Annabel Pickering and the Sky Pirates: The Fantastical Contraption

by Bretigne Shaffer

What is the Fantastical Contraption? What secrets does it hold inside? And what about it convinced the Queen to abduct Annabel Pickering’s parents?

Thirteen-year-old Annabel Pickering loves her ordinary life riding her pony, reading novels, and riding the trains and flying machines high above the city. And she ALWAYS crosses the street before she gets to the weird old house where the crazy spinster and her niece live. All she has to worry about are the school bullies until she witnesses her parents being abducted from their home. To save them, she will fly with pirates, get into a deadly sky battle with the Queen’s armies, and brave a prison escape…all with the help of the most unlikely allies. Steampunk pirates meet Harry Potter in a middle grade fantasy adventure set in Victorian England.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Fantasy

456 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2019

Reviews

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annabel Pickering is a plucky young heroine that every reader can root for. She manages to keep her cool throughout this adventure where her parents are abducted by the Queen’s Guard for no apparent reason, she falls under the protection of the neighboring spinster she’s always believed to be one square short of a quilting bee, she’s transported aboard a pirate dirigible into hiding, and stumbles into a veritable whirlwind of other unexpected and unpredictable events. Any ordinary 15-year old young lady would be paralyzed with fear, but Annabel pulls herself together and maintains the stiff upper lip someone of her background would be expected to exhibit.

The story is full of wonderful steampunk devices and the action is non-stop. The writing is witty and engaging, keeping the reader turning pages for the next new development.

This book is a rare treat and leaves the reader hungry for the next installment. Can’t wait to get my hands on book two.

[Lauren Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you had a chance to board an air ship that sailed the skies with pirates, would you jump at the idea or be fearful? Aren’t pirates supposed to follow a different code than most ‘normal’ law abiding citizens? It is this very reason that Miss Annabel Pickering finds herself among their company and Shaffer certainly does make her journey fantastical!

As a thirteen-year-old girl, Annabel Pickering is far from perfect. She goes to school, she gets picked on, and she always avoids passing the spinster’s house on her way home for fear of even more torment from the mean girls. On one horrid day in particular, Annabel is on her way home when she sees men abducting her parents! Not knowing what she should do, her first instinct is to hide, but someone takes her from behind and drags her into a neighboring house before the men in black spot her. And to what house does she find herself holed up in…of course it’s the crazy old spinster’s house and her weird niece to boot! After some things are explained—but not much—Annabel must travel with pirates, escape the Queen’s Guard in a hotel, and forge friendships with those she would have never imagined in order to save her parents.

Shaffer’s characters are spontaneous, creative, and fun. They are also well developed, having a sense of adventure, mystery, and determination among other traits that readers can relate to. The pace of this story begins a bit bit slow, but there is a lot being introduced, like liquid music and… the unfolding of a bigger plot at work. With incredibly original concepts and intrigue, Annabel’s adventure becomes a story that readers will soon find themselves consuming at a much faster rate. That is what makes an exceptional story, right?! The anticipation and nail-biting or the “hanging on the edge of your seat” feeling are there for this entertaining middle-grade story. The book cover is also very appealing, especially to a younger audience and that is always a plus for the author since this is the first thing that readers generally see before the book blurb on the back. There are a few spelling and grammatical errors; however, this should not hinder the enjoyment of the novel. If you are a reader of children’s action and adventure or middle-grade steampunk, you may be interested to find out what happens to Annabel and her search for her parents.

An electronic copy of this book was provided to Turning Another Page by Reedsy Discovery and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a four-star rating to Annabel Pickering and the Sky Pirates: The Fantastical Contraption by Bretigne Shaffer.

[Stephanie Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I wanted to curl up with when I was 12 years old. It contains a wonderful world in which to lose yourself; I fully expected to encounter the likes of Caractacus Potts or Miss Truly Scrumptious within its pages, and I very nearly did. But unlike many of the books I read as a child back in the 1970s, Shaffer's story includes an added dimension. Without being preachy, the Annabel Pickering story illustrates to young readers the face of a very real villain: a rent seeking, regulatory, militarized state with the ability to incarcerate its commercial and ideological foes. These lessons, though, are quietly woven into the rolling hills of a 19th century British countryside, above which plays out an edge-of-your-seat pirate adventure full of flying contraptions and fantastical inventions that I think most pre-teens and teenagers -- even adults -- will enjoy.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annabel P. And the Sky Pirates was an interesting read. It's geared towards a YA audience and I think they'd enjoy it more than I did. Well, some of it. The story takes place in an unspecified year and time. The characters are intriguing as is the story. Although it does tend to drag on in some areas. The predicament that Annabel finds herself in is definitely going to be unsettling for many tween/teen readers. The ending was pretty odd and leaves many questions unanswered which is why I am only giving this book 3 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Paula Ackley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although it has been decades since I was a tween I found myself totally enjoying this book. Annabel Pickering and the Sky Pirates: The Fantastical Contraption is clever, fun and imaginative. The characters are well developed, the story is well written and the plot is well thought out. Full of adventure with pirates, flying machines and a spunky schoolgirl Ms. Shaffer's book will keep you entertained from start to finish. Although the book doesn't end on a cliffhanger there is more to Annabel's story.

[Nancy Gisvold · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very fun book. I especially loved the character of Annabel. She starts out as an outcast among her ex-friends at school but finds her place among a group of unlikely comrades. The action scenes were very exciting and well described. I could feel myself right them among them. It has an ingenious plot. I would like to find the next book in the series.