Author Interview: Gregory Funaro

Guess what guys? I got to do an author interview! With an awesome author! (Would I have done it otherwise?)

Gregory Funaro is the author of a middle-grade, Dickens-esque series set in a fantastical steam-punk London starring a orphan chimney sweep named Grubb. Yep, we're talking about the Odditorium books.

It just so happens that TODAY is the publishing date for book 2: The Odd Aquaticum! Happy book birthday! You can click here to order on Amazon or here to find it at your library.

To help celebrate, Greg was nice enough to answer some of my questions about life as an author and how the Odditorium came to be (spoiler alert: he's not actually sure how it happened. Ha!).

Alistair Grim's Odd Aquaticum (and BOOK GIVEAWAY!)

Alistair Grim's Odd Aquaticum
(Odditorium #2)
Gregory Funaro

My rating: ★★★★½

ISBN: 978-1484700075
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Date of publication: January 5, 2016
Age: Grades 4 - 7
Genre: Fantasy

Themes: love, family relationships, magic, Arthurian lore, good vs. evil

Grubb, once an orphaned chimney sweep, is enjoying his apprenticeship on the Odditorium with genius sorcerer Alistair Grim. However, the rest of England is convinced that Grim is a villain. The real villain? Prince Nightshade, a wicked necromancer who wants the Odditorium's power source for himself. With the evil prince hot on their trail, Grim, Grubb and the rest of the Odditorium's crew embark on a perilous adventure to find the legendary sword Excalibur: the only weapon capable of penetrating Nightshade's magical suit of armor. Along the way, they must battle a banshee assassin, sea monsters, and a mad witch bent on revenge. But that's not all. Unbeknownst to Grubb and the others, their fate has been written in an ancient Avalonian prophecy—a prophecy that holds the key to a destiny not even Alistair Grim could have imagined.

Was I super excited to get my hands on this sequel? Oh yeah. Was it worth it? Definitely. This story was just as action-packed and exciting as the first with some extra intrigue thrown in. A lot of the storyline motifs echo the first book—such as love being the best magic, what family means, etc.—but there's a new Arthurian spin. The hunt for Excalibur and the surrounding lore give the tale some nice depth. The only (small) complaint I had was that the story almost had two climaxes, so that I felt like I was on a bit of a roller coaster. Kids, I'm sure, will love it, though. It's just that much more exciting!

The characters are, again, fantastic. Grim could be a tad annoying because he has a habit of not sharing his plans. Good thing Grubb is just so trusting and loving (he's such a great kid!). And the way Grubb narrates the tale provides just enough humor and enticement. Both are still troubled by their pasts and new intrigue provides some more depth to these characters. New characters add some charm, too. Love it.

So if you loved the first, you're going to love this one. Be excited. If you haven't touched the series—I highly recommend it. In fact, I'm so excited about it, I want to give you a copy of the first book! AUTOGRAPHED! Yay! (In case you want to brush up on why the first book was so fantastic, see my review here). Enter the drawing below for a chance to get the book (just before Christmas—what a perfect gift!).

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And don't forget! Book #2 will be here January 5th!

Pre-order now on Amazon
Or wait for it at your library

(Digital ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review)

Alistair Grim's Odditorium

Alistair Grim's Odditorium
Written by Gregory Funaro

My rating: ★★★★½

ISBN: 978-1484700068
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Date of publication: January 6, 2015
Age: Grades 4 - 7
Genre: Fantasy

Themes: love & family relationships, mythological creatures, magic, Steampunk Victorian England, collecting, good vs. evil

Grubb, age twelve (or thereabouts), has never known anything beyond his miserable existence as a chimney sweep, paid only in insults and abuse by his cruel master. All of that changes the day he stows away in the coach belonging to a mysterious guest at the inn that he is tasked with cleaning. Grubb emerges from Alistair Grim's trunk and into the wondrous world of the Odditorium. Fueled by a glowing blue energy that Grubb can only begin to understand, the Odditorium is home to countless enchanted objects and an eccentric crew that embraces Grubb as one of their own. But when the Odditorium comes under attack, Grubb is whisked off on a perilous adventure. Only he can prevent the Odditorium's magic from falling into evil hands—and his new family from suffering a terrible fate. (inside flap summary)

I will say it now: this action-packed adventure is one heck of a ride. I loved it, I really did. Grubb is about the most endearing, loyal, lovable hero I've read in a while. Raised first on the love of Mrs. Smears, he doesn't lose that "magic" after her death, despite the heartbreak and then hard labor as a chimney sweep. And what better place to build that magical love further than in a whole house full of oddities that all have some history of heartbreak? Mr. Grim and Nigel, in particular, are favorites for their depth that Funaro reveals in glimpses of back story. All of it, really, comes down to love. But I'm getting too philosophical! Moving on...

The plot, seriously, kicks off with such a bang and an onslaught of such amazing events (and never really stops!) that I was nervous for a bit that it would all be too much. I mean, we're dealing with a mysterious magical power that draws in several cultural mythologies into a steampunk-ish Victorian England. There's a lot going on! But it worked. I mean, I'm still having trouble putting my finger on what made it work exactly, but it did. Perhaps Mr. Grim's original collector/antiquer profession provided the needed foundation for samurais fighting sirens with the help of a banshee in a flying factory of a building (it is called the Odditorium for a reason!). The writing gets your imagination going and, with a little help from a few fantastic illustrations, really builds the whole exciting scene into your brain.

So why not a full five stars? The missing half star is due in part to the trouble I had along the way keeping track of all the different sources of energy (Red godly power? Blue animus? Yellow fairy dust?), and how they all interacted or were limited or blocked, and how that all in turn controls the plot decisions. There were a couple times that I just had to go with it, instead of figuring out if that would really work in this book's setting. Grubb grabs onto it unbelievably quick, and I felt a tad left behind. Also, there's a LOT of questions left unanswered—all in preparation for the sequel, of course!—but still leaves me a tad confused, on top of everything else. I imagine younger readers will grab on as quick as Grubb, though.

Will I eagerly jump on the next book? You bet. Will I recommend it to everybody? For sure. This is the perfect series for lovers of Fablehaven (it's really on par with all of Brandon Mull's books, actually), Percy Jackson and—honestly, it's so cliche—but it really had some elements of the early Harry Potter books. And I don't give that comparison often! Toss in some Roald Dahl, too (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory comes to mind).

Find it at your library or on Amazon

I was given a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review