The Quest to the Uncharted Lands

April 1, 2017
Well-behaved girls seldom make history...or save ill-fated airships from menacing saboteurs.Stella Glass won't stand for being left at home while her healer parents embark on an exploratory voyage via airship to the uncharted lands. So, like any forward-thinking, industrious, stubborn trailblazer, she stows herself away in the ship's hull. It isn't long before she realizes she's not the only one camping among the cargo. Cyrus, with whom she immediately butts heads, claims he is there to ensure the ship's safe travel, but Stella isn't convinced. It isn't until a faceless (in actuality, face-changing) man nearly kills them both--and crashes the ship--that Stella realizes just how much Cyrus and his mysterious powers of protection are needed (and how much she digs him). While The Secrets of Solace (2016) was a respite from the hearty steampunk aesthetic of The Mark of the Dragonfly (2014), the metallic, gear-shifting flavor returns in this third book set in Solace. Without much delving into cultural identifiers, Stella and Cyrus occupy the white default in this fantasy world of quasi-humans, face-shifters, telepathic species, and a winged reptilian race. With a pace that doesn't let up, the combustible action is interwoven with the need to decipher what is exploration and what is invasion: does anyone ever really come in peace? Hopefully. A full-throttle fanfare for those with a predilection for alchemy, adventure, and a little anarchy. (map, glossary) (Steampunk. 11-15)

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Starred review from May 1, 2017

Gr 4-8-In a third visit to the lands of Solace, Johnson introduces Stella Glass, a brave young alchemist who stows away on the exploration airship Iron Glory on its mission to the Uncharted Lands, accompanying her unwitting scientist parents, who have been drafted on this dangerous voyage by their king. Once on board, Stella is startled by the presence of another stowaway, Cyrus, a magical boy who has the power to harness light and heat with his hands to affect repair of the physical. He turns out to be an alien-a visitor from the Uncharted Lands who came on a secret mission to Solace long ago and is desperate to return home. The protagonist ultimately joins forces with Cyrus, and with the help of his invisibility suit, the pair must defeat a faceless saboteur who is determined to abort the mission and destroy the ship and its crew. The author's endearing, STEAM-loving heroine and magical hero hit all the right buttons for middle grade readers. Stella is resourceful and clever yet kind and caring. Her bravery and ingenuity rescue Cyrus and her parents from the faceless man. The tender romance that unfolds with Cyrus is funny and heartbreaking as Cyrus does everything he can to save the expedition, the ship, and Stella, only to become deathly ill as a result. VERDICT A must-have choice for all middle grade shelves where the previous two volumes are popular.-Jane Barrer, United Nations International School, New York

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