The Crystal palace Chronicles: Star of Nimrod
Author: Graham Whitlock
Genre: Teen | Fantasy | History
Publisher: Grass Roots Productions
Release Date: November 5th 2021

Happy Friday you wonderful people! I hope you all have a nice weekend planned? Today I am kicking off the book tour for this incredibly fun and fascinating Historical Fantasy, The Crystal Palace Chronicles: Star of Nimrod. I’m very quickly becoming a big fan of time travel plots so I’m looking forward to sharing my review with you all!

Thank you LitrallyPR and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review and a spot on the blog tour.

Synopsis

What if the past became your future?

Join teenager Joe on a rollercoaster adventure travelling back in time to the heyday of Victorian Crystal Palace. Joe is lonely and bored. His best friend moved away, he’s stuck looking after his annoying little sister and Dad spends every hour in their struggling restaurant, Paradise. But Joe’s world is turned upside down when he discovers a shattered compass among the brambles where the Crystal Palace once stood and time travels through the maze back to 1888. With help from the teenage G. Wells and Samuel Coleridge Taylor, daredevil Iris Blondin, the creator of Sherlock Holmes and the Queen of the Gypsies, Joe must foil dangerous diamond thieves to uncover dark secrets about the ‘People’s Palace’. Standing on boundaries between worlds, its secrets are tied to the fate of his family. Will Joe be trapped in the past with his new friends, find a way to return to his family or can he somehow have both?

My Review

I’ve never been to Crystal Palace Park or even seen it but after reading Star of Nimrod, I easily imagined the beautiful surrounding that the author has managed to bring to life so well. Apart from a bit of a slow start, I ended up loving Joe’s journey on getting back home from 1888. It’s hard to stop reading as we meet new, gripping characters and plans to steal the diamond of Nimrod is brought to light. Getting home isn’t going to be as easy as he once thought but you won’t be disappointed you were brought along for the ride!

I was fascinated by the teenage historical figures such as H.G Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, Marie Stopes and many more that showed up to help Joe as. Although I didn’t know who a lot of these people were at first, there is a wonderful little guide at the back of the book to tell you all about the real world characters. I love how the author has included this because I’m a very curious person and couldn’t wait to find out more about people.

Overall, Star of Nimrod is such a fun and easy read. It’s very difficult to put down once you get lost in Victorian Crystal Park alongside Joe. With Whitlock describing Crystal Palace and its surroundings incredible well, you can vividly imagine the time in which these characters lived and now I definitely need to visit! If you love a bit of time travel, with fun and memorable characters and a sprinkle of mayhem you are sure to love this book. I am really looking forward to joining Joe on his next adventure!

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Graham Whitlock is a writer, walker, local instigator, dad and born-and-Fred Norwood boy who is hopelessly in love with London. He helped found and run award-winning charity DreamArts which transforms young lives fusing arts and therapy. Graham edited the Dev and Olli children’s books by Shweta Aggarwal and his professional writing credits include a stage adaptation of the Shane Meadows film 24/7 and the UK’s first immersive musical based on the classic Ealing StudiocomedyPassport to Pimlico.

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