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ksd1441's review
3.0
3.5 -
Philip Reeve has a strong talent for creating and building worlds. The setting alone deserves a 5. It's sort of an alternative history really, set in Victorian England mid-1850s, but in space. Sir Newton's discovery of gravity went much further in this world, leading to space travel and ether ships and the expansion of the British Empire onto other planets. Of course, there are also a wide assortment of creatures living on the worlds of our solar system, including ichthyomorphs that glide through space, deadly trees on Venus, giant Potter Moths on the moon, and four-armed creatures from Jupiter's satalite Io. What a fantastic world. And it all starts with two British youngsters living in a house in space, orbiting the Earth.
Our narrator for most of the story, Art, was very entertaining and exceedingly British. The dry humor was everywhere, and the observations of everything around him were truly that of a twelve-year-old boy. His sister, Myrtle, was a bit annoying at first, but that's because she was totally engrossed in what it meant to be a British Lady. Needless to say, when she finally figured out that she didn't need to swoon and wait for a hero to save her, I was quite happy. Jack Havock and his crew of misfits were equally fantastic. I actually would have liked more from Jack's point of view, outside of his backstory.
I suppose my only problem with this book is that it lagged in places, but the action in others balanced that out. I laughed out loud often enough and the British wit made me smile. For those readers out there who do not understand "British," it may be a bit difficult to connect with the characters. I thought it played out much like an episode of Doctor Who, and I think any fan of the show will appreciate the High-Fantasy-in-Space this book thrives on.
Oh, and another reason to not like spiders.
Philip Reeve has a strong talent for creating and building worlds. The setting alone deserves a 5. It's sort of an alternative history really, set in Victorian England mid-1850s, but in space. Sir Newton's discovery of gravity went much further in this world, leading to space travel and ether ships and the expansion of the British Empire onto other planets. Of course, there are also a wide assortment of creatures living on the worlds of our solar system, including ichthyomorphs that glide through space, deadly trees on Venus, giant Potter Moths on the moon, and four-armed creatures from Jupiter's satalite Io. What a fantastic world. And it all starts with two British youngsters living in a house in space, orbiting the Earth.
Our narrator for most of the story, Art, was very entertaining and exceedingly British. The dry humor was everywhere, and the observations of everything around him were truly that of a twelve-year-old boy. His sister, Myrtle, was a bit annoying at first, but that's because she was totally engrossed in what it meant to be a British Lady. Needless to say, when she finally figured out that she didn't need to swoon and wait for a hero to save her, I was quite happy. Jack Havock and his crew of misfits were equally fantastic. I actually would have liked more from Jack's point of view, outside of his backstory.
I suppose my only problem with this book is that it lagged in places, but the action in others balanced that out. I laughed out loud often enough and the British wit made me smile. For those readers out there who do not understand "British," it may be a bit difficult to connect with the characters. I thought it played out much like an episode of Doctor Who, and I think any fan of the show will appreciate the High-Fantasy-in-Space this book thrives on.
Oh, and another reason to not like spiders.
bronzeageholly's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism
monicakessler's review
4.0
An excellent children's sci-fi fantasy book. Larklight took a while to hook me but it's undoubtedly a well-written and well-structured piece of work. Eventful, and adventurous, not only is the plotline exciting but the book is written with a great deal of humour.
Unlike the Infernal Devices books by Cassandra Clare (not to be confused with Philip Reeve's own book, Infernal Devices ((eyeroll @CC)*) ), the spirit of Victorian London is captured much better in this steampunk-ish SFF tale similarly set in the 1800s. The mannerisms, language and jokes adhere much better to the expectations of the time, and there are some delightful moments from that, such as Art's horrified "don't overexert yourself!" at one point in the drama.
Although the characters are fun and enjoyable, they still have plenty of room for development, which I'm sure will take place in the sequels. The band of pirates are great but some of them seem to be a little flat. A star has been knocked off not only for this but also because I didn't enjoy the book at first - not really sure why, since the writing was good and the action started almost immediately. Also, a lot of the humour will be lost on what I'm guessing is the intended target audience - children - because they won't get all the references. This is fine in passing moments but there are a few significant scenes that will lose their charm. For instance, a character sings the hymn, "To be a pilgrim" to scare off aliens; this will not make much of an impression on modern children who probably have never heard that hymn.
4.25* for being a fun adventure with good wit. Enjoyed the tiny Mortal Engines reference too!
*Can I just say the more I read of Cassandra Clare and Philip Reeve, the more I find that CC has used items from PR's books? From naming to antagonists, there is a lot of similarity now between this series and her Infernal devices series, which was published 5 years later... Anyway...
Unlike the Infernal Devices books by Cassandra Clare (not to be confused with Philip Reeve's own book, Infernal Devices ((eyeroll @CC)*) ), the spirit of Victorian London is captured much better in this steampunk-ish SFF tale similarly set in the 1800s. The mannerisms, language and jokes adhere much better to the expectations of the time, and there are some delightful moments from that, such as Art's horrified "don't overexert yourself!" at one point in the drama.
Although the characters are fun and enjoyable, they still have plenty of room for development, which I'm sure will take place in the sequels. The band of pirates are great but some of them seem to be a little flat. A star has been knocked off not only for this but also because I didn't enjoy the book at first - not really sure why, since the writing was good and the action started almost immediately. Also, a lot of the humour will be lost on what I'm guessing is the intended target audience - children - because they won't get all the references. This is fine in passing moments but there are a few significant scenes that will lose their charm. For instance, a character sings the hymn, "To be a pilgrim" to scare off aliens; this will not make much of an impression on modern children who probably have never heard that hymn.
4.25* for being a fun adventure with good wit. Enjoyed the tiny Mortal Engines reference too!
*Can I just say the more I read of Cassandra Clare and Philip Reeve, the more I find that CC has used items from PR's books? From naming to antagonists, there is a lot of similarity now between this series and her Infernal devices series, which was published 5 years later... Anyway...
mslibrarynerd's review
4.0
Steampunk space pirates! Giant spiders from outer space! Adventure, fights, and the exploration of our solar system full of magnificent alien species. Clearly written by someone who watches Firefly and with Star Trek references, this book has lovely illustrations of horrible creatures and a fun story.
ceridwyn's review
4.0
Philip Reeve has such amazing world building skills. I adored the reveal of how and why his universe was different from ours, especially that it took until three-quarters of the way through a junior fiction book to explain.
The books made me want to be a 9 year old boy because they were exactly what I would want to read - although as a 38-year-old woman I enjoyed the glee and escapism.
The plots are very comic book reality and sometimes they felt a bit too shallow (possibly a result of being written for younger readers than I'm used to). Although the relationship between the brother and sister is fabulous - and Art's revealing of his sister's feelings is masterful - the rest of the characters feel a bit sketched.
The books made me want to be a 9 year old boy because they were exactly what I would want to read - although as a 38-year-old woman I enjoyed the glee and escapism.
The plots are very comic book reality and sometimes they felt a bit too shallow (possibly a result of being written for younger readers than I'm used to). Although the relationship between the brother and sister is fabulous - and Art's revealing of his sister's feelings is masterful - the rest of the characters feel a bit sketched.
bookslikegranola's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
3.5
A fun, funny, and imaginative middle grade that could have been perhaps a bit more critical of colonialism.
The story is set in an alternate Victorian era where Isaac Newton discovered alchemy which could make ships into spaceships, thus enabling the British empire to colonize the entire solar system. It’s a universe of imaginative aliens, high seas (er-space) swashbuckling, and ancient monsters lurking in the dark. Overall, it’s a super fun story that always keeps moving with charm, wit, and comedy. I loved this book as a kid, although on re-read it is a little less funny than I remember. Also, although I think it’s there, I wouldn’t have minded a bit more critical view of British imperialism sprinkled throughout.
Recommended to those who enjoy middle grade.
jessalynn_librarian's review
4.0
This is one of those books that begs to be read aloud for the sheer pleasure of sharing Reeve's combination of science fiction and Victorian values. Imagine if the British Empire, at its height, had reached as far as Mars. Imagine convicts sent to the moon instead of Australia. Imagine fantastical creatures like giant spiders, space whales, and hover hogs (they help clean up the crumbs in zero gravity). Imagine space ships that look like part of the Royal Navy. Imagine a house just past the moon, housing two Victorian children who are about embark on an unexpected adventure, meeting space pirates, exploring the solar system and saving the British Empire. It's a laugh a minute, with plenty of adventures and pluck and narrow escapes, told mostly from the perspective of Art, but with occasional excerpts stolen from the secret diary of his older sister. I'm not sure how this would go over with fans of more strict science fiction, but it's a hoot for anyone who enjoys bizarre blends of genres. Oh, and the frequent illustrations are great for visualizing Reeve's imagined creatures.
nerfherder86's review
4.0
What if Sir Isaac Newton had not only discovered gravity, but also how to build space ships and travel to other planets? In this fun "Victorian space adventure" (or "steampunk" novel to those who read a lot of science fiction), that's what happened a hundred years before the story begins. Now it's 1851 and the British Empire includes Jupiter and Mars and other places in the "aether" (space). Our hero, Arthur, and his older teen sister Myrtle, are catapulted from their floating space home Larklight (a really cool old mansion with mysterious machinery inside, "autoservants"--robots--and flying "hoverpigs" to do the vacuuming) into an adventure involving giant menacing spiders, talking thunderstorms and blue lizard-girls. Not to mention space pirates and Potter Moths! (Don't know what those are? You'll have to read to find out!) I loved the Victorian setting and British vocabulary and proper British characters--everyone is polite and "your Honour" and so forth; it's quite charming. But then there's all the riproaring space dangers and outlandish aliens; it's a fun mix!
karinajean's review
2.0
really funny, but probably about 50 pages too long. the concept was kind of dragging by the time I got to the end.
thescottcoffey's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
It's a very good time, and a fun pastiche on turn of the century British adventure stories