The Dawn of Adonis

Phil Earle

A tale of loyalty, loss, betrayal, and rebirth.

It is 1911 and London’s docks thrum with underhand deals, none so great as the arrival of a valuable, rare and exotic animal, smuggled from the depths of the Congolese rainforest. The baby gorilla stands to make one man, the shady Goliath Deeds, very, very rich: he and his right-hand man, juvenile pickpocket, Toff Squabble. Heaven help anyone who dares stand in their way, not least the brave and innocent twelve-year-old Nettie Beecroft, who finds herself embroiled in a dangerous rescue attempt where she encounters toshers, bone grubbers and gangsters.
Whom can Nettie trust? And can she save the life of this very special creature?

Praise for When the Sky Falls:
‘A magnificent story’ Philip Pullman
‘Deeply felt, movingly written, a remarkable achievement’ Michael Morpurgo

Reviews

"This richly atmospheric adventure, full of drama, compassion and brutal portrait of the city’s dark underbelly, confirms Earle as a master of his craft"
Daily Mail

"A prequel to Earle's acclaimed When the Sky Falls that is every bit as enthralling and emotive"
Waterstones

"Nobody writes striking, heartfelt adventure like Phil Earle. THE DAWN OF ADONIS is a showcase of everything he does best: humour and peril and towering stakes all wrapped up in stark, spare, powerful prose. I loved it!"
Ross Montgomery

"I absolutely raced through The Dawn of Adonis! It’s a tremendous nail-biting read, tender and terrifying in equal measure. Both Toff and Nettie are fantastic characters, and little Adonis is the most endearing little creature ever"
Jacqueline Wilson

"This is an astonishing story of loss, betrayal and rebirth"
The Bookseller, Buyers Guide