Deadpan Slapstick

Boy, you never know with Arthur Slade. He's like the "Cracker Jack" of writers; stick your hand in the box and you never know what sort of prize you'll pull out. His book "Dust" is full of creeping Ray Bradbury menace and weird evil. The "Northern Frights" series is all terror, superstition and creatures that go bump and then go for the jugular. The "Hunchback Assignments" series is, get this, Victorian, steampunk, hunchback, secret agent adventure.

And now we have "Death by Airship" a slapstick, deadpan funny, sky pirate comedy adventure. Our hero, fifteen year old Prince Conn, is a bit dim, a bit cowardly, terribly careless, and captain of a ramshackle airship crewed by a bunch of misfits. Prince Conn avoids trouble, yearns after cute Crystal, (whom he met in Pirate Ethics class), plunders the skies, and stays out of the way of his Mom, Dad, and eight older siblings. As ninth in line for the pirate throne he's basically a nobody, and that suits him fine until someone starts eliminating his siblings and framing him for the murders. Avast and Ahoy you say, there's a mystery to solve and ripping adventures to be had.

Maybe you can take or leave ripping antic adventures, especially of the airship pirate variety. I get that; I really do. But this book is an engaging and truly irresistible hoot. The dialogue is smart and snappy. Lots of funny, deadpan throwaway lines. The action is extremely fast paced, as is the banter, so the book just screams along, with little space wasted on setup or fill. Prince Conn is actually sharp as a tack, so the humor is not based on him being clueless. He just has that casual, off-the-cuff charm that sneaks up on you. Think Errol Flynn for twelve year olds.

Bottom line? I was cool to the idea of another airship pirate adventure book. But this one came right at me out of the sun, (an old airship pirate trick that's a running joke in the book), and caught me by surprise. A jolly find.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

I freely admit I am a fan of the works of Arthur Slade. I fell in love with his books when I was in university and worked as a bookseller. And I try and stay abreast of his new books. And this one did not disappoint. I have now read it through twice about 6 weeks apart. First I devoured it, and on the second in order for it to be fresher to write this review. My reaction when I first finished it was:

“It is an amazing Middle Grade read! The line I laughed out loud at was:

“She was so beautiful. Like a statue on the front of a ship. But alive. And not made of wood.”

So looking forward to reading it again with my son.”

And that sentiment remains. It is a really fun read; one that will grab the attentions of young boys and girls, even the most reluctant of readers. Slade writes such diverse books from vampires, myths and Icelandic legends, early Hollywood, and more. And yet with all the diversity if his novels to date this book surprised me. Now one thing really stood out to me as a seasoned and salted reader. In some way this reminded me of Piers Anthony’s Bio of a Space Tyrant series but aimed at a much younger audience and a lot more humour. This story has pirates, airships, a love interest, a family feuding, and just a smattering of revenge. And when pirates are a feuding things get messy quick. So without further ado yo ho ho let’s get to the specifics about the story!

Prince Conn will never be the pirate King. And to be honest that is just fine with him. He just wants his airship, a crew and the open sky. For he is in fact ninth in line for the throne and probably would not care if he was not on the list at all. He might wish his airship was a little newer, or better equipped, but it is his and his misfit crew are happy plundering the skies together. Soon however it might not matter what Conn would like. For his siblings are being knocked off one by one. And whoever is doing these dastardly deeds is making sure to leave clues that point clearly at Conn. The clues are so convincing even his mother is out to kill him before he knocks off any more of her children. And the deaths are all spectacular, and masterfully planned. The murders include tragic fires, mysterious poisoning, and even ferocious cannon attack. And each of the murders is more surprising than the last because of planning and cunning that went into it.

The big questions are can Conn surprise every one and unmask the real killer, can he clear his name, can he save his father and even his own hide?

This is a wonderful little read. A great Middle Grade read, and entertaining enough for us older folks who just love a great story. My only real complaint is I believe this is a standalone novel, and I would love to see more stories set in this world. The Pirate clan is a fascinating family, and I desperately want to know what the next adventure is!

Another great read from the masterful pen of Arthur Slade! Hazzah!

(Review will post later this week on release day.)

Prince Conn is a pirate. So are his mom and dad and all his siblings. Since his assigned area has almost no traffic, he doesn't get to act like a pirate very often but he's ready for when they show up. When one of his sisters tries to set his airship on fire, he goes after her. That's when he finds out his siblings are being killed off. And he's being framed for it...

Orca Book Publishers and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published January 9th.

Mr. Slade writes busy stories that hold your attention. I really enjoyed watching Conn trying to save his family. His enemy is someone he knows but he doesn't realize that. When his mother tries to knock his plane out of the sky, he races back home to talk to his father. The King tells him he knows he didn't do it because he's not smart enough to carry out such a plot. (That's not really a compliment, is it?). While he's visiting with his father, a dove lands in the window. Then another and another. Then they blow up and take the window out and enemies crawl in. He drags the King out on his airship and they escape. Except he still has someone following him...

Can he save his family from the killer?