Mothstorm

Mothstorm: The Horror from Beyond Uranus Georgium Sidus! is the final book in the Larklight series.

Art, Myrtle, Mother, Father, Jack and friends have gathered at Larklight for the Christmas holidays. As any fan of the series or of science fiction or fantasy knows, these characters are not destined to have a simple holiday celebration. Just as Myrtle and Jack's romance is blooming of course our characters are called to action.

Mother must deal with another of her kind who has decided she wants to take over the solar system. Mother must make some challenging decisions to save her family and the universe.

Myrtle proves to be a surprising influence on a hostile race much to the surprise of her family.

For some reason science fiction is a neglected genre for children. Few books are written and read. This series should get more attention. The books are a great way to introduce children to science fiction. The series provides an opportunity to learn about the differences and similarities between the genres of science fiction and fantasy.

I bought the series to have around for a younger relative who will be visiting this summer. It helps having entertaining books on hand to keep young guests entertained during down times.

Starcross

Starcross is the second book in the Larklight series. After recovering from the giant spiders and rescuing the British Empire, Myrtle, Art and their mother are enticed to go on vacation to Starcross a luxury hotel. As anyone who reads fantasy or science fiction knows, vacations are never peaceful for heroes in these novels.

Reeve did find an original villain. Who would suspect evil top hats? Mother and the children along with Jack are engaged in another adventure to save the Universe from danger.

Art matures a great deal in this book and carries the burden of telling the story. Myrtle's diaries are not a part of the tale as they were in Larklight. We learn more about Mother's history and abilities in Starcross. Jack and Myrtle's relationship continues to progress slowly with typical challenges and issues.

A younger relative will be receiving this series this summer to keep her entertained during down times during her visits. I will be interested to hear her thoughts on the books.

Larklight

There are not many modern science fiction series written for children. I was interested when I heard about Philip Reeve's Larklight series. I requested the first, Larklight from the library.

I was amused at the comparisons people made about this book. As usual everyone compares all children's adventure series to Harry Potter. Others saw Star Wars. While I did see a Scotty reference from Star Trek I actually thought the pirate story focused on orphans reminded me more of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance.

This story is set in an alternate universe where Isaac Newton discovered space travel and the British Empire has extended to create a Victorian space empire. Larklight is the home of a brother and sister who live with their father there. Mother's fate seems uncertain. Father's fate soon becomes questionable during a spider attack on Larklight. A space pirate who take pity on their orphan status rescues them.

The story follows their adventures in space and we learn more about the origins of the spiders and the fate of the children's parents. Without giving any spoilers, there is more to Mom's story than the children could possibly imagine. As the children learn more about their mother and their home Larklight, they become an integral part of solving the problems facing the Empire.

This is one of the better attempts at science fiction for young adults I have read in a while. I have picked up the second book from the library so I will have a chance to see how the series continues. The series was written as a trilogy, so it would not be too challenging for most children to complete.