Gabriel's Clock

July 1, 2014

Gr 5-8-Jonathan Smith thought he was an average 12-year-old whose parents moved a lot. After faceless demons in bowler hats attack his family, he regains consciousness in a quaint English village and comes face to face with some family secrets. His father is an angel, his mother is a devil, and Jonathan is the only child known to exist from such a union. In Hobbes End, he is under the protection of Gabriel, his grandfather. He lives with the vicar and Grimm, his gargantuan tea-drinking, head-bashing major domo. Jonathan meets Cay, a girl his own age, whose parents have a paranormal secret of their own. Despite the protections of Hobbes End, the bowler-hatted baddies track him down. Their aim is to deliver him to their boss, Belial, who will use Jonathan to gain control of Heaven. The dark tones are cut by amusing moments with Elgar, a wisecracking cat, and two gargoyles who banter as they stand guard. The story mixes action with religious themes and some bloody violence (eyes poked out, an arm ripped off). The epilogue promises more books to come. A good choice for readers looking for fantasy built on a framework of scripture.-Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2014
In this imaginative effort, a half-angel, half-demon boy must navigate the perilous implications of his unusual heritage. Jonathan has reached the age of 12 believing he's just a normal kid, unaware that his father is an angel and his mother's a (kindly) demon. Then a monstrous trio of Corvidae, evil disciples of archdemon Belial, attacks them, trapping the small family. His mother escapes with badly injured Jonathan and delivers him to the care of his angel grandfather, Gabriel-who will, predictably, become the guiding-elder figure-in the magical village of Hobbes End. It's inhabited by a variety of quirky residents, including a sarcastic talking cat, a werewolf's daughter, useful and funny gargoyles, and many others. The mild comic relief is a welcome respite from the brutality of the demons, who are determined to capture Jonathan and twist him to their nefarious purposes. Battle scenes feature more than ample gore, with a few dismemberments thrown in for good measure. Debut author Pashley periodically edges into the realm of telling rather than showing, and some elements of the plot are just too convenient. Still, the fast pace of the action is nicely sustained, the characters are mostly distinctive, and the situation's sufficiently unconventional to overcome that deficiency. With not all of the threads wrapped up, the way is open for a sequel, of course-readers will be happy for Jonathan's return. (Fantasy. 11-14)

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