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The Marbury Lens #1.5
King of Marbury
Marbury is another world, a dark world that best friends Jack Whitmore and Conner Kirk have fallen into before. A stranger had given Jack a pair of glasses – it’s through the lenses that the boys get to Marbury. Told through Conner’s point of view, THE KING OF MARBURY asks whether Marbury is only in Jack and Conner’s minds, or if it might actually be real. You decide.
32 pages, ebook
First published October 2, 2012
About the author
Andrew Smith
19 books1,703 followersAndrew Smith is the author of Winger, Grasshopper Jungle, The Alex Crow, 100 Sideways Miles, and Rabbit & Robot, among others. Exile from Eden: Or, After the Hole, the long-awaited sequel to Grasshopper Jungle, is coming from Simon & Schuster on September 24, 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 21, 2014
Marbury’s Lens.
1.5 stars.
Note: I have not read any of the other books, not sure if I want to either.
Eh, this is a peak inside Conner's head. It kind of repeats and rambles a bit for me. Really drums the whole aspect of Marbury's Lens. I was almost tempted to go back and count how many times it is mentioned, or rather recount since I lost count after nearly 10. Almost as if Conner is obsessed--correction: is. Whatever happened to him in the first book changed him drastically. I can see the cracks of the lens of his own mind beginning to crack and tease his remaining sense of logic and sanity.
This probably would have gotten another star at least if I had read the first book.
It was a big mistake.
1.5 stars.
Note: I have not read any of the other books, not sure if I want to either.
Eh, this is a peak inside Conner's head. It kind of repeats and rambles a bit for me. Really drums the whole aspect of Marbury's Lens. I was almost tempted to go back and count how many times it is mentioned, or rather recount since I lost count after nearly 10. Almost as if Conner is obsessed--correction: is. Whatever happened to him in the first book changed him drastically. I can see the cracks of the lens of his own mind beginning to crack and tease his remaining sense of logic and sanity.
This probably would have gotten another star at least if I had read the first book.
It was a big mistake.
December 8, 2021
The Marbury Lens has sequels.
This sequel is a short story, originally published on Tor.com. The story is incredibly short, but it's meant to be read before one dives into The Passenger. The story bridges the gap - taking place after the return to California and before the return to England. A bit surprisingly, but welcomingly, this short tale is told from Conner's perspective. Conner, ridiculous as he has been in the past, proves to be a more reliable narrator than Jack ever was.
There is more than one lens, and Marbury is a person. Conner takes a trip down to Berkeley to try to talk to a professor who believed he discovered what Marbury meant about being in two places at once. What follows is a surreal... mess. It's similar in tone to the previous book - and equally obscure as to just what is real and what is fiction. It's a trip, but not a terrible one.
It got me eager to discover more about the King of Marbury and perhaps more about Conner and just what's happening to him as well. That birthmark, after all, is worrisome.
I can't imagine how confused anyone coming in without the previous book under their belt would feel, though.
This sequel is a short story, originally published on Tor.com. The story is incredibly short, but it's meant to be read before one dives into The Passenger. The story bridges the gap - taking place after the return to California and before the return to England. A bit surprisingly, but welcomingly, this short tale is told from Conner's perspective. Conner, ridiculous as he has been in the past, proves to be a more reliable narrator than Jack ever was.
There is more than one lens, and Marbury is a person. Conner takes a trip down to Berkeley to try to talk to a professor who believed he discovered what Marbury meant about being in two places at once. What follows is a surreal... mess. It's similar in tone to the previous book - and equally obscure as to just what is real and what is fiction. It's a trip, but not a terrible one.
It got me eager to discover more about the King of Marbury and perhaps more about Conner and just what's happening to him as well. That birthmark, after all, is worrisome.
I can't imagine how confused anyone coming in without the previous book under their belt would feel, though.
August 3, 2016
As promised, I read King of Marbury and half the time I was like: "wow~". This short story only proves yet again that Conner is a calmer, maybe even cool-headed, protagonist than John/Jack. And yes, I like Conner. When I found out it was from his POV, I was thrilled. Well, kind of.
Q.Cahill? You mean Quinn Cahill. At first I thought it was the one from Marbury. But he was too old for that, apparently, so I dropped the idea. And even so until the end I thought that maybe, in some way or another, Jack changed the world (kind of), so it could be possible to at first have a middle-aged Quinn Cahill who later in the story is replaced with a teenage version of himself.
I really liked how Conner was all nervous trying to explain as best he could and the whole time he was like:
The final scene where Cahill disappears was creepy. Just imagining it was creepy. The King of Marbury. The true King of Marbury. I am still not sure who it is - whether it is Jack or Quinn Cahill, even after completing the final book. Maybe some questions are better left without answers. Somehow I'm satisfied with just that.
Q.Cahill? You mean Quinn Cahill. At first I thought it was the one from Marbury. But he was too old for that, apparently, so I dropped the idea. And even so until the end I thought that maybe, in some way or another, Jack changed the world (kind of), so it could be possible to at first have a middle-aged Quinn Cahill who later in the story is replaced with a teenage version of himself.
I really liked how Conner was all nervous trying to explain as best he could and the whole time he was like:
The final scene where Cahill disappears was creepy. Just imagining it was creepy. The King of Marbury. The true King of Marbury. I am still not sure who it is - whether it is Jack or Quinn Cahill, even after completing the final book. Maybe some questions are better left without answers. Somehow I'm satisfied with just that.
November 17, 2014
confusing
July 4, 2019
I WANT MORE OF CONNOR'S POINT OF VIEW- I think this is a great in between just to give us enough to needing to read Passenger. I cannot wait to get Passenger. I'm so excited.
I think the artwork of the cover has a lot of symbolism. Connor through the green lens it shows almost a stripped away version of him which I believe means in Marbury you're a more stripped away version of who you truly are. The rat with the crown on (this might be a stretch) but I think is professor Cahill. He has the crown on hence being the King of Marbury but when Cahill's kid self was eating the rat early it said, "Curled against the edge of the guesthouse, a bloated dead rat the size of a roasted chicken lay on it's side. It had been poisoned." I believe this symbolizes how when Cahill looked through both of the lenses together he "disappeared" (he had been poisoned by the lenses). Also the bug is a harvester hence from the sound of the door bell. The water surrounding Connor being from the pier. I might be wrong but that's what I got from it.
I think the artwork of the cover has a lot of symbolism. Connor through the green lens it shows almost a stripped away version of him which I believe means in Marbury you're a more stripped away version of who you truly are. The rat with the crown on (this might be a stretch) but I think is professor Cahill. He has the crown on hence being the King of Marbury but when Cahill's kid self was eating the rat early it said, "Curled against the edge of the guesthouse, a bloated dead rat the size of a roasted chicken lay on it's side. It had been poisoned." I believe this symbolizes how when Cahill looked through both of the lenses together he "disappeared" (he had been poisoned by the lenses). Also the bug is a harvester hence from the sound of the door bell. The water surrounding Connor being from the pier. I might be wrong but that's what I got from it.
April 29, 2022
Character 3| Setting 4| Plot 3.5| Writing 5| Enjoyability 5
Rating: 4.10
It's been a long time since I read The Marbury Lens(Jr year of HS so...2010? god 11 years ago.) So a lot of this is just me remembering Jack and Conner.
Regardless of my memory this piece was really good and engaging for only 32 pages. I felt it covered the anxiety from having escaped Marbury and from what ever Conner released from visiting Dr. Cahill.
Reading this makes me super interested in doing a reread of The Marbury Lens and going onto the sequel!
Rating: 4.10
It's been a long time since I read The Marbury Lens(Jr year of HS so...2010? god 11 years ago.) So a lot of this is just me remembering Jack and Conner.
Regardless of my memory this piece was really good and engaging for only 32 pages. I felt it covered the anxiety from having escaped Marbury and from what ever Conner released from visiting Dr. Cahill.
Reading this makes me super interested in doing a reread of The Marbury Lens and going onto the sequel!
Read
October 13, 2012Courtesy of Smash Attack Reads
My Thoughts: King of Marbury takes places in between The Marbury Lens and Passenger. It is told from the perspective of Conner, Jack’s best friend. It was interesting to be in Conner’s head, though he did not remind me of the Conner in The Marbury Lens. Of course, we saw Conner through Jack’s eyes. I think Conner is more subdued than we originally thought and probably showing off most of the time, as guys often do. In this novella, Conner is seeking out answers to that damn lens that transported them to Marbury, and doing it behind Jack’s back. I think Conner’s intent is to save Jack from more mayhem, but he may have brought on more torturous knowledge for himself.
This story was…interesting. I wanted more, which shows that it definitely entertained me. As with the end of The Marbury Lens, I’m still left wondering if this is all a big, fat, insane ride on the Cuckoo Express or if there is some reality to their experiences. It appears to be leaning one way, but I’m hoping Passenger clears some things up. Or maybe I’m not. I think I love this series so much because it is psychologically off-the-rocker crazy awesome, and maybe I want to be left to figure things out for myself. It’s book like these that I think about for years.
For those interested in read King of Marbury, you can read it for free on Tor.com or buy it for $.99 on ebook.
QUOTES
"I turned my eyes down and stared at my feet. It felt like I was balancing on a surfboard."
A shark-infested monster break, Jack.
My Thoughts: King of Marbury takes places in between The Marbury Lens and Passenger. It is told from the perspective of Conner, Jack’s best friend. It was interesting to be in Conner’s head, though he did not remind me of the Conner in The Marbury Lens. Of course, we saw Conner through Jack’s eyes. I think Conner is more subdued than we originally thought and probably showing off most of the time, as guys often do. In this novella, Conner is seeking out answers to that damn lens that transported them to Marbury, and doing it behind Jack’s back. I think Conner’s intent is to save Jack from more mayhem, but he may have brought on more torturous knowledge for himself.
This story was…interesting. I wanted more, which shows that it definitely entertained me. As with the end of The Marbury Lens, I’m still left wondering if this is all a big, fat, insane ride on the Cuckoo Express or if there is some reality to their experiences. It appears to be leaning one way, but I’m hoping Passenger clears some things up. Or maybe I’m not. I think I love this series so much because it is psychologically off-the-rocker crazy awesome, and maybe I want to be left to figure things out for myself. It’s book like these that I think about for years.
For those interested in read King of Marbury, you can read it for free on Tor.com or buy it for $.99 on ebook.
QUOTES
"I turned my eyes down and stared at my feet. It felt like I was balancing on a surfboard."
A shark-infested monster break, Jack.
December 19, 2012
I missed this one before Passenger came out, but it was nice to go back and read it afterward and get the opportunity to see things from Conner's point of view for a bit. And, as always when it comes to Marbury, interesting things occur, though in a much more understated way than in the full-length novels. Certainly worth a read if you enjoyed The Marbury Lens.
April 24, 2013
First read: 29.01.13 - 29.01.13 ♠ 5 Stars
Diesmal versetzt man sich nicht in die Lage von Jack Whitmore sondern von Conner Kirk. Diese Tatsache hat mir schonmal gefallen. Die Kurzgeschichte ist wie der Hauptteil verwirrend und zugleich interessant gestaltet worden. Am besten fand ich die Stelle mit dem Jungen und der ekelhaften Ratte, so schön krank. Ob man nun schlauer ist oder nicht erfährt man anscheinend erst wenn man Passenger gelesen hat, worauf ich nun definitv Lust habe!
October 10, 2013
This novella falls inbetween the two main books in the Marbury Lens series. [I actually read it for free by visiting Tor.com]
There were definitely a few interesting nuggets in this short work, particularly the academic discussion about research done on Marbury, including Connor's encounter with the Berkeley professor. And it was told entirely from Connor's perspective...interesting since it reinforces that Marbury may indeed not be entirely in Jack's mind and could very well be a genuine phenomenon.
Short, but I think important to a deeper understanding of the series...
There were definitely a few interesting nuggets in this short work, particularly the academic discussion about research done on Marbury, including Connor's encounter with the Berkeley professor. And it was told entirely from Connor's perspective...interesting since it reinforces that Marbury may indeed not be entirely in Jack's mind and could very well be a genuine phenomenon.
Short, but I think important to a deeper understanding of the series...
December 12, 2013
This was a good novella if not a tad bit short(only 50 pages). It really cleared some things up. It makes me think that Jack and Conn are not just insane, but have just come across a wold changing phenomena. you should read it if you like the Marbury lens and/or Passenger and want to know more about there universe.
February 19, 2021
Thanks, Andrew, for telling me about this in-between story. It clarifies some of the questions I had, confirms one of my suspicions, but there are still so many other questions that were not answered in The Passenger, or maybe I just need to reread the duology again (I could write duet, but this i
Story is no song).
Story is no song).
May 2, 2024
i want this entire series written in conner's perspective now. reading this was way more freaky than anything else that happens in the other two books. congrats, andrew smith, also on conveying horrors beyond imagination. everytime i read a marbury book, it feels so icky like i'm actually in marbury about to get eaten up by scavengers or whatever those bugs are called.
March 29, 2013
Woah.
Amazing insight into the question of whether or not Jack and Connor are totally nuts - or being manipulated and pulled back and forth by forces they don't understand. It's like the Pandora's Box of multidimensional theory.
Amazing insight into the question of whether or not Jack and Connor are totally nuts - or being manipulated and pulled back and forth by forces they don't understand. It's like the Pandora's Box of multidimensional theory.
April 16, 2013
Nice little bridge to wet the appetite, it was 3 years since I read Marbury Lens and I just discovered the Passenger has been released. Now reading this make me want to look back into the world of Marbury.
August 28, 2014
I really wish Andrew Smith would quit peddling this shit to teens. The Marbury Lens was the worst book I ever read. I can see it on the adult shelf but YA? Don't waste your hard earned money on this.
April 17, 2023
It's really cool to see another perspective, especially Conner's! His self-control is so interesting!
I loved learning more about Marbury and how it was made- and especially how that other Marbury happened!
I loved learning more about Marbury and how it was made- and especially how that other Marbury happened!
October 5, 2012
Great short story from Andrew Smith. I wanted more, which makes it the perfect story to whet my appetite for Passenger. Also, Connor as a narrator is pretty great, and the cover is bad ass.
Read
December 1, 2012So this is 1.5, which you will figure out after passenger... you will need to reread this when you finish Passenger for some AAHA! moments...
December 23, 2014
This is a really good intro for a sequel. Intriguing!
*Need to read Passenger*
*Need to read Passenger*
April 12, 2014
Great setting for new character and Conner POV was great and refreshing to read!
November 17, 2014
Great way to segue from The Marbury Lens to Passenger. Thanks for the freebie, Mr. Smith!
Read
February 5, 2015It was okay
It was okay. I appreciated conners side but hated what he did. Totally makes me excited to read the second book. Hope I won't be let down.
It was okay. I appreciated conners side but hated what he did. Totally makes me excited to read the second book. Hope I won't be let down.
April 23, 2015
Nice refresh.
February 16, 2016
It was fun to see through Connor's point of view. But it was way too short!
September 30, 2015
what the ffuuccckkkkkkkk
February 7, 2018
Loved this little extra piece of Marbury. I wish it could have been longer, but I really, really enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews