Steeplejack

By: A. J. Hartley

Narrated by: Noma Dumezweni

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

Thoughtfully imaginative and action-packed, Steeplejack is New York Times best-selling A. J. Hartley's YA debut, set in a 19th-century South African fantasy world. Actress Noma Dumezweni - best known for originating the role of Hermione Granger in the stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - narrates with the precision and delicacy of a high wire act to bring a remarkably complex and one of a kind heroine to life.

Seventeen-year-old Anglet Sutonga lives repairing the chimneys, towers, and spires of the city of Bar-Selehm. Dramatically different communities live and work alongside each other. The white Feldish command the nation's higher echelons of society. The native Mahweni are divided between city life and the savannah. And then there's Ang, part of the Lani community who immigrated over generations ago as servants and now mostly live in poverty on Bar-Selehm's edges.

When Ang is supposed to meet her new apprentice Berrit, she instead finds him dead. That same night, the Beacon, an invaluable historical icon, is stolen. The Beacon's theft commands the headlines, yet no one seems to care about Berrit's murder - except for Josiah Willinghouse, an enigmatic young politician. When he offers her a job investigating his death, she plunges headlong into new and unexpected dangers.

Meanwhile, crowds gather in protests over the city's mounting troubles. Rumors surrounding the Beacon's theft grow. More suspicious deaths occur. With no one to help Ang except Josiah's haughty younger sister, a savvy newspaper girl, and a kindhearted herder, Ang must rely on her intellect and strength to resolve the mysterious link between Berrit and the missing Beacon before the city descends into chaos.

©2016 A. J. Hartley (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

Thriller Award Winner, Best Young Adult Novel, 2017

"Tough, inquisitive, and forthright. Breakout African-born actress Noma Dumezweni perfectly captures the voice and personality of chimney sweep Anglet Sutonga.... Steeplejack turns out to be Dumezweni's first audiobook narration. Let's hope we hear more from her soon." (AudioFile)

"A richly realized world, an intensely likable character, and a mystery to die for." (Cory Doctorow, New York Times best-selling author)

Intelligent and engaging

I've enjoyed this author's retelling of Hamlet and Macbeth. This is the first of his YA entries that I've listened to. I found it engaging, enjoyable, and intelligent.

For a Young Adult a restrained coming of age

I bought this book because of the reader' s voice. For a YA book it was a well written coming of age story. Author love unique elements into a believable story. It held my attention, and warrants a second listen. Recommend

captivating

A similar but parallel world the drew me right in. Engaging characters and good pacing.

wonderful tale told very well

great plot great characters very engaging storytelling and the narration is wonderful wonderful I will be looking for more from this author and narrator

The story draws you in!

The reader Noma Dumezweni's voice is almost hypnotic in the way she is reading this story. Excellent story!

Rich with Humanity

I rarely take the time to review books. I consume them and move on to the next. I am compelled to take the time for “Steeplejack.” This is an excellent story well told and superbly narrated. I was hooked very quickly by the realness of the characters. Rich in all that is the best and worst in humanity and it’s interactions with one another. Don’t get me wrong. It’s an A+ action/mystery/caper/intrigue novel. It’s just that it is not as superficial as many good novels are. It has extra polishing, depth and richness. It is a premium tapestry well woven.

Amazing

This is an amazing story. The prose is beautiful and the story captivating. Narration was so well done.

Steeplejack Audio Climbs the Tops of Storytelling

What did you love best about Steeplejack?

Steeplejack follows the adventures of 17-year-old Anglet Sutonga as she searches for truth, purpose and the murderer of a young apprentice amidst the depths and heights of a society divided by class and race.It is a rush of a story with gorgeous sentence-level writing, memorable characters and enough plot twists to keep it interesting.

What did you like best about this story?

Author A.J. Hartley gives readers a lush world of landscape and characters to explore. I like the descriptions of the wildlife and diverse human/racial communities presented. Read by the incomparable Noma Dumezweni, these descriptions transport the listener to a compelling, alternate world.

What about Noma Dumezweni’s performance did you like?

Ms. Dumezweni captured the spirit and the heart of the characters as I imagined them. Her voice and performance perfectly matched the world presumably imagined in steampunk Victorian South Africa.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It was a fantastic listen and I highly recommend it.

Alt Colonial Reality shows Reality of Colonization

This alternate reality steampunk (did the author intend any steampunk imagery?) was so hyper realistic that I found myself living the life of the lead character, I could feel the social tension between classes as colonialism was drawing to a close in a diverse world struggling for equality of race and class. I could feel the tensions between the old ways of my people dieing too slowly to help the optimism of the fresh generation. I dreaded but did not fear and revere my interactions with the not-so necessarily evil white colonialist establishment and found intrinsic goodness in my interactions with some of them. All my prejudices were challenged as I sought to discover the mystery that was bringing my city into chaos. Where you might expect to find gimmicky airships and gizmos, here in Barcelem you'll find yourself.

not bad, not bad at all. buy this book

end of the time we wept for the tears of the muppets dance and in the end we ate cotton.