The Left-Handed Fate

by Kate Milford, Eliza Wheeler (Illustrator)

Overview

From Kate Milford, the bestselling author of National Book Award nominee Greenglass House, comes another magical, middle-grade adventure, The Left-Handed Fate.

Lucy Bluecrowne and Maxwell Ault are on a mission: find the three pieces of a strange and arcane engine. They're not exactly sure what this machine does, but they have it on good authority that it will stop the war that's raging between their home country of England and Napoleon Bonaparte's France. Despite being followed by mysterious men dressed all in black, they're well on their way to finding everything they need when their ship, the famous Left-Handed Fate, is taken by the Americans.

And not just any Americans. The Fate (and with it, Lucy and Max) are put under the command of Oliver Dexter, who's only just turned twelve.

But Lucy and Max aren't the only ones trying to put the engine together, and if the pieces fall into the wrong hands, it could prove disastrous. Oliver is faced with a choice: help Lucy and Max and become a traitor to his country? Or follow orders and risk endangering that same country and many others at the same time—not to mention his friends?

"This world has a seductive, fairytale quality—Patrick O’Brian’s Captain Aubrey series as seen through the lens of Hayao Miyazaki. . . It's impossible not to admire The Left-Handed Fate for its epic scope, joyful evocation of life on the high seas and suspenseful mystery." —The New York Times Book Review

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250121837
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	08/22/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	403,067
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 5.20(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	810L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Kate Milford is the author of The Boneshaker, The Broken Lands, The Kairos Mechanism, Bluecrowne, and Greenglass House, which was long-listed for the National Book Award. Originally from Annapolis, Maryland, Kate now lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.

Eliza Wheeler grew up in northern Wisconsin in a family of artists, musicians, and teachers. Her picture book Miss Maple's Seeds debuted on the New York Times bestseller list. Eliza has illustrated several other children's books, including the Newbery Honor Book Doll Bones by Holly Black. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband.

Editorial Reviews

Milford is a master at creating intricate worlds infused with an element of the fantastical…For the setting of The Left-Handed Fate, Milford concocts a captivating portrait of 19th-century sloops and brigs with their lamp-lit captain's quarters, copper-bound sea chests and late-night snacks of biscuits and sherry…This world has a seductive, fairy-tale quality—Patrick O'Brian's Captain Aubrey series as seen through the lens of Hayao Miyazaki…Through her three heroes, [Milford]…sensitively explores the complexities of loyalty, duty and leadership in a way young readers will relate to. We also meet one of the most memorable middle-grade characters in recent memory: the Mad Spinster, a spidery-looking weaver with indigo-hued fingers, lips "stained a purple-red wine color" and a loom that may have answers to the book's mysteries…it's impossible not to admire The Left-Handed Fate for its epic scope, joyful evocation of life on the high seas and suspenseful mystery. As the Mad Spinster sighs, "There are so few truly wonderful puzzles to be had these days." Here, at least, is one.

The New York Times Book Review - Catherine Hong

"This world has a seductive, fairytale quality – Patrick O’Brian’s Captain Aubrey series as seen through the lens of Hayao Miyazaki. . . It's impossible not to admire The Left-Handed Fate for its epic scope, joyful evocation of life on the high seas and suspenseful mystery." —The New York Times Book Review

"Rich and strange of place and premise; suspenseful and thought-provoking." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on The Left-Handed Fate

"Beautifully written, with careful attention to historical details . . . An unusually rigorous romp for lovers of steampunk, mystery, and swashbuckling adventure." —School Library Journal on The Left-Handed Fate

"the story teems with lively characters and a captivating sense of place, all driven along by the engrossing puzzle of the mysterious contraption. . . . A colorful, swashbuckling caper full of heart." —Booklist on The Left-Handed Fate

"The idea of achieving peace through superior firepower is effectively questioned over the course of the narrative, but it is the human questions of honor, courage, and generosity—embodied in decisive Lucy, philosophical Max, impish Liao, and dutiful Oliver—that will leave readers cheering by the book’s rousing close." —The Horn Book on The Left-Handed Fate


Greenglass House:

National Book Award Longlist

"An enchanting, empowering, and cozy read." -Booklist, starred review

"An abundantly diverting mystery." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Give this one to fans of Trenton Lee Stewart's The Mysterious Benedict Society." -School Library Journal

From the Publisher

08/01/2016
Gr 5–8—Navigating the dangers, depths, and shifting alliances of the high seas is always a tricky affair. Because Lucy Bluecrowne, Maxwell Ault, and Oliver Dexter (pirate's daughter, aspiring natural philosopher, and midshipman–turned–acting prize captain, respectively) are barely teenagers, what might have been merely tricky turns into an undertaking of epic proportions. With settings ranging from the tumultuous Baltimore harbor to the magical fictional port of Nagspeake, this sequel to Milford's Bluecrowne follows the quest for a mysterious ancient engine, a weapon that could perhaps put an end to war. Beautifully written, with careful attention to historical details, the story balances steampunk elements, mythology, and action with plenty of passion, jam, and jokes. The surprising conclusion will astonish and satisfy, despite more than one deus ex machina. Wheeler's textured illustrations add movement and lucidity, making the denser and more difficult to visualize elements of the plot accessible. VERDICT An unusually rigorous romp for lovers of steampunk, mystery, and swashbuckling adventure.—Katya Schapiro, Brooklyn Public Library

School Library Journal

★ 2016-05-18
An ancient inscription and a handful of inscrutable artifacts plunge three young people into both the War of 1812 and a much larger, older conflict.Opening in Baltimore then moving on to the not-entirely-earthly town of Nagspeake (setting, in another era, of Milford's Greenglass House, 2014), the tale centers on staid, methodical "natural philosopher" Max Ault; 12-year-old American naval officer Oliver Dexter; and fiery Lucy Bluecrowne, daughter of a renowned British privateer, captain of the titular ship. It pits them against both relentless French pursuers and mysterious men in black with eldritch abilities. The prize is a three-part device made thousands of years ago and said to be able to stop war…a superweapon, or so everyone (nearly everyone) presumes. Along with being replete with rousing chases, races, and violent explosions, the tale is uncommonly rich in memorable characters, from the central three, who all display stout hearts and hidden depths, to Lucy's 9-year-old half brother, part-Chinese Liao: pacifist, expert lockpick, and fireworks genius extraordinaire. The labyrinthine Nagspeake itself is magical and vivid enough to serve as more than just a setting (and deservedly sports a metafictional website). Wheeler's neatly turned monochromes capture the tale's warmth and wonder, though (at least as she depicts it) the cast appears to be white, excepting Liao. Rich and strange of place and premise; suspenseful and thought-provoking. (Fantasy. 11-13)

Kirkus Reviews