Absolutely brilliant book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Unfortunately around the start of the pandemic I requested a lot of books on cover alone.

I didn’t realise this was a children’s fiction and at 34 years old I’m not the target audience.

I will not be reading this novel.

I was really looking forward to reading The Incredible Talking Machine by Jenni Spangler and I was not disappointed!

Such brilliant middle-grade fiction, set in Victorian England. Be prepared for adventure, mystery and magic! A truly captivating read, full of twists and turns.

Thank you Simon & Schuster UK Children's and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Incredible Talking Machine by Jenni Spangler.

A lovely fantasy, gothic, historical MG story that will enthrall you and keep you reading.

Tig is the plucky, brave heroine of the story, who works in a theatre and is mesmerised by a strange gentleman who arrives one day with his incredible talking machine.

I really enjoyed this story, which reminded me of those school trips to the Victorian factories, the ones where you have to dress up and role play as a factory worker in Victorian times. Super story and illustrations. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this.

Me and my son were huge fans of The Vanishing Trick and were so excited to share this one together at bedtime. One thing I found difficult about this was whether a the idea of a why a talking automaton would be so fascinating to people would make any sort of sense to a child who has grown up with tablets, mobile phones etc. ...and in truth, I did need to spend quite a bit of time explaining the context. Spangler is brilliant at creating atmosphere and a sense of the time period and it gave my son and I lots to talk about as well as being a great adventure. Very enjoyable to read aloud too. Great stuff!

The incredible talking machine was a captivating gothic read that had mystery, adventure and many more!

The protagonist was feisty and bold which was nice to read about. The other characters also seemed realistic.
The plot was amazing and I loved the concept of a talking machine predicting the future! The concept was unique and I enjoyed reading about it!

Overall this was an amazing read and thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!

I picked up a gothic/historical children's book by this author before. Although I had not enjoyed it completely, it intrigued me. This was enough for me to try out this one when I saw it.
I read a few scattered books aimed at a younger audience during any given year, and I try to keep in mind the target audience when I react to it. In this case, such forethought was not required. Although the primary characters of the narrative are children, and the plotline is quite straightforward, it was highly enjoyable.
As an adult, I appreciated the well rounded lead characters, especially Tig. She is a hard-working employee who loves her job. She finds herself fascinated with two things, the resident ghost of the theatre and the newly arrived talking automaton. She unearths shady doings to add to her troubles.
The whole narrative shows the varying degrees that characters can be 'good'. They are not all good in the same way, which adds flavour to it. The story is short and action-packed. I have a recently turned-nine-year-old who would be able to read the whole thing in one sitting. The way the revelations unfold, it is bound to keep a child's attention at all times - all the way through to the end. With the Halloween theme of this month (if you are into that sort of thing), this would be a worthy addition to a bookshelf. Also, this is historical fiction and provides enough background for a younger audience to be curious about other 'strange' behaviour of olden day England.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

The Incredible Talking Machine is another brilliant book from Jenni Spangler complete with mystery and magic.

In Victorian Manchester, 12 year old Tig Rabbit lives and works in the Theatre Royale. The latest act set to arrive is Professor Faber and his curious invention, a machine that can talk, and Tig hopes that the show will bring in some much needed money for the theatre. Whilst preparing for Faber's arrival, Tig comes face to face with the theatre's resident ghost, Cold Annie, and, if the theatre's rumours are to be believed, her presence means the show is doomed to go horribly wrong. Tig must do everything in her power to ensure the show is a success to keep the theatre open, but when the professor's machine, Euphonia, starts to talk of her own accord, things become much more complicated. Can Tig work out what Euphonia's messages mean in time?

The characters are well developed (you can't help but root for tenacious but impulsive Tig, or loathe the villainous, greedy Mr Snell) and Chris Mould's wonderful illustrations really bring them all to life.

I really enjoyed this well-paced book which is full of intrigue and certain to keep you guessing until the end. It is perfect for Year 5 and up and I am sure this won't be staying on my class bookshelf long once we start school again in September.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Simon and Schuster in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book I have read by Jenni Spangler, and it is another delight. She is quickly becoming my go-to for mg gothic fiction.

The story is set in 1840s Manchester amidst the noise and bustle of a factory town. We follow Tig, a young stage hand, who lives and works at the Theatre Royale. Her life is far from easy as the owner, Mr Snell, forces his staff of children to work every moment of the day.

Despite this, Tig knows she is fortunate to have a job at the Theatre as this has saved her from the dangers of working in a cotton factory. Another perk of her job is getting to see all the wonderous acts that perform on the stage. The latest of these is an incredible talking machine. As audiences are fascinated and then repulsed by the strange contraption, something even more bizarre is occurring when Tig is alone with the machine. It seems to be talking on its own! Tig is thrust into a world of secrets and mysteries which she needs to solve before things go disastrously wrong.

Jenni Spangler is so good at world building and creating the perfect atmosphere in a book. The vivid descriptions put you right there in theatre, alongside Tig, precariously climbing above the stage and exploring its shadowy corners after dark. The supernatural elements of the story are woven in so seamlessly that instead of questioning if certain occurances are possible, you start to think that maybe they really did happen!

The author seems to have a talent for creating particularly nasty villains! This one is greedy and devious. I cheered every time our protagonist outwitted them and they were made to look rather silly at times. However, this ridiculousness did nothing to lessen their menace or the threat they posed - a perfect combination! Speaking of thwarting the villain, our protagonist, Tig, is delightful. She is kind and determined, with great curiosity and a belief in doing what is right. She makes the best of whatever situation she is in and within the first few pages she had completely stolen my heart!

This is a great book for readers aged 9+. Anyone who likes Victorian/gothic stories with lots of mystery should read it.

One of my favourite books of the year, I absolutely love the way Jenni writes. Atmospheric, exciting and beautifully realised.

Roll up! Roll up! Spangler’s literary spectacle chills and delights!

It’s 1848 and the cotton mills of Manchester clatter and cough. A new show has come to the Theatre Royale, for those who can afford the ticket. Inside, up in the flies, stagehand Tig Rabbit glimpses a ghost while lighting the lamps and accidentally drops her light-stick - damaging the star equipment of the new act: Faber’s fabulous talking machine.

As fast as the light-stick drops, Tig falls into trouble.

There are many marvellous cogs and keys here: a ghost, clockwork machines, inventions, illusions, predictions, greed and betrayal, and the great question: can you change your fate? Should you even try?

Jenni Spangler does a terrific job setting up the suspense and I was gripped from the moment we saw the ‘ugly spiderweb’ ruining the talking machine’s blue eye. And what an exciting finale!

At the centre of it all is Tig Rabbit. Heart-on-her sleeve, hair in a mess, spanner in hand. Tig is curious, brave, and selfless - and that’s saying something for a meddling mite who sleeps on the floor, downtrodden by those supposed to care for her. Can she change her destiny?

Loved it!

The world of the Victorian theatre is brought to life beautifully in this book, from the dangerous contraptions and gas lighting right through to the resident ghost (Cold Annie is such a great name! ). Euphonia's prophecies are cleverly woven throughout the story, and the background details of the real Faber and Euphonia are a welcome addition at the end. I loved Tig, too - a fabulous feisty heroine who somehow manages to bounce back stronger than ever after each setback. An exciting, atmospheric read.

What a lovely MG novel, with a fantasy (gothic) element and a real historical fact as background. Tig is a lovely protagonist, and while the book drags a bit at the start, it picks up later on. The detail of working in a theatre much before modern amenities like electricity was available is fascinating.

Will definitely be recommending this to young and old readers who like a bit of magic and spooks in their lives.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

Evocative and mysterious, so descriptively composed, I could smell the musty costumes and gas lights as I followed Tig through the depths of the old theatre. Tig will be applauded by readers for her bravery, loyalty and boldness, Snell jeered for his greed and contempt. I love that history has been woven into this absorbing story which has all the elements to make children lose themselves between the pages.

This is a captivating read! Tig works in the Manchester Theatre Royale, In Victorian England, doing any job she can, to ensure that the theatre remains viable. An amazing act arrives in the form of an incredible talking machine - a mechanical head that can speak! The head starts to prophesise and Tig is determined to solve the clues to save the theatre and the people she holds dear. This heroine is one that you want to fight alongside! The illustrations are wonderful and there are interesting author notes about the inspiration for the story.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Jenni Spangler has done it again. I described her 2020 debut read, The Vanishing Trick, as a ‘deliciously dark and spooky Victorian adventure that gives you all the spine-tingles’. The Incredible Talking Machine is another spooky, supernatural mystery with a five star performance by main protagonist, Tig Rabbit, that is wonderfully directed by the magical hand of Spangler.

Twelve-year-old Tig Rabbit is a stagehand at the Manchester Theatre Royale where she sells tickets, cleans and is at the beck and call of her the ruthless theatre boss, Mr. Snell. Once a buzzing performance venue, the theatre’s glory days have longed past and its closure seems inevitable. Desperate for an act to draw in the crowds, Professor Faber arrives from Vienna with his incredible talking machine - a cleverly constructed mechanical head that speaks with a human voice.

Things take a dramatic turn when the head takes on a life of its own and begins making sinister prophecies. Determined not to let bad things happen, Tig tries her best to intervene but no matter what she does things keep going wrong and she only make things worse. When a chilling prophecy is revealed that puts everyone in danger, it will be up to Tig to uncover the mystery and save both those she loves and her theatre home…

Based on real events - you can read more about the inventor and his talking machine in the author’s note - Spangler has crafted an eerie and creepy story that held me in its clutches from act one right until the curtain was pulled closed after the final climatic scenes. The mystery and the unfolding action kept me on tenterhooks throughout and I was constantly left wondering, just like Tig, exactly what was going on and what was going to unfold.

Set in Victorian England, Spangler immerses the reader into the world at the time. A world of cotton mills, workhouses, dangerous working conditions, child labour, poverty, unsanitary living conditions and class divide all add authenticity to the story and create a bustling nineteenth century Manchester for the action to play out. The Theatre Royale is its own unique world with its superstitions, folklore, quirks and ghost. As Tig darts along the beams, dashes through the passageways and creeps beneath the stage, readers are taken on a wonderful adventure that goes behind the scenes and reveals the secret world of the theatre.

Such a brilliant setting is deserved of wonderful characters and Spangler has assembled the perfect cast to tell her story. Theatre owner Mr. Snell is the villain you love to hate and his sister Eliza is the perfect counterfoil to his cold, and ruthless nature. Professor Faber is the awkward and eccentric mad professor with his crazy contraption that scares and frightens as much as it does amaze. Sensible and cautious Nelson is the best friend we all need. And Tig is a heroine that is easy to root for; feisty, fearless, kind and brave with a very sharp sense of right and wrong. Her impulsive nature and act first, think later policy does not always result in the best outcomes but she is a character who wears her heart on her sleeve and readers will find her very relatable.

I was thrilled that Spangler had once agin partnered up with one of my favourite illustrators. Chris Mould’s black and white pencil illustrations bring the action to life, add to the mood and are the perfect accompaniment to this gothic narrative.

Magical, mysterious, marvellous. A thrilling tale.

Recommended for 9+.

With huge thanks to Jenni Spangler and Simon & Schuster for the advanced reader copy that I received via Netgalley.

I loved The Vanishing Trick and was thrilled to see another from Jenni Spangler. Madame Pinchbeck is still up there with my all time favourite villains! This book is just as fantastic and the villain just as dastardly!
The Incredible Talking Machine is again set against a backdrop of Victorian poverty and orphans, this time featuring Tig and Nelson. Tig actually lives in an old theatre, the Theatre Royale, run by a brother and sister duo. The brother is the crueler sibling and is intent on selling or destroying the theatre but not with Tig around to thwart him!

Tig is impulsive, poor and headstrong, certainly acting before thinking at times, she is likeable and one to cheer on!
The arrival in the theatre of The Incredible Talking Machine and Professor Faber are part of an elaborate plan by Mr Snell, part owner of the theatre. Euphonia speaks in a strange manner and it doesn’t impress theatre goers. If anything, it frightens them out the doors. Tig must help Faber to succeed or risk losing her home!

This is gloriously gothic and mysterious! A ghost, Cold Annie, is also involved, trying to relay messages via Euphonia, sending chills up the spines of readers!

Loved it and the illustrations by Chris Mould are so perfectly suited for these Victoria gothic adventures!

Set in a Manchester theatre, this is a dark and original mystery story with a truly villainous villain, a ghost, and a fabulous talking machine. Jenni Spangler's writing is incredible and Chris Mould's artwork is deliciously Gothic. They had me at the title and that glorious cover but the insides of the book were just as wonderful! This is an author I'll be watching VERY closely!

That was adorable. Jenni Spangler did it again. I highly recommend this middle grade book full of heart, hope and the right amount of spooky deliciousness. Tig is an wonderful heroine and Nelson is a great friend.

Fabulous mystery full of ghostly twists and turns through a haunted theatre and the streets of industrial Victorian Manchester.

Jenni is brilliant at invoking a truly Dickensian feel, which makes for a gritty period drama that is an utter delight to read!