The prequal to the The Eye of the North, Skyborn allows us to get to know Thing, who was Emmeline's close friend.
Born into the circus, Thing, or Bastjan as we quickly discover he is known, is the son of Annabella, the greatest aerialist the circus has known; she felt she was born to fly and nicknamed Bastjan her little Skyborn and would take him up with her as part of the act. However, her untimely death means that he is now alone, sharing a caravan with Crake, the strong man. With the circus losing customers, Cyrus Quinn, the ring master and Bastjan's step-father, decides it's time for him to live up to his nick name and learn how to walk the high wire. During their meeting, Quinn eludes to Bastjan's mother's trunk in which Bastjan discovers a locked box, which he takes.
During Bastjan's training, Quinn introduces the troop to their benefactor, the mysterious Dr Bauer, who has funded the circus, providing the high-wire act is up to his expectations. This also leads the circus to move rather abruptly to Oxford. During their move, they meet Alice who is on the run with her dog Wares. With the help of Bastjan and Crake, she hides in the circus and agrees to help Bastjan keep his mother's box safe. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Dr Bauer is actually after the box and its contents, which hold secrets that need to be kept hidden. Can Bastjan and his friends evade Dr Bauer and can they keep the box and its contents safe?
I first read The Eye of the North back in March 2018 and thoroughly enjoyed it so I was very excited to read the story that lead to Emmeline and Thing's meeting. I liked the fact that this gives you the insight into Thing's life without being too constrained to The Eye of the North (you could easily read this as a stand alone book); however, the hints of what is to come are rather wonderful (and nicely subtle) and I was left at the end wanting to head back to reread The Eye of the North!
Bastjan is a rather wonderful character. Alone in the world, with just his friend Crake to support and guide him, he is stronger and braver than he thinks he is, and this becomes ever more apparent the further into the book you go. He is faced with several tough decisions but seems guided by his moral compass and his loyal friend. He is a character readers will love getting to know.
I also like the circus setting! Ever since reading Enid Blyton's Come To the Circus as a little girl, I have had a love of books set in the circus (the idea of the flamboyant costumes and camaraderie really appeals!) so the setting is a big plus and allowed me to tumble and walk the wire alongside Bastjan! (Anybody who knows me will find this revelation quite a shock!)
Skyborn really is a wonderful book that readers will thoroughly enjoy, either because they want to get to know more about Thing or as a book on its own; I know it will be a big success in school once it is released on June 9th.
Many thanks to Little Tiger for the opportunity to read this book before its publication date.
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