Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter - by Joseph Coelho

Book Synopsis

Genies grant wishes! But everyone forgets they're imprisoned in those lamps for a reason . . . A gripping new adventure series from a Carnegie Medalist and former UK Children's Laureate.

Relic Hamilton is just your average twelve-year-old, living a quiet life with his grandfather above their old antique shop in Chinatown in London. Until, that is, the day he's polishing some mysterious brass lamps in the basement and something extraordinary happens. He feels spine-chillingly cold. Breathless. Scared. And there it is--a real live genie standing before him. But this is no kind, benevolent genie. This one is evil . . . and it feeds on hope.

Ghostbusters meets Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Pokémon (with a genie twist) as award-winning author Joseph Coelho follows Relic to the heart of a fast-paced underground community of dedicated genie hunters. Led by the excitable Professor Latimer and the über-cool Doctor Raphaela, they will travel together in their one-of-a-kind jet, the Aladdin, on a secret mission to chase down rogue genies before they wreak havoc on the world. Vividly and imaginatively written, with a humorous cast of cool characters, this first in a trilogy is brought to life in twenty black-and-white illustrations by Korean artist Hyun Song We.

Review Quotes

The momentum of the storytelling, We's full-page and spot art illustrations, and the combination of prose and poetry come together to create a portrait of an unlikely hero that unfolds in a fantastic middle-grade voice. . . .A trilogy opener that will grant readers' wishes for an accessible, enchanting, action-packed fantasy.
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

This captivating, high-octane adventure boasts cinematic action sequences and fantastical worldbuilding conveyed via Relic's cool-as-a-cucumber first-person POV. Chapter openers featuring playful, rhythmic poetry winkingly foreshadow narrative twists.
--Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Joseph Coelho, an award-winning poet, playwright, and author of picture books and nonfiction, was the UK Children's Laureate from 2022 to 2024. The Relic Hamilton trilogy was inspired by his time studying archaeology in college. His books include The Boy Lost in the Maze, which won the Yoto Carnegie Medal; Werewolf Club Rules; Overheard in a Tower Block; The Girl Who Became a Tree: A Story Told in Poems, which was short-listed for a Carnegie Medal; Ten-Word Tiny Tales to Inspire and Unsettle; and Ten-Word Tiny Tales of Love. Joseph Coelho works regularly as a performance poet, and his plays for young people have been performed by various British theater groups. Originally from London, he now lives in Edinburgh.

Hyun Song We is a character designer and animator whose clients include Pixar, Sony, Netflix, WarnerBros, and others. He lives in Korea.