In this eighth installment of the series, Betsy Bobbin, a girl from Oklahoma, is shipwrecked in the Rose Kingdom with her pet mule, Hank. Their path intersects with the Shaggy Man, who is searching for his lost brother held captive by the Nome King. They rely on the mechanical assistance of Tik-Tok, a clockwork man who requires manual winding to think, speak, and move. The collective party, aided by Quox the dragon and the army of Ann Soforth, descends into the cavernous underground domain of the Nomes to stage a rescue mission involving magical transformations and physical combat.
Young readers and collectors of classic fantasy turn to this volume for its specific brand of mechanical logic and whimsical bureaucracy. It appeals to those who enjoy structured world-building where magic operates under strict, often absurd, physical rules. Readers finish the book with a clear sense of how loyalty functions between humans and automatons. They gain a detailed view of the geography beyond the Emerald City, specifically the subterranean politics and resource management of the Nome Kingdom's eccentric ruler.
Practical, outward-looking, clear-cut and escapist; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Escapist Adventurer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1914
- Language
- EN
