The Rundown
Sky is an imp with bright blue hair who lives on a floating Island full of gnomes, goblins, bullying hounds and lords and ladies who live in a secluded castle and rule the land. Sky works for a huge troll, Grunt, who is made of stone. They work on the engine, which keeps the Island afloat as it hovers above the sea and Islands below. Sky thinks her job is boring so she steals away from work daily to play with her two imp friends, Willow and Bean. She longs to visit one of the Islands below because she is sure they will be full of adventure.
The beautiful lords and ladies live in the castle in the middle of the floating Island. It is guarded by evil hounds so no one can see what goes on behind its walls. One day a lord and lady pay a visit to Sky and Grunt in the engine room. The lady removes a vial from her neck that holds a drop of Amber liquid inside. Sky deposits the amber liquid into the engine since this is the fuel that runs the engine. Curiosity gets the best of Sky and she wonders what the amber liquid is, where it comes from, and what really goes in with the lords and ladies behind the palace walls. She steals onto the palace grounds and peeks through a window but is seen by Varg, the leader of the hounds. As punishment, Varg throws her off the Island to the water and Islands below.
What will Sky find on the Islands? Monsters, as have been rumored? Will she find the answers to her questions or will she be in even more danger from Varg and the lords and ladies hovering above?
The Recommendation
Those who like fantasies full of unusual creatures and heroes who must grow up in order to face their challenges, will enjoy this middle-grade novel. The main conflict of the story does not start until a few chapters in. The author has a way of starting a scene with a new place and new characters and then backtracking to fill in who the characters are and where they are, which some may find a bit confusing. However, the reader will soon understand what is happening and will be able to jump right back into Sky’s adventure.
The Rating
Top Pick! 5 Stars (out of five): Freaking amazing. Any agent or publishing house that passed this one up made a big mistake. It was selected by our reviewer as a personal favorite. This is also a nomination for our Novel of the Year award.
The Pros & Cons
Pros: Believable, Characterization, Plot, Strong World-Building, Unique StyleCons: Starts slow
