Larklight

Larklight
Philip Reeve

The extended, official title is: Larklight, or, The Revenge of the White Spiders, or, To Saturn's Rings and Back: A Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space.

If that doesn't make you want to read it, I don't know what will.

It's quite a good book. Pleasantly thick but with large print and plenty of splendid illustrations, the book reads light and easily. It's steampunk, I believe - if steampunk involves a Victorian society of machinery and gravitational devices and space travel, then yes, this is every inch steampunk. It concerns the lad Arthur (or Art, as he is more commonly called) and his sister Myrtle as their life aboard the elaborate space-orbiting house Larklight is suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a very strange and rather unpleasant visitor. This leads to a series of adventures and daring exploits including (but not limited to) the Potter Moths, the space pirate Jack Havock, aliens, flaming spiders.... etc, etc.

The book was also rather clean.... aside from some words that were (sadly) referenced but (gladly) not spelled out; in other words, the author generally substituted swear words with abbreviated versions composed mostly of "----"s.

The writing style is British and humorous and a bit reminiscent of Lemony Snicket's. The world is well-developed, the characters varied and enjoyable, and the setting fabulous.

Recommended indeed as a fast-paced, entertaining, and cheering tale.

Salutations,
-whisper