This is a lot of fun! I love the world English had created - sky ships and clockwork dragons and a map of unexplored places. The story is fat-paced and engaging, with a brave and stubborn main character. Looking forward to book 2!

A swash-buckling pirate adventure like no other.

Filled with intrigue, friendship and wonderfully imaginative worlds.

Alex English has a magical way with words, a way that pulls you into her carefully crafted world and gently takes you on the most magnificent adventure.

OKAY, this book features a very clever pet lizard named Gilbert. WHAT. ELSE. DO. YOU. NEED. TO. KNOW?? It also features other favourite troupes of mine: a plucky headstrong heroine, a hate-to-love friendship arc, and a slightly steampunk-y technology system. OH, and imaginative world building, a kindly and clever professor with five cats and PIRATES.

Basically this book is everything I love. Deftly written and stunningly smart, SKY PIRATES is Fun with a capital F. I thought the concept of a country shut off from the rest of the world was so interesting and executed brilliantly. I really enjoyed Echo’s tenacity, her determination, and her growth as a character in terms of the importance of friendships, belonging and found family. I also ADORED the focus on inventing and the kooky technology Echo encounters on her adventures (particularly the mechanical pigeon messenger!! SO COOL).

The plot is pace-y and exciting. I read this in a flash–I just couldn’t put it down and I think that marks it as a great middle grade adventure book. I also think it left off at a point that makes it PERFECT for a sequel. I’ve got my fingers crossed we’ll see more of Echo’s adventures in the future.

My ten-year old loved this book as much as I did. A really fast-paced, map-cap adventure that has you gripped from the first page, and provides lots of fun along the way. So good that we're pre-ordering it now to have our own paper copy. Love the cover too! Thanks so much for the chance to have an early read.

This Middle Grade adventure novel is so much fun! Echo's story is full of twists and faced-paced action. There was a little bit of everything: chase scenes, mechanical dragons and (of course) pirates. The plot was really tight and everything came together very well at the end (although I hope we discover what happened to the second hair pin in book two...)

The locations were wonderful and vividly described. I would love to visit the Violet Isles and Port Tourbillon. The man-eating fauna, beautiful butterflies and an assortment of pickled food brought English's world to life, creating a story that young readers will love to lose themselves in.

Echo is a really strong protagonist - she's opinionated, brave, and never gives up. I loved her relationship with her pet, Gilbert, and her complicated friendship with Prince Horace. Both Echo and Horace undergo some really strong character development over the course of the novel, and it is heartwarming to watch them grow.

I really hope there's more to come from Echo, Gilbert and Horace.

I was provided with an advanced copy of Sky Pirates by Alex English via NetGalley for review.

I can honestly say that i loved this book. The imagination that has gone into it is absolutely brilliant. A story about adventure and finding your true family. The flow of the book was fantastic and the story was just wonderful.

I loved it. 5 stars!
Fast paced middle grade adventure involving pirates, dragons, undiscovered places, great inventions and fierce characters.
I've always been kind of a shy Horace but I'm inspired by Echo now, she's blooming brilliant! And Gilbert, the real deal!
I enjoyed it so so much and made me forget about how awful everything looks in the real world right now. However, there's always hope and books, always books to make it better.
Everyone should read this adventure!

Buckle up for one heck of a ride!
Echo is adventurous, impetuous and constantly in trouble with the king. She is not one to sit quietly and embroider pillows when there are sights to see and corridors to explore, not to mention wishing she were living outside the castle walls in the city with other children. Constantly accompanied by Gilbert, her faithful and loyal lizard pet, the pair get up to all sorts of trouble. Echo is a ward of the king, having been abandoned as a baby. Living in a city in lockdown (how very apt), Echo is warned that nothing exists outside the city walls, nothing but the barren, a wasteland that no one could survive in.
King Alfons has declared the walls will remain locked until such time as his prophecy comes true. “When Tuesday arrives on a Sunday, when a she-wolf soars by dragon flight, when they king’s blood turns from red to white, then the gates of Lockfort shall open.”

Waking one evening, Echo is surprised to find a sky ship stuck on the castle. Helping to rescue the ship and its only passenger brings valuable information and trouble to the kingdom. Professor Daggerwing imparts the truth- that there is a much larger world outside the city, and proves it with a map- plenty of new places, city names and the sea can be seen but can they be believed? Echo devours this information and is keen to learn more but the Professor is captured, the sky ship hidden and the map destroyed.
Echo’s inner adventurous spirit is properly awakened and she can think of nothing but the world she is missing, the rescue of the Professor and the chance to travel on a sky ship. Of course, escape will not be easy but we know never to underestimate children!

This is Echo’s only chance to find answers to her life long questions and search for her mother. Echo knows nothing of her mother but she was left with a pin bearing a jewellers mark. Thrilled when her rescue and travel on the sky ship are successful, Echo is prepared for anything- except for a stowaway. “Pudding hearted” Prince Horace has tagged along for the journey by accident and now he is here believes he must convince Echo to come back to the castle.

Finding refuge with the Professor in Port Tourbillon, Echo and Horace are introduced to the world outside their city walls. New faces, new mechanisms and incredible opportunities are offered. Echo sets off on a mission to learn about the pin, however a chase from the Queen’s guard soon puts an end to finding easy answers. A quick getaway on the sky ship, Hummerbird is in order.

A forced landing, help from a flying woman and giant man eating flowers await Echo and Horace in the next phase of their adventure. Throughout their time in Port Tourbillon, Echo is warmed about a band of dangerous and dastardly sky pirates, The Black Sky Wolf Pirates. Rumoured to be the worst there is, Echo comes to believe her mother is imprisoned by them. Not one to shy from danger, Echo heads straight towards their last sighting, accompanied by Horace, who is proving to be more courageous than initially thought.

The first meeting with the pirates is unexpected, and meeting Captain Indigo Lil is full of fear, until formal introductions are made and celebrations are in order!

When all the pieces start to fall into place and a sense of belonging and happiness come together, there is the inevitable trouble! As they are all captured and thrown into the dungeons of Lockfort, Echo begins to lose hope. It is Horace, who rekindles her adventurous spirit and the two hatch an escape plan!

This is such a thrilling adventure- featuring a feisty girl intent on finding answers and exploring the world! It also features a boy with hidden courage, family reunions and secrets shared. Prophecies told, adventures had and kingdoms found.
Sheer brilliance!

A brilliantly well written book, I can see children everywhere enjoying this book as much as I did. The characters and story line was engaging and left me wanting to read more. I can’t wait to see what is next from this author.