SkybreakerSkybreaker, by Kenneth Oppel • Harpercollins 2005

After finishing Kenneth Oppel’s Airborn, I was almost afraid to look online. I wonder if he’s written anything else? I thought, without much real hope. I wonder if maybe there’s a sequel?

Reader? There’s a sequel. And, miracle of miracles, the library had a copy. And it was in. Not just yes-here-it-is-on-the-computer in, either, but actual, on the shelf and in my tote bag IN.

The book finds Matt Cruse, Airborn’s cabin boy hero, enrolled in the Airship Academy and serving aboard a cargo ship. A freak storm brings him face to face with a long-lost airship — the almost mythic Hyperion. Soon, he’s teamed up again with Kate de Vries, who is convinced the Hyperion contains a wealth of zoological and scientific samples, as well as a band of other adventurers, each with their own motivations for finding the lost ship.

I’m trying not to give too much away here, because everything in Skybreaker is a delight, including watching the strands of the plot unspool and come together. There are some echoes of Airborn in the plot structure, and perhaps a few things come together a little too neatly, but overall, this is a great, dare I say rip-roaring, read.

I’d recommend this series to readers ten and up, especially reluctant readers looking for something approachable. Both Airborn and Skybreaker are cinematic in scope, with relatable characters an exhilaratingly paced plot. These are the kinds of books that make for life-long readers!