My thanks to Barrington Stoke for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Clockwork Queen’ by Peter Bunzl in exchange for an honest review.

This is an illustrated story set in Imperial Russia during the reign of Catherine the Great and is intended for young readers aged 8-12. The illustrations by Lia Visirin are sweet and perfectly complement this charming story.

The tale is narrated by chess prodigy Sophie Peshka, who has inherited a love of the game from her grandmaster father. Then he is summoned to the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to instruct Prince Paul, the young son of the Empress. Sophie receives no word from her father and eventually learns that he has been imprisoned in the palace dungeons.

Sophie has to use all her strategic skill and cunning to help him escape. She is assisted by Mr. Kon, an inventor friend of her father, and Olga, his daughter. Kon has invented an amazing automaton, the Clockwork Queen.

Peter Bunzl includes an Author’s Note that provides historical background on his story including the inspiration provided by the chess playing machine known as the Mechanical Turk that was invented in the 18th Century.

This was a short, lovely read that I imagine will delight young readers and also serve as an introduction to the pleasures of historical fiction in which the author utilises their imagination to weave together historical figures, events and settings alongside their own original characters to transport their readers through time and space to a bygone age.

I wrote this review for my blog and Instagram: Miloureadsbooks
As some of you might know, I am currently writing my thesis on how to support English as a Second Language students at international schools. One of the best ways is obviously to provide books that they enjoy reading. One of such stories is a category called hi-lo books (high interest/low reading level). Instead of needing to read babyish books, they can read about interesting topics that are written for their age.
A perfect example is The Clockwork Queen. Set in Russia, it is about a girl, Sophie whose dad is exceptional at chess. He is even requested to teach the son of Empress Catherine. Before he left for Moscow, Sophie learned everything about chess from her dad. At first, everything seems fine, but soon her dad stops writing and Sophie and her mom receive a letter that he is taken prisoner. When her mother passes away, Sophie is wants to free her father more than ever. When two old friends show up with the Clockwork Queen, a wooden doll who can beat almost anybody at chess, the opportunity finally presents itself to start a rescue mission.
I thought it was exceptionally clever how Peter Bunzl wove such an imaginary tale full of details with such short sentences and easy vocabulary. Being a sucker for stories set abroad and historical fiction, this was right up my alley. Plus, I was truly intrigued throughout the story. First about who the Clockwork Queen might be, then how it might work and later how they would save the father from the grasp of the Empress. Sophie made a great hero, and it definitely broke some stereotypes by making her a great chess player. Personally, I wouldn’t mind if the happy ending had an extra scene to it, however, I think that shows that I didn’t want the book to end.
Besides being fantastic for English as an Additional Language learners, these books are also beneficial for children with dyslexia, pupils who need a confidence boost or students who want to read something relaxing. As you can see, I really enjoyed this story and it twists too.

Can a book about chess be enjoyable? The answer is yes!

I wasn't sure how I would feel about a book centered on a game that I have zero knowledge of, but The Clockwork Queen turned out to be so much more! Then again, Barrington Stoke has never disappointed me. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed learning about chess from this wonderful novella.

The book was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. The plot was compelling, the characters were delightful and I loved the illustrations. Overall, it's a delightful and moving read that I would definitely recommend!

The Clockwork Queen is a tense and atmospheric read. It’s a real page turner and the craft of Peter Bunzl is really on show as he hones a brilliant story in such a short amount of pages. It is another short and accessible text from Barrington Stoke, making it a perfect age-appropriate book for reluctant or struggling readers in Year 5 and above.

It tells the story of Sophie, a chess prodigy, who is tasked with playing in the Winter Palace whilst disguised as the Clockwork Queen, a chess playing automaton, in order to save her father from imprisonment in the dungeons.

This was a really interesting book! I loved the plot, though it felt a little short to me. It was an interesting book and I liked how it was inspired by real life events.

I recently heard about an automaton called The Mechanical Turk – an 18th century chess ‘machine’ that impressed its audiences by beating great chess players. Baffling its audiences for over eighty years, before being lost in a fire, it was finally discovered that it was in fact an elaborate hoax; someone could fit inside the chess table and would operate the Turk’s hands. It’s a fascinating idea for a story, and one that is delivered through the safe hands of Peter Bunzl (author of the Cogheart series) in this new Barrington Stoke title.

In this tale, we follow Sophie Peshka, a brilliantly clever child who has inherited the love of chess from her father. We see her learn the rules of the game as she accompanies her father to play chess in the park. The two are close and their tender relationship is one of respect and patience. He is everything to Sophie. When he is imprisoned in the dungeons of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg by powerful Empress Catherine the Great, Sophie must use all her strategic skill and cunning to help him escape.

Her father, his situation and the Russian empress are all equally fascinating, yet it is Sophie who is the focus of the tale. It is she who must travel with the incredible chess automaton, The Clockwork Queen, to the Winter Palace. It is only she who can win back her father’s life.

Told simply, but with no lack of plot or characterisation, this is a great title for 8-12 year olds who are looking for a interesting read. It’s from Barrington Stoke, so it’s dyslexia-friendly, and is a quick no-nonsense read for any reader looking to get to the heart of a great story.

'The Clockwork Queen' by Peter Bunzl is a children's book set in Russia. Sophie loves playing chess and is brilliant at it. She inherited the love of playing chess from her grandmaster father. But when her father is imprisoned by powerful Empress Catherine the Great for not being able to teach the Prince the game of chess, Sophie devices a plan to help her father escape. It will not be easy and Sophie has a trick up her sleeve- the Clockwork Queen.

This delightful story is beautifully written and the illustrations in the book are perfect. I would love to get my hands on a physical copy of this one, once it comes out. Give this a read, you'll love it.

A short story (only around 50 pages) which would be great for reluctant or dyslexic readers, who want to read “proper” books. It takes inspiration from the true historical story of the Mechanical Turk, but Bunzl dreams up a Clockwork Queen, a Russian chess master, a daughter desperate to save her father, and a real empress of Russia.
Easy reading but high quality literature and a great story.

I’ve really enjoyed everything that Peter Bunzl has written, so I jumped on the chance to read an advance copy of The Clockwork Queen.

I really enjoyed this story, which is set in Russia during the reign of Catherine the Great. Sophie is a great character, who copes with several misfortunes and wins through in the end (with the help of some friends).

This was a quick and easy read, with a fun and imaginative story. I also liked the Author’s note at the end, which gives some factual background for the story.

The illustrations throughout are lovely, and really add to the atmosphere of the book.

Overall, this story is a fun way to while away an hour or so. I recommend it, and all of Peter Bunzl’s other books too.

TW: death of mother of main character, though it’s not focussed on.

The Clockwork Queen is a lovely short story about Sophie and her father and her battle to free her father from Catherine the Great's clutches.

Sophie's father is a class master, he introduces her to the game and they play until he is called up to teach Queen Catherines son at her palace. When he fails, he is imprisoned. Sophie's mum falls into poverty but Sophie continues to play chess.
Sophie then takes on a challenge of playing a 'Clockwork queen,' but all is not as it seems.

The story is wonderfully written, the characters are vibrant and really spring to life.

This is a great read that will interest any age group. Loosely built on historical facts, a young girl struggles through difficult life changes to release her father from imprisonment. Her love of chess opens up opportunities and an exciting journey.

I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read with great description and an unexpected storyline.

This was a very fast-paced story about a young chess prodigy who saves her father from prison. All the characters are very likable. The author did an excellent job making Moscow come alive! I also adored the illustrations because it enhanced the story! Thus, it was a very charming tale that will delight all readers!

What a fantastic story! I love that Peter Bunzl wrote using something with clockwork in it- it seems so apt!

Sophie and her father are chess masters, each learning from the other and the many games they play in the park in Moscow. When Ivan is invited to teach Prince Paul to play chess, he cannot say no, especially to the Empress Catherine, a mighty figure in Russia.

When the Prince loses interest, Ivan is imprisoned and Sophie and her mother become destitute. When her mother passes away, Sophie must play chess for money in order to survive.

An offer to play a mechanical queen arrives and Sophie knows this is too good an opportunity to pass up. The offer includes playing the Empress in the Winter Palace, where her father is being kept. She may finally be able to rescue her father and bring him home.

Chance is a fine thing and when the Empress loses, Sophie and her father are reunited but a further rescue plan is needed!

A tale of hope, survival and chess written by a wonderful author!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this cute story with Russia, St Petersburg, Empress Catherine the Great, a strong and smart little female MC named Sophie and chess playing which made me like it even more. An exciting and enjoyable story that I discovered was inspired by a true story.
It is an absolutely fantastic and great read for middle grades with some cute and funny illustrations. A beautiful story about the courage to survive and to fight for those we love even when we believe that there is no hope.

Peter Bunzl is a genius according to my grandchildren, and I must admit that I tend to agree. This story is another triumph. A great family read.

THE CLOCKWORK QUEEN is inspired by the Mechanical Turk, a mechanical chess player that was actually a fake hiding a real player. In this Russian set, MG, Sophie's father is a chess master, summoned by Catherine the Great to teach her son - but when he fails, she imprisons him. It's up to Sophie, some chess-playing friends, and a clever mechanical device, to infiltrate the palace and free him.

It was such a delightful story about chess, family, and friendship, particularly friendship in dire circumstances. Not to mention shining a spotlight on invention, ingenuity, and illusion, surrounded by 18th century Russia, both cities and palaces.

The illustrations, by Lisa Visirin, really help set the scene. As you'd expect with a book (novella) this short, the descriptions are pretty sparse, so the illustrations make it much easier to imagine the blocking and layout. They are a combination of full page images capturing a whole scene and smaller ones capturing an object or a close up of Sophie in action. It was a nice mix, and the style was a very clean one, with block grey to add depth and detail into it.

FINISHED: this was a great story of chess, deception, inventions and a girl desperate to find her father. Sophie is wonderful - maybe she could teach me chess! I love Peter’s writing and this one is no exception. Fascinating knowing the real story it was based on too!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Barrington Stoke for this ARC, which is out on 2nd June.

An absolutely fantastic read, which I know will be loved by the children it’s written for. The courage and ingenuity of Sophie makes her an inspiring young role model as she overcomes the challenges in her life and attempts to save her father. I had heard of the Mechanical Turk and was fascinated to read more about it in the historical note and how it had inspired this story.

I absolutely loved the historical Russian setting and the inclusion of Catherine the Great. Whilst not shying away from some ambitious vocabulary, everything was very decodable. I’m always so impressed by Barrington Stoke and the authors and how they can take this ambitious content and setting and make it accessible for older, struggling readers.

A great read that I will definitely be recommending to my Year 5s. I must read more Peter Bunzl soon!

Sophie has been raised to live and breathe chess, but thinks she will never be able to defeat her father. Then her world is turned upside-down when her father is ordered to go to St Petersburg to teach the son of Empress Catherine the game of chess. Things spiral down -- until Sophie meets 'the Mechanical Turk', which is a machine that keeps winning chess matches. What is its secret? Will Sophie be able to reunite with her father? As this short novel progresses, it becomes a page-turner with tons of action/adventure -- and chess -- in a Russian imperial setting.

This is another brilliant Barrington Stoke book that is accessible, inspired by real historical events and with a totally engaging plot. My students will love it! Great for Year 5-8.

Trigger warnings:
-Death of a parent

The clockwork queen is an exciting and enjoyable unputdownable read about a young girl named Sophie who has to save her imprisoned father using her chess skills and the help of the clockwork queen. It is adventurous, emotional, hopeful, inspiring, sad at times and fast-paced with an ending that pays off.

I loved how Sophie was a strong character who kept pushing no matter how tough things got. It was a touching read with a beautiful lesson for children…never give up.

(Thank you Netgalley and Barrington Stoke Publishing for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.)