REVIEWS

“A steampunk collision of heroes, mermaids, pirates, and good old-fashioned Americana. . .Bemis’ debut will shock and amaze.”            — Booklist

"This is one of the best books I ever read! There are many twists and turns throughout the novel that kept me on the edge of my seat. Once I started I couldn't put it down until I was finished." — Books Ahoy

“Bemis's debut novel presents a unique way of creating fantasy by drawing on the themes and archetypes of Southern folklore and American legend.” — School Library Journal

“Bemis is a natural storyteller.  He doesn’t write down to his readers, which is perhaps why [The Wolf Tree] is as engaging for adults as it would be for the target audience of ages 9 to 12.”  — Herald Sun

“A fascinating and magical view of America as a wondrous place, where the tall tales have hints of being real.”                 — Tor.com

“Bemis’ pastiche of steampunk and Americana is a refreshing change of pace from the paranormal stuff crowding the shelves.”  — Booklist

"This third book focuses the complicated plots of the trilogy into a consistent conclusion that forces the reader to consider nature’s strength and technology’s dangers....The first two volumes’ middle school fans who are now in junior high will find more than enough action and thought for their maturing tastes." — VOYA

“Part steampunk, part American tall tale.” — School Library Journal

“With The Clockwork Dark series drawing to a close, author Bemis has saved the best for last…With a plot as intricate as the Machine at its center and a page-turning pace, this unique, ambitious American fantasy comes to a satisfying end that would please even John Henry.”             — Kirkus Reviews

THE NINE POUND HAMMER

BOOK ONE 

Twelve-year-old Ray is haunted by the strangest memories of his father, whom Ray swears could speak to animals. Now an orphan, Ray jumps from a train going through the American South and falls in with a medicine show train and its stable of sideshow performers. The performers turn out to be heroes, defenders of the wild, including the son of John Henry. They are hiding the last of the mythical Swamp Sirens from an ancient evil known as the Gog. Why the Gog wants the Siren, they can’t be sure, but they know it has something to do with rebuilding a monstrous machine that John Henry gave his life destroying years before, a machine that will allow the Gog to control the will of men and spread darkness throughout the world.

THE WOLF TREE

BOOK TWO

Look no further for the perfect book for boys and girls who love fantasy, adventure, and white-knuckle action!

"Can you imagine eternal Darkness, sir?"

So asks the sickly stranger who staggers into Peg Leg Nel's birthday party. Before the man dies, he tells Ray and his friends of a Darkness spreading like wildfire across Kansas, turning good people bad and poisoning anyone who tries to escape. It's clear that though the evil Gog is dead, his devilish machine has survived and is growing stronger.

Now a full-fledged Rambler, Ray leads his friends on a mission into the heart of darkness. Vital to their success is tracking down the legendary Wolf Tree, rumored to be a pathway to the spirit world. Only with one of the tree's limbs can the Nine Pound Hammer be repaired and the Gog's terrible machine finally destroyed. The search for the Wolf Tree grows desperate as the Darkness spreads, threatening Ray, his friends, and all of humanity.