Petra K and the Blackhearts: A Novel

By M. Henderson Ellis

Welcome to Pava, a city where miniaturized show-dragons are pitted against each other in secret, forbidden tournaments, and magic has been outlawed by a cruel child dictator. Here lives Petra K, the daughter of a shut-in mother, who becomes the master of a dragonka everyone wants to get their hands on. In a complicated world of sorceresses, gypsies, child gangs, and secret police, Petra K needs to decide whom to trust, and whom to betray in order to keep herself and her pet safe. But revolution is in the air, and she too is caught up in its pull. Only the Blackhearts, a gang of orphan children, dare to defy the new dictator’s rule, selling potions to survive. Along with the Blackhearts, Petra K faces a murderous pack of mechanical dragonka, a phantom secret agent—and, most harrowing, her own weaknesses. Will the Blackhearts’ adventures and courage inspire the terrified population to rise up again, and return Pava to a place of prosperity, where dragonka run free?

Petra K and the Blackhearts is the first thrilling book of a trilogy by M. Henderson Ellis, whose previous novel Booklist called "a wild, manic ride . . . thoroughly enjoyable."


From the Trade Paperback edition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Apr 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9780985062392

Reviews for Petra K and the Blackhearts

[jennybeast · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

While the world is full of wonderful images -- flying miniature dragons and copper automatons, magical cosmetic shops and intriguing tribal systems -- the characters are flat, the plot transitions nonexistent and the writing choppy to the point of being distracting.

Petra K. is pulled into dangerous situation after dangerous situation, and eels through them without a moment of difficulty. She is suddenly knocked out and moved from captivity to prince's pet more than once and it is never believable. The death that causes the town to rise up is equally unbelievable -- yes, the death of a child is shocking, but you've set the scene where these are roving bands of orphans, surviving by picking pockets and dumpster diving -- generally the death of the impoverished, abandoned child does not start a revolution, however much it ought to.

Finally, "Number One Play Pal" is just a dumb name for your meglomaniac, misunderstood, clockwork dictator. I get that he's a child, but most of the kids I know would come up with a better title for themselves than that. My copy was a review copy provided by Edelwiess, and it seemed like a draft that wasn't fully polished. I hope that improved before it was published. There are good bones in the story, they just weren't quite coming through.

Advanced reader copy provided by edelweiss.

[sennebec · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A dash of steampunk, a bit of dystopia, sprinkle with adventure and top with gentle romance and you have this book. A good story for those who like a slightly magical world, true baddies and offbeat dragons and protagonists yearning to find out where they belong.