The Mysterious Benedict Society is Back in The Riddle of Ages! An Interview With Trenton Lee Stewart
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages
Hardcover $18.99
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages
By
Trenton Lee Stewart
Artist
Manu Montoya
In Stock Online
Hardcover $18.99
Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance, the four kids of The Mysterious Benedict Society, won the hearts of readers young and old when they burst onto the scene back in 2007 in an adventure that pitted them against Ledroptha Curtain, a brilliant, evil madman plotting to take over the world. Their adventures continued in The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, and The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma, and though we got a look back at the childhood of Mr. Benedict, their mentor, in The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict, it seemed their story had come to an end.
Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance, the four kids of The Mysterious Benedict Society, won the hearts of readers young and old when they burst onto the scene back in 2007 in an adventure that pitted them against Ledroptha Curtain, a brilliant, evil madman plotting to take over the world. Their adventures continued in The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, and The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma, and though we got a look back at the childhood of Mr. Benedict, their mentor, in The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict, it seemed their story had come to an end.
Happily, this isn’t the case. A new book, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages, continuing their adventures, is here! Yay! If you loved the first books, you’ll love this one, and now that there’s even more reading fun at hand, it’s the perfect time to get new readers hooked!
The Mysterious Benedict Society (Mysterious Benedict Society Series #1)
Paperback $9.99
The Mysterious Benedict Society (Mysterious Benedict Society Series #1)
By
Trenton Lee Stewart
Illustrator
Carson Ellis
In Stock Online
Paperback $9.99
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages picks up a few years from when we last saw the original foursome. They are now older, and a bit wiser, and pretty settled into their lives under the wing of Mr. Benedict. But then the minions of their old enemy escape from prison, and use a telepathic victim of Mr. Curtin’s infernal mind-controlling machine to hone in on the location of the society. Constance, still as contrary as ever, and now a pre-teen, must use her own telepathic gifts to keep them safe, while Reynie, Kate, and Sticky figure out a counter-attack. An attack that takes them back to the very last place they wanted to go—Nomansan Island, where they first took down Mr. Curtain.
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages picks up a few years from when we last saw the original foursome. They are now older, and a bit wiser, and pretty settled into their lives under the wing of Mr. Benedict. But then the minions of their old enemy escape from prison, and use a telepathic victim of Mr. Curtin’s infernal mind-controlling machine to hone in on the location of the society. Constance, still as contrary as ever, and now a pre-teen, must use her own telepathic gifts to keep them safe, while Reynie, Kate, and Sticky figure out a counter-attack. An attack that takes them back to the very last place they wanted to go—Nomansan Island, where they first took down Mr. Curtain.
A new young ally, five-year-old Tai Li, himself a telepath, has joined them, and through his eyes we see the original kids afresh, as they squabble, plot, connive and finally come together as the great team they are to emerge triumphant once again! It’s great to see what they are like now they’re older, but don’t worry that anything important is different—all of the fun of the first books is here, with plenty of new riddles, improbable plans, and narrow squeaks.
It’s a pleasure to welcome Trenton Lee Stewart here today, sharing his thoughts on this new book.
The Prisoner’s Dilemma was published in 2009, and The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict came out in 2012. When did you realize you were interested in continuing the adventures? Was it hard to get back in the swing of the story?
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (Mysterious Benedict Society Series #2)
Paperback $9.99
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (Mysterious Benedict Society Series #2)
By
Trenton Lee Stewart
Illustrator
Diana Sudyka
In Stock Online
Paperback $9.99
The Society has never been far from my mind. I’ve had many conversations about the characters, answered many letters about them, and have privately contemplated what they might be up to since their last appearance. But it wasn’t until I was answering questions for the 10th anniversary edition of the first book that I realized how much I missed writing about them. Like Mr. Benedict, though, I had always wanted the kids to enjoy their post-adventure childhoods in safety. The compromise I settled on for the new book was to give them several relatively danger-free years before presenting them with this new important mission – an approach that opened up interesting possibilities to explore. I was curious to figure out in what ways their personalities and relationships had developed over time. It wasn’t hard at all to get back into the swing of their story. It felt like a reunion with dear friends.
The Society has never been far from my mind. I’ve had many conversations about the characters, answered many letters about them, and have privately contemplated what they might be up to since their last appearance. But it wasn’t until I was answering questions for the 10th anniversary edition of the first book that I realized how much I missed writing about them. Like Mr. Benedict, though, I had always wanted the kids to enjoy their post-adventure childhoods in safety. The compromise I settled on for the new book was to give them several relatively danger-free years before presenting them with this new important mission – an approach that opened up interesting possibilities to explore. I was curious to figure out in what ways their personalities and relationships had developed over time. It wasn’t hard at all to get back into the swing of their story. It felt like a reunion with dear friends.
How did you approach making the kids believably older, but still true to their younger selves?
That’s the crux of the story, really. In the book, Mr. Benedict shares his notion that we don’t become different people as we age—we become more people. We continue to be who we once were, but we also become new, more complex versions of those younger selves. And this was how I approached that riddle of ages: I let the kids be who they had always been, but in response to their changing circumstances, I also let them be more.
Some of the puzzles the kids have to solve in the books are really hard, but they all make sense in the end! When you were coming up with them, did you test them out on smart young readers to see just how hard they were? Do you have a personal favorite puzzle from one of your books? And do you yourself enjoy solving puzzles and riddles?
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma (Mysterious Benedict Society Series #3)
Paperback $8.99
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma (Mysterious Benedict Society Series #3)
By
Trenton Lee Stewart
Illustrator
Diana Sudyka
In Stock Online
Paperback $8.99
I’ve tested very few of the puzzles, actually. I just always make sure that I feel completely satisfied that they’re solvable—that I’ve given all the necessary information—and then try to make the story so compelling that readers can’t help but turn the page before they’ve figured things out. My aim is to always leave readers feeling that they could have found the solution if only they’d lingered on the problem a bit longer, been slightly more attentive, and had the help of the other Society members. A bittersweet feeling, in other words: You didn’t solve it, but maybe you could have. Something about that feeling is infinitely enticing.
I’ve tested very few of the puzzles, actually. I just always make sure that I feel completely satisfied that they’re solvable—that I’ve given all the necessary information—and then try to make the story so compelling that readers can’t help but turn the page before they’ve figured things out. My aim is to always leave readers feeling that they could have found the solution if only they’d lingered on the problem a bit longer, been slightly more attentive, and had the help of the other Society members. A bittersweet feeling, in other words: You didn’t solve it, but maybe you could have. Something about that feeling is infinitely enticing.
As for favorites, I’ve loved coming up with the riddle poems in the last few books, but for its deceptive simplicity and thematic resonance the chess problem in the first book is probably my favorite. Like most riddles, its trickiness depends upon people making natural—and wrong—assumptions. Beyond that, though, Mr. Benedict uses the problem to help Reynie understand that sometimes self-doubt is the true saboteur.
I do like trying to solve riddles. Solving puzzles can sometimes make me feel a tad claustrophobic. I think this is because riddles typically require verbal nuance and creativity, whereas puzzles tend to call for organized thinking and concentration. In general, I have more of the former. But when I’m creating puzzles I dip into both worlds and thoroughly enjoy doing so.
If you could spend the afternoon with one of your characters, who would it be and what would you do?
The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict (Mysterious Benedict Society Series)
Paperback $9.99
The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict (Mysterious Benedict Society Series)
By
Trenton Lee Stewart
Illustrator
Diana Sudyka
In Stock Online
Paperback $9.99
Only one? I would like to spend it with all of them, please. Preferably just watching them work together to solve a formidable problem or listening to them reminisce about their adventures. But if I had to pick one character for a single afternoon, right now I’m thinking it would be Constance. I would give her whatever junk food she wanted (no need for her to sneak it), and I’d encourage her to show off. An afternoon with a genius telepath who can predict the weather, tell you what you’re thinking about, and spontaneously generate rude poetry? The hours would fly by.
Only one? I would like to spend it with all of them, please. Preferably just watching them work together to solve a formidable problem or listening to them reminisce about their adventures. But if I had to pick one character for a single afternoon, right now I’m thinking it would be Constance. I would give her whatever junk food she wanted (no need for her to sneak it), and I’d encourage her to show off. An afternoon with a genius telepath who can predict the weather, tell you what you’re thinking about, and spontaneously generate rude poetry? The hours would fly by.
Now that you’ve come back to the Mysterious Benedict Society, are you thinking about another adventure for the kids? Or are you working on something else entirely now?
Right now I’m (sort of) working on something else entirely. Having ushered the Society members into the next phase of their lives, I think it’s time I let them move along without me. And I really do mean that, but I have to admit I’ve said the same thing before. I’ve now successfully finished writing this series on four separate occasions: after the first book, which I originally intended as a stand-alone novel; then after Prisoner’s Dilemma, which concluded the trilogy; then after Extraordinary Education, which I hoped would be a satisfying complement to the trilogy; and finally with Riddle of Ages. I now see the series as having three distinct parts: the threequel, the prequel, and the sequel. Will there be two sequels? I guess we’ll have to see(quel).
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages is on B&N bookshelves September 24.