Nadya Skylung and the Cloudship Rescue

Some fantasy worlds are so complex that the world building consumes the story. Nadya Skylung and the Cloudship Rescue, by Jeff Seymour, a middle grade novel about a girl who rescues her friends from a cloudship (basically a hot air balloon), does the fantasy world justice.

The beginning doesn’t even feel like someone’s explaining the world to me; it’s just Nadya, the main character, and her life. The exposition is weaved in expertly, so the reader can almost ignore its presence.

The book has a large cast, but each one adds to the story and helps develop Nadya into the stunning, dynamic person she becomes. I especially love Seymour’s take on hardships and how to grow from them. For Nadya, this becomes a major life lesson the other kids teach her.

I also enjoyed the relationship between Tam and Nadya, how they began by hating each other but soon learned what made the other tick, sparking a friendship.

Oh, what an ending! It was grim and dark and full of adventure. It made the reader anxious and sad and regretful and pulled on the heartstrings all at the same time. Readers won’t be disappointed in it.

Middle grade fantasy can sometimes be silly, so I appreciated a straightforward one filled with adventure and riding the edge between grim and dark. It was a daring move, and I think Seymour pulled it off.

Recommended for anyone who’s almost out of middle grade but not quite ready for young adult.

--Grace Nask