Moonlocket (The Cogheart Adventures)

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When notorious Jack Door escapes prison in to reclaim the Blood Moon Diamond, Lily and Robert are the ones who must stop him.“There’s no point living in fear of what might be when it prevents you enjoying the freedom of what is.” Lily has never quite felt normal, especially after discovering that she is a hybrid—a human with a cogheart implanted in her chest. While she strugles with these feelings, she learns how important family is. Robert faces a similar challenge. He’s been abandoned by his ma, and eager to reunite and become a family again. But maybe his family is what he makes it to be. Meanwhile, Jack Door is searching for a mysterious Moonlocket that holds the key to locating the famous Blood Moon Diamond, a gift from Albert to Queen Victoria. When Robert and Lily have a mysterious run-in with Jack, they unlock secrets to Robert’s past that send them on a dangerous mission to reclaim the Blood Moon Diamond before Jack.Peter Bunzl strikes again! This is the second installment of the Cogheart Adventure series, a charming an enjoyable tale of courage. Lily and Robert both face new challenges that allow them to grow and confront their fears. In the end, they prove that just because they are kids, doesn’t make them less capable of success. Their fierce determination is what drives them to succeed where the adults haven’t. I love this about middle-grade stories.One of my favorite quotes: “If you didn't divide it up, carve things into categories, it was all one in the same anyway - waves and oceans, dawns and sunsets, noise and silence. Life was a single connected river that ran through mechanicals, people, animals, planets. Everything that ever was or would be, all mixed together in a soup of being; of shouting and jumping, moving and bumping. Echoes of the great creation.”Bunzl does a great job with the plot. It follows a predictable, but enjoyable path that makes for a quick and exciting read: bad guy gets tangled up with the story’s heroes who must solve a mystery and save the day. It’s a trope that works perfectly with this story, and there are enough fresh ideas sprinkled throughout that doesn’t make it feel overplayed. I love the way the clockwork technology in this story is woven into Victorian England, complete with mechanicals, hybrids, and history. It continues to have a steampunk/fantasy feel that I really enjoy.I’ve already got the third book lined up, and plan to purchase the fourth as well, which is out this month!

Moonlocket is the sequel to the adventurous Cogheart. A story where a young girl, Lily, discovers the accident that killed her mother should have killed her too but her father replaced her heart with that of a cogheart; a perpetual motion machine. This one focuses on her stalwart friend Robert. After the death of his father he was taken in by Lily, her father, and their peculiar family of mechanicals. Lily's father a brilliant and famous mechanist was friends with Robert's dad and promised Robert he would teach him everything. Still recovering from the death of his father Robert still occasionally visits his old home. His most recent late night visit he finds something of his mother's and he gets put on the path of family he never knew and just maybe a mother who isn't dead. Robert, Lily, and the mechanical fox Malkin set off on another adventure to find Robert's mom and out smart the criminal Jack of Diamonds.Overall, this was a brilliant follow up to the first book. Lily and Robert make a new friend, Tolly, and we see old friends too like Anna and Inspector Fisk. I loved the story I love how it expanded on Robert's character and it brought him closer to Lily and her Father. This can be read as a stand alone. Thank you to NetGalley for this copy, as always this review is Honestly and Voluntarily Given.

Moonlocket is the middle grade adventure involving two children, Lily and Robert, and their mechanical fox Malkin. The kids are both too smart to stay in the house all day, smart enough to follow the clues and naïve enough not to know when to quit. Malkin, refuses to be left behind even if he would rather not march into danger.Along the way, the group picks up a new friend and gets help from automotons and maybe an adult or two — all while facing the bad guys and searching for Robert’s long, lost family. This is an amazing adventure for young readers and adults.I love the colorful setting of a London with skies full of airships, streets narrow and crooked, and a treacherous underground river. I adore Lily and Robert, young and brave and full of heart! And Malkin is my favorite fictional mechanical fox.Open book. Start reading. Loose yourself in the adventure!Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my introduction to the Cogheart series, I have not yet read book one. But, I didn't feel lost, and felt like I got enough background information to get the characters without taking up too much of the story with past events. It's a fun steam-punk-esque kind of world, historical setting, some real historical people, but with a twist of robot servants and mechanimal pets, also an element of the fantastical as the mechanimals are brought to life by special diamond chips that have a life-force in them.There are lots of good themes in the story for kids:- overcoming obstacles-dealing with life-altering health conditions-having family with a checkered past-adoption/family, the meaning of true family- independence and confidenceAlthough I think Lily takes the independence thing a little far. Lily's Dad seems distant and a little out of touch, and no matter what he tells her Lily always believes she knows what's best for herself and does whatever she wants. In most kid's books and movies even for hero kids there's a moment where they realize their parents were right about something or they should've listened to their parents about something... not Lily. I don't have kids, so I don't know if that's something most parents would be concerned about. Just something to consider. If your kid has a healthy respect for adults and parents I wouldn't be concerned about them reading this book.Overall it's a fun adventure story. I really enjoyed Robert's character and his journey to find out about his family and what to do with the information he found, how he would let it shape his life.

Yet another beautiful and charming book by Peter Bunzl!This adventure was full of so many surprises, just like the first book, and was just as exciting! I love the world these books are set in and I always find myself wanting to know more and more about how this world works. The story picked up not long after where the previous book finished and included all of the fabulous goodies from the first tale - but we also got introduced to more! As well as some new devilish baddies as well.Yet again Lily, Malkin and Robert find themselves in some sticky situations that they can only get out of by using their sharp wits, and I found myself rooting for them the whole time! The end of the book put a huge smile on my face, but I smiled continuously throughout the read. These books are meant for children, and I so wish I could have read them as a child because everything would have been even more thrilling; I cannot wait for the next adventure.The Grown-Up Bit:There were a few lines in this book that really hit my heart; "They think I'm not as clever or capable as them because of who I am. But, the truth is, I'm more so, I only wish I didn't constantly have to prove it." and "When you're different, people don't believe you're as good as they are." These quotes feel really relevant and important to me considering what's been happening over the last couple of days, but the second is important and doubly special to me because it is something so deeply true about our current society and I respect Peter for using Lily's difference to make sure children know that it's okay to be different. Lily's strength and courage show that just because your body doesn't function 'normally' or just because you're different from everyone else, it doesn't make you any less special. Thank you for this Peter, from the bottom of my heart.

What an enchanting read! Moonlocket is the wonderful sequel to Cogheart, and again we follow Lily and Robert as they run through steampunk-Victorian London, this time to catch a truly treacherous villain. This story takes place in the year 1897, eight months after the events of "Cogheart." While London prepares for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, the city gets shaken up by the break-out of England’s most wanted criminal, the famous escapologist Jack Door. Meanwhile, young Robert tries to find information about his mother, who abandoned Robert when he was only a baby. During their search for answers however, Lily, Robert and Malkin don’t only find the mysterious Moonlocket, but also cross paths with Jack Door, who appears to be very interested in the locket…and in Robert. This novel is a great continuation of the first Cogheart Adventure. The story has a similar great mix of mystery & adventure, a fast pace and creative steampunk word-building. Peter Bunzl’s 19th-century London isn’t just filled with air-powered machines and clockwork robots, but also with the first Underground system and mysterious theatre- and psychic shows. Old characters return but the new characters will charm you as well. The story doesn’t only focus on adventure but also on teaching children valuable lessons. Maybe more than the first book, themes like family, friendship and honesty play a major role. Lily struggles with her father’s overprotectiveness and wishes she could prove herself, and Robert especially has to make some difficult decisions. Is family something you choose? Are love and trust the same thing? Such questions are not only important for him but for other young readers as well, and to see how brave Robert deals with these problems will hopefully inspire many a child. So Moonlocket really shows itself a worthy sequel. The book is packed with mystery, mayhem, and mechanicals, where young heroes run through the vivid streets of Victorian London to catch a notorious criminal. Bunzl’s writing again is engaging, fun, and will appeal to readers young and old, so if you are a fan of adventure, science-fiction and steampunk, you should definitely read this. An invigorating 5⭐️ Read.

A review from Jenin in Year 6.Moonlocket is an adventure story about Lily, Robert and Malkin. The author of Moonlocket is Peter Bunzl, who is also the author of Cogheart. Moonlocket is about Robert trying to find his mother who left him when he was 3 years old. I like it because it is very adventurous. My favourite part is when Robert finds out something about his grandfather. I recommend this for anyone who likes adventure books.Beautifully written, fast-paced, funny and full of interesting characters that make you want to read on at the end of every chapter. Somehow Peter has even beaten Cogheart, his previous book. You absolutely need this series in your life.

This was the first book in the series that I read. The start was intriguing , and left me wanting to know more. However, it took me until about 40% through before I was absolutely hooked. Then it became one of those books that could easily interrupt my sleep by reading a bit moreThe characters are interesting Robert and Lilly, and i found myself caring about them, amd at times concerned about what would happen to them.The world they live in is fascinating and interesting, and so lifelike. It all makes for a really good read.The thing that really made me fall in love with this book is its theme of friendship and family, and what it really means, what truly makes us human. There is a simple beautiful message in this book.There is also a message of being brave and facing our fears. That sometimes we have to stare our past down, and find freedom in our bravery. Bravery comes in many forms.It is a book with many beautiful quotes my absolute favourite though was this:"If you didn't divide it, carve things into categories, it was all one and the same anyway - waves and oceans, dawns and sunsets, noise and silence. Life was a single connected river than ran through mechanicals, people, animals, planets. Everything that was or should be, all mixed together in a soup of being: of shouting and jumping and bumping."

Another exciting adventure story with Lily, Robert and Malkin her pet mechanical fox. Again the scene is set with an exciting prologue giving a hint of the action to follow. A new villain appears – Jack Door , an evil mastermind who leaves the Jack of Diamonds as his calling card – but how is he connected to Robert?A fantastic sequel to Cogheart – fans will not be disappointed!The third instalment ‘Skycircus’ follows soon… Can’t wait!