The Cockatrice Boys (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Nobody seemed to know where the dreadful things came from..." (more)
Key Phrases: many monsters, observation platform, Tom Flint, Cockatrice Belle, Auntie Floss (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The idea for this book might have come from National Enquirer: hideous demonic monsters invade England, laying it waste and devouring most of the inhabitants. Embargoed by the rest of the world, the English barricade themselves underground. After five years on the defensive, an armored, heavily-armed train is built to attack and, if possible, find the source of the plague: the Cockatrice Belle and her crack Cockatrice Corps crew. The train sets out for Manchester, and by chance it picks up Sauna, a young girl who embodies both cause and cure.

Joan Aiken's characters are evocatively Dickensian and strange--Sauna, Dakin, Clipspeak, Bellswinger, Tom Flint. This send-up of every other alien-invasion story is a quirky, inventive fantasy.

From Publishers Weekly

Respected for her suspense (The Embroidered Sunset) and children's fantasy (The Wolves of Willoughby Chase), Aiken turns here to adult fantasy, only partially hitting her mark. Monsters called "cockatrices" invade Britain and drive the bulk of the population underground. The country's hopes are pinned on the Cockatrice Corps, who travel from London to Manchester via armor-plated train to battle the foul creatures. Two children travel with the Corps: drummer Dakin Prestwick and his orphaned cousin Sauna Flow, both of whom escape from their nasty Aunt Monsoon. Sauna's precognitive abilities give the Corps a much needed advantage?but they also make the girl a target for the evil behind the cockatrices. A missing book of occult lore written by one of Sauna's ancestors may hold the key to dispelling the monsters. When Sauna is kidnapped, the Cockatrice Corps must save her and recover the book before the enemy does. While the writing is punchy, the story lacks the depth and polish of Aiken's previous work. She adopts a hybrid tone that mixes whimsy with menace, resulting in a murky morality tale that is awkwardly poised between adult and childlike sensibilities.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 221 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312860560
• ISBN-13: 978-0312860561
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,673,645 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #32 in

  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( A ) > Aiken, Joan

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jolly good fun, April 9, 2002

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Cockatrice Boys (Mass Market Paperback)

This is one of Starscape Books' better reprints, and one that relatively few readers will know about. Joan Aiken, best known for her "Wolves of Willoughby Chase" books, serves up a delightful fantasy/horror/comedy story that is sure to win over any fan of things that go bump in the night.

Cockatrices have invaded England. What are cockatrices? It's a general term for various malevolent, nasty, omnivorous beasties that arrived via luggage at an airport (hee!) and soon begin snorking up the unwary inhabitants. In a matter of years, people are hiding from them as they roam through England and lay waste to it. General Grugg-Pennington is given an order: Create an armored train and have a special corps of soldiers to deal with the cockatrices.

One of the people who volunteers is the boy Dakin -- Dakin is brought along because he plays the drums, and repetitive loud noises kill some of the cockatrices. Things become substantially more complex when Dakin's cousin Sauna ends up on the train as well. But something evil is massing in the north -- something connected to Sauna and the cockatrices, and something that will do anything to achieve its ends.

There are plot holes in this that you could throw a Flying Hammerhead through (why don't the people just leave England? Why can't they use an electronic recording instead of drums?) but somehow it never really matters. It's fun. Just fun. Aiken expertly mixes goofy Brit humor with a grimmer tone (sort of post-apocalypse-lite) in a newer kind of England where green leafy vegetables are a precious rarity and German dogs are imported to fight the Snarks. The flying sharks, the slightly dotty old lady, the pleasant old Brit soldiers, the apartment full of porcelain knickknacks, and so on. The plotting is tight; it gets darker as the book progresses, bringing in such old details as Michael Scott and covens of plotting witches.

Dakin is a suitably plucky everyboy, polite and dutiful and thoroughly sympathetic. Sauna is a bit more of a dark horse, as her ancestry and abilities are slowly revealed. The characters around them are less 3-D, but are great fun. There is some violence and creepiness, but nothing too major; this book may, however, scare some younger kids. The scenes with the eerie, almost ghoulish "Aunt Flossie" and her malicious rat were absolutely horrific.

Paper and binding are about average. My only beef? The cover! It's awful! Gris Grimly's drawings are quite good on the inside -- creepy and suitable, kind of a sharp-edged Edward Gorey -- ... In addition, the ending is a bit vague.

This is a really fun romp that kids will enjoy, and adults can chuckle over as well.

5.0 out of 5 stars Rolicking Good time!, November 13, 2000

By	"missxaos" (Cincinnati, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cockatrice Boys (Paperback)

If anybody trusted me with their kids, I would probably read this to them. A fun little jaunt, the kind of story I could relate to/imagine as a child, it can be entertaining for adults, but may be even more enjoyable shared with a little monster who has the beginnings of a sense of humor. Sure, there's a little death and gore, but it's written in such a pleasantly British and accepting way, it works. The population of Britain is virtually decimated by monsters from an unknown source (but they arrive at the airport), so a souped-up battle train of soldiers, dotty British gentleman and a couple of kids go to find and cut off the source of evil. So what if the end doesn't quite make sense? The journey's fun and you just gotta love that British tone that accepts the death of friends and loved ones, but bemoans the loss of good tea. Get it for a little critter and read it yourself.