Mothstorm: The Horror from Beyond Georgium Sidus!

This is the third, and I believe last, book in the Larklight series by Philip Reeve. This was an excellent book. Full of funny space travel, dangerous battles, and the wonderful characters that I loved from the first two books. I listened to this book on audio book, and it was very well done. You wouldn't have to read the first two books to enjoy this book, but the first two do add a lot of background story that would make parts of this book more meaningful. A message about "Danger to the known world" is received from the depths of space near Georgium Sidus (also known as Uranus by us more uncouth peoples). This is coupled by the appearance of a strange cloud near the planet. Well, off our adventurers go exploring. What they find is something to rival their Mother, another shaper, but this shaper is hell bent on taking over all of known British space. Most of the story is told from Art's perspective. As with the last two novels, Myrtle takes over at certain parts to give her perspective on things. The whole story is told with the same over-the-top British bent to it as the previous two books. We get to add another wonderful character to the story in Charity, whom Art greatly admires. The action is non-stop in this adventure, there are numerous battles fought. Slissa finally gets to find her origins. This was another wonderful book. It is full of biting humor and reminds a lot of The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy, but in Victorian times and for younger readers. The pictures sprinkled throughout the book are wonderful too and add a lot to the story (I did listen to it on audio book, but then I acquired the book in hardback to keep on my shelf). I think that this book should appeal to a wide audience. There are some scary bits, but violence is kept to a minimum and the language is all very polite. I really loved this series and am a bit sad that this is the last book. This book does do a good job of bringing the storyline to a closure though. So if you like adventure, space, British humor, steampunk, or pirates this is the book for you; no matter what your age.

A delightful and creative tale of the Mumby family's further adventures in saving the solar system--this time from moths from another solar system. Readers of H.G. Wells, John Buchan, E. Nesbit and other early 20th century fantasists will be charmed by the marvelous adventures of Art Mumby and his family in an alternate history of the founding of the British Empire. Will make you wish that Isaac Newton really did discover the secret of space travel... Kids who like space travel, adventure, and humor will get a huge kick out of the third installment of the series. I recommend as a read-aloud; parents will love the surprisingly effective way that Reeve applies a modern sensibility to Victorian themes.

The third (and final?) installment in the Larklight series provides more of the fantastic steampunk Victorian sensibility made familiar to us in Larklight and Starcross. Honestly, this book could stand on it's own... but reading the first two in the series would be highly recommended. Some hilarious footnotes accompany the text, and as usual, David Wyatt's illustrations add much to the feel of the book. We are treated to a few of Myrtle's flowery diary pages, but Art is the main narrator. It's Christmastime in the Year of Our Lord 1851 and the Mumby family has settled in for the holiday. They are interrupted by the minor problem of space-faring pudding worm, which disguises itself as a raisin and eats Christmas puddings from the inside out. The major problem is that Georgium Sidus (aka Uranus) has sent a distress call, and the whole family goes out to investigate. The omnipotence of Art's mother, in actuality a Shaper, or disembodied alien being who created and continues to influence the solar system for the past several millennia, is neatly sidestepped. Encountering an alternate Shaper in another solar system, we see a glimpse of how the world would be if ruled by a despot, rather than a gentle being committed to letting her creations have free will. The brave and intrepid Charity Cruet provides a great balance to the ever fussy and proper Myrtle. She and Art seem well-suited to each other. Space-pirate Jack Havock and Myrtle's romance shows signs of not being over yet, as they find themselves thrown together again. The mysteries of Ssilissa's origins are finally revealed. The quiet girl-lizard pilot on Jack Havock's ship turns out to be a member of the Snilth race, from far beyond our galaxy. The Snilth recognize in Ssilissa's knobby tail the former royal family of their people, and abandon their warlike ways to settle on Pluto with her as their queen. I thought the attempt to rescue Jack's family from the Venusian tree virus could have taken up a whole book on it's own, but everything is rather quickly taken care of in the final chapter. Fans of series will either be happy to see every loose end so neatly wrapped up, or (like me) wish that there were more. The book is coming out in paperback in November, so if you've missed it when it first came out, definitely consider adding this to your list of "must reads" And, it looks as if Larklight is in development as a movie to be released sometime in 2010, so I expect interest in this trilogy to continue.

It's the rare series that holds up well over time, but this one does. Similar to the Edge Chronicles, this combines nonstop action with whimsical illustrations, giving us space travel with a Victorian overlay. Don't read this without reading Larklight and Starcross first, or you will be lost! Again, no reason this wouldn't be enjoyed by good upper elementary readers as well as teens.

I cannot express how much I love these books! I am utterly impressed with Reeve's detailed, personable characters that are consistent and yet allowed the room to grow. The characters in this series are so delightful and varied... I am always anxious for Art's amusing and surprisingly insightful views on events, and Myrtle's delightfully tedious social commentary and lady-like instructions. Larklight, the first book in the series, became an instant favorite, and while I loved Starcross (book two) I wasn't *quite* as attached to it as I was to Larklight. But, Mothstorm is just as good as Larklight, and honestly I can't think of a way to make either Larklight or Mothstorm more perfect! In the third installment the Mumby family faces their strongest enemy yet and find their entire universe resting on their shoulders. (I don't know how Reeve will top that for another - hopefully another - book, but I have great faith that he will!) Mothstorm is not only action packed, busting with wit (in a fun, friendly way... nothing pretentious, only smart and amusing), but many times I found myself engrossed with the ethical and moral dilemmas the characters had to confront and touched by the troubles they had to go through and the strong relationships they have. I was captivated from the beginning and curious until the end. And while I wasn't sure which way the story would end, or how it could possibly end in the way I was hoping, it did and it all made perfect sense (no fudging with the plots! Yay!). Perfect for readers of any age. Reeve writes in a way that should captivate the young and the old. I can't recommend these books highly enough!