Travel the World: England: Mothstorm

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Reeve, Philip. 2008. Mothstorm: The Horror from Beyond Uranus Georgium Sidus. Or A Tale of Two Shapers. A Rattling Yarn of Danger, Dastardy and Derring-Do upon the Far Frontiers of British Space. With illustrations by David Wyatt. Bloomsbury.

First paragraph:
'Dunderhead!'
'Clodpole!'
'Ninnyhammer!'
'Booby!'
'Nitwit!'
Yes, 'twas the season of Peace and Goodwill at Larklight, and my sister Myrtle and I, snug in our fleece-lined, winter-weight spacesuits, were out upon the front porch, decorating our Christmas Tree. Christmas Trees are a German notion and quite the latest thing, but I doubt whether Prince Albert, who is responsible for introducing this charming festive fad, has ever tried to erect such a tree outside a house like Larklight, which floats about in an eccentric orbit far beyond the Moon.

I admit the above might come off as rather strange unless you're familiar with the world of Larklight. Mothstorm is the third in the series. The first is Larklight: Or the Revenge of the White Spiders!: Or To Saturn’s Rings and Back!: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Furthest Reaches of Space. The second is Starcross: A Stirring Adventure of Spies, Time Travel, and Curious Hats.

Philip Reeve has created a fantastical world set during Queen Victoria's reign, but most of the action takes place in space. (Yes, space) In fact a good many of our heroes are space pirates. Art Mumby is our young narrator. Myrtle Mumby, his sister, also takes a few turns narrating the action. Where will this third adventure take the Mumby family? Are they destined for Uranus? I mean, Georgium Sidus? Off to rescue a British missionary and his daughter that have gone missing? Will Myrtle get her man, the leader of the space pirates, Jack Havock? Will Jack forget his dislike for the British government long enough to save the world from its biggest danger yet?

I love these books because they're so outrageously over-the-top fantastical. Quirky through and through. Funny. You never know quite what to expect. And that's a good thing. Because my imagination can never match Philip Reeve's that's for sure!!! I love how zany these books are. Just read the first chapter about when their Pudding goes rogue!

The adventures are fun. No doubt. But what keeps me a fan is Philip Reeve. I just love his sense of humor. I love his style. He has a way with words. He's just a great storyteller.


© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Starcross

Reeve, Philip. 2007. Starcross: A Stirring Adventure of Spies, Time Travel, and Curious Hats. "Decorated Throughout" by David Wyatt.

Starcross is the sequel to 2006's Larklight: Or the Revenge of the White Spiders!: Or To Saturn’s Rings and Back!: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Furthest Reaches of Space. While I found the first book fun and silly, I also was just lukewarm about it. I neither loved it nor hated it. I saw the appeal, but didn't share in it exactly. With the second book, Starcross, everything has changed. I loved it. I mean I LOVED it. Still silly? Yes! Still fun? Yes! Still requires the suspension of disbelief? Of course! Maybe it is because I knew what to expect. Maybe the Moobs just make for a more exciting enemy than the space spiders. Who knows. I just know that I can't recommend this one highly enough!!!

Chapter One:

What a fuss! What storms of dust! What cannonades of hammering and what snarling of wood-saws! What quantities of sawdust and shavings heaping up upon the stairs and filling the very air, making the poor hoverhogs sneeze and cough! What endless, topsy-turvy rearrangements of the household furniture! What confusion! In short, we had the decorators in. Larklight, our dear old huse, which has hung in its lonely orbit north of the Moon for goodness knows how long, gathering space dust and barnacles and generally declining into a picturesque decay, was being renovated from top to bottom.

Our two narrators are Art (Arthur) Mumby and his sister Myrtle. The year is 1851. The plot of this one starts off simple--though as readers we know this cannot last long--the Mumby family is going to vacation--they've just received a special invite in the mail--at Starcross a "Resort" hotel "fitted with the very latest Scientific Furnishings, and staffed exclusively by the most tactful auto-servants. Offering, in addition, fine views, healthful air, & the best opportunities for sea bathing in the Solar System." Mom and the two kids will arrive first, Dad will be along after his business is finished.

At Starcross they meet a few new characters, and bump into a few of their old friends. Most notably Jack Havock who is going by the name the Honourable Ignatius Flint these days. (The rest of the crew of the Sophronia is about as well.) Their hotel is most mysterious, and it doesn't take them many days to figure out that something is wrong--very oddly wrong--about the hotel and its guests.

I loved this book. Loved the plot--the twists and turns. Loved the language. Loved the characters. Loved everything about it really.

Definitely recommended.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews