The Return of Rocket Robinson!
I’m a big fan of Sean O’Neill’s Rocket Robinson and the Pharaoh’s Fortune (it was one of my favorite books of 2013), so I was really excited to learn that Sean has launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring Rocket’s next adventure, The Secret of the Saint, into print.
This new Rocket story is set in 1933 and follows the exploits of Rocket, his best friend Nuri, and his trusty pet monkey Screech as they find themselves caught up in a centuries-old conspiracy that takes them through Paris, Berlin, and the small French village of Tours. As our heroes scramble to solve the mystery, they race to keep one step ahead of dangerous thieves, devious art dealers, and dastardly Nazi agents.
This is a feel-good adventure loaded with perilous moments and tension-filled situations that keep the pages flying by. O’Neill’s storytelling style lends a very cinematic feel to the book, and there are plenty of great visual gags (some of them laugh out loud funny) that help keep the tale light-hearted and fun.
I’ve been regularly reading the online serial edition of The Secret of the Saint online at RocketRobinson.com, but the online version leaves readers hanging at page 102, so I’m eagerly anticipating the printed book’s release in October 2016.
If you enjoy rollicking adventure tales with well-crafted characters, this is definitely one Kickstarter you’ll want to back. There are many backer levels to choose from that offer a wide variety of rewards, starting with a digital-only edition of the book for $10. But for $20 you can get a signed physical book and an original drawing (as well as the digital edition), $30 will get you all that plus a full color print of artwork from the book, and $40 will set you up with signed copies of both Rocket Robinson books.
There are also some high-ticket rewards, like classroom visits from O’Neill ($80), and the chance to get a custom drawing of you with your favorite characters from the pages of Rocket Robinson ($150).
The Rocket Robinson and the Secret of the Saint Kickstarter runs through June 5.
