Embassy of the Dead by Will Mabbitt, Taryn Knight
Release: September 8th 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Walker Books Us
Source: Netgalley
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Jake Green is dead. Or he might as well be when he mistakenly accepts a package from the Embassy of the Dead in this hilarious adventure of the afterlife, the first in a series.
When Jake Green opens a mysterious box containing a severed finger, he accidentally summons a grim reaper intent on dragging him to the Eternal Void (yes, it’s as fatal as it sounds). Now Jake is running for his life. Luckily, he has a knack for talking to ghosts, which just might help him survive long enough to reach the Embassy of the Dead and plead his case.
With the help of a prankster poltergeist and a dead undertaker, Jake dodges fearsome undead creatures, discovers his own ghostly abilities, and gets excused from the school field trip due to a terrible (and made-up) bout of diarrhea. But the Embassy has its own problems, and Jake must be very careful where he places his trust–in both the living and the dead. With a plot that zips and a colorful cast of characters, this delightful new series delivers laughs and shivers in equal measure.
About the Author
Will Mabbitt writes. He writes in libraries, in cafes, on the toilet, and sometimes, when his laptop runs out of power he writes in his head. Before he got paid to do this he worked in London and spent a lot of time stuck on the train – which is where he wrote his first book, The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones.
He’s written loads of books since then and his reputation for anarchic humour and sinister whimsy, creeps like a poisonous mould across the otherwise whistle-clean world of children’s publishing.
Author Website: http://www.mabbitt.co.uk/
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Embassy of the Dead Review:
A BIG thank you to Netgalley and Walker Books US for providing an advanced copy of this book for my review.
This is my kind of middle grade book! Spooky characters and settings? Check. Whimsical storytelling? Check. A confused main character with delightful sidekicks? Check. In short, I loved this book!
Jake is adorable as the main character. He accidentally finds himself pulled into the World of the Dead and goes through an exciting adventure to come back. Cora is my favorite character! She is fearless, crass and hilarious. I loved her energy and how peppy she was, even though she is a Possessor. Stiffkey and Zorro are amazing too. Stiffkey is a wonderful mentor and friend to Jake, where he wants to help Jake, even if it means putting himself in trouble.
The entire story is so unique and wonderful. The author has done an amazing job in the storytelling! He has written the world of the dead in such a creepy, yet cozy manner. In any other circumstances, I would be terrified about reading about Reapers (like Mawkins), severed fingers, ghosts and mausoleums. But after reading this book, I also wanted a pet ghost fox like Zorro by my side. He made the entire story so mesmerizing to read.
The illustrations are a bit rusty but compliment well to the dark story. However, there might some revisions as I am reading the ARC of the story. Perhaps the only thing I wished we had seen more of was Penny. I really enjoyed Penny’s character, but felt she just disappeared from the story in the second half.
Overall, I loved everything about Embassy of the Dead, and can’t wait to read the continuation!
