The Boundless starts slowly; I almost did not read it. But that’s what made me realise once again how important reviews are: I read on only because Katherine Rundell was quoted as having said, ‘WHAT A BOOK!’
And though there were parts I skimmed over, and parts that irked me (like the tiny peculiar sentence in Hindi), I have to agree – The Boundless is a phenomenal book in many ways. It’s wild, imaginative and breath-taking, full of the kind of danger and adventure that keeps you reading on and on, however much you may skip on the way.
The Boundless is the greatest train in history, but for young William Everett, it turns out to be much more than that because several people intend to rob the funeral car, which carries the body of the rail baron and some of his treasures. From sasquatch to the hag of the muskeg, William encounters all kinds of strange creatures during his journey in the Boundless, which is like a city on wheels. He begins his journey on a first class coach, opulent and luxurious, but when he realises that one of the brakemen, Brogan, wants to kill him, things spiral out of control. He joins a circus troupe that’s travelling on the Boundless and is forced to disguise himself and perform – for the colonists, for the third class and for the second class. Above all, he must decide where his loyalties lie and what the ‘right’ course of action is.
The story rolls on, as William and his newfound friend Maren encounter one danger after another, never sure whether they will survive.
| Title | The Boundless |
| Author | Kenneth Oppel |
| Genre | Historical Fiction |
| Rating (out of 5) | 3.5 |
| Age-group | 11+ |
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