Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars

Pearls, the mysterious globes that float to earth from an unknown source provide the power that powers both the 50 earth cities and the rival space ships provide the tension in this dystopian science fiction novel with dual protagonists, fifteen year old Jesse Fisher, a Skyship slacker, and Cassius Stevenson, a Surface operative. While the story is about boys finding themselves and their place in society, the plot is filled with espionage and mysterious powers. The two teens are polar opposites, one is self-assured, the other a bungler. Their political are oppositional. Yet it is the pearls that bring them together as they search for the secret held by the pearls and perhaps a secret about themselves. Two well-developed secondary charters, two girls Avery and Eva, provide an interesting contrast to the boy characters. Each with their own story and strong identity. This is a fast read and fits into the high/low reader category for upper middle and high school reader. The second volume in this series is due in the spring of 2013. Finishing the last chapter of the book make the read excited about obtaining the next book to find out what happens once the nature of the pearls is known or will that truth be hidden by those in power? While the book is 375 pages, it reads like a much shorter book. Recommended by Barbara Fiehn, Western Kentucky University, Kentucky USA