Nadya Skylung and the Cloudship Rescue is a middle-grade fantasy adventure that takes place in a world in which people travel in the clouds because it's safer than travel by land or sea. Nic, the captain of the Orion, has rescued a number of children from dangerous situations and turned them into his Skyship crew. Nadya is a Skylung, a humanoid creature with gills who can speak to plants and other Skylungs. She works inside the balloon of the cloudship with Mrs. Trachia (another Skylung), where there is a garden. The plants breathe out atmosphere, keeping the ship afloat. But, the health of the plants is also dependent upon the aid of the Skylungs.
When pirates attack, the children are able to escape but the rest of the crew is captured. They're being towed by the pirate ship when they emerge from their hiding place and find the adult crew gone. Can Nadya and her four friends and fellow crew members break the Orion free and rescue the adults from the pirate ship without being captured and sold into slavery?
You'll have to read it to find out. I'm not telling. I will tell you, though, that I think Nadya is a great character. She's got spunk and she uses her head. She can be snippy and hold a grudge but she's a hard worker and courageous. There are a lot of wonderful, unique touches to this fantasy world that I found both compelling and surprising.
You'll have to read it to find out. I'm not telling. I will tell you, though, that I think Nadya is a great character. She's got spunk and she uses her head. She can be snippy and hold a grudge but she's a hard worker and courageous. There are a lot of wonderful, unique touches to this fantasy world that I found both compelling and surprising.
Highly recommended - Original world building, a strong storyline, and some nail-biting tension make Nadya Skylung a winner. I was at the beginning of my summer slump when I picked up Nadya Skylung and the Cloudship Rescue, so I read it slowly. But, I was aware that it was an excellent book, even during the days that I was having trouble reading. The ending is surprising as something very bad happens to Nadya and I thought the author did a realistic job of showing how a person might react to such a personal disaster. I presume but don't know for sure, that Nadya Skylung and the Cloudship Rescue is the first in a series, since Nadya hears a cry for help through the Panpathia (like a spiritual intercom system that only certain people can hear) on the final page. I'm definitely looking forward to more.
Note: This book contains illustrations, so it's a great one for young chapter-book readers who are still intimidated by pages and pages of text with no illustrations.
Note: This book contains illustrations, so it's a great one for young chapter-book readers who are still intimidated by pages and pages of text with no illustrations.
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Sounds very unique and interesting. I might have to read it.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun. This may be one I save for the granddaughters. I love a strong heroine.
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