Echo lives in Lockfort with her pet lizard Gilbert and her friend Prince Horace, and as an orphan, is being looked after by the king. It is believed that nothing exists outside the kingdom of Lockfort except the Barren (wasteland).
One evening, whilst Echo is in her bedroom, an airship piloted by Professor Daggerwing crashes into the castle and Echo comes to the rescue. He claims to come from a land beyond Lockfort and has with him a map of everywhere that reportedly exist outside the city walls. Is this the key to discovering what lies beyond the Barren and does a hair-pin hold the answer to the truth about Echo's family?
This is such a great book, full of adventure and great inventions (I now want a slideway in my house!), and host of great characters: Echo is a feisty young lady with a whole heap of determination and an apparently fearless nature; Horace is keen to follow the rules but also wants to support his friend, and then there's Professor Daggerwing (what a great name!) who's a wonderfully eccentric and affable person and somebody you'll definitely want to get to know. Oh, and I can't forget Gilbert: who's a quirky lizard with a wonderful ability to say so much without uttering a word - he was my favourite character, an adorable side-kick and a true friend to Echo.
The worlds that are created are vivid and full of wonderful inventions and I felt I was wandering around them with the characters as I journeyed through the pages of the book; particularly in Port Tourbillon with all its unusual foods and inventions to discover.
This is a gripping page-turner, full of adventure and daring-do, explorations and journeys into unknown lands, and is perfect for fans of Vahsti Hardy, Abi Elphinstone and Peter Bunzl.
No comments:
Post a Comment