Jane Doe and the Cradle of All Worlds

Description

Step inside. Don't look back. Forward is the only way. His Dark Materials meets Mad Max in this unforgettable blockbuster adventure about the world between worlds. When a fierce quake strikes the remote island of Bluehaven, and her father disappears, Jane Doe is thrown headfirst into an epic quest to bring him home. But this ain't no ordinary rescue mission. Her father is lost in a place between worlds; a dangerous labyrinth of shifting rooms, infernal booby traps and secret gateways. And Jane has to find him fast, because someone else is searching for him, too. A man who knows her father's secrets. A man who has an army. Along with a sidekick named Violet and the enigmatic Hickory, Jane is about to discover that this adventure is even bigger on the inside than it looks ... This is the blockbuster adventure the worlds have been waiting for. Winner of the 2019 ABIA Book of the Year for Older Children Longlisted for the 2019 Indie Book Awards: Best Children's Book

Jeremy Lachlan was born and raised in Griffith, country New South Wales, Australia. He completed his honours degree in creative writing at the University of Canberra in 2004, and now calls Sydney home. His debut novel, Jane Doe and the Cradle of All Worlds, was the 2019 Australian Book Industry Award winner for Book of the Year for Older Children, and he once took home $100 in a karaoke competition, of which he's equally proud. He came up with the idea for Jane Doe while lost in the Cairo Museum.

'At the upper end of the [middle grade] age range is Jane Doe and the Cradle of All Worlds by debutant Jeremy Lachlan. Speeding trains? He's got them. Forests with something unnerving about them? Those too, and so much more: [a] girl seeking missing kin; booby-trapped ruins; and whip tricks worthy of Indiana Jones. It all hinges on 14-year-old Jane Doe - an outcast, blamed for the ill-fortune that has befallen an island community since she and her father, mute and helpless, were spat out of a holy gateway from the Otherworlds. One fateful night, the gate reopens, swallowing her father up; Jane has to save him. The perils are fearsome and the body count high. But, as with Indiana Jones and Marvel films, a lot of knowing wisecracks leaven the violence.' - Kitty Empire, The Guardian 'Move over, Indiana Jones. Your escapades seem trivial in comparison to Jane's. Each page brings more questions than answers in this first book of the Jane Doe duology. I didn't want to put it down. Neither will you.' - Kids' Book Review 'Immediately exciting and inventive, this is a thrilling story set in a universe made up of multiple worlds. [Protagonist] Jane is a wonderful character-warm, brave and funny-and the secondary characters are equally charming. The story resonates with references to classic heroic archetypes and mythology but is a unique and utterly compelling read. This action-packed adventure thriller will appeal to a wide range of readers aged 11 and up, and could well be our next Nevermoor.' - Angela Crocombe, Books + Publishing 'A fantastic fast-paced exciting adventure set in a magical labyrinth of a manor with rooms that shift, booby traps and a classic bad guy who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. I highly recommend this book for kids 11+.' - Dani Solomon, Readings Kids 'Incredibly atmospheric and intricately engineered. Jane Doe and the Cradle of All Worlds is breathtaking and delightfully captivating until the final page.' - Diva Booknerd 'An epic adventure that is filled to the brim with exotic characters and eye-popping adventures.' - Better Reading 'The Jane Doe Chronicles (are) a masterpiece ... a compelling adventure and a creation story to blow your mind. Prepare to read into the night.' - Book Murmuration