Matt Cruse is a young apprentice aboard the massive airship,
Aurora. Matt has aspirations to one day be a Sailmaker as his
father had been. The Aurora is 900-feet long, and the majestic
flagship of the Lunardi line of airships. It weighs more than the
Eiffel Tower, yet it is lighter than air, due to the physical
properties of hydrium which is contained in precious bladders
inside the ship's hull.
In the opening chapters of the novel, Matt sees a rogue hot air
balloon from his domed crow's nest atop the Aurora. Matt reports
the sighting, then -- showing no fear of heights -- he helps to get
the balloon onboard in an attempt to save its ailing captain. When
the old rescued explorer wakens, he asks Matt if he had seen
beautiful creatures hovering in the sky. Matt is intrigued, but he
is convinced to treat the old man's claims as hallucinations
brought on by his dire illness.
One year later, Kate de Vries boards the airship in grand fashion!
The granddaughter of the old air-mariner, Kate has come in search
of the airborne creatures described in her grandfather's flight
logs.
Matt and Kate are propelled by author Kenneth Oppel on numerous
adventures. The action is relentless in this book, and the plot is
far from predictable, as the air is filled not only with the
possibility of new and exotic creatures, but also is rife with
pirates. Matt and Kate must endure dangerous crashes, pirate
invasions, poisonous hopping snakes, abandonment on a tropical
island and a crabby chaperone!
Ever present in Airborn is the majestic airship, Aurora. Oppel
describes the ship beautifully, and we become enamoured with its
labyrinthine walkways and delicate goldbeater's skin. We struggle
with Matt and the crew to keep the ship aloft. We fight bouts of
vertigo as Oppel has Matt traverse the airship's interior and
exterior!
Reminiscent of Philip Pullman's creative world-building in His Dark
Materials trilogy, Oppel creates a world similar to, but also
unlike, our own. Oppel has the airship cross the Pacificus Ocean
from Lionsgate City. The airship is buoyed by the precious gas
hydrium. It is a world where ornithopters and vividly rendered
creatures occupy the skies. The setting captures the luxury and
grandeur of early twentieth century flight, and embraces the piracy
and lawlessness of an earlier time. The Aurora is the Titanic of
the skies, and Matt and Kate must deal with their different
stations in society.
Matt Cruse is not alone in being 'airborn'. Ken Oppel's story
introduces us to memorable airborn creatures, a wonderfully wrought
airborne airship, and a plot that keeps the reader's heart rate
aloft. You will cheer on the young Matt Cruse, as eagerly as you
cheered on Jim Hawkins in his attempt to defeat the dastardly
pirates in Treasure Island.
Airborn will keep you reading into the starry night!