Speaking of Matt and Kate, it’s hard not to notice the similarities between this story and the Titanic, except in this case there’s a lot less death. One of my favorite things about Oppel’s Airborn trilogy is precisely this sort of Quest that is present in each one, not to mention the fact that Matt and Kate are adorable. The cloud cats are well-invented and add just a touch more of delicious wonder to an already wonder-filled book. There’s also the archaeological/discovery Quest angle that just puts the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake. There’s something so fulfilling about two fifteen-year-olds taking back a ship captured by pirates singlehandedly, using nothing but their brains and their knowledge of the aircraft. It’s charming, hilarious at times, and is filled with lots of action and adventure, especially towards the end. I adore Airborn, and not just because it’s steampunk or takes place in the 1800s.

This book is what I wish The Lost Kingdom had been like. 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. One night he meets a dying balloonist who speaks of beautiful creatures drifting through the skies. 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. 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.

Airborn book 2