Exploring Ancient Mysteries with 'Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter'
Genies are awesome. From the mysterious stories told in ‘1001 Nights’ to a big blue shapeshifting Robin Williams in ‘Disney’s Aladdin’, genies have been wowing audiences for thousands of years. The folktale of the genie likely comes to us all the way from ancient Persia, from around the 8th century BC – so over 1300 years ago! Here genies were known as Jinn; invisible creatures who could shapeshift into whatever they pleased, though most often they’d come say hello in the form of cockroaches, snakes, scorpions, lizards, or humans. They could even possess people, taking control of their bodies. Likely to do gross stuff, like make a poor unwitting human pick their own nose jam and eat it. Blurgh!
Thankfully, the genies of a thrilling new adventure book for children, ‘Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter’, don’t force people to eat their own nasal frosting. At least, I don’t think so anyway. Instead, they prefer to take the classic approach of hiding in lamps and starting stories!
“It's a story about a young teenager named Relic, who lives above his family's antique shop in central London” author Joseph Coelho explains, “one day, when hunting through the stock-filled basement, he comes across a box of old genie lamps and unwittingly releases Ravenna – a very old and very powerful evil genie – whilst at the same time bonding himself to six magical sprite lamps that grant him unimaginable powers.” Well, that’s just plain awkward. What happens next Joe? “Cue a visit from The Hermitic Sodality of Genie Hunters”, answers Joe, as if by genie magic, “an ancient order tasked with preventing genies from harming humans and they now need Relic's help. Relic's adventures will see him discover amazing new abilities and also some incredible tech! He'll also time travel hundreds of years into the past.”
Time-travelling into the past? Now you have our attention! We love the past, it's our entire business model! So, what period of history does Relic visit on his time-travelling escapades?
“I wanted Relic to have an adventure on the high seas with pirates, so it had to be a time when pirates were around and really a bit of a menace! I also wanted to include a visit to the old London Bridge.” These are both two very awesome things to include Joe! “The late 1600s meant I could accommodate both pirates and a thriving London Bridge. This feat of (dodgy) engineering has always fascinated me, the bridge was at one point chock-a-block with housing and shops, unfortunately the building regulations weren't so great back then, so the bridge had to be rebuilt minus all its wonderful buildings.”
That is a shame, still at least you enable readers to revisit the London Bridge of the past through your brilliant book. Talking of which, where did your idea for a story about a Genie Hunter going on action-packed adventures come from (other than from somewhere in your brain, obviously!)?
“I have always loved searching for treasures” considers Joe, “It must be the archaeologist in me; I studied archaeology at UCL and spent a lot of time in Peru discovering the past of the Incas. I always wanted to write a book that would combine my archaeologist know-how, my love for antiques, and my passion for writing exciting adventure stories.”
And with ‘Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter’ you’ve definitely succeeded in that! So, Joe, did you look back to Persian culture and the Jinn in your research? Joe pondered before responding: “Whilst being aware of past genie lore - like the prior versions from 1001 nights, which was in turn received through the oral tradition - I was very keen to create a new genie mythology for the purposes of this book that would allow me to do some exciting things with the narrative... but to find out what... you'll have to read the book.” Oh Joe, you tease! At least tell us about whether your genies are good, bad, or both? After all, the Jinn from ancient traditions were considered to be human-like, to be able to be nice and nasty (possibly at the same time), is that something you’ve adapted for your tale?
“My genies are quite a bit darker…” Joe ominously declares become continuing, “definitely both. The bad genies (The Ravennites) were imprisoned in lamps by the good genies (the lamp builders) and given to humanity to grant humanity's wishes with the warning; ‘make no more than three wishes’ because each time a genie grants a wish, it gets to leave its lamp and gain a little of its former power. If the genie does this enough times, it might gain enough power to escape its lamp!”
Whoa! And then things get really exciting! Though I guess our readers will have to check out ‘Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter’ to find out about all that. Where next for Relic Hamilton Joe? Please tell us you have more books planned!
“There are more books planned for Relic” Phew! “In the first book we see him bonded to six 'sprite' lamps, lamps that contain special sprite beings that give him special abilities with which to fight off any evil genies, however not all the sprites within his lamp have revealed themselves yet. So, there are more mysteries to be uncovered in the next book and beyond.”
Well, we cannot wait! And we heartily advise, perhaps even demand, that anyone who is after a thrilling adventure book with some lovely bits of mythology and history included, should check out ‘Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter’ right freak’n now!
Genies grant wishes! That’s all anyone ever cares about. They forget that genies were imprisoned in those lamps for a reason… A thrilling new adventure series from the former Waterstones Children’s Laureate and winner of the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing.
Relic Hamilton is just your average 12-year-old, living a quiet life with his grandfather above their old antiques shop in Chinatown in London. Until one day, while polishing some mysterious brass lamps in the basement, something extraordinary happens. Relic feels spine-chillingly cold. Breathless. Scared. And suddenly, a real, live genie stands before him! But this is no kind, benevolent genie. This genie is evil ... and it feeds on hope. Relic finds himself catapulted to the centre of a fast-paced underground community of genie hunters, led by the excitable Professor Latimer and the tech-savvy Doctor Raphaela. Together, they travel in their one-of-a-kind jet, the Aladdin, secretly chasing rogue genies before they can wreak havoc on the world…
For readers aged: 9+
'Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter' is released on the 3rd of October, 2024.
Pre-order your copy here: Walker Books - Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter
