Show
Published on 7. June 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-1-77086-796-3 (ISBN)
Description
When a group of young performers take on the world's greatest showman, can their abilities overcome his power?
In an alternate 1899, Solomon Hunt leaves home after his father's death to seek income for his family, only to stumble into the adventure of a lifetime when he rescues the Seer, a young genius showman, from captivity in a sideshow.
Together, the duo flee across the terrifying, entertainment-obsessed Empire of America, evading a group of vicious pursuers led by Leopold J. Coop, who not only dominates the Empire through his circus-like extravaganzas, but seeks to be president too.
From Buffalo to New Orleans, Denver to Los Angeles, and everywhere in between, Solomon and the Seer befriend and recruit diverse young performers trapped in shows, including a human cannonball, a giant acrobat, a blues musician, an outlaw gunslinger, a talking gorilla, and more. As Coop closes in and vile secrets are revealed, the ragtag troupe prepare an explosive, groundbreaking performance intended to save them all.
In an alternate 1899, Solomon Hunt leaves home after his father's death to seek income for his family, only to stumble into the adventure of a lifetime when he rescues the Seer, a young genius showman, from captivity in a sideshow.
Together, the duo flee across the terrifying, entertainment-obsessed Empire of America, evading a group of vicious pursuers led by Leopold J. Coop, who not only dominates the Empire through his circus-like extravaganzas, but seeks to be president too.
From Buffalo to New Orleans, Denver to Los Angeles, and everywhere in between, Solomon and the Seer befriend and recruit diverse young performers trapped in shows, including a human cannonball, a giant acrobat, a blues musician, an outlaw gunslinger, a talking gorilla, and more. As Coop closes in and vile secrets are revealed, the ragtag troupe prepare an explosive, groundbreaking performance intended to save them all.
Reviews / Votes
"Robin Hood, move over. This fun, enthralling tale is the new gold standard for a merry troupe of youths doing good while romping across the Wild West and barely outwitting pursuers. Indeed, Shane Peacock, award-winning author of 30 books, has outdone himself in this lively, gripping read, appropriate for both middle grade and young adults. (The cover is also great!) ... This one's an all-out winner." -- Pam Withers * YA Dude Books * "With savagery that cuts to the bone - and without glossing over North Britain's racialized abuses - Peacock highlights the American entertainment industry's exploitation of vulnerable, marginalized people in this tense, triumphant outing. ... A memorable cast animates this dark, disturbing, and insightful vision." * Kirkus Reviews *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Canada
Target group
Young adult
US School Grade: Eighth Grade and over, Reading Age: From 13 years, Interest Age: From 13 years
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 137 mm
Width: 204 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
274 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-77086-796-3 (9781770867963)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Shane Peacock is an author, playwright, journalist, and screenwriter, published in twenty languages in eighteen countries. He has won seven Junior Library Guild of America Selection honors, two Arthur Ellis Awards, the Libris Award, the Geoffrey Bilson Award, and has been short-listed for the Governor General's Award. His young adult novels include The Book of Us, the acclaimed Boy Sherlock Holmes series, the Dylan Maples Adventures, and The Dark Missions of Edgar Brim trilogy. He is also the author of As We Forgive Others, the first novel in the Northern Gothic Mysteries, for adult readers. He lives in Cobourg, Ontario, with his wife, journalist Sophie Kneisel.