Once again, Daddy strays off the leash for a dip into a fantastic book that mixes Victorian London with a cast of characters to die for. Step Forward the cocky and jaunty Ben Kingdom, and his first adventure "The Claws of Evil" (Book 1 of 5) by Andrew Beasley.

When Ben Kingdom comes into the possession of a mysterious coin, his life is set to change forever. Instead of scraping out a squalid living amongst the filthy streets of Victorian London, Ben Kingdom is destined for better things as the opposing forces of good and evil prepare for war.

Though you'd probably describe the book as being flavoured with the delicate spice of Steampunkery, Ben Kingdom's first adventure introduces us to the setting and character without too much reliance on the usual Steampunk standards of big clanky machines, or intricately crafted gadgetry. Instead, the story concentrates on opening the window to Ben Kingdom's world, and his early alliances - first with the shadowy and sinister Legion and their hateful foot (or should that be 'wing') soldiers, the Feathered Men. Led by the nefarious Claw Carver, they enlist Ben Kingdom through the feminine wiles of Ruby, a girl who finds the cocky Ben a rather fascinating character.

Before long, it's time for Ben to work out where his loyalties lie, as he meets The Watchers, a ragtag gang of orphans led by a darkly mysterious individual known only as The Weeping Man.

The pace of the novel is frenetic, the world Andrew Beasley has hewn from the fertile source of Victorian London is fascinating, but I constantly felt like a lot was being held back to blow you away in the books to follow. Who is the mysterious Egyptian? Why does Mr Sweet want to destroy the British Empire and all it stands for, and why does everyone want to get their hands on those mysterious coins?

You'll find out a lot more when Book 2 (The Nightmare Child) arrives very soon. In the meantime, dip into Ben Kingdom's world if you love high adventure and excitement, you won't be disappointed.

(Kindly sent to us for review by Usborne Publishing)

The Battles of Ben Kingdom - The Claws of Evil Cover

We love our Steampunk heroes cheeky, agile and fascinating here at ReadItDaddy so we're happy to announce the imminent arrival of a particularly interesting hero - in the shape of Ben Kingdom.

"The Battles of Ben Kingdom: The Claws of Evil" by Andrew Beasley is a novel for the 10+ age group, dipping into a genre that has exploded over the last decade and has fast become the go-to for folk (like me) who love their technology coal-fired.

Victorian London in Beasley's novel is a place rife with cool characters. Sherlock Holmes, The Artful Dodger and Ben himself - who ends up in the middle of an age-old battle between good and evil as he takes possession of a mysterious coin.

Aided by a force for good known only as "The Watchers", Ben Kingdom must defeat the dark evil of The Feathered Men to ensure the world doesn't fall into chaos.

Reading the premise, it definitely sounds like our cup of earl grey so we'll be following the progress of young Mr Kingdom with interest.

Keep an eye out for a review coming as soon as we can lay our claws of evil on a copy.