by Kenneth Oppel
Book Type: YA, Alternate History, Steam Punk, Fantasy
Summary: 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.
summary found on goodreads
My Review: I found this book thoroughly enjoyable. I have to say that although the story starts out exciting with a lot of action, for some reason I could NOT get into the story until Kate joined the tale. As soon as this little firecracker came into the scene Matt developed and grew as a character. He became much more dynamic and relate-able, which in turn created a depth to the story that was lacking earlier on. Kate is an incredibly strong-willed and determined young woman who takes Matt on an adventure he never could have imagined, on top of the incredible journey he is already on! The ship that Matt works on has crash landed on an island in the middle of nowhere, Kate wants to explore the island and threatens to do so on her own if Matt won't join her. Matt can't ever allow someone to put themselves in danger if he can help it, so he joins her on a journey of danger and discovery. This story is full of intrigue, pirates, adventure, near-death experiences, and young love. It is a blast once you get into it. Don't give up on it if you feel the beginning is dragging or not gripping enough, it picks up and doesn't stop until the very end of the book. :)
by Kenneth Oppel
Book Type: YA, Alternate History, Steam Punk, Fantasy
Summary: A legendary ghost ship. An incredible treasure. A death-defying adventure.
Forty years ago, the airship Hyperion vanished with untold riches in its hold. Now, accompanied by heiress Kate de Vries and a mysterious gypsy, Matt Cruse is determined to recover the ship and its treasures. But 20,000 feet above the Earth's surface, pursued by those who have hunted the Hyperion since its disappearance, and surrounded by deadly high-altitude life forms, Matt and his companions soon find themselves fighting not only for the Hyperion--but for their very lives.
summary found on goodreads
My Review: This book was even better than the first. Matt received quite a bit of money after his adventure with the Pirate Szpirglas and is finally able to work toward fulfilling his dream of being a captain of an airship by attending the Airship Academy in Paris. He has been working hard at school and during his hands on training with a ship, his crew discovers the Hyperion, a long lost ghost ship. The captain almost kills his crew attempting to get to it. Once Matt returns to Paris many unsavory men/pirates are aware that Matt has knowledge of the coordinates of the alleged ghost ship and will stop at nothing to find it themselves. Of course the vivacious and lively Kate is determined to find this ship and examine it's contents herself. So she finds a captain crazy enough to attempt the journey. Which of course leads to Matt being roped into a journey up to a ship that is floating at deadly heights. Matt is finding that life with Kate is always an adventure and this one turns out to be even more dangerous and exciting than the first!
by Kenneth Oppel
Book Type: YA, Alternate History, Steam Punk, Fantasy
Summary: Pilot-in-training Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries, expert on high-altitude life-forms, are invited aboard the Starclimber, a vessel that literally climbs its way into the cosmos. Before they even set foot aboard the ship, catastrophe strikes:
Kate announces she is engaged—and not to Matt.
Despite this bombshell, Matt and Kate embark on their journey into space, but soon the ship is surrounded by strange and unsettling life-forms, and the crew is forced to combat devastating mechanical failure. For Matt, Kate, and the entire crew of the Starclimber, what began as an exciting race to the stars has now turned into a battle to save their lives.
summary found on goodreads
My Review: Matt and Kate have once again come out of an adventure with a handful of money. Money that helps continue to support Matt's family and his schooling. This summer Matt is looking forward to spending a lot of time with Kate. Plans change dramatically when they are approached by none other than Mr. Lunardi who wants to recruit Kate to join a team going into outer space for the first time and invite Matt to join a TRAINING program where he is expected to compete against 99 other older, more experienced men to try and get a spot on the spaceship. Matt desperately wants to go on this thrilling and very possibly life-threatening journey and will work harder than he ever has in life to go. On top of everything else Kate has announced that she is engaged to another man. Will Matt get to go into space? Will Kate really marry some other guy? Or will Matt get the experience of a life-time and keep Kate for himself? Read the third and final installment of this story to find out! And don't worry, this is the best story in the trilogy. I LOVED the ending. Perfect end to a thrilling adventure. Yay for Airborn! :)
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