Forever Boy (Clockpunk Wizard Book 1) by Lita Burke is the story of a young dog named Go Fer whose purpose, and that of his fellow dogs, is to dig up the deadly mandrake roots sought by wizards to invoke demons. However, all is not as it should be as Go Fer is led to dig up a mandrake, and the dog runs away. But his life will never be the same again, and it seems he is no longer just a dog. He becomes the familiar to a wizard and his world changes forever as he takes on a new identity and has a life mission to travel to places unknown.

This is my first reading of Clockpunk. At first I was unsure of the world the author, Lita Burke, had created. The work dives straight into the main story without preamble or setting, but once I adjusted to the style I began to settle into the book. It made me realise that a story can work without the traditional expectations of character development or description. It also has the advantage of moving the work along at a greater pace. The dialogue fits the story well and is used to develop the characters rather than descriptive words. This is a fantasy world with hints of magic and demons, and it was only after some way through that I realised there was an airship piloted by the wizard. Being used to a story unfolding, it was slightly surprising to read in a somewhat topsy-turvy order, but what I did find was that by the end I had taken to the characters and would be interested to read more.

When the magician, Kadmeion, and his Metal-man assistant, Bright, witness an event at a mandrake plant, they discover a Go Fer dog capable of producing magic in Forever Boy by Lita Burke. After rescuing the animal and bringing it to their ship, then bathing it, and cleaning its wounds, Kadmeion and Bright are dismayed when the Go Fer dog escapes. But after the dog, who it turns out can speak (and is something more than just a dog), discusses the matter with the ship’s Machine, the dog returns to the magician and his assistant. There, he learns his true identity and is named Furgo. Upon discovering that he must return to, and be released by, his former master before he may join up with Kadmeion and Bright for good (and as a wizard’s familiar), the three come up with a plan for dealing with the evil pellar who would have allowed Furgo to die at the mandrake plant.

Forever Boy is a very short read. While it resolves the immediate issue of Furgo’s identity and sets the stage for future stories, it is not a work that will engage a reader for many hours. Even so, for those looking for a quick getaway, Forever Boy fits the bill. Lita Burke has created a “clockwork punk” world (like a science fiction tale in an earlier period with fantasy elements) that is both unique and inhabited by unusual characters. If you are in for a different sort of tale that includes some traditional fantasy principles, take a look at Forever Boy.

This was lifetime of the most inspiring books I have ever read. It’s honestly astonishing to me how strong Kate and her family is. This book kind of hits close to home since my older is pretty sure she has Asperger’s, and she’s just now realizing how it’s affected her life and her relationships. It’s also taught me to have more compassion towards any person with disabilities, even if they look completely fine. It was so inspiring to read about how Cooper was able to get past a lot of difficulties and even start speaking a little bit. This book was so easy to read because I wanted to know more about Kate and her journey with Cooper. There were many times in the book I almost cried cause I could feel her pain even though I’m not even a mother myself. I also wanted to cry many times for Cooper and how unjust this world is for people with severe autism. Overall I think this book did a fantastic job spreading awareness about autism and disabilities in general. I personally think everyone should read it.