I appreciate having had an opportunity to read and review this book. The appeal of this particular book was not evident to me, and if I cannot file a generally positive review I prefer simply to advise the publisher to that effect and file no review at all.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC. Sorry it took me so long to get to this. Imagine taking a book by Dahl, a book by Stevenson and a book by Pullman and throwing it into a blender and then serving it to a middle reader. That is this book. It is not as sophisticated as any of the parts, but it was fun. If I kept in mind to whom this was geared, then I could keep going. It is a quick read. The pictures are great (although one of them shows Arty with his arm when the text right before it says he left his arm at home). If you think that kids are too old for Dahl and too young for Pullman and Stevenson, give them this.

This was an unbelievably fun and exciting middle grade adventure that I absolutely loved! The characters were so engaging and I fell in love with each and every one. There are so many inventive elements that brought this world to life, the themes and plot explored were so important and relevant, and the adventure aspect was perfect. I will be recommending this one to all the readers I know--both young and old!

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Brightstorm is an adventurous middle grade novel that is full of exploration, fascinating characters and settings, and some really great messages about family and friendship.

I love books that center on explorers and adventurers, so Brightstorm right away seemed like something that I would like. It did not disappoint when it comes to the exploratory aspect and I had such an incredibly time following Arthur and Maudie along their journey to reach South Polaris, a relatively untouched piece of land (that is, untouched from humans, at least) that is at the heart of a competition by the LonTown Geographical Society to reach.

Arthur and Maudie are twins who are suddenly left to fend for themselves and I found their journey to be such a compelling one, filled with some heartbreaking moments, but also filled with sense of finding oneself and one's place in the world. Arthur is the slightly more outgoing and adventurous one, whereas Maudie is more on the scholarly side of things. Both complemented each other so wonderfully in this book and I loved seeing how they worked together to use both of their strengths and stick together to be successful on their journey. I also really enjoyed the secondary characters that Arthur and Maudie meet on their journey, such as their Captain, Harriet Culpepper, Felicity, and Welby. Each character had such a unique personality and genuinely brought so much joy and character to the story--Hardy really crafts some strong characters. The main villain was also well-crafted, and though she did seem slightly cliche'd to me at times, she still fit the story well and had some really interesting elements to her character and motivations.

If you're at all animal-obsessed like I am, then you'll appreciate Parthena, the hawk that belonged to Brightstorm's father, and the thought-wolves that are also discovered along their journey. It was details and additions such as these that really added to the adventure and excitement of the story and that made me enjoy it as much as I did. The setting and atmosphere also brings a lot to the story, and if you like the His Dark Materials/The Golden Compass books, then I have a feeling you'll also enjoy this one. It probably has a slightly younger target audience, but the adventure components are there and the airships, animals, and general exploratory adventure that they embark on all gave me those His Dark Material vibes.

Lastly, I just want to touch on how well this book handles grief, figuring out one's place in the world, and the importance of friendships. This story starts off with the Brightstorm twins finding out that their father has likely been killed in an accident (not a spoiler, it's in the synopsis!), so this is something new that they have to struggle with throughout the book. Hardy balances the struggles of moving through that pain and shock while also navigating life and learning that there can still be joy in it really well, and I say that as someone who also lost a father at a young age. I really appreciate the effort that went into developing this particular storyline and for capturing that tiny bit of hope that Arthur holds onto for as long as he can. In addition, Arthur and Maudie both struggle a lot with not knowing what to do next in their life, and I think hardy explores this sense of uncertainty extremely well, especially for two children who are as young as they are.

I really don't have anything negative to say about this book. It was compelling, so much fun, and full of interesting characters and an exciting plot. Overall, I've given it five stars!

I did not get the chance to read this ARC prior to the book's publication, but we did end up buying it for our library collection.

I wish I weren't about to say it, but I actually kind of hated Vashti Hardy's <em>Brightstorm</em>. A steampunk adventure illustrated by George Ermos, by all means, <em>Brightstorm </em>should have been a book that I loved. It had all the right elements; cool gadgets, diverse characters (Arthur is disabled), strong female role models, and an exciting world all were cleverly packed within the confines of this novel. And yet, I didn't enjoy a second of it.

<h6><em>Brightstorm</em> was <em>painfully </em>predictable.</h6>

This was probably the worst thing about the whole novel. I <em>knew</em> from the very beginning everything that was going to happen. Literally, nothing surprised me, making me wonder how this was meant to have any sort of mystery aspect to it at all. I pinpointed all of the events quite easily; I knew what had happened to the children's missing father and who was behind it all. Every supposed twist was just too easy to decipher.

This, coupled with the, at times, drag-on writing that was really difficult to get into and the somewhat ridiculous creatures that popped up near the end and I just couldn't take it. I'm honestly amazed that I even finished the book, though I suppose a part of me just wanted to confirm that my theories were correct.

<h6>Speaking of the magical <em>talking</em> creatures...</h6>

Honestly, what was up with that?

They were so out of the blue and out of place that I just did not understand their purpose. I mean, they moved the plot along a bit, which makes me think back to deus ex machina again. I can be a bit more forgiving of this in children's novels, but for some reason, it just irked me with <em>Brightstorm</em>.

I also just didn't buy their reasoning for caring about the kids. Nor did I buy their willingness to help and the events that befell them as a result. Magically, Arthur and Maudie managed to gain their compassion and trust. It was kind of ridiculous. And so we get all this buildup and all this adventure and I'm just left unnecessarily sad and disappointed.

<h6>The ending was kind of awful.</h6>

It's not what I expected for a middlegrade novel. I won't say much more as I do not want to give away any spoilers, but I just found it to be somewhat anticlimactic. I was able to predict what had happened, which that in and of itself is sort of a problem for me considering the fact that most middlegrade books wouldn't go in that direction. But it also just made their entire adventure seem...purposeless.

Like, they go through <em>all of that </em>and this was the end? What was the point, then?

And while I won't say that this book is horrendously written, I personally don't think I would have enjoyed it as a kid. It often took too long to go where I needed to be, the exciting portions were dulled buy odd additions, and it all led to something not so great at all. Again, I really find myself just asking one single question in regards to this book.

What was the point?

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

Brightstorm was a fun read. It’s the first novel in a fast-paced, middle-grade fantasy series that has some steampunk influence and is about Arthur and Maudie Brightstorm, twins who we quickly learn are orphaned because their father, Ernest, a famous explorer, died on a recent expedition. His competitor, Eudora Vane, returns with this grim news and also tells the Lontown Geographical Society that Ernest and his crew attempted to steal supplies from her ship. The twins refuse to believe their father would ever do such a thing and, despite their bleak circumstances following their father’s death, decide to travel to South Polaris to learn the truth about their father’s death and clear his name.

Despite its fast pace, it took a while for me to become interested in the story. I guess it’s because I’m a bit tired of the evil caregiver trope — the twins are sent to live with an awful couple for a time — but once the twins secure passage on Harriet Culpepper’s fantastic airship, my interest in the story rose.

What I liked:

The airships, especially Harriet’s airship, which I can’t say much about because it would be a spoiler.
It’s illustrated. I loved that it is.
Adventures in South Polaris and meeting the thought wolves. (I wish there was a map, like an unfinished map, to hint that it’ll be filled out once the explorers discover new places.)
Harriet Culpepper — courageous yet caring and very smart. I immediately liked her when she was introduced, but I wish her character was more fleshed out. I wish the same for Maudie, who I liked as well. I wish she had more character development because she seems more like a shadow to Arthur and wouldn’t be missed if her character disappeared from the story.
Felicity Wiggety — I like any character who loves tea that much.
A disabled character is the protagonist (because that doesn’t happen often). Arthur has one arm. I love the crazy stories Maudie cooks up about how Arthur lost his arm, and how the twins work together to tie knots and such so that Arthur can learn several skills.
The end when the twins find a new family. That was sweet and what I was hoping for.

What I disliked:

Arthur. I didn’t like him. I thought he was controlling and a little selfish. However, I like that Maudie confronted him about this and his lack of caution, which could have dire consequences. I think that confrontation was probably my favorite part of the book.

Overall: ★★★☆☆

A fast-paced read that was quite enjoyable.

If this series had been around when I was a child I would have been all over it. It’s fun, interesting, and vibrates with a sense of adventure. The siblings are supportive and work together towards their common goals. Also, I really enjoyed that Maudie is a budding female engineer. However, there were some parts that didn’t quite work for me, but that is mostly just because I am an adult reader. Also, the lessons that the author wanted to express to the reader were a little too direct for my taste. Even younger readers can read between the lines a little.

As someone who doesn’t especially enjoy middle grade novels anymore I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It was a fun and fast-paced adventure that reminded me of a cross between Treasure Island, The Golden Compass and the Eberron DnD setting. The setting was a big part of the draw for me. I love steampunk fantasy worlds. This novel has definitely inspired me to read more fiction with airships, but perhaps in my own age group.

The writing is engaging throughout the entire story, with a lot of humor and details to make the setting stand apart. The siblings are sweet, but I do wish that I had seen a little more of the rest of the crew. However, one of the things that I strongly recommend about this book is all of the “strong female characters.” Maudie is a budding engineer, Harriet is a sky-ship captain, and the ship’s cook can be a protective beast when she wants to be. I don’t know about know a lot about the current range of female characters kids in this age group have to choose from, but I always like to see female characters stepping outside the invisible bounds that were set down when I was a child.

Overall, I would recommend this novel for kids ages 8-12. I don’t have a child of my own so if I am way off about this, I’m sorry. It’s fast-paced and interesting enough for kids to really enjoy this, I’m not sure that it will be able to keep all adult readers equally captivated. Both this novel and the sequel Darkwhispers are already available in the U.K. and I hope that it finds itself a strong North American and Australian audience as well.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher Norton Young Readers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review.

Wow! This is the first time I've received an ARC for a book that I "Wished" for on Netgalley. Thanks so much Norton Young Readers!

Content Warning: Death of a parent, Attempted murder, Plane Crash

Twins Arthur and Maudie are children to a famous explorer. Their father had been on an expedition to the South Polaris when his airship presumably crashed and the entire crew perished. With his death and the children now orphaned, Arthur and Maudie are thrust from a life of comfort, to one of destitution. Their father, blamed with stealing fuel from another airship before his ship crashed, violated the laws of explorers, and therefore, lost everything in his name.

With nothing left, Arthur and Maudie are sold and enlisted for servitude by an unpleasant family. Unable to believe that their father would do such a terrible thing as steal, they decide to do everything they can to investigate further. Their eagerness lands them with a crew of explorers racing to South Polaris. What’s to come is an icy terrain, suspense, mind-talking wolves, and the truth behind their father’s last exploration and who is to blame for the stolen fuel.

Reminiscent of The Series of Unfortunate Events, these twins find themselves in one precarious situation after another as they try to prove their father’s innocence and redeem the Brightstorm name. Brightstorm is a story for adventurers into the unknown with an appreciation for truth and justice.

Vulgarity: None.
Sexual content: None.
Violence: Moderate.

My Rating: ★★★

2.5 Stars. This is a fine book for a young middle grade reader (no older than elementary age for sure). It reminded me a lot of Treasure Planet if the main character were 2 twelve year old twins. The world building was great but that's where the enjoyment ends for me. The plot was predictable and every problem was so easily solved. When something went wrong, I didn't feel worried because it was just going to be solved with ease later. I wish that middle grade authors would give their readers some credit and make more subtle plots and characters. Every good character was good and every bad character was bad. There was no gray area. The commentary on climate change, renewable energy, and the environment (all great topics for middle graders) was so obvious. It was like beating the reader over the head with the theme. Honestly, it wasn't a bad read but I found myself not caring at the end and skimmed the final 25%.

Twins Arthur and Maudie Brightstorm are the children of sky ship explorer Ernest Brightstorm. They grew up learning all about their father’s great adventures all over the world. But their life drastically changes when the receive news that their father and his crew have died on their expedition to South Polaris. To make matters even worst their father is being blamed for stealing fuel from another ship and the children are forced to leave their home and lose all their belong and find themselves living with the horrible Mr and Mrs Beggins in the Slumps of Lontown. The twins feel like they can’t catch a break but that all changes when the see a newspaper ad from explorer Harriet Culpepper looking for crew members for a treacherous journey to South Polaris. By joining this crew it gives Arthur and Maudie to clear their father’s name but little do they know they they are in for an adventure of a lifetime.

Oh my goodness this book was so much fun to read! I’ve never read Treasure Island but I have seen Treasure Planet and it definitely had those vibes…just minus space haha! Brightstom has a wonderful cast of character that you can’t help but root for and i absolutely adore them all. This book is packed with adventure and will keep readers on their toes!

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!*
*I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a honest review*

4 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2020/03/07/brightstorm-by-vashti-hardy-review/

Brightstorm is the debut novel from middle grade author Vashti Hardy. Set in an alternate London (called “Lontown”), it follows a set of twins, Arthur and Maddie, born of adventurer Ernest Brightstorm, who must retrace the steps of his final adventure in order to clear their family name.

When adventure twins Arthur and Maudie Brightstorm receive word that their father has been killed while attempting to reach South Polaris, they think that life can’t get much worse. But, when he is accused of attempted sabotage and disowned by the explorer community, they find out that this nightmare can get even worse. Stripped of their home and inheritance, the Brightstorms are essentially sold off by their de facto legal guardian as housekeepers to the Beggins, a malevolent pair of busybodies occupying a poorer section of Lontown known as the Drips.

In an attempt to recover their family’s honor, the twins must escape domestic servitude, get hired on another expedition to South Polaris, locate their father’s downed skyship, and clear his name. Not an easy task for anyone, but possibly more for a pair of twelve year-olds. Though instead of experience, the twins have each other—which is sure to be the greatest benefit of all.

Officially a middle-grade fantasy, Brightstorm was a fun, rousing adventure so long as I didn’t overanalyze it. So, it’s a kids’ book and I’m not an English teacher—you don’t have to overthink it. I mean, you totally CAN overthink it, but I’m not going to. It’s all good fun. That’s my review—little more needed.

While Brightstorm isn’t perfect, it’s certainly good enough. An enjoyable adventure! Arthur and Maudie are the desirable narrators for a childhood adventure story; with one boy and one girl, they can tell a nice, balanced story that most young children will relate to. That is, it COULD have been a balanced story perfect for both boys and girls, except that Arthur does all the narrating. Not that Maudie plays a bit part or anything—she shares the spotlight with Arthur, solving mechanical puzzles and problems, as well as doing a fair bit of exploration herself. She just doesn’t live the story the way Arthur does. Now, nothing away from Arthur—with his iron arm, the kid is a true survivor, someone who has overcome their so-called “limitations” to lead a rich, fulfilling life, even excelling where so many “able-bodied” people would fail. That being said, I would’ve liked to see more from Maudie’s perspective. Maybe in the next book!

The mystery is… not really very mysterious. It plays out like any starter mystery I could think of. There’s good, there’s evil, and there’s a generally solid line between the two. Likewise, the Brightstorms start low in the beginning, but life gets better the more they progress. Yes, there are a few harrowing parts, but seeing as this is a middle-grade fiction, I really wouldn’t’ve expected any harsh life-lessons at this point. Clues are collected, they all add up nicely and leave very little in the way of loose ends, and the end of the tale sets us up for the next one in a straightforward manner.

TL;DR

If you like exciting, new adventures that are above all else fun—then Brightstorm is your kind of read. This preteen steampunk adventure features a pair of twins as the protagonists, though we only ever hear from Arthur, an oversight that I hope gets corrected in the next book. We even learn a few lessons; the most obvious being that we can overcome any obstacle with friendship, resourcefulness, and sheer determination. If so far you think that this sounds like your cup of tea—then dive on in! It being an adventure with definite British overtones, I can guarantee you that you will hear some funny names and a lot about tea. Now, if you like exciting novels that tell it like it is, feature dark overtones that blur the lines between what’s right and wrong—maybe skip this. This ain’t that kind of book. It’s more straightforward, fun and adventure. Don’t read too much into it.

Title: Brightstorm
Author: Vashti Hardy
Release Date: 3.17.2020
Review Date: 3.4.2020

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Twins Arthur and Maudie receive word in Lontown that their famous explorer father died in a failed attempt to reach South Polaris. Not only that, but he has been accused of trying to steal fuel from his competitors before he died! The twins don't believe the news, and they answer an ad to help crew a new exploration attempt in the hope of learning the truth and salvaging their family's reputation. As the winged ship Aurora sets sail, the twins must keep their wits about them and prove themselves worthy of the rest of the crew. But will Arthur and Maudie find the answers they seek?

This book was pretty good. I liked the characters and the few illustrations throughout the book were adorable. The end of seemed a little drawn out to me but aside from that it was an enjoyable read. Very cute middle grade. Recommend.

Book Review: Brightstorm

FEBRUARY 28, 2020 ~ KATHRYN FLETCHER
“Mommy. Can I play on the computer?” My 8 year old son asked me Saturday morning.
Looking at my phone, “It’s 5 am. Still dark. No, go back to sleep.”
He went back to sleep for several more hours. I, however, did not.
So what is one to do? Read the new ebook from NetGalley!

Thus began my reading of Brightstorm. Perhaps that is why I was not thrilled with the beginning of this book. I didn’t get swept up in the steampunk craze that began a number of years ago. I admire the creativity in all the costumes and the art, but not many of the stories enticed me to read them. But the cover on this one…Did you see the cover on this book?? It is simply beautiful!

Since I’m not an avid reader of steampunk, I may be complaining about something very common and very popular in the steampunk culture. If so, please forgive me. In this book, I was irritated by certain things at first. Instead of “hour” the author uses “chime” to indicate time. That one kicked me out of the story every single time I read it. Others were not used so commonly, so they didn’t bother me as much as that one. Eventually though I was able to re-frame my mindset toward the story and I was able to enjoy it for the delightful story that it is.

Brightstorm
by Vashti Hardy
Publisher: Norton Young Readers
336 Pages


Maudie and Arthur were not only orphaned and sold to a cruel family, their father and their name was disgraced. The twins know their father didn’t do what he was accused of doing and they are determined to become explorers like their father and clear his name.

Maud is a brilliant engineer. Arthur loves to read and learn and discover. Of course, the children still hold hope that perhaps their father survived the expedition south. So when they get the opportunity to go on an expedition south, they jump at the chance to fulfill a life long dream and maybe even find their father, or at the very least, find out the truth of what happened on that trip.

How was the Story?
Overall, once I got about 20% into the story on Kindle, I adored it. As I mentioned above, there were some terms that kicked me out of the story.

Lontown for London (I don’t know if this is what was meant, but I couldn’t unmake this connection in my mind.)
Binoscope for binoculars
pitch for oil
and more…
I’m not very good at languages other than English…and sometimes I even wonder if I’m very good at that! So I was irritated by a world that seemed so strange and familiar. Then I realized that this was a story like Willy Wonka or Lemony Snicket. Once I got over the weird words and read this as a fun, whimsical type story, then I started to enjoy it.

I love the environmentalist theme of the story. I normally don’t really love political statements, but the environmental issue is near and dear to my heart. (I have a hippie mom to thank for that.) I love nature and I want my great grandchildren to enjoy it as much as I do. Anyhow, Maud and Arthur are on a ship powered by water instead of pitch. This gives them an advantage in the race south because water is a readily available resource, unlike pitch. They also visit a city that has converted to hydro and wind power instead of pitch and has experienced great success. Hmmm. A parallel to any current issue? I think so!

What can we Learn from Hardy?
Another thing I like about this story is a character called Felicity. She has enormous feet. Her feet can predict things. It is quite silly and quite fun. He writes a number of very likable characters.

Arthur loves books. People who read a lot, can relate to this love of books. I haven’t quite figured out why I like Harriet so much. Perhaps because she is not condescending toward the children. So many stories for middle grade and younger children’s books have idiotic adults that think kids can’t do anything, so in order for children to have any fun, must go off on their own. In this story, the children are treated with respect and Harriet acknowledges their expertise.

Tropes. Orphan twins are very tropey. Due to societal norms, most of the time the boy is the intellectual, engineer one and the girl is the more dreamy, book nerd. This one flips that around, which I like. I would have liked to see more of that in the story with the plot.

Writing Takeaways
*Flip tropes on their heads- character roles and plot tropes.
*Please don’t put idiotic adults in children’s stories.
*Create fun, likable characters with quirks and relatable interests.

Thank you NetGalley for this gifted copy of Brightstorm.

When twins Arthur and Maudie lose their father in a scandalous accident, they are determined to clear his name and finish the adventure he started. To do so they'll join a crew to visit distant lands, meet magical creatures and go head to head with a ruthless competitor.

Brightstorm is a charming little adventure that I think would be perfect for middle school readers. The twins are wonderful, distinct characters that not only grow throughout the book but truly balance each other. I also thought the themes throughout this book, like preservation of natural resources, family and life with a disability, are important and well done. Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read and I think there is even a second book coming out shortly.

Anyone who loves a grand adventure with a mystery to solve will enjoy this book! Arthur and Maudie are strong, persistent characters who work together to solve the mystery of their father's disappearance and to fulfill his legacy of becoming explorers.

Brightstorm was a delightful adventure! The cast of characters were quirky and engaging and I really enjoyed the fantasy/steampunk combo. I'm not sure why, it was probably a "it's me not you" situation, but I was never really able to get fully invested in the story. I think a little more depth in the world building would have helped immerse me into the story.

Brightstorm introduces the two resourceful twins Arthur and Maudie, son and daughter of the famed explorer Ernest Brightstorm. The story opens grimly, with news that their father was lost on his latest expedition, an attempt to reach South Polaris by airship. Worse, his competitor, Eudora Vane, returned with the accusation that Brightstorm had stolen her ship’s fuel in an attempt to reach Polaris first, before failing and being killed, along with this entire crew, by vicious beasts. The news not only destroys the family name, but turns the twins into orphans (their mother died when they were born) who are quickly sold off into servitude.

But when the youthful Harriet Culpepper mounts another expedition to race Vane back to South Polaris, they and their father’s “sapient” hawk Parthena — sole survivor of their father’s journey — join her in an attempt to clear the family name and learn the truth of their father’s disappearance, hoping beyond hope he still lives in the snowy wasteland.

As is typical of a Middle Grade story, we don’t spend a lot of time spent on detailed description, introspection, or in-depth characterization. Maudie is bright and good with machines (she hopes to study engineering) and devices; Arty is driven, more impetuous, and a good problem-solver. He’s also missing an arm (the stories of how he lost vary as the book goes on) and wears an iron one devised by his sister. These basic traits drive their actions and the storyline. Similar one or two sentence descriptions suffice for the other characters as well. Hardy does complicate the relationship between Arty and Maudie late in the book, but in relatively cursory fashion. Meanwhile, the villain Eudora Vane is pretty stock in her sinister machinations, and as is often the case in these sort of stories, particularly for younger readers, safely ineffective.

Plot moves apace, particularly the opening section where the twins are orphaned, robbed of their home and goods, and sold off in a handful of pages. This segment stuck out as more than a little implausible to me, mostly because there’s little sense of a wider world where these things happen regularly, and so, for example, a housekeeper who informs them of their father’s death with a “get used to it” sticks out as a bit hard to believe. But once we’re past the opening in the city and onto the journey itself the suspension of disbelief becomes much easier as we’re introduced to a house that morphs into something else, airships powered by pitch (most of them) or water (Harriet’s unique design), sabotage attempts, a bandit attack, large “thoughtwolves” who communicate via telepathy, and a difficult journey through a land of ice and snow and seemingly impassable mountains.

I did wish Hardy had slowed down a bit to spend more time in several scenes or on a bit more characterization. Many of the scenes feel more like vignettes than fully realized events, things come a bit easily to the characters, and I wish we had felt the difficulty of the snowy journey through the wasteland more than we did. There are flashes of more depth. I did like that Hardy gives us a character with a disability and shows how not only Arty but those around him adapt to it (though I confess I wondered about his iron arm in the frozen cold). There are also brief references to larger concepts such as sustainability, preservation of nature, and classism, though again they could have been explored a bit more fully.

Brightstorm resolves all its major issues and questions by the end, but clearly points as well to a sequel via a new expedition to a different part of the world. While a bit slight, it’s a solidly engaging opening to a potential new series for younger readers.

This story was delightful! Brightstorm tells the story of Maudie and Arthur Brightstorm who find out their explorer father is missing on a founding trip to South Polaris. We follow the twins as they track down answers about their Father's journey.

Each one of the characters in this book brought something special to the story and had me rooting for or against them. The setting was whimsical and at times terrifying. This is a great choice for anyone who loves a good middle grade or a journey tale. I will definitely be continuing on with this series!

While it was definitely a bit of a trite adventure set-up, that didn’t deter me from enjoying this at all! Probably because this is the exact kind of book I would have glommed onto when I was in the target age range to begin with. It does seem a bit like a Golden Compass fan-fic at some points, with the sapient animal sidekicks, and the general aesthetic is trying to be steampunkish but falls a little flat in the unconvincing naming of things (i.e. binoscope for binoculars, Lontown for, presumably, London). But aside from these points, this was a pretty solid story overall! Definitely recommended for advanced grade school and middle grade readers who love a good adventure story (and for adults who love them too).

I wish I had read this as a kid, eight year old me would have been very into it! But let's be honest, twenty-seven year old me is still VERY into it.

A marvelous, rip-roaring adventure, packed with danger and daring, dastardly villains, brilliant lead characters and lashings of mystery and nerve-jangling suspense. Positively tocking brilliant.
From the moment you open the front cover until the moment you reach the conclusion this book does not stop! The prologue is action packed and perfectly formed to draw you firmly into the story, within seconds I was invested in what happened

Brightstorm gave me everything I could ask for in a middle grade book. Let’s start with the plot, this story was so well put together, I loved the way the story introduces these characters and weaves them together to form friendships. I think it was a brilliant way of allowing the reader to connect to new characters quickly while also moving on the plot and allowing us to see two important parts of the story progress simultaneously.

The whole story was filled with adventure and had me turning page after page keen to figure out what was happening.