Cogheart is a middle grade steampunk adventure that features a brave young girl, a daring young boy and a loyal clockwork fox.

I love that steampunk is being written for the younger generation, since it is one of my favorite genres. The book says it is aimed at readers 12, though I would expand this to include adventure-loving advanced younger readers 5th grade and older.

Often, in adventures for middle grade and YA readers, the villains are adults. Cogheart is no exception. And these villains are not only bad guys, but they look pretty creepy. The trouble starts when the bad guys go after Lily’s father. In an effort to warn his daughter, John Hartman sends Malkin, his mechanical fox, to Lily with a message. Just as Malkin’s escape pod leaves the airship Dragonfly, a harpoon strikes the hull and John is shot. Fade to black….. (you know what that means).

And so the adventure begins. On the way to find Lily, Malkin meets and teams with young Robert Townsend, son and apprentice to a clockmaker. In the meantime, Lily has been removed from the boarding school she hates by her father’s housekeeper. Lily isn’t exactly in love with Madame Verdigris either. It immediately becomes apparent that Verdigris does not have Lily’s best interests at heart.

When Robert and Malkin catch up with Lily, helping Lily escape is just the tip of the adventure iceberg. Now chased by the men that went after her father, Lily runs for help, along the way meeting Anna, airship pilot/journalist, who becomes part of the adventure. All the while, we don’t really know why Lily is being chased.

Cogheart was released in the UK in 2016, so it has been out for a few years. Today, February 12th, is Cogheart’s US release. It is book one in a three book series, so if Cogheart appeals, look for Moonlocket and Sky Circus to follow. And if you like this book, I recommend you check out the author’s website for fun GIFs, games and activies relating to Lily’s amazing adventures.

Cogheart is a non-stop adventure sure to engage readers of any age that appreciate airships, danger, friendship, family, mechanical animals and people and a bit of airship piracy.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have to say I was surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this book. I really enjoyed the writing and the story line. I didn't care much for the characters, I just couldn't connect with them at all. still I can see where people would love this book.

A fun steampunk style adventure tale for children, with lots to appeal to older readers too, this book was really enjoyable. There is a good blend of suspense and action, and the world building is excellent as are the characters , both human and mechanical. While there are some "scary" moments, they are written to suit the age of the intended reader, and what child doesn't like a little scare every so often. While the book works perfectly well as a stand alone , the ending leaves it open to a sequel and the future looks bright for this series.

Cogheart is the first book in a middle-grade steampunk trilogy that follows the adventures of 13-year-old Lily Harman.. Lily has been sent off to an all-girls school where she is having a very difficult time getting along with her classmates and instructors.

“Lilly had long ago noticed the other girls never read in posture class. It seemed thinking and walking simultaneously was too difficult for them.”

Meanwhile, we discover Lily’s father, Professor John Hartman, is captured and possibly killed. The good news is, before the destruction of his air ship, he was able to deploy his mechanimal fox with a most important message for Lily. Having no other living blood relatives, Lily must now navigate this alternative Victorian world piecing together a confusing puzzle of details and discovering who’s a friend (and who’s a foe).

Without giving any spoilers, I can say there’s some fantastic world building going on here with a nation that runs on cogs and ticks. There are mixed beings who are both human and machine as well as non-humans with feelings who must be wound regularly to keep functioning. The villains are more than a little terrifying with eye sockets that have been sewn with mirrors and the unnatural ability to stay one step ahead of Lily at almost every turn.

Thankfully, Lily makes an unexpected friendship with a young boy named Robert who makes her fears and sorrows more bearable. And this budding friendship, amidst painful loss, is really the heart of this middle grade story in my opinion. Robert grew up working with his father, a clockmaker, and his skills prove quite useful throughout their adventure. During challenging moments, his father’s advice comes back to him when he needs it most:

“No one conquers fear easily, Robert. It takes a brave heart to win great battles.”

Perhaps you’ve heard of Cogheart since it was originally released in the UK in 2016. However, it is now finally being released to the US by North Star Editions/Jolly Fish Press. While this book could work well as a stand alone, I must admit I’m very interested in seeing where Bunzl takes us with book #2: Moonlocket. My sincere thanks to NetGalley, North Star Editions, and Jolly Fish Press for releasing an e-ARC of Cogheart so that I could provide an honest review.

Packed full of action and adventure, Cogheart is a thrilling story of love, family, and the drive to protect those you care about. There’s airship battles, evil mechanical men, and plenty of shady characters who cannot be trusted. Lilly and Robert make a wonderful team and are both incredibly smart and brave. Lilly never saw the mechanicals as machines or servants, they were her friends and some, just like family. The relationship between Lilly and her mechanical friends really highlights the importance of being kind to everyone-especially those that are different from you.
This was a really fun read and I highly recommend it for your favorite middle grade reader and steampunk lover in your life.

Cogheart is full of action and adventure, with some fairly dark themes for middle grade fic. I picked it up because the blurb and cover reminded me a bit of one of my all time favorites, Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass (aka Northern Lights in the UK). Cogheart was a bit of a letdown for me when it comes to its characters and dialogue. I wanted more depth and more realism from Lily, Robert, and their respective parental figures to go with the book's brisk, vivid action sequences. I think mature 4th and 5th graders will enjoy it, but it doesn't have as much to offer YA and adult readers. My library has already purchased copies, and I'd be happy to recommend it to readers looking for a ripping steampunk yarn. Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

I absolutely adored this book! It was honestly so hard choosing my favorite quote to put at the top of this review because I had so many highlighted. I'm a big fan of lyrical writing - it helps pull me into the story's world more - and Peter Bunzl's writing style is beautiful, especially for a middle grade! The writing was simple enough to be understood, but still enjoyable for anyone who picks it up, no matter what age!

Lily is a great main character! She's realistic and relatable and her sass is on point! I love stories with MCs who actually have good relationships with their parents (AND THEY'RE NOT DEAD) and the relationship that grows between Lily and her father is so nice. I love the fact that Robert has the same fears that I do, and that he was able to face them every time that he had to. The villains of this story were all very well developed and certainly hate-worthy because I hated them basically the moment they showed up, haha! As for the mechanicals, each of them was so unique and I loved them all!

Another thing that I really liked was how realistically this book describes the feeling of loss. I've recently learned just what that feeling is and the way it's described in Cogheart was so relatable; I feel like this was definitely a story that came in at the right time in my life.

Altogether, Cogheart is a story full of adventure and strong bonds, along with learning how to cope with loss. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'll be getting my hands on the sequel ASAP!

Cogheart is a tale with many moving pieces, not unlike the steam-punk mechanicals that Lily's father builds. Unfortunately I think it's a bit flat, as I never felt very attached to the characters. Also, for a middle grade novel, there is an awful lot of proverbializing and "lessons learned" sort of speeches, which I found annoying and am sure many of the target audience would as well. It also has a bit of a dark feel in some places, not unlike the Series of Unfortunate Events series - only these dark events don't seem to have much effect on the characters except as plot devices.

Despite these flaws, I did finish the book and found the mech aspect interesting. I just have doubts about the book's ability to hold the attention of a middle grade reader due to the issues I've mentioned.

This book was such a delight to read. It was fast paced with some good twists and turns that will keep the middle grade reader’s attention.

Lily was a great main character. She is a tomboy at heart is okay with it. I loved her thoughts about how a young lady should act and about walking around with books on her head for posture. She was also pretty smart and thoroughly brave, even when the odds were against her. She always came up with a plan to get them out of the tough situations she found herself in. I also appreciated how much she cared for the mechanicals she came in contact with. Even though they were not human she always treated them as such, even when those around her didn’t and made fun of her for doing so.

Robert was also a good solid character that a lot of boys will be able to relate too. He wasn’t afraid to jump right in and help when it was needed. And he also had a respect for the mechanicals. He was better at fixing things than he likes to admit and always has his doubts. He has a fear of heights which he is able to overcome in the story by thinking about things his dad had told him. It was awesome to see him overcome this.

There are some great adult role models in this book, which was nice to see. Both Lily’s and Robert’s fathers were supportive of them and you could tell that they loved their children. They also meet Anna Quinn, a pilot and journalist. She was also a great adult who helps them out when they need it.

Malkin is the mechanimal fox that is Lily’s companion and friend. He was sarcastic and often grumpy and sullen. He was a great counterpoint to many of the things going on. He was also good for some snide and amusing remarks along the way. Loved him!

The setting was great, and very steampunkish. I liked the airships, the mechanicals that all had personality, some more than others, but they still needed to be wound as they were mostly clockwork. Not sure how they all worked, but I was willing to put it down to something a little bit magical.

I am so glad that an American publisher finally decided to pick up this wonderful series from the UK. It will be a delightful addition to libraries and will capture the hearts and imaginations of many children.

I really enjoyed this book! It has a steam punk vibe. Two teenagers must face fears and uncertainty, learn to trust and judge character, and cope with loss and mysteries. The characters are enchanting. I thoroughly enjoyed the book opening in action, and the world building throughout, rather than a slow start. I will definitely recommend this book to future middle grade seekers, and look forward to more mischief with Lily and Robert!

Thank you to Netgalley and North Star Editions for a review copy of this book. What drew me to this book was the fact it was a middle grade steampunk book. Honestly I requested it mainly because I loved the cover.

I found the start of the book a bit slow to get started, and was not enjoying having the split viewpoints. As soon as everyone came together and it became more linear (from one viewpoint), I loved it.

The main characters we follow are Lily, Robert and Malkin.
Lily is an 11 year old girl who starts out at a boarding school for deportment until she is taken from there when her Father, an inventor is presumed dead.
Robert is a clockmakers son around Lily’s age who suffers vertigo and is afraid of heights.
Malkin is a mechanimal (clockwork) fox.

This story has action, adventure and blimps.

ARC supplied by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this title. It took me a while to get through it but that has more to do with life than anything. Wonderful first installment featuring the adventures of Lilly Hartman, her mechanical fox Malkin, their friend Robert, and Lilly's mechanical family as they search for the truth behind her father's airship crash. As they're chased by mysterious mirror-eyed men in search of her father's invention "the perpetual motion machine," they must work together to overcome unthinkable situations and obstacles as they search for truth. Snarky Malkin is by far my favorite character alongside Mrs. Rust. Reminiscent of Meyer's Cinder for younger readers minus the romance.

A magical tale, filled with whimsy, friendship and adventure.

I tend to stay away from middle grade, but this gorgeous cover drew my eye and I decided to give it a go. I’m so glad I did. It was the perfect fun read I was hoping for.

In this steampunk children’s/middle grade book we are whisked away on an adventure with Lily, her trusty mechanimal Malkin and the clockmakers son Robert. After her fathers airship is attacked and he is reported dead, Lily is sent back home with the sneaky housekeeper to wait for more news, but all is not what it seems. Men with silver orbs for eyes are following her, the mechanicals in her house are nervous, the housekeeper is going through everything and has moved herself into the main bedroom. With no adults left to trust Lily and her friends must make the trip to London to her Godfather, in the hope of getting some answers. What do these odd men want and are they willing to kill for it?

The writing was beautiful and gave me a vivid picture of the setting and characters. The mechanicals were described so well, I had no trouble picturing them pottering around the house. Malkin the mechanimal fox was a great character. He was serious and grumpy but incredibly loyal. He is snarky and rude and often the unwilling comedy piece in serious situations.

Lily had the most distinctive voice, her phrasing and the way she presented herself was perfect for the setting. Lily was so full of life, with her red hair and adventurous nature. She read Penny Dreadfuls and wanted to fly in airships. She could pick a lock with a bobby pin and when that didn’t work she would climb out the window and shimmy down the side of the house. She is loyal, she is brave and she is a character who I would love my kids to read about. She is an inspiring main character, both vulnerable and strong.

I often struggle with steampunk, but this was perfect for me. I was able to grasp all the concepts and I really enjoyed that some of the mechanicals showed emotion. It was another way of making me connect to the story. It had a Pippi Longstockings vibe which I loved.

This was a quick read, a tad predictable, but I wouldn’t take stars away from it for that, I’m not the age range they are aiming for. I would most definitely buy this for my daughter and there are a few other kids around nine who I’m planning on giving this to for Christmas.
The easiest way to describe the book is fun.

I received an arc of Cogheart from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love the cover, it reminds me of a pop-up book and is definitely the sort of thing I’d have reached for as a child. The colours are great, the plot is hinted at, and there’s a picture of Malkin! The characters are the real star in Cogheart, they are interesting while still being relatable, with believable motivations and behaviour. Lily was intelligent and capable, and if she seemed a little naïve at times, that’s probably appropriate for her age. My only complaint is that at times she seemed ineffective, and her relationship with the household mechanicals seemed a little flat, rather than warm and familial. Her lack of ability in some situations, however, could simply be put down to her age, and I still enjoyed reading about Lily’s exploits.
Robert was an interesting character, it was a refreshing change of pace to read a boy that was openly afraid of things, while still being courageous. The book sets up several possibilities for the continuation of Robert’s storyline, and I think it would be interesting to see which path ends up being taken. Lily and Robert worked well together, and the way Malkin and Robert interacted was a pleasure to read. Malkin is hands-down (or should that be paws-down?) my favourite character in the book, something about a snarky, mechanical fox is just fun, and that’s exactly what encourages children to become lifelong readers.
The world developed in Cogheart isn’t quite as detailed as I’m used to, though for middle grade I believe it has fairly typical levels of world-building. There were a few tongue-in-cheek references throughout the book, with a nod at one point to Asimov’s first law of robotics. I liked the subtle touches used to differentiate the steampunk world in which the book occurs from our own, with creative mechanically-themed curses, mechanical limbs for war veterans, and air-ship parking tickets. I was glad that the mechanicals had emotions and personalities, making the sinister hints of cog and bone men who steal and trade mechanical parts a hair-raising threat to several key characters that I’m sure will be explored in further books.
The heavy foreshadowing and easy plot resolutions might seem shallow to readers other than the intended audience, as middle grade fiction, however, Cogheart shines. The writing was good, the world enjoyable, and the finale was suitably cinematic and exciting, with the dastardly villain getting his comeuppance. I’m sure my niece would identify with Lily and thoroughly enjoy the first instalment in The Cogheart Adventures.
I was reminded at times of Gail Carriger’s Finishing Schoolseries, which I thoroughly enjoyed; and the world was also reminiscent of Philip Pullman’s classic His Dark Materials series. Fans of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events or Frank Tuttle’s Paths of Shadow books would also likely find something they enjoyed among the pages of Cogheart, as would any children who enjoy brave heroines and heroes unafraid to stand up for what they believe in. And of course, the mechanical fox is a plus.

I give Cogheart by Peter Bunzl 3 stars. I’ve never read a steampunk book before and although it may not be for me, I think this middle-grade steampunk adventure will be a big hit for the right audience. It has a Victorian-era type of robots, and robot animals, they travel by zeppelin, there are clocks, gears, people trip over trunks a time or two, even steam powered vehicles are involved. It’s very creative and I’m sure many readers will devour this!

Cogheart is a book I think I really would have adored as a child. It has a tender relationship between Lily and her father, a story about friendship, mechanical creatures, and people who make mistakes. At the heart it's a book about sacrifice, hard decisions, and how we deal with the mistakes we make. It's also a story where Lily has to fight against what the adults in her life are pushing her towards, even when she knows it is dangerous. So, in other words, a book that would have been just up my alley.

An exciting, steampunk adventure set in Victorian London!

Middle-grade books and contemporaries save me whenever I'm having a 'reading slump.' The gorgeous cover caught my attention first, so after reading the blurb, I didn't hesitate to request this on NetGalley. Thankfully, I really, really enjoy this book!

Cogheart follows Lily and her search for her lost father. When her father went missing and presumed dead, Lily had a hard time believing this especially when the people around her act suspiciously. Soo enough, silver-eyed men started to follow her. Luckily, she found Robert, a friend who would accompany her solving the mystery of his father's accident.

Plotwise, it is both mysterious and exciting. Although the first part is quite slow, the action and thrill truly begin when Lily, Robert, and her mechanical fox, Malkin finally meet. The mysterious surrounding Lily's father disappearance is gripping, and I really like how the story's conclusion is satisfying and intense.

The world building in this Victorian London is superb. The author creatively described every scene and places vividly as if I went time traveling to the past. I also adore the idea of how mechanical machines can feel emotions and have great personalities. Next, the characters are all charming, but Robert is definitely my favorite. Among all the characters, he developed so much from a frightened boy who's unsure of himself to a young lad who faces his fears and doubts bravely. Children of a young age can learn a lot from his character.

One of the many reasons I like this book is the values and messages that this novel communicates to its readers. It talks about bravery, loyalty, and the importance of friendship, as well as the true meaning of a family. Children can learn these all while enjoying a really interesting narrative. It can make them laugh, shed a tear and feel hopeful at the same time.

To summarize, Cogheart is an impressive steampunk novel and a good start for a middle-grade series! I cannot wait to read the second one.

4/5 stars!

Cogheart by Peter Bunzl is a fun steampunk adventure set in the late 1800s. It's jam-packed with action and is bound to attract and satisfy middle-grade readers.

Lily's backstory is sad, but she as a character is so spunky and proactive that it was a joy to follow her story. All the other characters were lovely, too, especially Lily's new friend, Robert. I loved the concept of mechanimals, and I thought it (Malkin in particular) added an interesting layer to the novel.

The novel was smartly written and the world Peter Bunzl built was believable and appealing.

The ending provided a good sense of closure, despite this being the first book of a series.

The first book I am going to tell you about is Cogheart, the first in the Cogheart Adventures by Peter Bunzl. Set in a clockwork England, Lily’s life has been turned upside down when her father - the renowned inventor of automatons and other mechanical inventions - has gone missing. Lily finds herself on the run from the very men that caused her father’s disappearance. Luckily for Lily she is joined on her dangerous adventure by the son of the local clockmaker and her father’s mechanical fox Malkin. Together they take a hair raising trip across the country to find her father and save the day.

This is the perfect book for 8-12 year olds. It has adventure, humour, cool clockwork automatons and a mystery to solve. There is a murder of one of the secondary characters so if the reader is especially sensitive then maybe skip by this one scene. Otherwise, it has the correct pitch for a younger reader and pace. It is however a tad long, even for an alleged grown up reader such as myself! This would be a great gift for a girls as Lily is a strong and brave female lead.

For a while I had my eye on Cogheart to purchase as an ebook. Then I stumbled upon it on Netgalley where it was getting a rerelease this year with North Star Editions and I knew I had to request it. This is just a lovely, delicious steampunk middle grade novel.

The story starts us off with Prof Hartman who gets attacked on his air ship. His mechanimal Maulkin escapes and is sent with a message to the professor’s daughter. If you think this book starts off with a bang I am sorry to say that the start was slow. That is also one of the biggest reasons I didn’t end up rating this book higher. It takes a while for the story to get going after that. The first half is telling us the situation. It is setting everything up. The plot doesn’t really pick up until Lily and Robert meet. Then the adventure truly begins.

The world building is fine but I do have some questions. There seems to be an emphasis made that mechanimals and mechs do not have a soul and are just things to discard. But Prof Hartman’s own mechs seem to be very different in this. Just Maulkin and the cook. There is an emphasis on that too. I wonder how he made them so different from others. Maybe this is something that will come up in later books? I hope so. I think that would be interesting to read.

Having said all that however the steampunk elements beyond that were great. It really speaks to the imagination with mechs, mechanimals and air ships. There were air battles and quick thinking on your feet. Things I’d want in any steampunk book. One of the things that I also really appreciated was that adults still tried to help. Robert’s father and their savior later one. Adults were the bad guys but not only that. Sometimes middle grade can be too black and white in that.

Characterwise Lily is a girl that is headstrong and knows what she wants. When the book starts she is in a prim boarding school, where she has to walk with books on her head instead of reading them. Something she would a disgrace. I liked her right from there on out.
Robert next to her is a very hesitant boy who grows throughout the book. He slowly finds himself. Learns that he can do things. That he has learned things from his father.

So overall I think this is quite a solid middlegrade steampunk book.