The Deep-Sea Duke

Aliens, androids, refugee butterflies and rambunctious otters aren't your typical protagonists but then this is no ordinary story.
Hugo and his living mountain friend Ada are travelling by spaceship to Dorian's underwater home planet, Hydrox, for the holidays. As a humble android watchmaker, Hugo still can't believe he was befriended by the amphibious Duke Dorian and fears rejection from his powerful family. Landing on Hydrox, however, far more urgent problems await the trio. A race of butterflies from a neighbouring star system has been forced out of its now uninhabitable home by fossil fuel-induced climate change and, though offered refuge by Dorian's parents, are rapidly running out of space. Deep beneath the seas in the family palace too a strange creature is destroying everything in its path. This unlikely trio are tasked with finding a place for the butterflies to live AND controlling all the chaos.

It sounds completely crazy but it works - such is the skill in the world building that everything rings true as you read. James writes with utter conviction and her clear enjoyment in bringing her imagined worlds to life sweeps the reader along at a furiously fast pace.

James' characters may not be human but their character traits are and this makes them completely relatable. It's impossible not to feel for Hugo with his constant feeling of inferiority, his inability to believe his own luck and his need for acceptance and to cheer his eventual realisation that he does in fact have a lot to offer.

We first met the trio in The Starlight Watchmaker and, although The Deep-Sea Duke stands perfectly well alone thanks to clever explanations which never intrude on the narration, the development of their characters and their evolving relationships are all the more special if you've read the prequel before you dive into this new book. To say more would be to spoil the ending!

Barrington Stoke have a well-deserved reputation for producing brilliant stories by outstanding authors to unlock the love of reading for those who find it more difficult - and this is one of their best to date. A breathtakingly imaginative look at huge topical themes of climate change, the refugee crisis, social justice and equality, this completely accessible, super readable steampunk / sci-fi adventure also offers fantastic LGBTQ+ representation and role models. The specially designed dyslexia-friendly font, the increased spacing between and around the text and the heavier weight, dark cream tinted paper guarantee that ALL readers can enjoy this book - and they will, it's hugely good fun!

Shortlisted for the STEAM Children's Book Prize in 2020, The Starlight Watchmaker and its companion The Deep-Sea Duke absolutely need to be brought to the attention of your Science teachers and would be the perfect discussion-starting choice for tutor time reading.

Let's hope that more high jinx and wild adventures through weird and wonderful worlds are planned for the friends in future stories.

112 pages / Ages 12+ / Reviewed by Eileen Armstrong, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 11+