the part of certain characters, but even this serves to push both the story and Billy forward. Ages 8 12.
