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The Kingdom Beyond the Waves
 
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The Kingdom Beyond the Waves (Hardcover)

by Stephen Hunt (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
RRP: £17.99
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 560 pages
  • Publisher: HarperVoyager; First Edition First Impression edition (6 May 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0007232209
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007232208
  • Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.8 x 4.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 64,729 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Review
Praise for The Court of the Air: 'An inventive, ambitious work, full of wonders and marvels' Lisa Tuttle, The Times 'The characters are convincing and colourful, but the real achievement is the setting, a hellish take on Victorian London ! the depth and complexity of Hunt's vision makes it compulsive reading for all ages' Guardian 'Wonderfully assured ! Hunt knows what his audience like and gives it to them with a sardonic wit and carefully developed tension' Time Out 'Studded with invention' Independent 'Rich and colourful ! keeps you engrossed ! a confident, audacious novel' SFX 'Like a magpie, Stephen Hunt has plucked colourful events from history and politics and used them for inspiration ! Hunts tells his full-blooded tale with lip-smacking relish, revealing a vivid, often gruesome imagination ! 'The Court of the Air' brims with originality and, from the first, its chase-filled plot never lets up' Starburst 'The best book of 2007 ! Think Joan Aiken for grown-ups, with echoes of Susanna Clarke ! hugely enjoyable' Historical Novels Review

Product Description
From the author of The Court of the Air, a hugely engaging, Victorian-style adventure, filled with perilous quests, dastardly deeds and deadly intrigue - perfect for all fans of Philip Pullman and Susanna Clarke Professor Amelia Harsh is obsessed with finding the lost civilisation of Camlantis, a legendary city from pre-history that is said to have conquered hunger, war and disease -- tempering the race of man's baser instincts by the creation of the perfect pacifist society. It is an obsession that is to cost her dearly. She returns home to Jackals from her latest archaeological misadventure to discover that the university council has finally stripped her of her position in retaliation for her heretical research. Without official funding, Amelia has no choice but to accept the offer of patronage from the man she blames for her father's bankruptcy and suicide, the fiercely intelligent and incredibly wealthy Abraham Quest. He has an ancient crystal-book that suggests the Camlantean ruins are buried under one of the sea-like lakes that dot the murderous jungles of Liongeli.Amelia undertakes an expedition deep into the dark heart of the jungle, blackmailing her old friend Commodore Black into ferrying her along the huge river of the Shedarkshe on his ancient u-boat. With an untrustworthy crew of freed convicts, Quest's force of female mercenaries on board and a lunatic steamman safari hunter acting as their guide, Amelia's luck can hardly get any worse. But she's as yet unaware that her quest for the perfect society is about to bring her own world to the brink of destruction!

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The Kingdom Beyond the Waves
61% buy the item featured on this page:
The Kingdom Beyond the Waves 4.3 out of 5 stars (11)
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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A rattling good adventure story, 21 Jun 2008
By D. A. Harris "davidharris52" (Oxford, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This is a sequel to Hunt's "The Court of the Air", taking place a few months after the earlier story ends and involving some of the same characters. It stands alone, but if you haven't read "Court" I would do so first (for a start, it is an excellent read).

Both books focus on the kingdom of Jackals, a state that bears some similarity to late 18th/ early 19th century Britain, guarded by a trusty fleet of airships from the fiendish plots of neighbouring revolutionary Quatreshift. Jackals sees itself as the beacon of liberty, but that is relative: for example, the titular King has his arms removed so that he can't lift his hands against the people.

"Court of the Air" featured an invasion of Jackals by Quatreshift, foiled by agents of the Court itself (which literally watches over Jackals) assisted by a race of steam powered robots, the oddly sympathetic steammen. Much of the action of "Kingdom", in contrast, takes place outside Jackals, on an expedition (by submarine!) to seek the ruins of a lost, peaceful civilization which it is hoped can elevate the state of the world. This trip upriver into the deep jungle has overtones of "Heart of Darkness" combined with a dollop of "The Lost World" as our heroes (and heroines) battle with a sentient vegetable empire, steammen turned savage and giant lizards. The tension increases throughout. There is a saboteur on the boat - but who is it, and what do they want?

In the second part we learn more about the true motives for the trip, and in a conclusion worthy of a James Bond film, the survival of the human race is at stake.

The world of Jackals (perhaps Earth, far in the future?) is well realised. It contains many echoes of our own (apart from the Jackals/ Quatreshift relationship) and it's fun spotting the references, but Jackals also has its own deep weirdness and twisted logic.

This is a real page turner, and I recommend it strongly.

Clearly there's scope here for many more stories (please Mr Hunt!)
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully different!, 19 Mar 2009
Hunt's first book 'Court of the Air' seem to fall into that 'love it or loath it' category, and so had very mixed reviews on here. I presume people contemplating this book have already read COTA and enjoyed it.

If so you are unlikely to be disappointed with 'kingdom beyond the waves'. It offers the same breathtaking mix of wonder and nightmare and holds up a fair ground mirror to our own world and history reflecting back a place that is both alien, weird and yet strangely familiar.

Hunt does non stop action as well as anyone, it's breathless stuff but beautifully told, going up and down the action gears so smoothly you hardly notice you have crept to the edge of your seat.

The story largely drops the heroes Molly and Oliver from COTA and gives centre stage to Amelia Harsh and Commodore Black who both featured, but to a much lesser degree last time. It also introduces us to 'Furnace Breath Nick' and his able side kick Septimoth a couple of brilliant anti-heroes. They are all swept along in a story of lost civilizations, giant airships, Amazonian warrior women, rogue robots and so much more!

Then the book gives us a giant 'James Bond' climax. Time running out to save the world, heroes battling their arch enemies amid a larger battle and an arch villian seemingly unable to say 'kill them' instead opting for 'take them away'. Very 007 but with that distinctive Jackalian twist.

I love these books though appreciate they are not to everyones taste. This offering is not as grim and black as COTA, and perhaps does not manage the same ongoing level of tension, but on a big plus side now being familiar with Hunt's world I was able to race into the story full tilt without having to stumble through the first 200 pages wondering what an earth was going on.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Inventive with a cleverly dark edge, 21 Oct 2008
This is an amazing novel from Stephen Hunt, mixing the two key elements of a good read with flawless skill... an original and thrilling story, squirted on top of some truly brilliant writing.

As a follow-up to The Court of the Air, this novel expands the original fantasy setting of the Kingdom of Jackals and its neighbours (the Steamman Free State, Quatershift and the like), through both new and returning characters, my favourite of which was Jared Black, u-boat buccaneer and all-round rogue.

If there's ever a movie made of this novel, I could see someone like Brian Blessed playing the part of Commodore Black and Liv Tyler in the role of the female protagonist, archaeologist Amelia Harsh.

There is also a rare black humour to the novel, which leavens its page-turning pedigree, dragging you along with that fab just one more page vibe. The Kingdom Beyond the Waves also benefits from a clever cliff-hanger ending (literally).

Hunt's imagination is immensely original and enormously engaging and my main complaint is that I dare say I am going to have to wait another year for his 3rd novel to show-up on Amazon.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Like No Other Book
I enjoyed this book thoroughly and if you are a bit of a steampunk fan then this would probably apeal to you as well. Read more
Published 4 months ago by M. G. Chisholm

3.0 out of 5 stars Erm... this is a tough one to rate
On the plus side the book is filled with great story-line ideas, fabulous sci-fi/fantasy-tech and has an immensely vivid background history that makes you want to know more about... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Flemming Nielsen

5.0 out of 5 stars rise of the iron moon
I have never felt the need to spread news of new authors beyond friends and family. I recommended Pratchett, James Lee Burke, Robert Crais, all great, great authors to family... Read more
Published 4 months ago by E. W. Carter

5.0 out of 5 stars Torpedoes away
A little far-future fantasy Indiana Jones-style mayhem from the pen of Stephen Hunt this time. Professor Amelia Harsh, a bit-player from The Court of the Air, is sent off with... Read more
Published 4 months ago by thesci-figuy

5.0 out of 5 stars The Usual Hunt Brilliance
I received the Kingdom Beyond the Waves last week and I pretty much read it in a single weekend - parts of the novel are incredibly exciting, other bits are poignant and bitingly... Read more
Published 8 months ago by J. Brooks

5.0 out of 5 stars Utopia comes at a cost (excellent)
There is always the danger when reading a new writer's second novel that it won't meet the first work's standards. Read more
Published 8 months ago by A. Ferguson

1.0 out of 5 stars Amazed
I cannot believe that the write up I read for this book is about the same book I have just failed to finish. I have been a fan of SF for over 45 years and enjoy variety... Read more
Published 8 months ago by William Griffiths

5.0 out of 5 stars The Kingdom Beyond the Waves
I picked up this book on a whim, and enjoyed every page.

Its style is that of a lost world/20k leagues under the sea-esque adventure, but it references to both real... Read more
Published 12 months ago by S. Mcgowan

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