Cloudlanders - Christopher Mackie

Set in a time many years from now, a frightful monster is causing every country in the world to sink beneath the sea.  Only Bastion is left and time is running out and, as they build a wall to surround their land, they discover lightstone which has magical properties.  As the wall gets bigger it causes the country to tear away from the Earth and float into the air and safety, where they have lived ever since.  Now, as the last country left in the world, Bastion continues to float amongst the clouds, inhabited by a host of magical creatures.  One day, as Kurt and Flicker stand on the edge of Bastion, they see something they never thought they would see: a plane heading straight towards them.  The pair are joined by others who head to rescue the pilot but, in doing so, encounter a dangerous enemy.  Can they band together to save their land?

It's not often that I allow a front cover to help me form a judgement of a book but how could I resist with Cloudlanders?  From the shiny title to the illustration of the characters, it grabbed me and made the perfect companion on a recent flight home.

With a host of wonderfully inventive characters to meet, this is a delightful book.  We are first introduced to Kurt, an eight foot mushroom who appears to have no sense of pair but a great fear of hights, and his friend, Flicker, a gem-stone faerie.  It is this pair who notice the plane flying them towards them, something that seems to be impossible.  We also meet Aliana, wood-nymph and a bounty hunter who has been tasked to bring in Lycan who turns out to be a shape-shifting wolf; however, when they hear a girl scream, they end up working together to rescue her.  It turns out that Serena needs to find the Augur who she believes will help to save her best friend, somebody only she can see.  The three set off on their quest.  Finally there is Garrett who is Aliana's twin and a bookworm.  The book is told from three different pints of view: Kurt's, Aliana's and Garrett's with the narrator indicated at the beginning of each chapter.   The book follows the quests of these characters who we get to know more as the plot progresses.  With the need to work together sometimes a struggle, the plot provides an entertaining and fast-paced adventure that reminds readers about the power of friendship and collaboration.  

The world-building in this book is that of pure fantasy and readers will delight at travelling through Bastion whilst images of the land develop in their minds.  Whilst danger lurks, this is a book that is more light than dark and allows readers to let go of their expectations and let their imaginations float away on the island.  With messages about it being good to be different, as well as the power of friendship and family,  Cloudlanders is a delightful escape and one that I know will be enjoyed by my class next term.