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Jimmy Threepwood and the Veil of Darkness Paperback – August 28, 2019

by Rich Pitman (Author)

4.2 28 ratings

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Even heroes do bad things, but there's something really unfortunate about being selected to join the forces of evil and become one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse!When Jimmy Threepwood is collected to face his dark destiny and destroy the world with his supernatural powers, he is faced with a choice ... What lengths will he go to for the sake of revenge?By Rich Pitman‘Great book for children’ ~ Jamie Owen‘Great young fantasy novel, in the vein of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson suitable for young readers and adults, thoroughly enjoyable.’‘Wow what a great book I bought this book for my nephew at a book signing. I started to read it and could not put it down, what a story can’t wait for the second book great cliff-hanger ending.’‘This book is awesome. I'm always looking for more reading material and this book was recommended. I absolutely loved it, it grabbed my attention from the first few paragraphs and had me hooked’…Many centuries ago the Elders designed the world we live in, but they knew that through time and the advances in medicine and technology, the world would slowly start to die and man would ultimately destroy the planet. The Elders created a prophecy that every two millennia, four children would receive a mystical mark. The children would grow and (one day) be powerful enough to release the mighty beast, Tyranacus. Together they would purge the world of man, allowing it to heal before the life cycle would start again.Margaret Threepwood was a gentle and loving wife and was due to give birth when tragedy struck and Margaret fell severely ill. The Gatekeeper of life and death appeared in the hospital ward and provided a one-time deal so Margaret would live as long as her son Jimmy Threepwood was brought up unloved, uncared-for and handed to the Gatekeeper and his minions on his eleventh birthday, where his destiny would be unveiled to him.As Jimmy approached his eleventh birthday he noticed strange and unusual things happening. Firstly, a mysterious crow started to follow him around school; this ultimately led to a Bunson burner accident and an unusual scar forming on Jimmy's arm in the shape of a number nine. This was followed by Jimmy protecting his friend against the school bully, but one touch changed both Jimmy's and the bully's lives forever...‘This book is a must for fans of everything from Harry Potter to the Skullduggery Series. It is dark in places but with enough humour to keep the more nervous among us reading on.’‘I loved this book and can't wait for the next one. I really liked the description and story line - it has great action. Good reading for 11+ years.’If you enjoy dark magical fantasy filled with mystical adventures, dragons and twists this book is for you.…‘Even Heroes Do Bad Things’

Editorial Reviews

Review

‘Great book for children’ ~ Jamie Owen

‘Great young fantasy novel, in the vein of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson suitable for young readers and adults, thoroughly enjoyable.’

‘Wow what a great book I bought this book for my nephew at a book signing. I started to read it and could not put it down, what a story can’t wait for the second book great cliff-hanger ending.’

‘This book is awesome. I'm always looking for more reading material and this book was recommended. I absolutely loved it, it grabbed my attention from the first few paragraphs and had me hooked’…

Many centuries ago the Elders designed the world we live in, but they knew that through time and the advances in medicine and technology, the world would slowly start to die and man would ultimately destroy the planet. The Elders created a prophecy that every two millennia, four children would receive a mystical mark. The children would grow and (one day) be powerful enough to release the mighty beast, Tyranacus. Together they would purge the world of man, allowing it to heal before the life cycle would start again.

Margaret Threepwood was a gentle and loving wife and was due to give birth when tragedy struck and Margaret fell severely ill. The Gatekeeper of life and death appeared in the hospital ward and provided a one-time deal so Margaret would live as long as her son Jimmy Threepwood was brought up unloved, uncared-for and handed to the Gatekeeper and his minions on his eleventh birthday, where his destiny would be unveiled to him.

As Jimmy approached his eleventh birthday he noticed strange and unusual things happening. Firstly, a mysterious crow started to follow him around school; this ultimately led to a Bunson burner accident and an unusual scar forming on Jimmy's arm in the shape of a number nine. This was followed by Jimmy protecting his friend against the school bully, but one touch changed both Jimmy's and the bully's lives forever...

‘This book is a must for fans of everything from Harry Potter to the Skullduggery Series. It is dark in places but with enough humour to keep the more nervous among us reading on.’

‘I loved this book and can't wait for the next one. I really liked the description and story line - it has great action. Good reading for 11+ years.’

If you enjoy dark magical fantasy filled with mystical adventures, dragons and twists this book is for you.
…‘Even Heroes Do Bad Things’

About the Author

Rich Pitman was born in Newport, South Wales. He now lives in the picturesque Forest of Dean which is situated in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. Rich is the author of the popular children's series following the life of a young boy, Jimmy Threepwood, who is one day destined to destroy the world. The first book in the five-book series is entitled Jimmy Threepwood and the Veil of Darkness and was voted as a finalist for the People's Book Prize.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crimson Cloak Publishing (August 28, 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1681604264
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1681604268
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 12 years
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 4 - 6
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.47 x 8 inches

Customer Reviews:
4.2 28 ratings

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Rich Pitman

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As a writer my belief is teaching children to do the right thing, even against all odds. This is the moral of Jimmy Threepwood.

Rich Pitman was born in Newport, South Wales. He now lives in the picturesque Forest of Dean which is situated in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England.

Rich is the author of the popular children's book series following the life of a young boy, Jimmy Threepwood, who is one day destined to destroy the world. The first book in the five-book series is entitled Jimmy Threepwood and the Veil of Darkness. Jimmy Threepwood and the Veil of Darkness was voted as a finalist for the People's Book Prize.

Jimmy Threepwood is published by Crimson Cloak Publishing.

For further information about Rich Pitman please visit

www.Jimmythreepwood.com

Follow Rich on Twitter @jimmythreepwood for updates and future events

Please LIKE www.facebook.com/JimmyThreepwoodAndTheVeilOfDarkness

…‘Even Heroes Do Bad Things’

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4.2 out of 5

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Rita

great book, fun read

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2013

My son recommended this book to me, he kept telling me how much he enjoyed it, i was hesitant at first, as i have never read a book in this genre, i usually read romantic or period drams, but my son kept bugging me to read it, so i did, an im so happy that i did, i read it in 3 sittings, (house work got put on hold) i couldn't put it down, loved the characters the pace an the new genre, i have now ordered some new books to tide me over till book two is out, cant wait, a great, exciting read, suitable for people of all ages, highly recommended, you wont be disappointed.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Lynn Worton

Interesting Middle Grade/YA Read!

Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2017

This is an interesting middle grade fantasy. I enjoyed it.

Jimmy Threepwood is an interesting character. I really liked him. He has been brought up in a very unusual household. He is not physically abused but is emotionally neglected. His mother is emotionally cold and distant towards him. His father is more caring but still holds himself emotionally at bay. There is a reason for this. However, Jimmy grows up with a good soul and is kind and caring even though he has very few friends. When he reaches his eleventh birthday, his life changes once more and he finds himself training with three other students in dark magic to fulfil a prophecy made millennia ago.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author with no expectation of a positive review in 2013. Unfortunately, due to my rather large reading list, I haven't been able to get to it until recently. I sincerely apologise to the author for the delay.

When I began reading this story, it struck me as being similar to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter but with the characters meant to be bad rather than good. There are some major differences though. Instead of working with light magic, these students deal with dark magic, evil intentions and emotions, with the intention of freeing a demon to destroy man, whose activities are destroying the Earth with progress and technology. Jimmy is a good and kind character with a heart of gold, which leaves him in a bit of an emotional quandary about what is morally right and wrong. It is only when he is tricked (though he doesn't realise it) that his soul is tarnished by revenge. The other three students are evil or cruel due to their own upbringing. What I couldn't understand is this: if they had been brought up to be selfish and cruel/evil, how could they form a bond of friendship/teamwork? This seemed to be a bit of an oxymoron. You have to care about and trust your teammates to work together. If you are brought up to be selfish and uncaring, trust would be a problem. Having said that, this book is aimed at middle grade children and it may make more sense to them than it does to me.

We are introduced to some interesting characters: The Gatekeeper, who is similar to the Grim Reaper in appearance, Xanadu is the Gatekeeper's minion, Lyreco is a Dark Reefer and Jimmy's teacher, then there is Harry Hopkins, Percy Timmins and Talula Airheart, the three other children chosen to fulfil the prophecy. However, I felt that the characters were not as well developed as they could have been.

This story is an interesting mix of coming of age tale and fantasy and takes the reader on a journey from beginning to end. There are some fantastically described action sequences that had me sitting on the edge of my seat.

Unfortunately, I did find that the story was troubled with proofreading errors which caught my eye and this distracted me from the story's flow. I am hoping that along with the cover change that these errors were corrected as I've noticed that it has just been re-published as of July this year (2017) on Amazon. However, as I have the version from 2013, I can only comment on what I've read.

I reached the end with mixed feelings. It has a chilling conclusion which sets it up perfectly for the second book. However, I am in two minds whether or not to continue with the series as I didn't connect to any of the characters apart from the Gatekeeper (whom I felt sorry for, but only because of his innocence from the event that caused Jimmy's need for revenge). This saddens me. However, other readers may have a different reaction and enjoy it enough to continue with the series and, if you are one of them, good!

Rich Pitman has written an intriguing and somewhat unique debut novel. I loved the fast paced writing style, though thought that there was too much "telling" and not enough "showing" for my taste. The proofreading errors slowed the flow down, but didn't ultimately ruin my enjoyment of the story. I wish him all the best for the future and will follow his career with interest.

As this book is aimed at middle grade aged children, I highly recommend this book to readers aged 11 upwards. I also recommend this book to adults who love reading YA/middle grade science fiction/fantasy/coming of age genres. - Lynn Worton

Helpful

steven taylor

highly recommended!! 5 stars

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2013

I was recommended this book through a friend, i originally bought it to read to my nephew, an thought i would read a few chapters first to make sure it was suitable for him, i could not put the book down an read the whole book before i even saw my nephew, the writing is amazing, the story just flows at an amazing pace making it hard to stop, such a good read suitable for adults an younger readers alike, love seeing new writers breaking through with original fresh ideas, i loved it, looking forward to reading it (again) with my nephew, an i can not wait for book two to be released. 5 stars

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Slugworth

Great book

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2012

A must read for all, Jimmy is the future, the best kept secret in children's fiction, I do hope we will be seeing more of Jimmy A+++

One person found this helpful

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Dan Thompson, Author

An imaginative and creative debut

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2013

I am going to start off this review by getting you to do some tasks first. Are you ready ...? Well first, grab yourself a pen and a piece of paper (notebook on the PC will do fine). Now, I want you to write down the first three books you absolutely loved when you were a child. Have you finished? Now, next to them I want you to come up with a link that links them to one another, whether it be genre, plot, similar lead character etc. Now, next I want you to get that pen and scribble all of those words out because Rich Pitman's `Jimmy Threepwood and the Veil of Darkness' turns all of those hero qualities and good overcoming evil plots on there's clichéd heads and actually gives us something very original indeed.

Imagine this, Jimmy is a ten year old boy who doesn't have many friends, his parents don't offer him much love and he never, ever receives a present on his birthday. His eleventh birthday is just around the corner. As that date approaches however, weird events start to occur, he is attacked by crows and wasps. He has an unfortunate accident in the Chemistry lab which leaves an unusual mark on his arm and he manages to scare the school bully so much, that that said bully is now nothing more than a mere shell of an existence. What is happening to Jimmy Threepwood?

As it so happens, the Elders had prophesised many centuries ago that humans will come to destroy the world in which we live. To prevent this from happening, the Elders have set in motion a solution to this problem. Every two millennia, four children who bear the mark of a powerful demon will rise up and learn their true destiny and summon this demon to purge the world of everything living thing so it can be reborn and start anew. Jimmy is one of these children and he soon realises that he has been dealt a fate so cruel by his mother that she bargained her life with his so that she could live on and Jimmy would be taken on his eleventh birthday to learn of his fate.

Life as a chosen one to destroy the world isn't an easy one. He is betrayed by the other three children he soon calls friends and the journey they must go on to strengthen their powers is a perilous one. One that includes flying unicorns, water spirits and an infamous cave where deathly challenges await them.

What caught me off guard with this story was how original it was for us to read of the anti-hero, but it is done so with such imagination and such fantastic story telling, every boy aged 8 and up who reads this will absolutely fall in love with the magic wielding children who can turn into wild beasts. Jimmy, as it so happens, can turn into a phoenix, whereas one particular child can turn into a dragon. It's all action packed stuff and I remember as a child loving the more darker stories with magic and necromancy. If only I was 8 again.

It isn't a story of destruction without a cause tough. Jimmy is torn between getting revenge for the death of a loved one and the moral compass inside him that is shouting out to him. He fights his emotions well and he does everything with such good intentions. Unbeknown to Jimmy however, is he terrible betrayal of his group. As the reader we can shout out to Jimmy, but unfortunately he is all unaware of the hidden secrets amongst the group. This, as a result, adds more dimensions to the story, something that can appeal to a wide variety of readers.

It is a book that can appeal to all children aged 8 and up, but if I was honest, I do think it is a book that appeals more to the imagination of boys. Sometimes a novel for this audience tends to centre on a specific lead and although yes this book is about Jimmy, what children will treasure is how they can actually become attached to some of the other children in the book, as the prophecy does state, four children will rise up and summon the demon. They all have different magical gifts and different wild beasts to transform into; it is refreshing to see such a well rounded, well written story that pulls you in many different directions. It is reassuring then that this is the first in a series of book featuring Jimmy Threepwood.

With Harry Potter long gone, there has been little to fill the void left for the next generation of readers who are looking for something to grab a hold of and inspire them to dream. I think it is safe to say that Jimmy Threepwood most definitely has the potential. Have you ever heard of a car that is half frog? It is this type of invention that really gives children such a colourful imagination and that's exactly what a book for this audience needs. And trust me, they will find plenty of imagination in here whether it be magic, summoning toad warriors, flying on unicorns or riding on a real ghost train inside of a dark cave.

It is the stories of our childhood that shapes the way we read books as an adult, even going as far as to what genre of books we prefer. There are a plethora of fantasy books aimed at adults, all spanning different themes, but it is stories such as `Jimmy Threepwood and the Veil of Darkness' that introduces the fantasy element and has enough about it in plot, character and creativity that can start this magical journey for many children. I'd definitely recommend this debut novel from Rich Pitman.

On a further note, I would just like to thank Rich Pitman and his publisher Ghostly Publishing, for giving me an advanced copy of the book to read. For any of you out there who is intrigued for more, stayed tuned at my blog where I will soon be interviewing the author himself and where he sees the series going and more about the imagination behind the novel itself.

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Top reviews from other countries

Mark E

Getting them 'hooked'

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2012

Verified Purchase

When I first saw this book and when it was due to be published in paperback, I thought to myself 'what a book for the children just in time for Halloween'; so I got the kids and asked them to read the few paragraphs that were available and their first words were 'get it !!'.

Now a few chapters in as I am reading it to them, they are loving it (secretly so am I)...in their words, "this is a brilliant story' I think if they had the chance they would get me reading it all the way through in one go. The book catches you after the first few pages and the story line is great. What makes it better is that they can relate the first few pages to school life which catches them straight away.

I think that this will be a book series that they will want me to continue buying and all I can say is 'well done to Rich Pitman' and his team for a refreshing new book and we look forward to the next four !

One person found this helpful

ant1304

More THREEPWOOD

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 29, 2012

Verified Purchase

I bought this book a few days after release for my boys (and me) who had become a little fed up with the usual ultra nice leading characters and companions and obvious bad guys with no depth to their character in the books they usually read. The book didn't dissapoint, the characters have been written in enough depth to make the reader understand the motives of the bad guys, but in clear way easy for younger readers to understand which is very refreshing.
There is plenty of action, twists and turns to keep you hooked until the last page. A great first book to the series, Jimmy world is well set out, I'll be looking forward to the next one!!!

One person found this helpful

Lynn Worton

Intriguing YA/Middle Grade Story!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 3, 2017

Verified Purchase

This is an interesting middle grade fantasy. I enjoyed it.

Jimmy Threepwood is an interesting character. I really liked him. He has been brought up in a very unusual household. He is not physically abused but is emotionally neglected. His mother is emotionally cold and distant towards him. His father is more caring but still holds himself emotionally at bay. There is a reason for this. However, Jimmy grows up with a good soul and is kind and caring even though he has very few friends. When he reaches his eleventh birthday, his life changes once more and he finds himself training with three other students in dark magic to fulfil a prophecy made millennia ago.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author with no expectation of a positive review in 2013. Unfortunately, due to my rather large reading list, I haven't been able to get to it until recently. I sincerely apologise to the author for the delay.

When I began reading this story, it struck me as being similar to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter but with the characters meant to be bad rather than good. There are some major differences though. Instead of working with light magic, these students deal with dark magic, evil intentions and emotions, with the intention of freeing a demon to destroy man, whose activities are destroying the Earth with progress and technology. Jimmy is a good and kind character with a heart of gold, which leaves him in a bit of an emotional quandary about what is morally right and wrong. It is only when he is tricked (though he doesn't realise it) that his soul is tarnished by revenge. The other three students are evil or cruel due to their own upbringing. What I couldn't understand is this: if they had been brought up to be selfish and cruel/evil, how could they form a bond of friendship/teamwork? This seemed to be a bit of an oxymoron. You have to care about and trust your teammates to work together. If you are brought up to be selfish and uncaring, trust would be a problem. Having said that, this book is aimed at middle grade children and it may make more sense to them than it does to me.

We are introduced to some interesting characters: The Gatekeeper, who is similar to the Grim Reaper in appearance, Xanadu is the Gatekeeper's minion, Lyreco is a Dark Reefer and Jimmy's teacher, then there is Harry Hopkins, Percy Timmins and Talula Airheart, the three other children chosen to fulfil the prophecy. However, I felt that the characters were not as well developed as they could have been.

This story is an interesting mix of coming of age tale and fantasy and takes the reader on a journey from beginning to end. There are some fantastically described action sequences that had me sitting on the edge of my seat.

Unfortunately, I did find that the story was troubled with proofreading errors which caught my eye and this distracted me from the story's flow. I am hoping that along with the cover change that these errors were corrected as I've noticed that it has just been re-published as of July this year (2017) on Amazon. However, as I have the version from 2013, I can only comment on what I've read.

I reached the end with mixed feelings. It has a chilling conclusion which sets it up perfectly for the second book. However, I am in two minds whether or not to continue with the series as I didn't connect to any of the characters apart from the Gatekeeper (whom I felt sorry for, but only because of his innocence from the event that caused Jimmy's need for revenge). This saddens me. However, other readers may have a different reaction and enjoy it enough to continue with the series and, if you are one of them, good!

Rich Pitman has written an intriguing and somewhat unique debut novel. I loved the fast paced writing style, though thought that there was too much "telling" and not enough "showing" for my taste. The proofreading errors slowed the flow down, but didn't ultimately ruin my enjoyment of the story. I wish him all the best for the future and will follow his career with interest.

As this book is aimed at middle grade aged children, I highly recommend this book to readers aged 11 upwards. I also recommend this book to adults who love reading YA/middle grade science fiction/fantasy/coming of age genres. - Lynn Worton

steven taylor

Amazing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 27, 2013

Verified Purchase

I was recommended this book through a friend, i bought it to read to my nephew, an thought i would read a few chapters first to make sure it was suitable for him, i could not put the book down an read the whole book before i even saw my nephew, the writing is amazing, the story just flows at an amazing pace making it hard to stop, such a good read suitable for adults an younger readers alike, love seeing new writers breaking through with original fresh ideas, i loved it, looking forward to reading it (again) with my nephew, an i can not wait for book two to be released. 5 stars

Jwaite84

Cannot wait to read the next book :)

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 10, 2012

Verified Purchase

This book is awesome. I'm always looking for More reading material and this book was recommended. I absolutely loved it, it grabbed my attention from the first few paragraphs and had me hooked, I couldn't put it down and found myself walking about with it attached to the end of my nose. Ha. I never write reviews but I just had to express my love for this book. Cannot wait to find out what happens to jimmy in the follow up book " jimmy threepwood and the elixir of light.

Any child or adult that is a fan of children's fantasy books like Harry potter, will absolutely love this book. X

One person found this helpful

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