BOOK REVIEW : SKY PIRATES : ECHO QUICKTHORN AND THE GREAT BEYOND BY ALEX ENGLISH

TITLE : Sky Pirates : Echo Quickthorn And The Great Beyond

AUTHOR : Alex English

GENRE : Children’s Fiction, Middle Grade, Fantasy

FR RATING : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 Stars)

DATE OF PUBLISHING : 5th August 2020

FR REVIEW

DISCLAIMER : Thank you, Netgalley and Simon And Schuster Children’s UK for providing me with an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Sky Pirates tells us the story of Echo, an 11-year old girl who is taken as a ward by the King of Albion. The story follows her as she explores the castle, gets into trouble for not being the proper lady she is raised to be. She has been searching for someone who looks like her, but everyone in the Kingdom looks pale and has blond hair. With her dark curls and dark skin, and she stands out never fitting in. Her only friend in the Kingdom is her pet lizard Gilbert. Echo finds out some of the secrets kept by the King and decides to find out the truth behind it. During this process, she sets off on an adventure that will change her whole life and her understanding of the world.

The story was fun, engaging, and a great time. The pacing was good. We have the plot moving very quickly forward and the story is filled with adventures to keep the readers interested and invested. The plot is pretty straightforward. Echo is on a quest and her companions on this journey tag along with her on this quest. The story is filled with their wonder at discovering new things, places, and experiences. I believe the book will be wonderful for young readers who love a fantastical world and adventures.

The characters were fun. All the characters in the story had their role to play in taking Echo closer to her goal. I loved the pet lizard Gilbert, as he had a great personality. My only issue is with Echo, as she was very selfish and single-minded in her approach. She often lied to get her way and also seems to not care much for others around her until they were in some difficulty. While I like a protagonist who is strong, brave, and goal-oriented, the character didn’t have to be someone who manipulates others into doing whatever they want. I guess because I didn’t like her methods much it was difficult for me to rally behind her. Echo does come around later on in the story. I loved Horace, even though he is quite timid and less decisive. The professor was quirky with his pickles and songs.

The journey was full of adventure, exploration, and new places. The world opened up as they traveled from Albion and we get to go on a fun ride in a skyship and meet sky pirates, run from Queen’s guards, and meet some fun characters along the way. If you love middle-grade fiction and enjoy reading about young strong and daring female protagonists leading the adventure in a steampunk-esque world full of technological advancements; this will be the book for you. I gave the book 4 stars. I enjoyed it and had a great time reading it. I highly recommend checking this book out if you like pirates, skyships, and a colorful world.

SYNOPSIS

Sky Pirate: Echo and the Great Beyond is the first title in a thrilling new action-packed adventure series.

11 year-old Echo Quickthorn has grown up believing that nothing exists outside the Kingdom of Albion, but everything changes when an eccentric professor parks his airship outside her window armed with a map that shows all the magical places that exist beyond the city walls. Together with her pet lizard, Gilbert, Echo sets off on an incredible adventure to find her missing mother; an adventure that will take her to unimaginable places …