The Clock People:Clockwork Chronicles by Mark Roland Langdale Young Fiction review (Sent by Matador Press).

The Clock People: Clockwork Chronicles is Mark Roland Langdale's 5th book. A children's fantasy story written in a very distinctive style, which makes you feel that you are being told the story by an elderly and eccentric narrator.

The book centres on The Clock People. They aren't entirely sure who they are, but stories and legends tell of giants living in a wider world beyond their imagining, and small people who live inside clocks.

In fact these are our clock people. They are incredibly tiny, so small that they live in a whole city built inside a fob watch. They have families and live lives similar to our own, and spend their working day cleaning, polishing and overhauling the mechanism of the watch so that it runs perfectly and never needs repairing.

Some of the highest ranking and most trusted clock people do know the truth, or at least part of it, and the entire population are fed from scavenging raids on crumbs and slithers of food left behind by the giants.

As the story progresses 2 of the young people from the fob watch go to explore, and with them we learn just how dangerous a world it is out there if you are small. With time travel and 2 people called Merlin, as well as a Humdinger and a thief, The Clock People becomes progressively less like reality and more of a fantastical and very possibly tall story...

The writing style is very much that of dialogue by an elderly, wizened and kindly gentleman. Lots of Dad jokes and antiquated language, and it suits the tale very well. You immediately place The Clock People in the past, imagining the age when people did still carry a pocket watch.

The Clock People is a great story and you completely believe the characters, however zany it all becomes. I find I'm wanting the tale to move at a faster pace, but with all of the references and information included, it's a fascinating read for anyone who isn't in a rush and likes quirky book. It will suit confident readers aged 9 and over who are happy to dive into a crazy reality, sit back and completely forget the real world for a while. My 10 year old loves re-reading Lord Of The Rings and when he's finished again, will really enjoy this book.

We previously reviewed Mr Langdale's children's fiction book The Time Travellers Club, which I also found incredibly quirky. The Clock People I feel is better suited to younger readers and an easier read.

The Clock People: Clockwork Chronicles is published by Matador Press in paperback with a big 370 pages and is available to buy now from all good bookshops rrp £9.99, including Amazon - here's an affiliate link*.

We were sent our copy of The Clock People: Clockwork Chronicles for review. *Amazon links are affiliate, which never costs you a penny more, but earns me a few pence as a thank you for adding it to the post.