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Sky Riders of Etherium #1
The Sailweaver's Son
The Sailweaver's Son combines traditional fantasy with a dash of steampunk and takes readers to a unique world, Etherium, where mountains rise like islands above a sea of clouds and adventurers travel the sky in sail-driven airships.
When fifteen-year-old Tak rescues the survivor of an airship destroyed by one of the giant flammable gas bubbles mysteriously appearing in the sky of Etherium, the authorities react like a flock of startled grekks.
Admiral Scud accuses Tak of sabotage and treason. Tak's father grounds him for reckless airmanship. Rumors spread that the bubbles are weapons devised by the Gublins, a race of loathsome but ingenious underground creatures. The King's advisors call for war, hoping to win much-needed Gublin coal.
To prove his innocence, solve the mystery, and prevent a misguided war, Tak must do what anyone knows is suicide - visit the Gublins and find out what they're up to. When the wizard's adopted daughter, an oddly beautiful and irksomely intelligent girl from the Eastern kingdoms, asks Tak to help her do just that, he can't say no.
The adventure will take Tak from the deepest underground caves to a desperate battle on Etherium's highest mountaintop. It will force him to face his worst fears, and to grow up faster than he expected.
When fifteen-year-old Tak rescues the survivor of an airship destroyed by one of the giant flammable gas bubbles mysteriously appearing in the sky of Etherium, the authorities react like a flock of startled grekks.
Admiral Scud accuses Tak of sabotage and treason. Tak's father grounds him for reckless airmanship. Rumors spread that the bubbles are weapons devised by the Gublins, a race of loathsome but ingenious underground creatures. The King's advisors call for war, hoping to win much-needed Gublin coal.
To prove his innocence, solve the mystery, and prevent a misguided war, Tak must do what anyone knows is suicide - visit the Gublins and find out what they're up to. When the wizard's adopted daughter, an oddly beautiful and irksomely intelligent girl from the Eastern kingdoms, asks Tak to help her do just that, he can't say no.
The adventure will take Tak from the deepest underground caves to a desperate battle on Etherium's highest mountaintop. It will force him to face his worst fears, and to grow up faster than he expected.
310 pages, Paperback
First published July 30, 2016
About the author
Jeff Minerd
6 books30 followersJeff Minerd’s first YA fantasy novel, The Sailweaver’s Son, was published by Silver Leaf Books in 2016. SFF World called it “a sweet coming-of-age tale in an enthralling world, mixing epic fantasy with a dash of steampunk that includes sailing airships, exploding gas-bubbles, and floating islands!" It was a semi-finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Awards and has more than 100 reviews on Amazon.
His next book, The Wizard’s Daughter, will be released on September 10, 2018. Minerd has published short fiction in literary journals including The North American Review. One of his stories won the F. Scott Fitzgerald Short Story Competition.
Minerd has worked as a science and medical writer for publications and organizations including the National Institutes of Health, MedPage Today, The Futurist magazine, and the Scientist magazine. He lives in Rochester, NY.
His next book, The Wizard’s Daughter, will be released on September 10, 2018. Minerd has published short fiction in literary journals including The North American Review. One of his stories won the F. Scott Fitzgerald Short Story Competition.
Minerd has worked as a science and medical writer for publications and organizations including the National Institutes of Health, MedPage Today, The Futurist magazine, and the Scientist magazine. He lives in Rochester, NY.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 29, 2016
First let me start by saying that I read purely for pleasure! I want to experience the emotions of the characters I am reading about…love, hate, happiness, sadness, anger, pride, loyalty, compassion, bravery, pain. I felt all of these emotions, and more, while reading this enchanting story.
The Sailweaver’s Son is a story of a young boy’s coming-of-age in a fantasy world of airships, wizards, and other strange beings. Tak and his friends are forced to make some very grown-up decisions knowing they may end up facing their mortality, and even though Tak’s decisions may make him appear grown up, he is still a boy inside struggling to find his way.
A great book for all ages, from 9 to 99!
The Sailweaver’s Son is a story of a young boy’s coming-of-age in a fantasy world of airships, wizards, and other strange beings. Tak and his friends are forced to make some very grown-up decisions knowing they may end up facing their mortality, and even though Tak’s decisions may make him appear grown up, he is still a boy inside struggling to find his way.
A great book for all ages, from 9 to 99!
August 16, 2016
Review originally posted on Children's Atheneum
Etherium is an air world, with mountain top cities and great seas of clouds transversed by great sail-driven airships. Fifteen-year-old Tak is the son of a prominent sailweaver, which grants him a good deal of freedom. Some in the royal court would say too much. Take likes to sail his small airship near the big naval ships, which often gets him into trouble with their captain. Until the day Take witnesses a giant gas bubble rise up from the depths and explode, taking a ship with it. In an act of bravery and folly, Tak rescues its captain. His actions are rewarded with suspicion though but Admiral Scud who seems hell bent on creating war with the Gublins, underground creatures that live far below the clouds within the mountains. And so Tak sets off on an adventure to discover Admiral Scud's true intentions, discovering new friends along the way and a level of bravery he didn't think he had in him.
There is a lot of work that goes into building a new world, particularly one that despite being fantasy in nature, is grounded in some science. Minerd handled this part of the story very well. Etherium is a fascinating planet, for lack of a better world. A place where the air is thick enough to allow ships to sail through the clouds, caught on the wind. The people who live above and beneath the clouds have evolved and adapted well to their environments. Long histories, wars, science, are all hinted at, but long exposition was rare. Appendices in the back of the book expand upon the world, but much of the information was scattered throughout the book and so the appendices felt more like a behind the scenes in a film.
As for the characters, Tak is a fun character who doesn't exactly change throughout the book, but rather discovers what kind of person he truly is. Is he really the kind of person who will board a burning airship to save a man? No one is watching. He could just leave. At the end of the book, I think that we know Tak so well that when he is confronted with a similar choice, we already know what he will do. I particularly liked that these characters felt so real as Tak has to address issues like PTSD and what it means to be privileged.
Luff, a young goat herder with a rather janky airship is the first of Tak's new friends, rescued from the tentacles of a jellyfish. I liked Luff although I wish there had been more to his character. He was a bit backward and fearful, not at all heroic like Tak, but I did expect more of him and was disappointed when he returned home 2/3 of the way through the book. On the other hand Brieze, the wizard's daughter, was a wonderful secondary character. In Etherium wizards are basically scientists and so Brieze has a bit more insight into the happenings of their world than either of the boys do. It makes her a great asset and a bit mysterious. I was sad to see her leave too, but for a completely different reason than Luff.
In the end, this was a solid science fiction book that dips its toes in the fantasy and steampunk genres. I look forward to reading book two.
Etherium is an air world, with mountain top cities and great seas of clouds transversed by great sail-driven airships. Fifteen-year-old Tak is the son of a prominent sailweaver, which grants him a good deal of freedom. Some in the royal court would say too much. Take likes to sail his small airship near the big naval ships, which often gets him into trouble with their captain. Until the day Take witnesses a giant gas bubble rise up from the depths and explode, taking a ship with it. In an act of bravery and folly, Tak rescues its captain. His actions are rewarded with suspicion though but Admiral Scud who seems hell bent on creating war with the Gublins, underground creatures that live far below the clouds within the mountains. And so Tak sets off on an adventure to discover Admiral Scud's true intentions, discovering new friends along the way and a level of bravery he didn't think he had in him.
There is a lot of work that goes into building a new world, particularly one that despite being fantasy in nature, is grounded in some science. Minerd handled this part of the story very well. Etherium is a fascinating planet, for lack of a better world. A place where the air is thick enough to allow ships to sail through the clouds, caught on the wind. The people who live above and beneath the clouds have evolved and adapted well to their environments. Long histories, wars, science, are all hinted at, but long exposition was rare. Appendices in the back of the book expand upon the world, but much of the information was scattered throughout the book and so the appendices felt more like a behind the scenes in a film.
As for the characters, Tak is a fun character who doesn't exactly change throughout the book, but rather discovers what kind of person he truly is. Is he really the kind of person who will board a burning airship to save a man? No one is watching. He could just leave. At the end of the book, I think that we know Tak so well that when he is confronted with a similar choice, we already know what he will do. I particularly liked that these characters felt so real as Tak has to address issues like PTSD and what it means to be privileged.
Luff, a young goat herder with a rather janky airship is the first of Tak's new friends, rescued from the tentacles of a jellyfish. I liked Luff although I wish there had been more to his character. He was a bit backward and fearful, not at all heroic like Tak, but I did expect more of him and was disappointed when he returned home 2/3 of the way through the book. On the other hand Brieze, the wizard's daughter, was a wonderful secondary character. In Etherium wizards are basically scientists and so Brieze has a bit more insight into the happenings of their world than either of the boys do. It makes her a great asset and a bit mysterious. I was sad to see her leave too, but for a completely different reason than Luff.
In the end, this was a solid science fiction book that dips its toes in the fantasy and steampunk genres. I look forward to reading book two.
October 31, 2016
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/book-tou...
When I was a child, I once read a fantasy book about airships. It was amazing, and for years afterward, I fantasized about a vast world where people could travel in airships, and cities existed in the clouds. The Sailweaver’s Son brought those memories back to me, and reminded me of that fantasy world I had once imagined – except this time around, it has some steampunk elements, and it’s called Etherium.
World building is one of the toughest aspects about writing fantasy novels. The sky is the limit, but if you provide no science as to why suddenly ships would be able to sail on the air, or why empires in the clouds exist, that will leave a void in your book. The author handles this well here – the reasons are explained without being too scientific. It’s kept simple and understandable, and gives the world, despite being a fantasy world, a certain sense of realism. The author also provided sufficient background on the history of Etherium without straying too far from the story.
Tak is an intriguing character. He’s accused of sabotage after an airship gets destroyed. If he wants to clear his name, Tak will need to visit the Gublins, ingenious creatures who dwell underground, find out how they’re involved in the air crash he got accused of, and what their ultimate plan is. Luckily, Tak isn’t alone on his journey, but it will force him to face who he truly is, and what choices he’s capable of making.
I liked Tak, but I also enjoyed the secondary characters, in particular Brieze. The writing was fluent, the story creative and imaginative, and I would definitely recommend this book to all middle graders, young adults, and even adults who enjoy fantasy fiction.
When I was a child, I once read a fantasy book about airships. It was amazing, and for years afterward, I fantasized about a vast world where people could travel in airships, and cities existed in the clouds. The Sailweaver’s Son brought those memories back to me, and reminded me of that fantasy world I had once imagined – except this time around, it has some steampunk elements, and it’s called Etherium.
World building is one of the toughest aspects about writing fantasy novels. The sky is the limit, but if you provide no science as to why suddenly ships would be able to sail on the air, or why empires in the clouds exist, that will leave a void in your book. The author handles this well here – the reasons are explained without being too scientific. It’s kept simple and understandable, and gives the world, despite being a fantasy world, a certain sense of realism. The author also provided sufficient background on the history of Etherium without straying too far from the story.
Tak is an intriguing character. He’s accused of sabotage after an airship gets destroyed. If he wants to clear his name, Tak will need to visit the Gublins, ingenious creatures who dwell underground, find out how they’re involved in the air crash he got accused of, and what their ultimate plan is. Luckily, Tak isn’t alone on his journey, but it will force him to face who he truly is, and what choices he’s capable of making.
I liked Tak, but I also enjoyed the secondary characters, in particular Brieze. The writing was fluent, the story creative and imaginative, and I would definitely recommend this book to all middle graders, young adults, and even adults who enjoy fantasy fiction.
July 27, 2016
Really fun adventure story in a realistic steampunk/fantasy setting.
August 6, 2016
“The Sailweaver’s Son,” by Jeff Minerd proves to be a captivating, lucid and well-crafted art of fiction. “The Sailweaver’s Son,” offers a vivid and unique fantasy world where friendship, hardship, reality, and humor blend deeply and intricately – melding into a compelling narrative that one finds hard to ‘put down.’
The story follows the journey of a young teenaged boy named Taktinius (Tak). Similar to most teens, Tak grapples to understand who he really is, what is his purpose, what are his strengths, and his weaknesses and how each facet of his character affects and intermingles within his world. Tak unveils his genuine nature by encapsulating bravery, truth, fear, mischief, and camaraderie. Throughout his extraordinary journey, Tak unearths what it truly means to go ‘above and beyond’ and inadvertently demonstrates the attributes of courage and selflessness. Tak learns to confront his fears and his mistakes head-on and illustrates how to think ‘outside of the box.’
“The Sailweaver’s Son,” is an enjoyable read for both teenagers and adults alike. It offers resonant character building and a fantastic world filled with rarity, beauty, and adventure. Minerd’s style of writing strikes a unique balance of intellect and understandability, capable of enchanting readers of all levels. I thoroughly enjoyed reading, “The Sailweaver’s Son,” and highly recommend this book to others as I eagerly wait for book 2!
The story follows the journey of a young teenaged boy named Taktinius (Tak). Similar to most teens, Tak grapples to understand who he really is, what is his purpose, what are his strengths, and his weaknesses and how each facet of his character affects and intermingles within his world. Tak unveils his genuine nature by encapsulating bravery, truth, fear, mischief, and camaraderie. Throughout his extraordinary journey, Tak unearths what it truly means to go ‘above and beyond’ and inadvertently demonstrates the attributes of courage and selflessness. Tak learns to confront his fears and his mistakes head-on and illustrates how to think ‘outside of the box.’
“The Sailweaver’s Son,” is an enjoyable read for both teenagers and adults alike. It offers resonant character building and a fantastic world filled with rarity, beauty, and adventure. Minerd’s style of writing strikes a unique balance of intellect and understandability, capable of enchanting readers of all levels. I thoroughly enjoyed reading, “The Sailweaver’s Son,” and highly recommend this book to others as I eagerly wait for book 2!
November 2, 2016
My full review goes live Nov. 26th, right HERE: https://escapingrealitybookreviews.wo...
I don’t give out six star ratings very often. It takes a very special book to receive my highest of ratings, and Sailweaver’s Son was completely worthy of it! This book automatically ranks among Percy Jackson and the Ranger’s Apprentice/Brotherband series’ as one of the single best MG/YA books ever.
The world building was exquisite, and unlike any concept I’d ever read before. I also think this book did a beautiful job handling the after effects of war on Tak. Too often I see MG/YA characters carry on as if nothing of importance had happened after they kill their opponents. I think Jeff Minerd portrayed war with realism, while still respecting the age of his readers.
It’s books like these that made me start this blog — books that don’t have a mainstream publishing agency promoting their book, but are a million times better than almost any book mainstream published. These are books that I need to tell the world about, because The Sailweaver’s Son makes it possible for the reader to Escape Reality — One Book at a Time ;)
I'm 19, and I HIGHLY recommend this book
I don’t give out six star ratings very often. It takes a very special book to receive my highest of ratings, and Sailweaver’s Son was completely worthy of it! This book automatically ranks among Percy Jackson and the Ranger’s Apprentice/Brotherband series’ as one of the single best MG/YA books ever.
The world building was exquisite, and unlike any concept I’d ever read before. I also think this book did a beautiful job handling the after effects of war on Tak. Too often I see MG/YA characters carry on as if nothing of importance had happened after they kill their opponents. I think Jeff Minerd portrayed war with realism, while still respecting the age of his readers.
It’s books like these that made me start this blog — books that don’t have a mainstream publishing agency promoting their book, but are a million times better than almost any book mainstream published. These are books that I need to tell the world about, because The Sailweaver’s Son makes it possible for the reader to Escape Reality — One Book at a Time ;)
I'm 19, and I HIGHLY recommend this book
August 6, 2016
A fantastic tale! The characters come to life and you can't help but be caught up in their adventure. You can relate to all the emotions Tak goes through and you just feel like you are part of his life. Now we have to anxiously await book #2...sigh.
October 3, 2017
The Sailweaver's Son is first in a YA steampunk fantasy series set in an alternate world called Etherium, where humans live high in the mountains and travel in airships due to an unusually dense atmosphere. There are also dragons, flying jellyfish, and wizards who live on floating islands. The lower regions are inhabited by a humanoid race known as the Gublins, who are held in fear and suspicion by the human kingdoms for their alleged habit of eating children.
15-year-old Tak is the son of a high-ranking sailweaver and spends his time irritating palace defenses by swooping in too close on his personal aircraft, the Arrow. One day, however, he witnesses a mysterious bubble rise from the depths below and destroy a royal battleship. The ensuing story is as much a bildungsroman as it is an adventure tale. Tak is initially a very believable teenaged boy: though generally good-hearted, he is also reckless, impulsive, and rather spoiled. Subsequent events find him thrown into the midst of a military conspiracy, as well as theaters of war and diplomacy, which transforms his childish traits into true heroism and leadership. Accompanying Tak on his journey are his new friend Luff, a peasant boy from distant mountains, and Brieze, an intelligent and highly capable apprentice wizard.
To be honest, I really don't read much YA, and the ones I have read were so-so at best. But this was really neat! The Sailweaver's Son is a fun, imaginative debut and I really look foward to more from Jeff Minerd. The only drawback I found was Brieze being the only female character (Tak's mom doesn't really do much), but she is actually the protagonist of the next book. The Kingdom of Spire is clearly a patriarchal society (the military and government are exclusively male), which is also something I would like to see explored more, especially with such a headstrong, confident girl like Brieze.
The Sailweaver's Son also deals with the currently topical themes of energy dependence, xenophobia, and sabre-rattling.
15-year-old Tak is the son of a high-ranking sailweaver and spends his time irritating palace defenses by swooping in too close on his personal aircraft, the Arrow. One day, however, he witnesses a mysterious bubble rise from the depths below and destroy a royal battleship. The ensuing story is as much a bildungsroman as it is an adventure tale. Tak is initially a very believable teenaged boy: though generally good-hearted, he is also reckless, impulsive, and rather spoiled. Subsequent events find him thrown into the midst of a military conspiracy, as well as theaters of war and diplomacy, which transforms his childish traits into true heroism and leadership. Accompanying Tak on his journey are his new friend Luff, a peasant boy from distant mountains, and Brieze, an intelligent and highly capable apprentice wizard.
To be honest, I really don't read much YA, and the ones I have read were so-so at best. But this was really neat! The Sailweaver's Son is a fun, imaginative debut and I really look foward to more from Jeff Minerd. The only drawback I found was Brieze being the only female character (Tak's mom doesn't really do much), but she is actually the protagonist of the next book. The Kingdom of Spire is clearly a patriarchal society (the military and government are exclusively male), which is also something I would like to see explored more, especially with such a headstrong, confident girl like Brieze.
The Sailweaver's Son also deals with the currently topical themes of energy dependence, xenophobia, and sabre-rattling.
October 28, 2016
In Etherium, a land above the clouds, 15-year-old Taktinius Spinner, the son of a recognized sail spinner, rescues a survivor of a ship explosion caused by mysterious flammable gas bubbles. News of the rescue spreads quickly. Some start to accuse Tak of treason while his father grounds him for his recklessness. As another attack strikes fear into the hearts of the people, they suspect this is the work of the Gublins, his people’s sworn enemy. To clear his name and solve the mystery of the gas bubbles, Tak sets off on a journey to Gublin territory, risking his life.
Although the idea of airships has been reused throughout other fantasy novels, the people of Etherium have a distinctive culture on how much they value this form of transportation. THE SAILWEAVER’S SON creates an innovative, steampunk, fantastical world that relates to Earth in many ways. Etherium is divided with a diversity of species and territories split up by different rulers. Creatures have evolved and taken to the sky, such as giant jellyfish or stingrays. Even so, the dreamlike environment is, in certain aspects, believable; the story intertwines actual science with magic that astounds.
In this traditional fantasy tale, childhood imaginations come to life with supernatural beasts and magic scattered throughout. However, at some points, the story was hard to take seriously, especially with the Gublins, which suggests a lack of creativity in the name, and in some of the creatures created. Also, I couldn’t quite imagine myself in Etherium because of its lack in background information.
Overall, THE SAILWEAVER’S SON is on par with other fantasy novels. The book managed to keep my attention throughout with the magical atmosphere and enchanting characters.
Reviewed by Jeremy H.
Although the idea of airships has been reused throughout other fantasy novels, the people of Etherium have a distinctive culture on how much they value this form of transportation. THE SAILWEAVER’S SON creates an innovative, steampunk, fantastical world that relates to Earth in many ways. Etherium is divided with a diversity of species and territories split up by different rulers. Creatures have evolved and taken to the sky, such as giant jellyfish or stingrays. Even so, the dreamlike environment is, in certain aspects, believable; the story intertwines actual science with magic that astounds.
In this traditional fantasy tale, childhood imaginations come to life with supernatural beasts and magic scattered throughout. However, at some points, the story was hard to take seriously, especially with the Gublins, which suggests a lack of creativity in the name, and in some of the creatures created. Also, I couldn’t quite imagine myself in Etherium because of its lack in background information.
Overall, THE SAILWEAVER’S SON is on par with other fantasy novels. The book managed to keep my attention throughout with the magical atmosphere and enchanting characters.
Reviewed by Jeremy H.
October 4, 2020
Tak Spinner, the 15-year-old son of Taktinius Spinner, the Royal Sailweaver, is a mischievous boy who enjoys sailing his airship, the Arrow, in and around the Kingdom of Spire testing the security of the Royal Fleet, to their continuous annoyance.
One day, Tak follows the Vigilance, commanded by Captain Adam Strake. Since Etherium, Tak’s home world, has an extremely thick atmosphere, the humans on the planet developed airships, similar in design to our seafaring sailboats. But instead of traversing the oceans, these ships sail the skies.
On this fateful day, a huge bubble mysteriously emerges from the thick cloud layer, envelops the large battleship, and blows it up. Heroically, Tak rescues its sole survivor. Was this gas filled bubble a weapon tested by the hated Gublin, a race of intelligent creatures living in the planet’s underworld?
Thus begins Jeff Minerd’s coming of age novel, The Sailweaver’s Son. Minerd does a wonderful job weaving his intricate plot as readers witness Tak growing from a spoiled child into a heroic young man.
The author does an amazing job of creating the fantasy world of Etherium where two distinct sentient species have evolved. Living in the underworld is the Gublins, a nightmarish looking people of high intelligence. Dwelling above the clouds on the planet’s many mountaintops are the humans who have a technological equivalency of 19th Century Earth.
Tak’s adventures take him from the Kingdom of Spire’s capital city, Selestria, to a floating island, and the scary underground realm of the Gublins. Readers will be thrilled by Minerd’s imagination as he spins his tale to a thrilling climax. YA readers will thoroughly enjoy Minerd’s exciting fantasy.
One day, Tak follows the Vigilance, commanded by Captain Adam Strake. Since Etherium, Tak’s home world, has an extremely thick atmosphere, the humans on the planet developed airships, similar in design to our seafaring sailboats. But instead of traversing the oceans, these ships sail the skies.
On this fateful day, a huge bubble mysteriously emerges from the thick cloud layer, envelops the large battleship, and blows it up. Heroically, Tak rescues its sole survivor. Was this gas filled bubble a weapon tested by the hated Gublin, a race of intelligent creatures living in the planet’s underworld?
Thus begins Jeff Minerd’s coming of age novel, The Sailweaver’s Son. Minerd does a wonderful job weaving his intricate plot as readers witness Tak growing from a spoiled child into a heroic young man.
The author does an amazing job of creating the fantasy world of Etherium where two distinct sentient species have evolved. Living in the underworld is the Gublins, a nightmarish looking people of high intelligence. Dwelling above the clouds on the planet’s many mountaintops are the humans who have a technological equivalency of 19th Century Earth.
Tak’s adventures take him from the Kingdom of Spire’s capital city, Selestria, to a floating island, and the scary underground realm of the Gublins. Readers will be thrilled by Minerd’s imagination as he spins his tale to a thrilling climax. YA readers will thoroughly enjoy Minerd’s exciting fantasy.
December 3, 2016
I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
There's a lot of really interesting stuff going on in this book, I just wish there was more detail to it! The world the story takes place in is unique and airships rule the skies. There's a brief explanation of how airships work, but I could use more detail within the text.
On the plus side, it's non-stop action. The book is very fast paced and the characters are all compelling.
It's a good read for a weekend.
There's a lot of really interesting stuff going on in this book, I just wish there was more detail to it! The world the story takes place in is unique and airships rule the skies. There's a brief explanation of how airships work, but I could use more detail within the text.
On the plus side, it's non-stop action. The book is very fast paced and the characters are all compelling.
It's a good read for a weekend.
January 15, 2017
This is a totally engulfing story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. With clear descriptive narratives, the characters and settings come to life. It is a YA book that has positive messages of courage and loyalty and doing the right thing that is interesting for adults as well. You don't want to put it down, but you also don't want it to end either. Looking forward to the next book in the series!!!
August 11, 2020
A great fantasy read for children and adults. "Harry Potter" in a sky world with creativity in description, character, plot and environment. Strength, vulnerability, risk and reward team up in this amazing first book in a series. Totally enjoyed it!
September 30, 2016
Disclaimer: I won this book on Goodreads.
I enjoyed this story. The characters were well-described and interacted well with each other. The settings and the animals were fantastic and made me want to visit. The book contained adventure, comedy, drama, and tragedy. I thought I was reading a typical coming-of-age action story. I never imagined I would be bawling by the end of the novel. I can't wait to read the further adventures of Tak and his friends.
I enjoyed this story. The characters were well-described and interacted well with each other. The settings and the animals were fantastic and made me want to visit. The book contained adventure, comedy, drama, and tragedy. I thought I was reading a typical coming-of-age action story. I never imagined I would be bawling by the end of the novel. I can't wait to read the further adventures of Tak and his friends.
November 22, 2018
Really enjoyed this book. Jeff's imagination takes you onto a wondrous journey from which you don't want to come back. Etherium is vividly created through well crafted writing with rounded characters and settings. Would definitely recommend.
November 17, 2016
Excellent young adult fantasy story set in mysterious sky-world.
October 6, 2016
Tak is riding his airship over Etherium when he sees an explosion on a royal battleship, which leads his people to believe they are under attack by their old enemies the Gublins, but after meeting the underground creatures, Tak tries to clear up the mistake before war breaks out. The world of Etherium is fully realized, and the airships and creatures of the skies are great visuals. Tak is a hero with a conscience, and while more scenes staying in his point-of-view would've helped solidify his character even more, he carried the book well. A nice fantasy.
April 17, 2017
What a great adventure with a great character! I enjoyed this book very much. A young teenaged boy named Taktinius takes a journey and took me along for the ride. I had a great time in the pages of this book. * I received this book from the author---this is my honest review*
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews