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This book was so much fun! I loved the mix of Victorian sensibilities with space colonization, especially the use of Industrial Revolution-era technology (with a little alchemy thrown in) to create spaceships and stations. I liked the unique qualities attributed to each planet and their inhabitants. The story is a very familiar adventure/fantasy formula, but the setting and characters make the book.
This is one of those books that begs to be read aloud for the sheer pleasure of sharing Reeve's combination of science fiction and Victorian values. Imagine if the British Empire, at its height, had reached as far as Mars. Imagine convicts sent to the moon instead of Australia. Imagine fantastical creatures like giant spiders, space whales, and hover hogs (they help clean up the crumbs in zero gravity). Imagine space ships that look like part of the Royal Navy. Imagine a house just past the moon
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It is the mid-nineteenth century, Queen Victoria is on the throne, and the British Empire stretches into the stars. With their absent-minded father for their only human company, Arthur and Myrtle live in a ramshackle house named Larklight floating in deep space. But then giant spiders invade Larklight and kidnap their father, and Art and Myrtle barely escape. They join up with a pirate crew led by the notorious Captain Jack Havock and have a number of thrilling adventures whilst evading the spid
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I wish I could say I tore through this, but somehow it dragged for me. More character development would have been nice. The best part was Jack's story, he was the only main character with an interesting past.
Brother and sister Art and Myrtle Mumby flee their extraterrestrial Victorian home, named Larklight, which is under attack by giant space spiders. They get picked up by the dreaded pirate Jack, who turns out to be not so fierce, and to be about the same age as they are. Together, they uncove ...more
Brother and sister Art and Myrtle Mumby flee their extraterrestrial Victorian home, named Larklight, which is under attack by giant space spiders. They get picked up by the dreaded pirate Jack, who turns out to be not so fierce, and to be about the same age as they are. Together, they uncove ...more
Victorians in space. Lots of fun action and bizarre space creatures. Also, the illustrations were terrific. Reeve clearly was having a lot of fun writing this light-hearted adventure, and I had fun reading it.
Dec 01, 2009
Tara
marked it as unfinished
Feb 05, 2011
Cathy
marked it as to-read
May 24, 2011
CLM
marked it as to-read
Mar 07, 2013
Lisa Vegan
marked it as to-read
Dec 10, 2014
Liz
marked it as to-read
Nov 25, 2019
Clarissa
marked it as to-read
