Sailing toward dawn, and I was perched atop the crow's nest, being the ship's eyes. We were two nights out of Sydney, and there'd been no weather to speak of so far. I was keeping watch on a dark stack of nimbus clouds off to the northwest, but we were leaving it far behind, and it looked to be smooth going all the way back to Lionsgate City. Like riding a cloud. . . .
Matt Cruse is a cabin boy on the Aurora, a huge airship that sails hundreds of feet above the ocean, ferrying wealthy passengers from city to city. It is the life Matt's always wanted; convinced he's lighter than air, he imagines himself as buoyant as the hydrium gas that powers his ship. One night he meets a dying balloonist who speaks of beautiful creatures drifting through the skies. It is only after Matt meets the balloonist's granddaughter that he realizes that the man's ravings may, in fact, have been true, and that the creatures are completely real and utterly mysterious.
A very fun read. Taking place in an alternate reality where blimp-like airships rule the skies instead of airplanes, it read much like a high-seas adventure with pirates, shipwrecks, and dangerous island encounters. I'd call it steampunk, but besides a different form of air transportation, there wasn't anything steamy or punkish about it. If anything, it reminded me most of Airman by Eoin Colfer mixed with Treasure Island.
Matt, our narrator, is the perfect lens to view this stunning world. He finds joy and wonder in his surroundings, whether they be familiar or new, he's knowledgeable about airships and is eager to prove himself worthy of moving up in the ranks, and he's intuitive and innovative when it comes to problem-solving. He can be a tad straight-laced, especially when it comes to captain's orders, which is where his newfound cohort comes in.
Kate is adventurous to a fault. Rich and pampered, she nonetheless feels stifled as a girl in a man's world, so seeks to find her own way. Armed with her grandfather's notebook, Kate is determined to discover a scientific anomaly, and will do whatever it takes to bring back proof. Matt thinks her recklessness is in some part due to her wealth, not being beholden to the same consequences as himself. But for her part, Kate does take responsibility for her own actions, and proves herself a valuable partner in their adventures.
Before picking it up, I didn't realize that this was a YA book, as its cover really doesn't show any of the trappings we tend to see today. But since it was written in the early 2000's, before the YA boom really hit, I guess it's not too surprising. That may have also influenced the lack of standard YA tropes (love triangles, dark backstories, brooding/pining over one's love interest, etc.), but I prefer to think that Oppel is just a better writer than that.
The writing is a bit slow at first, very meticulous in explaining the details of this new environment, but gradually picks up as Matt has more interactions with people and the plot gets moving. I still wouldn't call it break-neck at any point, I was never figuratively glued to the page, but the action scenes were well paced to give the right amount of tension and surprise.
According to Goodreads, this is the first in a series. It didn't read like that at all. I could happily walk away from this book now, having gained a satisfying conclusion. But I'm sure I'll return to Matt's escapades sooner or later, after all, there's so much more of this world to explore!
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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