Synopsis
A fantastic Steampunk adventure in the deeps
Transforming his appearance and stealing secret documents from the French is all in a day’s work for fourteen-year-old Modo, a British secret agent. But his latest mission—to uncover the underwater mystery of something called the Ictíneo—seems impossible. There are rumors of a sea monster and a fish as big as a ship. French spies are after it, and Mr. Socrates, Modo’s master, wants to find it first. Modo and his fellow secret agent, Octavia, begin their mission in New York City, then take a steamship across the North Atlantic. During the voyage, Modo uncovers an astounding secret.
The Dark Deeps, the second book in Arthur Slade’s Hunchback Assignments series, is set in a fascinating Steampunk Victorian world. Modo’s underwater adventures and his encounters with the young French spy Colette Brunet, the fearless Captain Monturiol, and the dreaded Clockwork Guild guarantee a gripping read filled with danger, suspense, and brilliant inventions.
VOYA
Modo is a talented fourteen-year-old British spy with the ability to transform his appearance at will. At the outset of this adventure, Mr. Socrates sends Modo and Octavia on a mission to locate a French spy named Colette Brunet, and to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Ictineo, a high-tech submarine cleverly designed to look like a large fish. Using the coordinates where Ictineo was last seen, Modo and Octavia successfully locate the submarine that then attacks their ship, causing Modo to fall overboard. He saves himself by entering the submarine, which is home to the Icarians, a group of people who have built an astonishing underwater utopian world. To Modo's surprise, Ms. Brunet is also on board but Modo is unsure about whether to trust her. When the ruthless Clockwork Guild attacks the submarine, the two spies must work together in an attempt to save all that the Icarians have worked so hard to create. The second installment in Slade's Hunchback Assignments is a suspenseful deep-sea adventure with Steampunk flair. The Dark Deeps begins a new adventure so readers new to the series can enjoy this one on its own. Readers will be holding their breath as they voraciously read to the final pages to discover how Modo and Brunet manage to escape the clutches of the Clockwork Guild and Griff, the invisible man. During each brush with death, readers will surely be cheering for Modo, Octavia, and Brunet. Reviewer: Amy Wyckoff