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The Hunchback Assignments
 
 

The Hunchback Assignments [Kindle Edition]

Arthur Slade
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

Digital List Price: £1.53 What's this?
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Product Description

Product Description

*Winner of the $25,000 TD Children's Literature award 2010, Canada
*Winner of Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire 2011, France
*Nominated for fourteen other awards in the U.S., Canada, and France

A book for fans of James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, and Charles Dickens...

This fast-paced adventure is set in the heart of Victorian London. When Mr. Socrates, a member of the shadowy Permanent Association, hears of a hunchbacked infant with the ability to transform his appearance, he decides to take him in. Naming him Modo, he raises the boy in isolation, training him to become a secret agent.

When Modo turns fourteen, his education is complete. He must first survive in London on his own, then, with the help of beautiful Octavia, he uncovers a sinister plot being carried out in the very sewers beneath London.

Will they be able to stop the mad scientist Dr. Hyde and his even more terrifying associates before they unleash their monstrous plans upon unsuspecting Londoners?

"A brilliant sci-fi mystery set in old-world London."
The Calgary Herald

"A thrilling tale of an unusual and talented young man."
Publisher's Weekly

"A full-steam-ahead spy thriller, complete with derring-do, a dastardly villain, and a suitably complex plot."
Quill & Quire, starred review

About the Author:
Arthur Slade was raised on a cattle ranch in the Cypress Hills of southwest Saskatchewan and he caught the writing bug at an early age. He started with poems, moved on to short stories, then graduated to novels, writing in the style of his favourite authors: King, Bradbury, and Heinlein. He is the author of sixteen bestselling books, including the "Northern Frights" series, "Jolted," and "The Hunchback Assignments." He currently lives in Saskatoon, Canada.

Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 458 KB
  • Print Length: 290 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0375854037
  • Publisher: Dava Enterprises (12 Aug 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language English
  • ASIN: B005H7Z8WG
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #68,706 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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More About the Author

Arthur G. Slade
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Joo
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade is my recent foray into the Steampunk genre. The fantastic looking cover caught my eye in the first place.

It's the story of Modo who is taken in as a baby by Mr Socrates who trains him to be his agent. I don't like giving the story away in my reviews, so go read the blurb to see what it's about

Due to mention of orphans at the start and being taken in by a mysterious rich gentleman, I was thinking along the lines of Lemony Snicket, but as it got into the adventure I was picturing the film Young Sherlock Holmes in that they were running around Victorian London.

This book is aimed at the younger market, yet was certainly grown up enough for me. It was a very visual story, I could imagine the look and smells as described.

I will certainly check out more by Arthur Slade. This book is free at the moment and a fantastic introduction to a great writer, so get it quick and start reading.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A. Ross TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover
I have to admit that I didn't realize this was a children's book when I picked it up, but as a fan of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series (which is definitely not for kids), the book's steampunkish Victorian setting appealed to me. In the early pages, we meet the protagonist, a horribly disfigured young boy who is kept by gypsies as a freak show entertainment. A brisk gentleman named Mr. Socrates purchases him, installs him in a country manor, and keeps him there for 13 years, training him in the arts of espionage and in the control of his special ability. For it seems that the young boy (named Modo) has the ability to shift his physical attributes so that he can impersonate others, and thus Mr. Socrates intends to turn him into a secret agent.

The Victorian British Empire of this book has all manner of nefarious enemies that Mr. Socrates and his top-secret "Permanent Association" work to stymie. In this first adventure in what looks to be a series, the villain is a mad scientist intent on creating hybrid mechanical-organic creatures. After being recruited by the mysterious Clockwork Guild (which is dedicated to destroying the British Empire) he sets about using kidnapped orphans to build a massive mechanized robot creature. Meanwhile, the Guild is also trying to use some combination of drug and hypnosis to turn several unwitting prominent men into assassins. Mr. Socrates sends Modo out to try and thwart some of this, along with another young agent named Octavia. They team up and Modo develops a crush on the intelligent, pretty girl.

Once the initial background is established, the story races along pell-mell, with plenty of action, menace, captures and escapes. At times this can make the book feel rather rushed and unfinished, as if there's a layer of descriptive writing missing -- sort of shallow. There is a lot borrowing and referencing of classic genre work here, and at times it can feel like the book is written in shorthand. However, by the end, it seems evident that the Clockwork Guild will be back to fight another day, and that subsequent books will inevitably reveal more about Modo and how he came to have his powers. I suspect most 10-14 year-old readers with a taste for adventure will want to seek out Modo and Octavia's further adventures, but older readers such as myself may find it all a bit too thin.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By S. Horrigan TOP 100 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Rescued by the wealthy and secretive Mr. Socretes from gypsies at the age of one where he was the star attraction in their travelling show, Modo is hideously deformed. But he also has an amazing ability; he can temporarily at least, change his appearance at will. Subsequently taught for 13 years in martial arts, the sciences, the arts, etiquette and acting, Modo is trained to be the perfect secret agent.

Now those skills are being put to the test for the first time as he helps to investigate the Clockwork Guild who are amongst other things kidnapping children and carrying out monstrous experiments on them. Along the way he teams up with Octavia Milkweed, ex-pick pocket and another of Mr. Socretes' young agents.

Taking inspiration from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Sherlock Holmes and others, this is a really enjoyable little yarn. I love books set in Victorian London, whether a factual version or as in this case Steampunk fictional version. The two main characters of the hideously deformed Modo and the beautiful Octavia Milkweed work really well together. The villians are great too, complete with such things as metal hands, steam powered legs and dogs with steel jaws! The story is also well plotted and the ending is nicely balanced.

Kindle presentation is pretty good, but there are a few strange formatting errors here and there, but not enough to spoil the story.

Overall: 5 stars - The Steampunk version of Victorian London is nicely done without being too heavy on technology, the story has enough twists and turns to keep it interesting right to the end, and the blossoming relationship between Modo and Octavia is fun to watch. A good read for kids aged up to around 14 or adults like me who enjoy a good Steampunk tale!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great book to read
I agree with every good review already made. Until I had read these reviews I had NO idea it was a children's book. Read more
Published 1 month ago by UKLiverpoolChris
An enjoyable read
Sometimes I found it difficult to think of this as a children's book because it is such a good read. Nothing overly taxing for adult readers but engaging nevertheless. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ms. T. M. Williams
Great read based on unbelievable plot and characters
I loved this once I got used to it. It's a mixture of Dan Dar meets Tin Tin. At the end of each chapter I expected the Kindle to burst out with `tune in next week for the next... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Airline Traveller
Kids or adults?
What is the difference between an adult book and a childrens' book? The answer should be none!

A good book is a good book regardless who it is aimed at. Read more
Published 4 months ago by nixlyn
Werid, Boring, Interesting and many more
Werid - The characters were weird but interesting enough to grab your attention.
Boring - Too long, I admit I skip ahead to get to a better parts of the story. Read more
Published 5 months ago by JewelSilver
Excellent read
This was a very good read and I enjoyed the characters,sinister plot and setting immensely. The story revolves around our hunchbacked hero Modo,who I'm not sure if he is related to... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mikeedude
Intriguing Hero, Intriguing World
I'm a huge fan of all things steampunk, and came to this novel through a website devoted to the genre. I have to say, I'm heartily glad that I did. Read more
Published 9 months ago by David Ford
Wonderfully inventive
This book is like a cross between a William Gibson Novel, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and the Matrix. Modo is a secret agent; he was raised almost from birth by Mr. Read more
Published on 30 Mar 2010 by Steven R. McEvoy
Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Mysterious Mr. Socrates found a one-year-old child in the back of a gypsy cart with the label "L'Enfant du Monstre." Thinking the child was just physically deformed, Mr. Read more
Published on 30 Nov 2009 by TeensReadToo
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