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An Alternative Detective Novel
by A. J. Hartley
Thoughtfully imaginative and action-packed, Steeplejack is New York Times bestselling A. J. Hartley's YA debut set in a 19th-century South African fantasy world.
Seventeen-year-old Anglet Sutonga lives repairing the chimneys, towers, and spires of the city of Bar-Selehm. Dramatically different communities live and work alongside each other. The white Feldish command the nation's higher echelons of society. The native Mahweni are divided between citylife and the savannah. And then there's Ang, part of the immigrant Lani community who mostly live in poverty on Bar-Selehm's edges.
When Ang is supposed to meet her new apprentice Berrit, she instead finds him dead. That same night, the Beacon, an invaluable historical icon, is stolen. The Beacon's theft commands the headlines, yet no one seems to care about Berrit's murder - except for Josiah Willinghouse, an enigmatic young politician. When he offers her a job investigating his death, she plunges headlong into new and unexpected dangers.
Meanwhile, crowds gather in protests over the city's mounting troubles. Rumors surrounding the Beacon's theft grow. More suspicious deaths occur. With no one to help Ang except Josiah's snobby younger sister, a savvy newspaper girl, and a kindhearted herder, Ang must rely on her intellect and strength to resolve the mysterious link between Berrit and the missing Beacon before the city descends into chaos.
"Starred Review. an unforgettable page-turner built on surprises and full of potential. " - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. Smart political intrigue wrapped in all the twists and turns of a good detective story makes for a rip-roaring series opener. Ages 13 & up." - Kirkus
"Starred Review. "Skillful writing, masterful pacing, and a capable and quite likable female detective are just a few of the things to love about this fantasy-adventure...This one won't stay on the shelf for long." - Booklist
"A richly realized world, an intensely likable character, and a mystery to die for." - Cory Doctorow, New York Times-bestselling author
"With its unique South African-inspired setting, richly-drawn and diverse cast of characters, and unstoppable plot, readers of any age won't be able to put Steeplejack down!" - Carrie Ryan, New York Times bestselling author
"With Steeplejack, A.J. Hartley introduces a dynamic, complex and likeable new heroine who combines wits, skill and courage to face deadly challenges in an exotic world. Teens and adults will love this book and want more, more, more!" - Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Rot & Ruin and The Orphan Army.
"A.J. Hartley has created an exquisite, explosive, nail-biting, tear-rousing masterpiece, in a world so realistic it might be right around the corner." - Faith Hunter, New York Times bestselling author
"What a world Hartley has created! Enough twists and surprises to keep the pages turning long into the night." - R.L. Stine
"A unique epic adventure set in a richly imagined world; lush, exotic and masterfully written. It's Sherlock Holmes, Oliver Twist, and Indiana Jones rolled into one." - Lissa Price, internationally bestselling author of Starters and Enders
"Smart and socially-aware, this fabulous debut adds to the growing library of multicultural fantasy and is a loudly resounding success." - Nisi Shawl, Tiptree Award-winning author and co-author of Writing the Other: A Practical Approach
"With Steeplejack, A.J. Hartley creates a world as complex as its heroine, and a mystery that spans class, race and geography. You can feel the grit and glory of Bar-Selehm, a many-spired city teetering on the edge of the savannah, and the verge of war." - Sherri L. Smith, award-winning author of Flygirls and Orleans
"Hartley has created a world so gritty and real I could taste the soot." - Maurice Broaddus, author of the Knights of Breton Court trilogy
This information about Steeplejack was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
A. J. Hartley is the international bestselling author of a dozen novels including several archaeological thrillers, the Darwen Arkwright children's series, the Will Hawthorne fantasy adventures, novels based on Macbeth and Hamlet. Steeplejack is his first young adult novel. Hartley teaches as the Robinson Distinguished Professor of Shakespeare at UNC Charlotte.
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