The Mourning Emporium
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £0.25
Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in The Mourning Emporium for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £0.25, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"Everyone who has been to Venice should and must read THE UNDROWNED CHILD and the preorder this sequel... Those that haven't should visit and take THE UNDROWNED CHILD with them." (Bookseller, Harrods WATERSTONES.COM )
"the supporting cast adds sparkle after sparkle... I was most glad to reacquaint myself with Venice's curry-loving, salty tongued mermaids...Turtledove, a kind hearted, orphan-saving, talking bulldog was my other favourite. He's as memorable as any Narnian creation... There are ghosts, talking animals, pirates, orphans, heroes and villains in worlds between the linings, but there's also a vivid and utterly accurate historical picture of London and Venice at the time." (THE BOOK BAG )
"Without reading the stories it's hard to convey just how whimsical and wonderful they are. Historically imbued with so many interesting true tidbits, filled with unique and charming characters, and told in the most enjoyably unusual language, these books are like nothing I've ever read before. They are at once the quintessential children's adventure story while being told in such an intelligent way that I can easily see them becoming great classics." (THE DIARY OF A BOOKWORM )
"Wildly imaginative and action-packed, Lovric's books stand out for their authentic historical detail and inventive use of langauage. A rambunctious romp for girls and boys who like fun with their fantasy." (Sally Morris DAILY MAIL )
"Michelle Lovric has provided another rip-roaring tale of amazing ingenuity and inventiveness.... Lovric's imaginative characterisation knows no bounds, and her dialogue sparkles with wit. For an adult reader who unashamedly loved every word of it, the book gives a glimpse of the weird and wonderful Victorian world... for younger readers it offers a treasure trove of delight, with an action packed plot spiced by historical events and magic." (HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY )
"the supporting cast adds sparkle after sparkle... I was most glad to reacquaint myself with Venice's curry-loving, salty tongued mermaids...Turtledove, a kind hearted, orphan-saving, talking bulldog was my other favourite. He's as memorable as any Narnian creation... There are ghosts, talking animals, pirates, orphans, heroes and villains in worlds between the linings, but there's also a vivid and utterly accurate historical picture of London and Venice at the time." (THE BOOK BAG )
"Without reading the stories it's hard to convey just how whimsical and wonderful they are. Historically imbued with so many interesting true tidbits, filled with unique and charming characters, and told in the most enjoyably unusual language, these books are like nothing I've ever read before. They are at once the quintessential children's adventure story while being told in such an intelligent way that I can easily see them becoming great classics." (THE DIARY OF A BOOKWORM )
"Wildly imaginative and action-packed, Lovric's books stand out for their authentic historical detail and inventive use of langauage. A rambunctious romp for girls and boys who like fun with their fantasy." (Sally Morris DAILY MAIL )
"Michelle Lovric has provided another rip-roaring tale of amazing ingenuity and inventiveness.... Lovric's imaginative characterisation knows no bounds, and her dialogue sparkles with wit. For an adult reader who unashamedly loved every word of it, the book gives a glimpse of the weird and wonderful Victorian world... for younger readers it offers a treasure trove of delight, with an action packed plot spiced by historical events and magic." (HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY )
Product Description
Two summers ago, Venice was dying and an 11-year-old girl made her first (so she thought) visit to the city where she instantly felt she belonged. Teodora, it transpired, was the undrowned child, destined to save Venice from its long-standing enemy, Bajamonte Tiepolo, the traitor. According to a long ago prophecy, Teo and Renzo (the studious son) were the only people equipped to defeat the baddened magic that the traitor brought to the stricken city. But they couldn't kill him - and so, subdued, but bitter, he returned to his shadowy existence. Now he's back. And in need of a new army, he sets his sights on London - which is weak with mourning the death of the Queen, Victoria. Teo and Renzo find themselves on board a ship for orphans whose course seems mysteriously set for London. Once again, destiny brings them face to face with their enemy, who will stop at nothing to destroy not only London and Venice but the children at the heart of the prophecy that binds him to his failure.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Those who relished the wit, learning, eccentric characters and barmy flights of fantasy of Michelle Lovric's THE UNDROWNED CHILD will not be disappointed by this excellent sequel. It continues Teo and Renzo's battle against the evil spirit of Bajamonte Tiepolo and his ambitions to destroy Venice and all things Venice-related. Once again it's a book that older children will enjoy but is so intelligent and entertaining that adults should not feel excluded.
This time although the narrative begins in Venice it swiftly moves to piratical events on the high seas and then to London around the time of Queen Victoria's death. Lovric successfully blends documented historical fact with humour, surreal fantasy adventure and often a fairly macabre Gothic sensibility. Tiepolo's chief ally is the extremely nasty Miss Uish who brutalises the orphans in her charge on the ship she commandeers. She's one of the most brilliantly realised and most despicable villains in a children's book that I can remember.
Any book that has a bluff talking bulldog, curry-eating mermaids, street urchins who sleep in coffins, vampire squid and a sarcastic flying cat would be worth a read but the quality of Lovric's research, characterisations, richly comic dialogue and gift for conjuring up a vivid sense of time and place makes this into something special. I found myself quickly forgiving the nonsensical passage late in the book where Bajamonte Tiepolo gloatingly reveals his wicked plans to Teo, because the quality and charm of the writing had by then, completely won me over.
I imagine it is possible to read and enjoy THE MOURNING EMPORIUM as a stand alone book, but I suspect that the reader will get much more out of the experience if they have first read THE UNDROWNED CHILD. Certain concepts such as "going between the linings" will be easier to grasp, as will the underlying motivations and histories of the protagonists.
Happily, the ending of this book implies that a further sequel is a virtual certainty. There is therefore, no cause for mourning here.
This time although the narrative begins in Venice it swiftly moves to piratical events on the high seas and then to London around the time of Queen Victoria's death. Lovric successfully blends documented historical fact with humour, surreal fantasy adventure and often a fairly macabre Gothic sensibility. Tiepolo's chief ally is the extremely nasty Miss Uish who brutalises the orphans in her charge on the ship she commandeers. She's one of the most brilliantly realised and most despicable villains in a children's book that I can remember.
Any book that has a bluff talking bulldog, curry-eating mermaids, street urchins who sleep in coffins, vampire squid and a sarcastic flying cat would be worth a read but the quality of Lovric's research, characterisations, richly comic dialogue and gift for conjuring up a vivid sense of time and place makes this into something special. I found myself quickly forgiving the nonsensical passage late in the book where Bajamonte Tiepolo gloatingly reveals his wicked plans to Teo, because the quality and charm of the writing had by then, completely won me over.
I imagine it is possible to read and enjoy THE MOURNING EMPORIUM as a stand alone book, but I suspect that the reader will get much more out of the experience if they have first read THE UNDROWNED CHILD. Certain concepts such as "going between the linings" will be easier to grasp, as will the underlying motivations and histories of the protagonists.
Happily, the ending of this book implies that a further sequel is a virtual certainty. There is therefore, no cause for mourning here.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I'd concur wholeheartedly with the above review. This is a brilliant follow up to The Undrowned Child, which first introduced us to an alternative Venice inhabited by a fantastical array of characters, including the delicately beautiful, no nonsense, curry-swilling mermaids,and the courageous Teo (the eponymous child). The Mourning Emporium introduces us to a range of new characters, notably Turtledove, a bulldog who cares for a gang of street children. What particularly fascinates me is the way that each character has its own, very distinctive way of speaking; there's a tremendous richness to the language of this book.
There is a bit of a Dickensian feel about the book. This is clearly partly because of the setting - Victorian (just) London, but it's also because of the range of beautifully realised characters, the exuberance of the language and the surefootedness of the story telling. This is a book to curl up with and immerse yourself in - but yes, read The Undrowned Child first. (Anyway, it would be a pity to miss it!)
There is a bit of a Dickensian feel about the book. This is clearly partly because of the setting - Victorian (just) London, but it's also because of the range of beautifully realised characters, the exuberance of the language and the surefootedness of the story telling. This is a book to curl up with and immerse yourself in - but yes, read The Undrowned Child first. (Anyway, it would be a pity to miss it!)
Format:Paperback
Teo and Renzo are back but this time London's magical denizens are in trouble and it's up to the booky pair to combat a familiar foe before time runs out. The feel of the book is identical to the first and younger readers will be delighted with the continuation of the story. Fun read, clever integration of period references and mythos, and consistent delivery of humor.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Was this review helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A magical tale of good vs evil
Wonderful! Enter a magical realm of pure fantasy that transports you from a devastated Venice to a London reeling from the death of Queen Victoria. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Elka
hiro
my daughter loves 'The Undrowned Child' by Michelle Lovric, so this was her request.
It was a fast delivery and she enjoys reading it as well. Read more
It was a fast delivery and she enjoys reading it as well. Read more
Published 14 months ago by hiro
stunning
After reading The Undrowned Child on holiday (and completely falling in love with it) I was doubtful the book hinted towards a sequel - the ending was wrapped up neatly, with no... Read more
Published 17 months ago by inlovewithbooks,doubledeckersandvenice
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
