KidsBuzz

Cam Baity & Benny Zelkowicz

Dear Librarians,

THE THIRD BOOK OF ORE: BLAZE OF EMBERS grew out of our work as stop-motion animators. Our experience bringing everyday objects to life inspired Mehk, the world of living metal. But as we sent our heroes, clever Phoebe and gutsy Micah, on this dark and epic adventure, we realized that this story was an opportunity to explore themes that are very important to us. The dangers of rampant consumerism, the blinding power of unquestioned nationalism, and the challenges of telling truth from falsehood may seem heavy for a middle grade fantasy, but they are inescapable realities of our age. As kids learn that the world around them is more complicated than they knew, stories like THE BOOKS OF ORE can challenge and provoke curious readers, and — we hope — inspire them to change our world for the better.

Email us@camandbenny.com to win signed copies, and visit BooksOfOre.com.

Blaze the Way!

Cam & Benny
BooksOfOre.com

PRAISE FOR THE BOOKS OF ORE:

Cam Baity & Benny Zelkowicz have created an absolutely original, mind-blowing world that is filled with both peril and beauty. The mettle is in the metal in this universe. I found myself traveling through it in constant awe while getting lost in the unique imaginations of these two gifted writers. —D.J. MacHale, Bestselling author of The Pendragon Series and the Sylo Chronicles Trilogy.

PRAISE FOR BOOK 1:

Baity and Zelkowicz put their experience as animators to work, describing the alien metal world and its mindbendingly outlandish denizens with such an eye for visual detail that they clatter to life on the page. The imaginative world, whirlwind adventure, tense emotional stakes, and some well-placed laughs put this first in a planned series in the same stack as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. —Booklist

The authors have created an imaginative and profound world. The descriptions of the Mekhans are so original and detailed, readers might think these creatures actually exist.... Combining elements of fantasy and steampunk, The Foundry's Edge explores how the exploitation and destruction of one group unfairly advances another. A fine addition to any middle grade collection. —School Library Journal

Debut authors Baity and Zelkowicz are both film animators, and here, they work together to create an easily visualized, rollicking ride that explores the dynamics of power and resistance in various incarnations — both human and metallic... An edgy, fast-moving, Seuss-ian political allegory for a new generation. —Kirkus Reviews

Baity and Zelkowicz, animators and artistic collaborators whose credits include work on such shows as Robot Chicken and Moral Orel, make their fiction debut with this richly imagined fantasy, first in a trilogy... Baity and Zelkowicz have created a memorable setting that owes less to steampunk than an atmosphere of retro-futurism, and the authors' prose is stuffed with lavish descriptions ... a solid start to the series, filled with storytelling potential. —Publishers Weekly

A stunning achievement. —San Francisco Book Review

PRAISE FOR BOOK 2:

A brainy, action-packed fantasy outing even more complex and sophisticated than series opener THE FOUNDRY'S EDGE (2014). — Kirkus Reviews

Baity and Zelkowicz's world building is as vivid and cinematic as in the series opener, though readers unfamiliar with that title will be hopelessly lost. A cliffhanger ending guarantees at least one more volume. —Booklist

"Will appeal to readers who prefer to immerse themselves in complicated, imaginative worlds that draw upon classic sci-fi/fantasy motifs as touchstones. Baity and Zelkowicz's living world of metal is distinctive, and fans will find much to like...those already immersed in this rich mythology will not be disappointed." —VOYA Magazine