This article is on a subject existing outside the universe of the Greenglass House series.
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| "Things never turn out well when you try to outwit destiny. Only fools do that." Wielle to Julian Roamer, Greenglass House, pg. 112 This article may contain spoilers for books in the Greenglass House series. | |
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Bluecrowne is a prequel book in the Greenglass House series. It was written by Kate Milford and illustrated by Nicole Wong, and published in 2018.
Publisher's summary[]
Lucy Bluecrowne is beginning a new life ashore with her stepmother and half brother, though she’s certain the only place she’ll ever belong is with her father on a ship of war as part of the crew. She doesn’t care that living in a house is safer and the proper place for a twelve-year-old girl; it’s boring. But then two nefarious strangers identify her little brother as the pyrotechnical prodigy they need to enact an evil plan, and it will take all Lucy’s fighting instincts to keep her family together.
Set in the magical Greenglass House world, this action-packed tale of the house’s first inhabitants reveals the origins of some of its many secrets.
Plot[]
Trigemine and Blister in a carriage, with the Quayside Harbors behind them.
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— Foulk Trigemine, Bluecrowne, pg. 141
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The roamer Foulk Trigemine, using his kairos mechanism, time-traveled into 1810. He met up with Ignis Blister (who slightly annoyed him) and after discussing the device, explained his mission from Morvengarde: find a conflagrationeer. The two set off for the Quayside Harbors in search of a place to stay.
Liao expresses joy at Bluecrowne House while Lucy and Richard Bluecrowne look on.
The scene then switched to Lucy Bluecrowne, whose father Richard Bluecrowne was introducing her to Bluecrowne House, where she was to live. Lucy, despite her father's best efforts, was rather bitter about the house, because it was not a ship. Lucy's stepmother Xiaoming and half brother Liao then entered, and Liao expressed his delight at the house. Liao then went out and set off fireworks to celebrate the house, even though it was daylight, and soon after suggested that Lucy have a small boat to use, since she couldn't live on a ship.
Trigemine and Blister arrived at the Quayside Harbors, and after detecting Liao's firework, Blister declared that the conflagrationeer was indeed nearby. They went to the Quenching Press, where Trigemine met the Ironmonger. The Ironmonger was, to Trigemine's disgust and dismay, discussing a bargain for the Albatross with a Jumper. After the Jumper left, Trigemine talked to the Ironmonger about the Albatross himself, and the man expressed contempt at Trigemine's association with Morvengarde. The Ironmonger left, and Trigemine agreed with Blister that Jumpers were to be hated.
Lucy and Xiaoming on the porch of Bluecrowne House.
Lucy had a nightmare about the time when, aboard the Left-Handed Fate, Lucy had been severely injured in a battle. This was why her father was having her live in a house now, because it was safer. She woke and missed her shipmates, then went downstairs for breakfast. Xiaoming spoke to her about the hardship of change and how it could not be prevented. She encouraged Lucy to do what she could to make Bluecrowne House feel like home, and Lucy declared that she needed a boat. Kendrick obliged, and brought Lucy and Liao to the Quayside Harbors to find a boat.
They met Jianming Cerrajero, and after discussing boat preferences, Liao mentioned Xiaoming. Jianming commented that Xiaoming was a boy's name except in a folktale, and unfortunately, Liao became significantly angered, thinking that Jianming meant his mother was not real. Lucy dragged him away, and they proceeded to visit Tom Yarrow on Mr. Cerrajero's recommendation, and viewed his boat, which Lucy liked a lot. She left, however, wanting to view other boats before deciding. Meanwhile, Blister shared what he'd learned with Trigemine: the Jumper's name (Coffrett), and that the conflagrationeer was connected to the Left-Handed Fate.
Lucy presented Tom Yarrow's boat to Kendrick, having decided that she was the one. Kendrick was not sure he approved, and agreed to take it for a test cruise before buying. Liao, on Lucy's request, listed different names of fireworks, and Lucy decided to name the boat Driven Star. Lucy took command of the boat. Blister, seeing a girl and a boy in a boat, realized that the conflagrationeer was not the ship's gunner but the Chinese boy whose father captained the ship. He and Trigemine discussed how to take the boy.
Crew on the Left-Handed Fate and the Driven Star.
Lucy pulled the boat alongside the Left-Handed Fate, and members of its crew inspected the cutter. Lucy declared that she did indeed want the boat, and hey negotiated with Tom Yarrow to purchase the cutter. Lucy joyfully began inspecting it, as her father declared, and the other members of the Fate's crew who were trying to do so as well went back to their duties.
Blister and Trigemine discussed what taking the boy (for they were now certain he was the conflagrationeer) would entail. Trigemine told Blister who the conflagrationeer was for: Jack Hellcoal, who'd beaten the Devil. He recounted some stories of the man, and both wondered what would happen if they failed this terrifying customer.
Liao holds a fire in his hand as Lucy, Trigemine, and Blister look on.
Lucy and Liao, wandering around the Quayside Harbors, saw Trigemine and Blister. Blister had a fire in his hand, and after some coaxing, showed Liao how to hold a fire in his hand too. He then agreed to sell Liao some special ingredients for making fireworks, and Liao entertained himself with Blister's ingredients and products. Trigemine and Blister were, it was decided, to come to the Bluecrowne home, so Blister could teach Liao more about fireworks.
Lucy and Liao returned to the house, and Lucy realized that her father had built different parts of it to resemble places she'd stayed ashore when the Fate was in port. Lucy declared that the house should have a name, and they decided to make it the Chinese translation of 'blue crown', so it would feel like the family house.
Trigemine tried to convince the Ironmonger once again to sell him the Albatross, but he refused, to Trigemine's anger. Blister and Trigemine spied on Lucy and Liao using the flame in a lamp, and when Liao's mother showed up, Blister identified the Lady Xiaoming as not human. They wondered how they were supposed to take Liao with this powerful, immortal being around, and discussed how Morvengarde would like it if they took her too. The bartender's son heard them discussing it, and Trigemine took him to another time, where he was killed.
Liao and Lucy aboard the Driven Star, underneath a magnificent firework Liao has set off.
In the morning, Lucy hurried down to the cutter, and she and Liao took the Driven Star out on the Skidwrack River. Liao set off a firework to celebrate, and it burst overhead in a lovely blue that could be seen even though it was midday. Liao was troubled, feeling that the mixture for the fireworks shouldn't have worked. He shared with Lucy how Blister had hinted that he was special, and how Blister seemed to think he was some sort of fire spirit. Liao did not think he was doing magic.
Trigemine finished doing the calculations it had taken him hours to do. Blister declared that he had managed to get a rope that could bind Xiaoming, from Forgeron, and knew a place that they could use to confront the Bluecrownes.
Liao woke Lucy as one would on a ship, to Lucy's annoyance. Garvett then helped Lucy make cakes as Blister had requested, but things went quickly wrong, with Lucy burning herself and spilling boiling water everywhere. Each agreeing not to tell anyone else what had happened, they decided to buy the cakes instead. Nell Levinflash showed up and argued with Captain Bluecrowne over Lucy not living aboard the Fate. Lucy was devastated that the ship would not be staying in the Harbors where she could see it, but fought down her disappointment and acted happy for Liao, who did not want word of his odd fireworks shared.
Lucy ponders taking the Albatross, as the Ironmonger, Mr. Cerrajero, and Mr. Forgeron watch.
Trigemine and Blister showed up at Bluecrowne House. They quickly enacted their plan to take Liao away, and Blister and Liao disappeared, exploding Liao's workshop behind them. Kendrick and Garvett ran in and discovered no trace of Liao, and Lucy was coaxed into returning to the house. There, she found Trigemine, who explained that if she got the knife Albatross, he would tell her where to find Liao. He did, and Lucy went for the knife, because he'd threatened to whisk them away if she didn't. Lucy took the Driven Star and arrived at the Ironmonger's workshop, where she broke in, but was caught. The Ironmonger, Jonas Forgeron, and Jianming Cerrajero all discussed her dilemma, and informed her that Trigemine had lied to her. After a lengthy discussion of Morvengarde and what the two men would do, Lucy decided not to take the Albatross, knowing now that it would do no good. They provided Lucy with a marlinespike, and she went on her way, to rescue her brother. After she had left, Simon Coffrett showed up, and deemed that Lucy had what she needed to take on the sutlers.
Lucy, Trigemine, and Blister shield their eyes as Xiaoming escapes from the rope.
Lucy returned to Bluecrowne House, where she found Xiaoming and told her what had happened. Xiaoming used a bone to discern why Liao had been taken, then speculated about the peddlers, hinting that she was not what she seemed, but much older and more powerful. She provided Lucy with an elixir to walk through fire and warned Lucy of the pain this battle would entail. They then went to the house where Trigemine and Blister were, and met Trigemine at the door. He was quite angry at the loss of his knife, and he and Xiaoming made threats back and forth. Inside the garden, Liao was trapped in a pillar of fire, but seemed unhurt, only angry. Blister and Xiaoming fought with fire while Lucy fought Trigemine off. Blister, despite being a conflagrationeer, was severely burnt, but managed to wrap Xiaoming, who had somehow turned into a bird, in Forgeron's rope.
Lucy walked through the lyke-fire despite the incredible pain, to the peddlers' shock. From inside the fire prison, the elixir enabled Lucy to speak to the fire, and she was able to move with the fire. Lucy used the marlinespike given to her by the Ironmonger to take apart the rope holding Xiaoming. Xiaoming escaped, blinding the sutlers, and Lucy and Liao walked off as well. Trigemine and Blister conferred, and decided to go after the Bluecrownes using belluine.
Trigemine tries to board the Driven Star while the Left-Handed Fate arrives on the Skidwrack.
Lucy and Liao look at the Bluecrowne key.
Lucy, Liao, and Xiaoming spoke about what had happened, and Xiaoming professed her love for them. Lucy later understood that she had been saying goodbye, as she knew she could not escape. Blister then sent belluine after her, and as the fire connected with her, she disappeared. Lucy loaded the sobbing Liao into the Driven Star and they set off. The Left-Handed Fate showed up as well. Trigemine swam after them and attempted to board the boat, and after some thinking Lucy decided to sink the Driven Star. Liao exploded his rocket supplies and the two swam away, before being loaded onto the Left-Handed Fate. Seleucia Deacon showed up, and showed her disappointment and contempt for Trigemine and Blister. Jack Hellcoal then arrived, and after some conversation, killed Deacon and left.
Aboard the Fate, Liao explained to Captain Bluecrowne that Xiaoming had been, he said, unbodied, and he did not know how long it would be until she would return. In the morning, Captain Bluecrowne informed Lucy that they would stay aboard the ship with him. Lucy and Liao visited Bluecrowne House, where they found the key they had intended as a present for Xiaoming, and put it under the door so she could have it when she came home.
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- The dedication reads: For Nathan and Griffin and Tess, with love.[1]
- Bluecrowne is set in 1810, in autumn.[1]
- Bluecrowne's cover has three versions. The original was illustrated by Andrea Offermann, who illustrated The Boneshaker and The Broken Lands, as well as the cover of The Kairos Mechanism.[2]
- Bluecrowne has 15 chapters.[1]
- Bluecrowne is decorated with swirls and compasses.[3]
- The book title is set in the font Ulsteros.[4]
- The back cover art is the mirrored version of the front cover art.[1]
Gallery[]
 Take a look at our gallery for Bluecrowne.
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