Teaser

The British Empire controls the heavens themselves. or so it appears, until young Art Mumby and his family are attacked by alien spiders from darkest space . . .

Review

Phillip Reeve is most famous for his Mortal Engines Quartet (or, if you’re an American and hate good titles, The Hungry City Chronicles), but immediately after finishing that series he wrote another science fiction/steampunk hybrid aimed towards younger readers. The first of these books is Larklight, which introduces readers to a reimagined Victorian period. One in which humanity has conquered a solar system rich in alien life, with Martians in the secret service and automata on every street corner. Along the way there are such wondrous ideas as Jupiter’s great storms being sentient creatures, and giant caterpillars that morph into moths the size of a boy’s hand, and then drop dead.

I loved this book as a youngster, and returning to it as an adult is no less joyous. Reeve’s writing is instantly accessible, peppered though it is by the stylistic quirks of a Victorian writer. The impression is very much of a Boy’s Own Adventure, with plucky young heroes (and their sisters) taking on all comers. The star of the show is surely Jack Havoc, the teenage pirate who leads a crew of alien misfits against the British navy. Now there is a character plucked right from the imaginations of young boys everywhere. This is the sort of book in which parents are quickly yet non-fatally swept aside, and the children must lead. It’s a whole lot of fun, even for an old grump like me.

The physical version of this book is replete with illustrations by David Wyatt, whose style is as lively as Reeve’s fertile imagination. I can still picture Thunderhead, the Potter Moth’s jars, and the dreadful Mr Webster in my mind even now. Obviously, the audio version lacks these, and that absence does render the book lesser. The audio itself is fine, though Steinburner’s attempt at a period accent is best left unremarked on. However, a note must be made that the chapter sections do not line up at all with the actual chapters of the book. It’s all a bit slap-dash if you ask me.

Look past that, however, and the core of the book is still here. A world where you can breathe in the aether of space, where ancient alien empires have given way to jolly old Britain, and where a little pluck and courage can get you further than any nefarious villainy. This is a book I’d heartily recommend to younger readers of science fiction, and for anyone who likes their steampunk with a dash of whimsy.

Audio Stats

• Narrated by Greg Steinburner
• The Larklight Trilogy (#1)
• First Published 2006 by Bloomsbury
• Runtime: 8hrs 46mins