Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
Categories
Children’s, Teenage & Educational

THE LOCK-EATER

Zack Loran Clark

For fans of Nevermoor and Howl's Moving Castle comes an epic middle grade fantasy about a girl with the ability to unlock anything - including the empire's darkest secrets.

Melanie Gate is a foundling with a peculiar talent for opening the unopenable - any lock releases at the touch of her hand. One night, her orphanage is visited by Traveler, a gearling automaton there on behalf of his magical mistress, who needs an apprentice pronto. When Melanie is selected because of her gift, her life changes in a flash, and in more ways than she knows - because Traveler is not at all what he seems. But then, neither is Melanie Gate.

So begins an epic adventure sparkling with magic, humor, secret identities, stinky cats, fierce orphan girls, impostor boys, and a foundling and gearling hotly pursued by the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the land. Along the way, Melanie never expects to uncover the source of her own true powers - or learn that she may be the key to saving the empire.

Action-packed yet layered, The Lock-Eater is a mix of lush world-building, high stakes, humor, and emotional heft - a page-turner and so much more.

Zack Loran Clark is a writer and editor of children's books, and the co-author of The Adventurers Guild trilogy. A lifelong fantasy nerd, avid Dungeons & Dragons player, and aspiring sorcerer, he lives with his husband and their dog in Brooklyn, New York. Social: @zackloranclark

Available products
Book Published 2022-01-18 by Dial Books for Young Readers
Book Published 2022-01-18 by Dial Books for Young Readers

Comments

Features Melanie's first romantic crush, a motley crew of magical beings, a fair amount of deception, and a startlingly deep contemplation on what being alive means. In fact, this novel offers remarkable morsels of philosophical perspectives while maintaining its swift pace, as the characters live through events that challenge their assumptions about violence, morality, and mortality. Long after Melanie and Traveler, both worthy protagonists, have faded from memory, those ethical questions may still percolate with young readers.

THE LOCK-EATER is An Indie Next List Pick

Expansive adventure, intricate worldbuilding, and a memorable cast, [this] cozy fantasy set amid the beginnings of a wizard war [features] close friendships and a sweet queer crush. [A] flowing, vivid prose style [will] immerse readers.

Zack Loran Clark has spun a new classic. Perfect next read for fans of classics by Ursula LeGuin and Diana Wynne Jones.

As intricate and sparkling as the magical spells [it] describes, [managing] to combine high fantasy with a heart-wrenching passageway through adolescence, queer awakening, and existential mysteries with ease... Clark has crafted one of those special books that only comes around every so often, a delicately balanced fantasy and coming-of-age novel that will resonate with adults and children alike. A must-purchase... this philosophical fantasy is an absolute revelation for an adolescent child yearning for adventure and knowing oneself.