The Story of Cirrus Flux
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London, 1783. Orphan Cirrus Flux is being watched. Merciless villains are conniving to steal the world's most divine power--The Breath of God--which they believe Cirrus has inherited. Now he faces a perilous journey through the dirty backstreets of the city as a sinister mesmerist, a tiny man with an all-seeing eye, and a skull-collecting scoundrel pursue him. Cirrus must escape them, but he'll need to trust some unlikely allies if he hopes to thwart his foes . . . and survive a grand and terrifying showdown.From the Hardcover edition.Children's LiteratureIn the Age of Enlightenment, new ideas such as healing mesmerism and hot air balloon transport are faddishly popular. Two older orphans, Cirrus and Pandora, leave their foundling home to seek their fortunes, the former as a runaway and the latter as an apprentice. Each orphan at the Foundling Hospital has been left with a token from his or her parent, and Cirrus' memento has attracted the attention of the members of the dastardly Guild. Cirrus filches his amulet—a globe on a chain—and sets out to find out why he was abandoned and his care was pre-paid at the princely sum of 100 pounds. Little does Cirrus know that his charm contains the "Breath of God," a mystical vapor gathered by his father at the edge of the world. Distaff orphan Pandora has a less desirable token, an embroidered cloth with the word "hope," but hope is just what she needs as she and a balloonist, Mr. Hardy, search for Cirrus through the grim streets of London. Do not be surprised if this is the next book to be made into a 3D animation film. It has all of the elements: suspense, action, fantasy, a taste of history, and a flaming Halcyon bird that would "pop" from the movie screen. Plot is sometimes misplaced in the frenetic activity of the search for Cirrus Flux, but forgive this book its excesses. It will be an easy sell to readers on the lookout for the next fantasy hero. Reviewer: Lois Rubin Gross
