Author:Theresa Breslin
A gloriously rich and authentic story of the Renaissance, The Medici Seal is perfect for fans of The Da Vinci Code, The Borgias or Netflix hit Medici: Masters of Florence!
Romagna, Italy 1502.
On the run and fleeing for his life, a young boy - Matteo - is saved from drowning by mysterious men, who turn out to be companions of Leonardo da Vinci. From this moment on, Matteo's life is changed forever, and he thrills at working alongside Da Vinci as he carries out his incredible work.
But Da Vinci's cruel and ruthless employer, Cesare Borgia, seems set to ruin Matteo's happines, and as Da Vinci and Matteo travel across Italy on the Borgia's business, murder, deceit and revenge follow in their trail.
For Matteo carries with him a secret - a life-changing secret that both the Borgia and Medici families would kill to obtain. A secret that must, finally, come to light for all to see . . .
A brilliantly written story . . . rich in its details and epic in its sweep
—— Tom Gatti , The TimesThis is such an excellent book
—— The School LibrarianAnother very satisfying book from an accomplished novellist
—— CarouselA swiftly paced and richly constructed tale
—— Waterstones Books QuarterlyThrilling, authentic, imaginative, original - very highly recommended
—— The Historical Novels ReviewThe writing is perfectly judged . . . John Stephens knows how to make things visual, and it's accessible but not too simplistic. Junior fantasy fans are going to love this book
—— Jill Murphy , TheBookbag.co.ukWith exceptional skill, Mr. Stephens weaves the resulting pathos into the children's characters and into their sibling relationship
—— Meghan Cox Gurdon , Wall Street JournalThe Emerald Atlas kind of encompasses all my firm favourites, His Dark Materials, The Chronicles of Narnia and of course Harry Potter. It was a thrill to read
—— Askew's Library ServiceThe Emerald Atlas is a fantastic start of a series. Plenty of questions are yet to be answered and I look forward to the sequel
—— My Favourite BooksThe book is reminiscent in some ways of C S Lewis and J R Rowling and the excitement and gripping writing will ensure readers are immersed in the story. The book leaves issues undecided and the reader wanting more
—— Parents in TouchIt is a fantastical adventure that will appeal to those people who loved Harry Potter, Narnia and Lord of the Rings, with an epic tale, lovable characters and an engaging and fast paced storyline
—— Overflowing LibraryStephens' top-notch time-travel thriller has a quirky mixed bag of heroes and villains, a clever and compelling plotline and graphic action sequences that just cry out for the big screen treatment
—— Pam Norfolk , Lytham St Annes ExpressA wonderful story you can easily lose yourself in
—— Notes of LifeFirst-rate fantasy
—— ArmadilloIt's very much that wet sloppy fart kind of humour. Your kids will absolutely love this book. It's a great "next step up" the reading ladder
—— bfkbooks