Matt Cruse works as a cabin boy on the airship Aurora. His father,
before him, worked and died on this ship and Matt himself was born
on an airship. Sailing is in his blood and he feels he was born to
be in the air. He befriends a girl passenger who is making her
first air voyage to prove the existence of strange air creatures
that her recently deceased grandfather was thought to have
imagined. While making a routine voyage with a full load of
passenger's and cargo they are attacked and boarded by pirates.
This is the beginning of Matt and Kate's deadly adventures.
I loved this book! There is not one single thing that did not
appeal to me. Set in an alternate earth similar to the Victorian
era only instead of sailing the seas their ships sail the skies.
This is a rip-roaring, rollicking good nautical adventure that
takes place in the air. Strange creatures, air pirates, shipwreck
and desert islands, it is all here. A strong female character with
an equally strong male character will appeal to both boys and
girls. As per usual with Oppel the death scenes can bit on the gory
side and this is definitely a YA book. Both an absorbing plot and
wonderfully in-depth character development, along with a fully
developed alternate world make this a page-turning adventure.
Highly recommended. I can't wait to read the next book!