So much fun!

Awesome steampunk adventure!

I really enjoy the audio of this series even if it is a bit cheesy. The lead characters are dramatic as all get out but it works somehow. I love the science fiction angle, sort of silkpunk / steam punk alternate Earth. Will listen to the next one too!

(Note to self: audio speed: 1.35)

I remember it was a laugh and some fun. The intrigue was good, and the ending very, very satisfying. The action and adventure were good enough too. I really liked the main character, he was fun to hang around with.

I liked this one more than the first book.

I loved the new characters. Hal and Nadira were great additions and I actually wouldn't mind reading more about their own adventures. Kate was better in this book, but compared to the new characters, she was still not my favorite. Matt was adorable and lovable as always. The adventure was even better, this one really took airship pirating to a new level.

There was more romance than in the first book. Since Kate is not my favorite, the romance itself is not my favorite, but it doesn't really take away from the book or adventure.

I am so glad it ended the way it did, because there was a small probability that it wouldn't. In that case I really would've wanted to slap Kate. Not because she had anything to do with the ending but because of her lack of empathy towards the problems of others. BTW trying to cheer someone up when their prospects are gone, helps no one. Sometimes when your dreams are crushed, people just need to wallow in sadness and come to grips with their future options.

**** Great read, 4 stars ****

Such a great read aloud! Both my kids (5 and 8) loved the adventure and fast pace of this second book in the trilogy. We are excited to finish it up with Starclimber!

4.5/5

"If my heart were a compass, you'd be North."

Rereading the first book in this series with the intention of going on to read the rest of the installments is one of the best book-related decisions I've made in a long time. Seriously, I cannot believe it's taken me this long to return to these! This series is such a hidden gem and I will tell everyone I know to read them again and again until they hate me for it.

In this book, Matt Cruse sees the famous airship, the Hyperion, that's been missing for 40 years. It's rumored that there's treasure hidden away on the Hyperion by the wealthy inventor it belonged to, and Matt ends up being the only living person who knows the coordinates the ship was spotted at. His friend Kate immediately sees the potential in the adventure of finding the ship once again. In preparation for their journey, they also collect Nadira, a mysterious gypsy girl who claims to know the only way to unlock the treasure, and Hal, a dashing captain with a ship that can reach the extraordinary height at which the ship has been drifting away the years. They aren't the only ones looking for the ship, however, and the mission to uncover the Hyperion's secrets becomes a race against various enemies and the cruel elements faced at 20,000 feet above the Earth.

The writing in this book was even better than the first. It flowed in and out of clear description, fast-paced events, and quote-able phrases seamlessly. The pacing of the plot was perfect, with no unnecessary detail. Every description and conversation and action was vital to the plot, and I never wanted to let my eyes skim over a single paragraph for fear I'd miss something important. Every word seemed as though it was chosen carefully. Not one of the 500+ pages of this book were wasted. For me, as a writer, this was an impressive feat.

I didn't think it was possible for me to love Kate and Matt any more, either, but here we are. They work so well together, and as a couple, they're so inspiring. The constantly appreciate each other's differences. They communicate the most difficult of things, even if it takes a few chapters to do so. They're an inspiring couple, and a relationship I want for myself (which is rare for book couples, which are usually nothing but gorgeous people with constant angst).

I also loved the new characters, Nadira and Hal. They were morally-grey for the most part. Nadira's past was shrouded in secrecy, and Hal always struggled with greed and a touch a racism (toward Nadira, for the most part). I loved Nadira in the way I would love a friend, and Hal, while I struggled with him, was necessary as a means of rounding out the group (and he was quite charming, I hate to admit, although the charm falters at times in a genuine and revealing way).

All in all, this was an exciting book. I could hardly put it down, and while it was a bit scary for me (the Hyperion being a ghost ship and all), I really, really enjoyed it. This is a classic adventure story with a great cast of characters, and I can't wait for the next book!

Some other quotes:

"She's like a beacon, standing there gazing into the future. I like the way you think all things are possible."

"He was like a bright shining sun and I was a little planet, whirling around and around him, half wanting to break away and be free, half liking the ride."

Definitely not as good as the first one but I love Kenneth Oppel’s writing and storytelling so much!