SPOILER FREE SUMMARY
In “London, 1850”, young Jack Harkett is an orphan and a pick-pocket who spends his time on the docks of London. There he meets Ben, who has recently stowed away on a ship. Ben tells Jack his fantastic story, and not to spoil it too much, it involves a trip to Mexico, a pagan temple, and a demon named Camazotz. From there we meet Ben's sister, Emily and the trio decide it is up to them to stop Camazotz, who has brought his vampiric bats with him and intends to turn the citizens of London into vampires.
OUR CAST OF CHARACTERS
Jack Harkett is street savvy, adventurous, and curious. Being the outsider, he often see's things differently than his two friends. Often times, Ben turns to Jack for advice, like when they have to sneak into Camaztoz' current residence.
Through the story we learn that he actually envies the siblings' relationship. Because of this aspect of his character, the reader is readily sympathetic too him.
The author doesn't spend time trying to get the reader feeling bad that Jack is an orphan and has to be a thief. Indeed, I never once thought of him as a victim but as a survivor. I found that refreshing, as I have read so many stories where the main character is a victim in almost every way imagined, in order to gain our sympathy.
Emily Cole is kind, caring, and studios. She serves as a key component to the story, as she helps gain knowledge on Camazotz. She also isn't afraid to put her life on the line, as she does almost instantly.
She is obviously written for a twenty-first century audience, as girls weren't commonly students in this time period, nor so independent. Although this is slightly acknowledged, when Emily reveals she has knowledge of , Professor Adensnap seems surprised but pleased.
Even so, she is not written to be the overly-perfect female, doing anything that the boys can do, but better. In fact, she even has to be rescued by them.
Benedict Cole, having witnessed the true evils of Camazotz and his many murders, has a bit more of a realistic view on the demon Camazotz and more of a fear of him. Because of this, he is more hesitant to rush in than his sister and Jack. It's not that Ben has suffered under the demons that endears him to the reader, but the fact that he is still willing to fight. He has a strong sense of the sacrifice he may have to make.
Professor Adensnap, is a sort of mentor presented in the story, and I think he played his role well. He is neither stupid nor dense, as are many adult characters present in childrens' book. And he actually serves to help, giving the children information about the demon's history and how to send him back to Hell.
As for our villains, Camazotz comes off creepy and scary, but not cartoon-sh as some childrens' book villains have been known to do. As does his vampire minion, Mr. Brown, the butler.
We learn some of his history throughout the book but he isn't quite fleshed out. But the story doesn't suffer for it.
PACING AND FLASHBACKS
The story is well paced, never staying still too long for the reader to get bored. The scenes of research and respites are not overly long or tedious. The first portion of the book is a flashback to Mexico, and takes up about 37% of the book. I have often read on the dangers of flashbacks, but the first chapter is really trying to start us in the middle of the story, to get us curious. So it makes complete sense that we have to go back in time to see what brought us to the first chapter of the book.
ASPECTS OF THE STORY
The book is part mystery, part horror, and part action. And although there are plenty of vampire-fighting scenes, the reader is not overwhelmed, as there are plenty of other things to keep them interested, such as a chase scene, an intruder who sneaks into the Coles' home during the middle of the night, as well as the mystery of how to defeat Camazotz himself.
USES OF FORESHADOWING
There are two instances where we, the reader gets a glimpse of something that will be of much importance in the future and in defeating Camazotz. The first one was not quite as obvious as the second one. Also, in the epilogue of the book, Jack spots a vampire in the sky, and this is obvious a hint of future battles to come. As a bonus, there is also a foreshadowing of the importance of two objects, that have to do with the second book in the series. We never quite learn why they are important in this book.
AN ORIGINAL TAKE ON VAMPIRES
London makes a perfect backdrop to this story, and I would have to say the most original thing about it is the vampire King himself. Instead of our traditional vampire story, we get a new interpretation, a new origin, as well as some new rules. Although Camazotz, is routinely called a god, it is done in the same tradition as Bram Stoker, as he is a demonic force and must be sent back to Hell.
GRAPHIC CONTENT
Although many people get killed in the book, most of the deaths are not witnessed directly, but overheard (as Ben stowed away in a ship). And although one character is murdered later, it's not described in detail. Mayan history is discussed and the human sacrifices that were made.
CONLUSION
You don't have to love vampires, or even horror stories to enjoy this story. I consider myself mostly a fantasy fan, and I still loved it.
With likable characters, an original take on vampires, and plot driven not only on action but mystery, I rate “London: 1850” four and a half stars our of five.
What do you think? Did you read this book? Agree or disagree with me on any points? Please let me know!
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