The Purloined Boy: The Weirdling Cycle, Book 1 [Paperback]

Mortimus Clay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2009 | Series: The Weirdling Cycle

If you gave a thousand immortal monkeys armed with kitchen blenders all the works of R. L. Stine and Plato, what would they produce? No, not Shakespeare but with enough time maybe you would get The Purloined Boy. The Purloined Boy is about a boy who is stolen by a bogeyman and taken to a city called, Superbia. There he is raised with other stolen children by the Guardians. The Guardians serve the interests of the bogeymen though. And what are those interests? If you have an appetite for dystopian fantasy, you can read the book and find out. Fortunately for our hero there is a conspiracy working to save the thousands of stolen children in Superbia. Even better, there s a talking mouse who comes to the boys aid and promises to take him home. There is only one proviso.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Silver Medal Winner of the Moonbeam Children's Book Award

Gold Medal Winner in the National Young Adult Fiction category 2010 IPPY Awards --Independent Publisher

...a great story, ...a pleasure to read. ...beautifully written... -- Teensreadtoo.com

...a fantasy world to rival the most unique. -- FlashlightWorthyBooks.com

...everything that kids look for in Young Adult books and more. ...a major find and certainly a joy to read. -- Fantasy Book Critic

...took me completely by surprise. ...Mortimus Clay's writing style is absolutely charming and sinister all in the same breath... --DreamStuffBooks.com

...a story that anybody can appreciate and indeed thrill to, but whose deeper foundations can be glimpsed by those with eyes to see. --Gilbert Magazine, the offical publication of The American Chesterton Society

This very competent work should appeal to middle grade readers and imagines a world in which children are stolen away from their families. Trapped in Superbia, where stolen boys and girls are watched over by guardians until they become food for the bogeys, Trevor wakes up in cold sweats every night from terrifying dreams. With the help of a spunky mouse named Zephyr and a clever girl named Maggie, Trevor escapes from Superbia and is reunited with Epictetus, a friendly slave from Superbia who is also a member of the Guild of the Sun-Eaters. After being pulled in two directions by guild members with opposing visions, Trevor finds that his greatest mission and adventures lie in the future. ...this jaunty outing -- and its cliffhanger ending -- could be just the beginning of Trevors story. --Publishers Weekly

Product Details

• Paperback: 249 pages
• Publisher: Finster Press; 1st edition (April 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0982159803
• ISBN-13: 978-0982159804
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,173,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mortimus Clay is the most prolific author writing posthumously in the world today. Dead since 1885, Professor Clay's first book was published in 2009.

While alive Mortimus Clay was a dismal failure as an author. Scorned by editors, laughed at by fellow writers, Mortimus spent his life trying to emulate his hero Charles Dickens, but instead ended up living like a character in a Dickens novel.

During the day he served as Professor of Arts and Letters at Her Majesty's Knitting College for Wayward Girls, but his evenings were spent writing late into the night in his unheated Manchester flat.

After fifty years of teaching Beowulf and The Faerie Queene to unappreciative knitters, Professor Clay died in 1885, half-starved and grasping the shards of a pooly crafted poem entitled, "Ode to a Grecian Fern."

It was the best thing to ever happen to the old boy as his writing took and immediate turn for the better.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lotsa Wise, Creepy Fun, May 12, 2009

By 

Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Purloined Boy: The Weirdling Cycle, Book 1 (Paperback)

I'll never forget the childhood discovery of "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Hobbit." From that time on, I was ever on the lookout for new and exciting stories that could sweep me into imaginary worlds so different from our own, yet so full of truths and values that we relish.

With a beautiful cover and cryptic title, "The Purloined Boy" nabbed my attention, and I decided to give it a chance at pulling me into one of those longed-for imaginary settings. The website gave some great teasers and looked fantastic. Opening the first page, I found myself in an orphanage, an unsettling one where kids have been kidnapped from their homes by bogeys. Even worse, these kids are being prepared as meals for Lord Lucian. Ah, yes--danger and trouble!

But then some of the kids begin to revolt, and the story hooked me even deeper with its humor and moments of true wisdom through the mouth of a mouse. These were some of my favorite scenes, recognizing the correlations between our world and this imaginary one. Soon, the creepiness returned, the action sped up, and the humor continued, but I knew I was in the hands of a storyteller who loves characters, the search for truth (Troth), and the battle between good and evil.

Despite some dark moments, this is great reading for any ten- or eleven-year-old and up, and as a much older reader, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The back cover says that Plato meets Poe here, and that doesn't seem far off. I'm already looking forward to the sequel, and wondering about this mysterious author named Mortimus Clay.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of fun, and good for your soul!, March 14, 2009

By 

L. Sundet - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Purloined Boy: The Weirdling Cycle, Book 1 (Paperback)

The Purloined Boy is an exciting adventure story with lots of stuff going on under the surface: both on a large scale as it explores deep philosophical themes, and on a more intimate scale as the young characters steadily grow and change. It's clear that Mr. Clay loves the people and places he has created, and his thoughtful, effortless writing and his poignant descriptions transmit this love to the reader. It is exciting and engaging the fist go-round, but deserves numerous readings. Engrossing and ultimately very satisfying, The Purloined Boy left me with a sense of great well-being, like I'd read something very enjoyable, but also healthy, enriching, true on numerous levels. It is the kind of elegant, unpretentious, and artful story the fantasy genre needs. Quality reading for adults and kids alike.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark Yet Delightful, February 3, 2010

By 

J. A. Lutton "Book Traveler" (Manchester, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Purloined Boy: The Weirdling Cycle, Book 1 (Paperback)

I really enjoyed reading this book. The author pulls together spooks, unordinary word choices, and vivid details that really get the mind pictures rolling. The characters are interesting and colorful. The names and titles used have even greater meaning and give away some of the characters true identities if you look them up. I have to admit that I scare easy and this book has more than a little spook thrown in. I loved the ending and I can't wait until the next book comes out. I teach fourth grade and I preview most books before I let them hit my shelves. I know my students would have been on the edge of their seats.