Book Review: Sky Thieves / Dan Walker 9 – 12 Years

Published by Oxford University Press

There seems to be a herd of good adventure stories that have recently been published or are about to be – this is one of them. This is a piratical adventure set on pirate ships floating in the sky…with a land mass beneath. Full of swashbuckling energy, with wonderful characters and a brilliant plot too.

I’d like to make a boxed set of good adventure books for this age group –

The Huntress: Sea / Sarah Driver,

Jake Atlas and the Tomb of the Emerald Snake / Rob Lloyd Jones,

The Demon Undertaker  / Cameron McAllister,

A Very Good Chance / Sarah Moore Fitzgerald,

Black Powder / Ally Sherrick,

Fenn Halflin & the Fearzero / Francesca Armour-Chelu  &

Cloud Hunters / Alex Shearer (which sadly I read before I started this blog, and so has lost out a bit) to name but a few – its a good time for adventure.

This centres around Zoya – smuggled onto a pirate ship; however, things are nothing like they seem and the story becomes a whirlwind of a tale of fights, raids, islands in the sky, treasure, evil pirates (yes, it seems there are some good pirates out there as well as those good old-fashioned bad characters), friendship, bravery and family…

Its superb…Enjoy it!

Book Review: Jake Atlas and the Tomb of the Emerald Snake / Rob Lloyd Jones / 9 – 12

Published by Walker Books –

I have only reached page 102 in my proof copy of this new book by Rob Lloyd Jones (RLJ) – due to be published in January 2017 – The story of Jake, a boy who’s propensity for getting into trouble has driven his parents almost into despair. His sister ignores him on the whole – there is a war of attrition between the two of them. She is clever, works hard, but tries to hide it and her enthusiasm for life behind a gothic front…He on the other hand is not, does not and gets into trouble at the earliest opportunity. His speciality is thieving – however, he has promised his family that he has stopped and they are off on a family holiday which should be special. It’s not just any holiday – they are off to Egypt.

At the airport he is allowed to wander the shops, though his parents are not sure whether that is the right decision. His father feels they should take a chance, and almost believes in his promise, his mother isn’t so sure. He is given some money for a shirt – and wanders off into the shopping malls. Of course he finds himself in an electrical store, just to look. The theft of the tablet is an almost a natural progression from that – what is not natural is when the tablet switches itself on and the man on the screen starts giving him advice on how to avoid the store detectives, the manager, and the security officers… A circumstance that begins to really freak him out. Particularly when he is given a shirt from one of the shops and is guided back to his parents just in time for the flight. The laptop now hidden in the back of his trousers he follows his family into the aircraft; the mystery of who the man is on the tablet, how he got there and how he knew about Jake going round and round his head…

A super story for anyone with an interest in Egyptology, secret societies, mysteries and adventure. It says in the blurb the book is a mix of Indiana Jones and Mission Impossible – a very good by-line. I hope the rest of the books is as good. Knowing RLJ’s work from Wild Boy, a previous piece of fiction he wrote, I have no doubt it will be.

I have just finished the proof – which frankly has stopped me from doing all the jobs I should have been doing, and I am pleased to report it ends better than it started. What is more there is hope for a long series – I don’t think Marjorie (!) will allow the family to rest in peace for long. It is also rather nice – a very prosaic word, but I can’t think of a better one – that the adventure includes everyone in the family.

I’d like to know when the next one is due out!