A bit of steampunk meets the future in this world aboard a ship in the clouds.  This is the 2nd book in the series and it’s excellent reading.  Full of adventure, it’s easy to keep engaged and not want to put it down.  Nadya is our storyteller and like most of her ship’s companions, she’s around twelve-years-old.  She’s tenderhearted yet very decisive and bold when others might think twice.  Nadya is full of ideas and always willing to do crazy things like jump off buildings.  Sometimes her spontaneity gets her in a little trouble though.  Living on a ship that would usually be run by adults, the young crew of the Orion repeatedly rises up to the responsibility that’s expected of a seasoned crew and come up with some pretty innovative ways of dealing with the issues they come across. 

In book one, Nadya lost the lower part of her leg so she’s learning to live with a disability.  She has her moments of frustration but overall she’s pretty brave about it all.  The crew is learning the art of giving each other some space and being patient with each other as each of them grows and learns.  In the end, they learn they can count on each other and their captain.  When they come face-to-face with a world class evil guy, they are ready to work as a team. 

Complete with fantastic details and several delightful illustrations, the pacing was just right.  The author did an amazing job painting this world so the reader could see and almost feel the landscape.  The characters are full of fears and aspirations just like everyday people making them very believable.  Growing in strength and suspense with every page, this book was hard to put down and sad when it came to an end.  Hopefully the author has already started on book three.  This book would be a good read for all audiences who enjoy a good action-packed story. 

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by G. P. Putnam’s Sons

Review of an Advance Reading Copy
Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  1 mild obscenity. 

Violence/Gore:  A ginormous sea beast almost eats a few people, a little descriptive & slightly scary; mention of a girl who was thought to be getting kidnapped, screaming; mention of pirates who are kidnapping kids; mention of adults who were previously kidnapped; a boy’s sister was kidnapped previously; a young teen boy previously lost his arm in a machine accident; a young teen girl previously lost her foot when she was in a vehicle accident; two young teen girls are attacked by 2 men, not very descriptive but a little scary; mention of a dark day when something took over a region of earth, implied many were killed and some disappeared; men attack a ship and try to kidnap kids, non-detailed fighting, one boy is kidnapped; a long scene where a young teen girl runs from scary men who want to kidnap her, not gory but emotional; a long scene where 3 young teens break into a building, they are in danger from scary men and fire; many children are being held captive, sedated and under mental control. 

Sex/Nudity:   A young teen girl says she likes girls, not guys.

Mature Subject Matter:

Vehicle accident, amputated limbs, parents killed, orphans, power-hungry nefarious men, corrupt politicians, pirates, kidnappers, mind=controlled men & children, homosexuality, fire, a fire god.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None