Dive head-, feet-, or face-first into this delicious danger. -- Kirkus
Reviews, starred review
When Grubb, an orphan and runaway chimney sweep, entered the wondrous
world of the Odditorium, his life changed forever. Apprenticed to the
mechanical marvel's strange proprietor, Alistair Grim, Grubb
unfortunately must settle into his new position on the lam, as all of
England is convinced that Alistair Grim is a villain. Grim, however, has
come up with a plan to expose the real villain: Prince Nightshade, a
wicked necromancer who wants the Odditorium's power source for himself.
With the evil prince hot on their trail, Grim, Grubb and the rest of the
Odditorium's crew embark on a perilous adventure to find the legendary
sword Excalibur: the only weapon capable of penetrating Nightshade's
magical suit of armor. As expected, their quest turns out to be anything
but ordinary. Not only can the Odditorium fly, but it can also swim! And
so the crew battens down the hatches and sets off on an underwater
voyage to the otherworldly realm of Avalon, home to Excalibur. Along the
way, they must battle a banshee assassin, sea monsters, and a witch who
seeks revenge on Alistair Grim for stealing her magical objects.
But that's not all. Unbeknownst to Grubb and the others, their fate has
been written in an ancient Avalonian prophecy-a prophecy that holds the
key to a destiny not even Alistair Grim could have imagined.