Moonlocket is the second installment of The Cogheart Adventures. Robert has been welcomed into the home of Lily and her father, yet he still misses his own father very much. He is very angry at the mother he never was able to know because she abandoned him when he was just a baby. When he sees a ghost-like figure in his in the window of his own home, everything changes. Is this the ghost of his father? Has his missing mother finally come back to him? As he investigates, he finds out that it is a dangerous thief and vagabond and he slowly starts to realize that there is more to his family than he ever realized.

Great sequel to Cogheart. Mystery and adventure in a fast paced steampunk story teaching children labout family, friendship and honesty.

This sounded really interesting, and when I got this arc I hurried to find the first book in the series. Unfortunately, I did not find the first book to my taste, and although I tried to push through on this one, I still just can't connect. I think there are some interesting themes and middle graders who like steampunk type stories might enjoy this, but I just can't get into it.

I really enjoyed this second book just like in the first one. Such a cute, wholesome story that everyone would like. I recommend this!

My first book in this series
Full of adventure, and with strong lead characters, this will appeal to both boys & girls in the 10-14 age range
Some parents may be a little uncomfortable with the steampunk theme and the gruesomeness of some of the deaths but i feel its fine for the majority of readers in the age group.

I enjoyed this Middle Grade story about friendship and finding your family. I thought the worldbuilding was fun, and I think middle grade readers will be able to identify with the protagonists. I didn't know this was the second book in a series, and I think it would've been helpful to read the first story. Much of one of the protagonists struggles result, I think, from events in the first book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Sadly, this book did not grip me. And I was frustrated to find – only once I had finished reading – that this was a sequel. It’s quite old fashioned and so I don’t think many younger readers will enjoy it. There were phrases used with variations of “tick” or “tock” such as “Thank tock for that” which I didn’t feel were appropriate, but that may have just been because my adult brain imagined a swear word in its place. I also felt that Malkin had the potential to be a comic relief, but didn’t quite hit the mark. Perhaps this is a book that would be better enjoyed by people who have read the first book.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for a digital copy of Moonlocket.

I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, I found it to be a little too drawn out with the first half being incredibly slow and hard to get into, which may be an issue for middle grade readers. I ended up enjoying the last half. I really liked the main characters. Malkin kept reminding me of my little Jack Russell/Beagle mix which made him very lovable. I also enjoyed the innocence of the blossoming romance between Lily and Robert.

This book was so charming! I enjoyed the enchanting atmosphere, even though I'm no longer a child. It's one of those stories that are meant for children but adults enjoy them as well. Also steampunk setting? Yes, I loved that. I was only surprised with some difficult topics in this book. Since it's a middle grade book, I would expect it to have a little less violence and death in it.

You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

Jack Door, the notorious escapologist has escaped an inescapable prison. He's in on a search for the Moonlocket which will help him get back the one thing in the world he desires most, the Blood Moon Diamond. He stole it fifteen years ago, after which, he was imprisoned, now he has the chance to get it back and escape for good. Lily and Robert end up embroiled in Jack's plans, uncovering a lot about Robert's past along the way. They must stay one step ahead of the Jack of Diamonds, before it's too late.

Moonlocket is the second book in Bunzl's Cogheart Adventures series. I was surprised to find that this story centred more around Robert, his family and their past, for some reason I assumed the story of the actual cogheart would be continued on in this series format, and this change pleasantly surprised me. I thought it was absolutely fantastic to have the spotlight on Robert, who we first meet in Cogheart, and who helps Lily on her fantastic adventure, it was lovely to get to see a different side of him and have him be less of a supporting character and be more in the forefront.

The story itself was wonderfully written, and well thought out. Opening with Jack Door's escape from prison and following on with Lily's father heading to London to help try and fix the Queen's Elephanta for her upcoming jubilee. Of course Dr. Hartman wants Lily to be kept hidden and safe due to the cogheart, but she has other ideas when her and Robert stumble upon Jack in his search for the Moonlocket. A fast paced, non-stop adventure, intended for a younger audience but still able to be enjoyed by adults. That to me is fantastic story writing. You know that the characters are young but Bunzl doesn't coddle his younger readers by tip-toeing around the more unpleasant aspects of life that happen in his stories, I absolutely love this about his writing style.

I came to adore Robert quite a bit in this story, as I said above, it's focused more on him this time and Lily takes a bit of a backseat which was nice. I still found that Lily annoyed me a little at times, but in the end, she is a child, and children do have a way of believing that they know best and they NEED to do things to help the situations that arise. I still absolutely adore the mechanicals and mechanimals and this story had just as much whimsy and wonder as the first.

The steampunk world that Bunzl has created fills me with such joy what with all it's cogs and clocks and ticking and tocking, it actually made me forget that this series is set in the late 1800s and it gives a sense of an old-timey world with a futuristic twist.

The mystery and the adventure itself was well thought out and beautifully executed. I don't want to say too much as I don't want to give anything away because I feel like it's better to find things out as the characters do. So for this review, I'll leave it at that.

If you want a fun adventure, fit for young and old alike, jump into Peter Bunzl's Cogheart Adventures. You won't be disappointed.

"Moonlocket" is a wonderful sequel and I enjoyed this second installment of the Cogheart series as much as I enjoyed the first. It's not necessary to read "Cogheart," but reading this first book will give you a better feel for the series. Also, who WANTS to start at book 2, if starting at book one is possible? :P

My favorite thing about this series is how creative and beautiful it is- I would have loved to read this as a middle schooler. It has many different fantastical elements, but is still set in a realistic-type, steampunk world (late 1800s in London). The series follow Lily and her friend Robert, as well as her talking mechanical fox, Malkin. I loved the dynamic between Lily and Robert- a sibling type friendship that is lighthearted and fun. I really appreciate the complete lack of romantic interest, since this is meant for younger readers.
There's quite a bit of action going on in this sequel- the story shifts to Robert and his backstory, which was a lot more interesting than I would have ever thought from book one. Action includes: decoding cyphers, finding/hiding from con men, near drowning, near death, death. It could be a bit heavy for some middle grade readers- which leads me to the 4-star rating. Lily and Robert are amazing characters that often act older than they are. It was more apparent in "Cogheart," but still an issue for me in "Moonlocket." I also thought the characterization of Malkin (the mech fox) was cute, but his snarky comments came off much harsher than in the previous book. Yet, I loved this book and look forward to reading the final book in the series.

Thank you Netgalley and Jolly Fish Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. I look forward to book three!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
It`s very nice, cute adventorous book with a little bit of magic.
I realu enjoy the storyline and the characters were renaging. I was really corssing my fingers for them.
I highly recomend this book and will be reading othres from this serie.

Moonlocket by Peter Bunzl is about two kids, Lily and Robert, who get involved in trying to solve a mystery involved a criminal mastermind, Jack of Diamonds.

The book is Fantasy/Steampunk/Science Fiction. It is suitable for children who are 10 and up. There’s no cursing and nothing inappropriate.

Overview:

Lily is the daughter of a scientist, who made a cogheart for her so that she could live. They also have a houseful of creatures, like Malkin the mechanical fox that are bigger wind up toys. They aren’t toys though.

Robert is an orphan who lives with Lily and her father. His father has recently passed away and his mother left years ago. When Robert goes to visit the house that he used to live in, he meets Jack of Diamonds. Jack is looking for a clue to where the Blood Moon Diamond is located.

Lily is ready for an adventure. She’s been stuck at her house because of her artificial heart. She talks Robert and Malkin into looking for clues too.

The characters are likeable, except for Jack of Diamonds. He’s a villain and truly despicable.

I hope that it gets made into a movie because it would be great to see all of the steampunk things and mechanical characters. If you like fantasy or steampunk then you will love Moonlocket.

It didn’t take very long to read the book. Although the ending was cool, I was sad that it ended.

I received the ebook from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are mine. Obviously.

This is a great sequel to Cogheart and I highly recommend both. They are both well written and exciting. They hit a lot of hot issues even prejudice. I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to Netgallery and Flux for the opportunity to review this book. My son and I enjoyed the first book, Cogheart, very much and so we were excited to start this one.

I think the content is slightly darker than the first book so possibly not for the sensitive reader.

The story starts with the escape artist the Jack of Diamonds doing what he does best and escaping from prison. He finds his way to Robert’s Da’s Shop but why and what has this to do with Robert and Lily?

The writing in this series is wonderful. The description of Victorian London mixed with the sci-fi element of the mechanicals is captivating. We are very much looking forward to starting book 3.

Moonlocket is the middle grade adventure involving two children, Lily and Robert, and their mechanical fox Malkin. The kids are both too smart to stay in the house all day, smart enough to follow the clues and naïve enough not to know when to quit. Malkin, refuses to be left behind even if he would rather not march into danger.

Along the way, the group picks up a new friend and gets help from automotons and maybe an adult or two — all while facing the bad guys and searching for Robert’s long, lost family. This is an amazing adventure for young readers and adults.

I love the colorful setting of a London with skies full of airships, streets narrow and crooked, and a treacherous underground river. I adore Lily and Robert, young and brave and full of heart! And Malkin is my favorite fictional mechanical fox.

Open book. Start reading. Loose yourself in the adventure!

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my introduction to the Cogheart series, I have not yet read book one. But, I didn't feel lost, and felt like I got enough background information to get the characters without taking up too much of the story with past events. It's a fun steam-punk-esque kind of world, historical setting, some real historical people, but with a twist of robot servants and mechanimal pets, also an element of the fantastical as the mechanimals are brought to life by special diamond chips that have a life-force in them.
There are lots of good themes in the story for kids:
- overcoming obstacles
-dealing with life-altering health conditions
-having family with a checkered past
-adoption/family, the meaning of true family
- independence and confidence
Although I think Lily takes the independence thing a little far. Lily's Dad seems distant and a little out of touch, and no matter what he tells her Lily always believes she knows what's best for herself and does whatever she wants. In most kid's books and movies even for hero kids there's a moment where they realize their parents were right about something or they should've listened to their parents about something... not Lily. I don't have kids, so I don't know if that's something most parents would be concerned about. Just something to consider. If your kid has a healthy respect for adults and parents I wouldn't be concerned about them reading this book.
Overall it's a fun adventure story. I really enjoyed Robert's character and his journey to find out about his family and what to do with the information he found, how he would let it shape his life.

This is the second book in the Cogheart series and explores Robert’s story more than Lily’s.

On his quest to find his mother he finds more than he bargains for in the best & worst ways, discovering he has more family than he thought.

Lily & Robert are solving a mystery in Victorian London that could explain everything. They also wonder if family has to be the one you’re born from, or if it’s something created through love & trust.

I had problems with the download of this title. I believe it was some sort of technical difficulty, but there were many typos that made the book illegible.

After reading Cogheart and loving it I was super excited to get a chance to read Moonlocket. Moonlocket picks up about six months after the end of Cogheart. Though this is a new adventure for Lily and Robert, it still deal with a lot of the fallout (mostly emotional) from the first book. Lily is dealing with not only feeling like she's different than everyone else, but also feels a little smothered by the people around her. Robert on the other hand is trying to figure out what his place in the world is while also dealing with grief.

Bunzl's writing is descriptive while also being easy to relate to. I love the world he's created and the soul that he gives to the mechanicals. This story really delves into the past and reveals more about not only the central characters, but the world that they live in.

This is a great coming of age story (or on the way to coming of age) that discusses things such as family and found family and how different or alike each can be. The adventure has a ton of twists and turns that make the story just fly by. I can't wait to see what else Lily and Robert get themselves into in Skycastle.