Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Monstrous Devices was a nice easy middle grade read. it has adventure, robots and an odd grandfather. The story moved fast and took me no time at all to read through, I do think it gets a little dark at some points, so could be quite scary to some younger readers and the last 20% seemed a little rushed but other than that it was enjoyable throughout.

I was really excited to pick up this book but it ended up being a bit different to what I had expected. It was quite dark and I didn't like many of the characters. The concept was intriguing but I just didn't enjoy how it played out in this context.

This was a highly enjoyable story that kept me gripped thanks to the creepy atmosphere. The story is well written and the writing style was engaging.

This is a great big rollicking adventure with a touch of magic and a hefty dose of witty conversation. A thoroughly enjoyable romp, over rooftops, in creepy houses, on country lanes and in the company of one of the most lovely grandad and grandson combos you'd hope to meet. Alex finds himself joining his elderly granddad on a trip to Paris which turns into a wild ride to protect a toy robot from evil. Chasing them are a bunch of robots who have weapons and skills that will put our heroes in near constant danger. They'll need all their wits to win this battle, and it really is a battle.

It has a fearsome pace and around every corner there is danger lurking. I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it widely for intermediate and junior secondary readers looking for something a bit different and adventurous. It has a very British feel, kind of like an old fashioned adventure and I really hope there is a sequel, Alex and his Grandad are the perfect characters to take on a bunch of baddies.

This is a gripping story that I found myself really getting into and I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though I'm 30 and not the target audience! I do however know and teach kids who are, and I'm getting a copy for the reading corner for sure :)

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the premise of this book and the Paris and Prague settings but the story didn't quite gel for me. I found the grandfather a little frustrating and would have liked to have known more about their enemies. Having said that, the second half was much more gripping and I really enjoyed the golem scenes.

This book was an exciting magical adventure, though it does have pacing issues. The plot is good and intriguing but sometimes the characters spoke less like children and more like adults which could be jarring at times.

There is plenty to enjoy about this book. A boy and his grandfather, hurrying away on the train to Paris in winter. A toy robot which seems just a bit, well, different. Unusual events happening to Alex at school (and the bullying not playing too large a part in the overall book, thank goodness....)

The story is well written. There is plenty of description, which brings some strange things to life, without making it feel padded. Particular turns of phrase are exquisite, but I didn't stop to highlight them.  It feels gothic and steampunk all at the same time. There is mystery, there is a legend, and it unfolds almost like a junior James Bond movie.

And yet... it is very uneven. Several times I wondered whether I had to pick it up again (usually after a particularly distasteful episode) only to find the next piece charming and exciting, really driving the story forward.  Much is not explained. Some is explained in ways that ten year old boys will probably love. I tried comparing it to Lockwood & Co, but it seemed crueller, yet not as sophisticated. I tried to compare it to Artemis Fowl, and got much closer to the feeling I had.

There is plenty to enjoy about this book, but somehow I didn't find the whole satisfying. Very much like my feelings for Artemis Fowl, in fact. I wish it the same success, but I won't be reading any more of this series.

One of my favourite themes being in here, I still enjoyed the story for that aspect, but I admit that otherwise, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I expected to.

While it definitely deals with cool concepts (the aloof, badass grandpa; the robots; the mysterious men wanting Alex’s just as mysterious robot; their magic, both awesome and gruesome), plot-wise the story was also completely over the place. In a way, it reminded me precisely of the way I envisioned stories myself when I was a young reader: “Something mysterious! A bully! School woes! Something else happens! Grandpa arrives! Mum is not happy with him! Something else happens! Let’s run away!” And so on. So perhaps this would appeal to a 10-year old audience? I’m not entirely sure either. (To be clear, it’s not the fast pace itself I found problematic—such a pace can be very powerful indeed؅—but the disjointed way in which it was handled.)

“Monstrous Devices” also contains a very specific pet peeve of mine, a.k.a “I’m not telling you anything because for some reason, I think it will protect you, yet I completely fail to see that it actually endangers you more.” I don’t know why this trope is so prevalent. Just talk to your kids, people, they’re not stupid, and if you think it’s OK to take them traipsing all over Europe while pursued by murderous robots, then why not equip them to deal with it better, hm? (And as a result, the reader is none the wiser either. Having a few things left open at the end, for the next volume or two, is cool; having too many is not.)

Conclusion: 2.5/5. Cool themes, and this will probably work for part of the intended audience at least, but not so much for me.

When young Alex receives a toy robot in the post, from his Grandfather, things take a strange and rather bizarre turn. He finds himself under attack from lots more of these robotic creatures in his own bedroom, his Grandfather saves the day and whisks him away to Paris where the adventure and danger continue until the fast-paced and action-filled conclusion.

A fun book with an imaginative and action-packed plot with a cast of interesting and well-rounded characters. The dialogue, particularly between Alex and his Grandfather, was excellent and frequently made me laugh.

Monstrous Devices' target audience is children but I feel that it could be enjoyed by a much wider audience.

This is a fabulous debut by Damien Love. I hope there will be a sequel and I very much look forward to reading more by this author.

(I’m sorry this review is late: I read this back in Oct/Nov and thought I’d posted something. I lost my father to COPD in November and I’m only just starting to get back on to NetGally.)

This book was everything I wanted; now and as a kid. It was a world that I fell into from the very first page. The characters, relationships and action slipped right off the page and welcomed me home.
I cannot wait for more.

Monstrous Devices is cut from a similar cloth to the Skulduggery Pleasant series of books. Perhaps not quite as richly embroidered but good cloth nonetheless. It was certainly gripping when we were coming to the crux of it but I felt a little let down by Alex being a bit of a nimwit at times. I certainly wasn't all that clever or brave when I was 13 so maybe I'm being harsh but "strange people are trying to get something you own and may have killed your grandfather" seems like the directive you need to do the plan your grandfather had told you about not much earlier, instead of faffing about moping for a few hours. But then, Alex realises what he's supposed to, gets on with things and we manage to get on with the rest of the story at a good pace.

My only other critiques are pet peeves of mine: a) characters revealing little to no information ever and b) characters making choices that they know are wrong but do it anyway for personal gain. But maybe that's just me.

I'd picked Monstrous Devices by Damien Love to review as I often think children's fiction can be tricky. It can also be tricky to recommend good books for teenagers that are not the ones I used to read 'back in the day'. This one is full of adventure and also science fiction too. Did I mention there were robots? For a debut book it's great but some of the action does get it bit confused at times and some of the dialogue is quite advanced for a teenager at times but thoroughly enjoyed it. Hope there is more as I'd love to know more about his Grandad. 

I'd compare it to Indiana Jones and I absolutely love the cover of it too!

This book was a fun yet creepy adventure, involving robots, dramatic escapes, fights in alleyways, a lot of suspense, drama and mystery! This would be a fun, easy read for someone who is looking for a bit of thrill, and a unique middle grade fantasy.
Though the plot was interesting and drew me along, I found I struggled with the characters. The grandfather was so distant and his lack of explanations ended up meaning that I found I didn't quite click with the book, and it took me a while to read. He was eccentric, yes, and at first I found him very intriguing but that unfortunately didn't continue. Like Alex, I wanted to know more about what was going on. While the suspense worked well for a bit, as Alex is also frustrated, as time went on, it meant I stopped enjoying it as much as I didn't know what was happening!
This said, while I found that frustrating, this book was still very enjoyable, and I enjoyed the different places Alex and his Grandfather explored, the workings of the robots, the fights and high jinks, as well as it having some funny moments, beautiful ideas and brilliantly nasty bad guys.
This was a clever concept, and not something I had seen done before, and I would recommend it as a suspenseful mystery, for those of you who don't mind being kept a little in the dark!

This was a lot of fun. A boy's thrilling adventure racing across Europe with his grandfather to save the world from evil villains... plus killer robots! What's not to love!!

It needed a wee bit of fine tuning: some of the action scenes were clunky; children's dialogue had an adult voice; and what crazy person is continually giving a 12 year old coffee, but it was still an enjoyable ride and I'm keen to see if this becomes a series. There is no such thing as too many killer robot / biblical monster stories.

Reminiscent of Young Indiana Jones and sure to delight Rick Riordan fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers, Rock The Boat, for the ARC.

This is a great story.
Full of excitement, robots and of course goodies and baddies! Great for younger teens!

It was an entertaining and engrossing story, perfect for cheering up in this bleak times.
I loved Alex and his grand as much as I loved the well crafted plot.
There's a lot of character development and the cast of characters is interesting.
It was an excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This is a great, fast paced, exciting story. It has a bit of everything in it, Goodies, baddies (lots!), robots, and a good old fashioned chase.

I loved Alex and his grandad - what a guy. I’d like to hear his backstory...who is he?!!

I very much enjoyed reading this, and it was a pleasant distraction from you know what right now... I can’t help wondering what Alex’s mum thought of all this though..we never found that out!!

My thanks to Netgalley and Oneworld Publications for the advance copy.

Alex is about to discover that the dinky robot his grandfather has sent him is more than just a collectible. It’s a catalyst to an adventure of mystical origins. With desperate hunters stalking his every move over Europe, Alex is in great jeopardy.

Readers will be absorbed at the rapidly unfolding drama and the exciting history of the robot that is sprinkled through the action. It was marvellous to have a story that involved magic but with a more unusual origin which will pique the curiosity of the target audience. There is potential here for a successful series exploring the background of Alex & his enigmatic grandfather.