Thieves of Weirdwood: A William Shivering Tale

by Christian McKay Heidicker, William Shivering, Anna Earley (Illustrator)

Overview

For fans of Brandon Mull and Rick Riordan comes William Shivering and Newbery Honor-winning author of Scary Stories for Young Foxes Christian McKay Heidicker's Thieves of Weirdwood, a brand-new illustrated fantasy series about two kid thieves who are plunged into a battle between the Real and Imaginary worlds!

Action, laughs, and monsters beyond imagining abound!

"Startling, original and epic." —Eoin Colfer, creator of Artemis Fowl

Twelve-year-old thieves Arthur and Wally are determined to steal their way up the ranks of the notorious Black Feathers gang. With loan sharks chasing after Arthur’s father and Wally’s brother’s hospital bill due, they’re in need of serious cash. Fast.

When Arthur spots some wealthy strangers exiting a seemingly deserted mansion, he smells an opportunity for a big score. Little do the boys realize, they’ve stumbled upon Weirdwood Manor, the headquarters of a magical order who protect the Balance between the Real and Imaginary worlds. When Kingsport is besieged by nightmarish creatures, it’s up to a pair of thieves to save their city.

Filled with giant tentacle monsters and heroes literally ripped from the pages of adventure stories, this imagination-bending series is perfect for fans of Keeper of the Lost Cities, Aru Shah, and Nevermoor.

"An imaginative, page-turning adventure." —Shannon Messenger, New York Times bestselling author of Keeper of the Lost Cities

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250763006
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	04/06/2021
Series:	Thieves of Weirdwood , #1
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	988,124
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.50(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Professor William Shivering lives in a house by the sea with three cats and a one-eyed raven named Glinda. When he's not writing true stories about fake worlds, he enjoys walking the cliffs and conversing with the moon. He's the president and founder of CASPR (Coalition for the Appreciation of Shades, Phantasms, and Revenants), a non-profit that provides assistance to disembodied peoples. Professor Shivering employs an assistant, Newbery Honor winner Christian McKay Heidicker, though he seldom if ever takes Christian's writing suggestions. Mr. Shivering is rarely cold.

Christian McKay Heidicker reads and writes and drinks tea. Between his demon-hunting cat and his fiddling, red-headed girlfriend, he feels completely protected from evil spirits. Christian is the author of Scary Stories for Young Foxes (a Newbery Honor book), Cure for the Common Universe, and Attack of the 50 Foot Wallflower and the co-author (with William Shivering) of Thieves of Weirdwood. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Anna Earley is a Midwestern girl living life with a flair for the fantastic along with a coiled, corn snake companion named Moxy. Ever since childhood she has loved creating whimsical creatures and vibrant worlds and characters. That passion led her down the path to become an illustrator. She believes that art has a unique ability to communicate and tell stories that excite the imagination and speak to the soul. When she isn’t drawing, Anna can be found writing, studying history and mythology, roaming the woods, or listening to an ever-growing collection of music.

Editorial Reviews

"With dazzling wit and enough spooky adventure for this and any alternate universe, Thieves of Weirdwood thrills to the last page. Startling, original and epic." —Eoin Colfer, creator of Artemis Fowl

"An imaginative, page-turning adventure filled with chilling creatures and lovable characters that kept me guessing through every twist and turn." —Shannon Messenger, New York Times bestselling author of Keeper of the Lost Cities

"A mysterious magical enchanting tale brimming with creative spirit." —J.C. Cervantes, New York Times bestselling author of The Storm Runner

"With a good dose of comedy, a dash of self-awareness, and some riveting plot twists, this book is unique and hilarious." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This series opener's both funny and well paced, and the worldbuilding is fantastic . . . character development is splendid." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

The most important thing to know about…Thieves of Weirdwood is that it will delight and satiate those besotted with Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Artemis Fowl, Miss Peregrine, the Spiderwicks. It boasts a familiar but enticing list of ingredients—an orphaned hero, plucky sidekicks, shape-shifting monsters, hidden worlds, magical peacekeepers, foul deeds, fateful destinies—whisked into a story that is fast-paced, funny and sometimes surprising. It comes to a satisfying conclusion, though with just enough loose ends, and an appended cliffhanger, to propel readers forward to the next installment, since being the first book in a series is arguably the single most essential part of the recipe, like sugar in a cookie.

The New York Times Book Review - Bruce Handy

04/27/2020

When two 12-year-old thieves attempt to rob a spooky, deserted mansion in hopes of landing treasure, they instead stumble into a magical adventure. Aspiring con man Arthur Bentonwants to pay off his father’s debts, while lockpick and pickpocket Wally Cooper must settle medical bills for his brother, who has been institutionalized due to “grand delusions about his role in a citywide conspiracy.” But when the two break into Weirdwood Manor, they discover that it sits on the border between the mundane and Fae worlds, and its inhabitants are dedicated to protecting both realities. With supernatural threats leaking into their own world, courtesy of a Rift in the Veil and a powerful magical artifact, it’s up to Arthur, Wally, and their new friends to thwart a mad scheme imperiling both Kingsport and Mirror Kingsport. With this rousing escapade, Heidicker (Scary Stories for Young Foxes) and narrator Shivering play with the power of belief and the impact of imagination as heroes face off against otherworldly threats and explore the lingering legacy of a notorious Gentleman Thief and his reclusive creator. Strong worldbuilding and great fun carry the story, and occasional illustrations by Early visualize the enchantment. Ages 8–12. Agent: John Cusick at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

04/10/2020

Gr 4–7—Twelve-year-old thieves Arthur and Wally need to score some quick cash. Wally's brother, Graham, is in dire straits—stuck in the hospital with a huge unpaid bill, while Arthur's ne'er-do-well father, Harry, owes serious money to loan sharks. Arthur thinks he has found the answer to their problems when he sees a mysterious mansion, and he enlists Wally's lockpicking skills to get in to steal treasure. Little do they know, they've unwittingly stumbled into Weirdwood Manor, and even more nightmares await. Weirdwood Manor is the headquarters of a magical order protecting the divide between the Real and Imaginary worlds. When the Imaginary world enters the Real world, havoc ensues, with people being turned into porcelain dolls and monsters attacking unsuspecting people. Wally likes to think of himself as the "Gentleman Thief," but when he and Arthur are caught, they are at risk in both the Real and Imaginary worlds. Wally is befriended by Breeth, a ghost girl only he can see who can inhabit any living being. With Breeth at his side assisting him into and out of the hospital and manor, he hopes to be able to save his brother, Arthur's dad, and all of Kingsport before it's too late. Unfortunately, the novel's plot lines are fairly convoluted and only the most diehard fantasy lovers will likely appreciate this ghostly adventure. The illustrations are slightly creepy and mysterious, which do complement the story well. VERDICT Shivering's new fantasy series enters into an already crowded genre, and unfortunately the characters and plot will fall flat for many readers.—Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

School Library Journal

2020-01-12
Two young thieves break into a derelict house and discover a mirror world of magic.

When Wally Cooper's older brother, Graham, decides to use the side of one of Kingsport's public buildings for his "otherworldly" landscapes, he's quickly arrested. And then his rants about "Rifts" and "Fae-born" conspiracies land him in Greyridge Mental Hospital. Wally must come up with a way to pay the hospital bills fast; although he is a member of the thieving Black Feathers, most of the money he steals is kept by the Rook, the notorious gang's leader. When he hears about a secret job his friend and fellow thief Arthur Benton is planning, he convinces Arthur to let him in on the con. The mark is the ruins of a house called Hazelrigg that Arthur swears is more than it seems after he saw a girl in golden robes carrying swords enter the house. The two break in, find a treasure—and then become tangled up in a mystery made of nightmares. This series opener's both funny and well paced, and the worldbuilding is fantastic, with information emerging about Mirror Kingsport at the same time new oddities arise. Even with so much happening, character development is splendid: Arthur stands out as both flawed and heroic. Wally and his brother are black, Arthur is white.

A funny, unusual adventure with enough unanswered questions to have readers eager for Book 2. (Fantasy. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews