Critique

I could not have imagined that the sequel to such an engaging book could actually be better than the first. Alek and Deryn are just the type of characters that belong in a story of war, espionage and international intrigue and politics. The setting is perfect, the characters are believable and fun, and the story is almost impossible to put down. Westerfeld has accomplished the perfect balance between telling a great, compelling story with lots of action and danger with character and plot development. Hats off!

Critique

Two things to note on this one: First—Amazing; Second: Not a kids book by any means. Normally I wouldn’t review a book that was clearly more for adults than for tweens or teens, but there was something particularly special about Palmer’s imaginative world. There were Godzillas, Cyclops, people running around in full-body space suit things, and tons more.

So this is why I chose to review it here, other than that it was awesome: it reminds me of when I was a kid, playing with toys and imagining worlds for them—minus the sex and swearing. I’m sure there are many who will second that sentiment, and if for nothing else, I thought I would review it here specifically to recommend it to more mature readers who will appreciate that element.

On the literary end, it’s rare to see an author who takes chances in the way a science fiction book is written. Almost all of them are completely linear, showing a dystopian future where the good guys have to fight against the government who takes their rights away and makes everyone be exactly the same—death to creativity, death to beauty and imagination. This novel still has some of that, as any good sci fi book should, but the novel really isn’t about fighting the government as much as it is the human responsibility to protect a world and all its species from total annihilation (sound familiar?). At least that’s one of the main themes.

The others are what makes it such a stellar read, not to mention that Palmer has written it in a somewhat unique and inventive style. The chapters only mark the passage of days as they go by, and every page is interspersed with short snippets of each main/sub main character and their point of view on what’s happening at that exact moment. That tactic allows the reader to empathize with several characters and see everything from many points of view. It’s a great read, and I highly recommend it to all readers 16+.

Critique

To be honest, I was a little disappointed in this book. Perhaps it’s that my hopes were so high to begin with, but they weren’t quite met. Given the overview, there was certainly a recipe for an excellent tale—steampunk, Victorian England, the hunchback of Notre Dame as the main character, but as a teenager, and having been raised completely differently—but the execution was a little lacking.

Specifically, I felt like the story was rushed, and Slade didn’t take the time to relish in the scenes, the action, the science, etc. Give it a hundred to two hundred more pages, and I think the whole story would really come alive. I would care more about the characters. They would have a bit more time to develop, especially Modo, who could use a lot more writing about his magical power as well as his training. We need more character backstory, more development, and more description about everything involved.

The ending certainly leaves it open for a sequel or a few, and I’m hoping they get better with each installment.

Critique

There are parts from time to time that are a little slow, unnecessary or poorly timed descriptions of the landscape and setting throughout the novel, but all in all it was a fantastic read. There are elements of what seem to be realistic danger, and Conor, even though the hero, definitely seems as though he may not make it out of many of the scrapes he gets himself into, including all of the flying inventions he creates. The ending is almost a little too happy/sappy, but it’s ultimately what one is hoping for deep down inside, so that the hero can win and everyone lives happily ever after. 

Some of the elements that make the story original are Colfer’s recreation of the history of the Saltees, how they were populated, and what makes them wealthy. In reality, the Saltee Islands do exist, and are owned by a family, but no one really lives there, and there are no diamond mines. There is, however, a wonderful culture of birds and seals that live throughout the islands. Also, the integration of the realistic struggle for power and Conor’s desire to escape are accompanied well with the fantasy/science fiction aspects that revolve Conor’s dreams of flight, and his capabilities as a scientific genius to make them possible. Not only does he create a personal flying machine that can take him back and forth from the islands, but he creates the first plane with angled propellers as well.

I don’t know of any books to be released to follow this in a series, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were, knowing Colfer. I recommend this text to readers 9+, skewing more toward boys.

Critique

Oppel does such a great job of creating a continuous strain of adventure novels that hearken back to the days of sky and sea exploration and bring out the romance that those elements still evoke in a culture that has long passed that era. His world is close enough to our own in history, culture, and natural law that this entire series feels kindred to the works of Robert Louis Stevenson or Jules Vern. 

As the books have progressed, space was the next logical step in Cruse’s adventures, and each story gets more complicated and conveys more depth than the last as Cruse and his confidants get older. This story has some similar elements that our own modern cultures deal with, like military power over private endeavors, agenda-bent terrorists who will stop at nothing to reach their goal, and blossoming, forbidden love between two people from different social classes.

The other books in this series so far are Airborn (book 1), and Skybreaker (book 2).