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Ivey and the Airship
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Ivey Thornton is a strong-willed girl, struggling to find her purpose in the world of Aether. Having come of age, Ivey grudgingly agrees to travel to the estate of the reclusive young inventor, Miles Fenchurche, to see if they can find happiness in a proper marriage. Ivey plans to sabotage her engagement so she can follow in her father's footsteps, but she's not the only o
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Paperback, 424 pages
Published
March 1st 2012
by Pantala Press
(first published February 5th 2012)
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Wonderful and charming premise, writing so clunky I couldn't do more than skim it.
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I picked this book up without any knowledge of what I was in for. Scanning the back of the book for clues about the content, I grew excited. I have never read a steampunk sci-fi novel before! Having been a long time appreciator of the style and never a participator of the subculture (yet), I was interested to see what this book had to offer.
Adventure. And lots of it.
But I must warn you, this is a very girly book. It appeals to the kind of girls who like to read stories about young women rebellin ...more
Adventure. And lots of it.
But I must warn you, this is a very girly book. It appeals to the kind of girls who like to read stories about young women rebellin ...more

I liked this book...just not as much as I hoped I would. All the elements of a good steampunk story are there: intriguing alternative science, a brave heroine, an admirable hero, fun sidekicks.... So what went wrong?
One thing that seems to be missing in the plot mix is a clear villain. There are various problems to be solved, which at least keep the plot moving. But the book is half over before we get a shadowy glimpse of the real bad guys and the barest hint at what is driving the overall plot. ...more

I really enjoyed this story. It was imaginative and engaging, and the characters were well drawn. The world that Cheryl Ammeter creates is three-dimensional and memorable. I also appreciated her style of storytelling. It was just antiquated enough to give a strong sense of the steampunk genre without alienating this modern reader.
There were a few minor distractions to the storytelling. The first three chapters were heavy with backstory that could have been handled with less exposition. There wa ...more
There were a few minor distractions to the storytelling. The first three chapters were heavy with backstory that could have been handled with less exposition. There wa ...more

"Ivey and the Airship" is a book that I will cherish for many years to come. Steampunk, a genre and concept completely new to me, is Victorian sensibilities meets science fiction, as I understand it. Young Ivey lives in a gorgeously described world called Aether, and things are very prim and proper as Victorian times would dictate. Ivey is, well, a bit of an anomaly. She's feisty, curious and assertive, not at all what we expect from the genteel ladies. And that's what makes her so easy to fall
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The book is a wonderful read and story. The story of how I came to the book is just as much fun as the book.
Walking our neighborhood one Sunday we went into an Open House for sale and meet another couple from the neighborhood; looking to sell our respective homes. After introductions we toured our respective homes and Cheryl Ammeter autographed and gave me a copy of her book! What a way to meet your neighbors ;-)
Steampunk as a genre was new to me. I focused on it's being fantasy. I'm ok with fan ...more
Walking our neighborhood one Sunday we went into an Open House for sale and meet another couple from the neighborhood; looking to sell our respective homes. After introductions we toured our respective homes and Cheryl Ammeter autographed and gave me a copy of her book! What a way to meet your neighbors ;-)
Steampunk as a genre was new to me. I focused on it's being fantasy. I'm ok with fan ...more

The author may claim to not intentionally write steampunk, but she does a good job of hitting all the cool steampunk tropes. We have airships! Aether! Adventuring! And even a female protagonist. There may be a bit more magic/spirituality in this book than in the normal technocentric steampunk novels, but everything is given that fictional science coating of explanation.
I liked that no one really fell into their roles completely without complaint. There was always another layer or history to a ch ...more
I liked that no one really fell into their roles completely without complaint. There was always another layer or history to a ch ...more

The premise of the book is very charming and interesting. I really wanted to like this book and persisted through the early chapters in hopes the plot would be rewarding enough to overlook the Mary Sue styled characters and simple writing style.
I used to try to finish all the books I start, but now I have become a bit of a pretentious reader and keeping me reading depends a lot on the quality of writing. The writing in this book reminded me of a novelist in their infancy stages - where you have ...more
I used to try to finish all the books I start, but now I have become a bit of a pretentious reader and keeping me reading depends a lot on the quality of writing. The writing in this book reminded me of a novelist in their infancy stages - where you have ...more

I was lucky enough to get a signed original print to read as a gift from the author. It took me a while to finally get to read it, family obligations and such, but once I did, I found that I literally couldn't put it down. I hid it on my lap at work so my boss wouldn't see me reading while I should have been working. The characters were real and enthralling. Just enough sci-fi, just a touch of romance and Cheryl has just the perfect touch with dialogue. I really loved it. But the funniest part w
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The world of Aether is filled with wondrous (even dangerous) characters. Ivey became my instant heroine and with every page I couldn't help but cheer her on. It's hard for me not to connect with a character I see so much of myself in, but the great thing about Ivey is that everyone will love her personality and courage. The story itself draws you in and it refuses let you go, I read it from the time it was put in my hands until three am the next morning, hanging on every one of Cheryl's written
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This is a wonderful book that engages the reader. It is written with beautiful descriptions and imaginative details that take you to new and special places-- and I wish such an airship existed! Each character has a unique voice, and the story takes unexpected turns. It is filled with adventure, which is brought on by the strong and spunky main character, Ivey, a girl with great self-esteem and big dreams. This is a book that appeals to boys, girls, as well as adults. I cannot wait for the next b
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I enjoyed the imaginative premise of this novel, though I found the writing somewhat stilted and clunky. Ms. Ammeter clearly has boundless creativity and the skill to weave a complex and engaging story, though I felt that language and character nuance took a backseat to advancing from plot point to plot point.

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I enjoyed Ivey's adventures and I look forward to more!
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Cheryl Ammeter grew up on a dairy farm in Iowa and currently lives in Pacifica, CA with her brilliant husband, her gifted children, and two backyard tuxedo cats that came with the house. She is best known as an award-winning scriptwriter for seven seasons of the globally acclaimed children’s program, Barney & Friends. At Radio Disney, she wrote and performed in a wide variety of Disney features in
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